Influence of carbon dioxide on coal permeability determined by pressure transient methods

The permeability of coal samples from Pittsburgh Seam was determined using carbon dioxide as the flowing fluid. The confining pressure was varied to cover a wide range of depths. The permeability was determined as a function of exposure time of carbon dioxide while the confining stress was kept constant. The porosities of the coal samples were found to be very low and most of the samples had porosities less than 1%. The permeability of these coal samples was very low—less than 1 μD. Since the objective of this study was to investigate the influence of CO₂ exposure on coal permeability, it was necessary to increase the initial permeability of the coal samples by introducing a fracture. A longitudinal fracture was induced mechanically, and CT scans were taken to ensure that the fracture was present throughout the sample and that the sample was not damaged otherwise during the process. In this study, the permeability of coal was determined by using pressure transient methods. Two types of pressure pulses were used: A-spike and Sine-6 pressure transients. It was first established that the permeability of fractured coal samples did not change with exposure time when an inert gas (Argon) was used as the fluid medium in the experiments. However, the permeability of coal samples decreased significantly when carbon dioxide was used as the fluid medium. This reduction can be attributed to the coal swelling phenomenon. The results show that the permeability reduction in fractured coal samples can be over 90% of the original value, and the exposure time for such reductions can range from 1.5 days up to a week, typically about 2 days under laboratory conditions. The permeability decreased significantly with the increase in confining pressure. The higher confining pressure appears to close internal fractures causing a reduction in permeability.     

Variations in surface activity of the sun and solar-type stars

Twenty-five-year records of relative Caii H and K emission fluxes of lower Main-Sequence stars have been measured at Mount Wilson Observatory and reveal surface activity in most of the older G- and K-type dwarf stars that is similar to the aperiodical activity cycle of the contemporary Sun (i.e., the cyclic and the occasional episode of reduced activity in the past few centuries). We find an inverse relationship between the amplitude of the activity cycle and the length of the cycle for the ensemble of those solar-type stars. We also find a similar relationship using the 250-year sunspot record (Cycles 1 to 21). The similarity between the two inverse relationships for the solar-type stars observed for 25 years and the Sun for a longer interval of time may suggest one common underlying physical mechanism that is responsible for the variations in surface activity ranging from decades to centuries.Also at Center for Excellence in Information Systems at Tennessee State University.     

The Interference of Higher-Order Statistics of the Concentration Field Produced by Two Point Sources According to a Generalized Fluctuating Plume Model

The higher-order correlation functions for the concentrationfluctuations arising from a two-point-source configuration have beencalculated analytically within the context of the phenomenology of afluctuating plume model (viz., a meandering plume model that explicitlyincorporates internal fluctuations). Explicit expressions for thesecond-, third-, and fourth-order correlationfunctions between the concentrationfluctuations produced by two point sources are given in terms of the sourceseparation d and the five physically based parameters that define thegeneralized fluctuating plume model: namely, the absolute plume dispersion,_a, which determines the outer plume length scale; the relative plume dispersion, _r, which determines the inner plume length scale; the fluctuation intensity, i_r, in relative coordinates, which determines the internal concentration fluctuation level; the correlation coefficient, r,between the positions of the centroids of the two interfering plumes; and,the correlation coefficient, r^*, between the concentration fluctuationsof the two plumes in relative coordinates, which determines the degree ofinternal mixing of the two scalars. Furthermore, the form of the totalconcentration probability density function arising from the interferenceproduced by two point sources is presented. Predictions for the second-ordercorrelation function, , and for the total concentration probabilitydensity function have been compared with some new experimental data fora two-point-source configuration in grid turbulence generated in awater-channel simulation. These results are in good agreement with the dataand suggest that the analytical model for the second-order correlationfunction and the total concentration probability density function canreproduce many qualitative trends in the interaction of plumes from twosources.     

Analytical solution of the solute transport equation for the binary homovalent ion exchange in groundwater

A binary homovalent ion exchange transport model governed by local chemical equilibrium is considered for a one-dimensional, steady flow in a homogeneous soil column. An analytical solution of the aqueous concentration distribution for the convex exchange is obtained by applying nonlinear shock wave theory. The main nonlinear feature is the breaking of fronts into shock waves. The corresponding mathematical theory is the method of characteristics with a special treatment of shock waves. The wave velocity and front thickness are also obtained to illustrate the front propagation and structure. The derivation of the solution presented may offer a wide range of application opportunities and may also provide a good approach for solving the binary heterovalent exchange transport model.     

Spatial distribution,variation and trend of five-day antecedent rainfall in Singapore

ABSTRACT

This paper presents the spatial distribution, variation and trend of 5-day antecedent rainfall in Singapore based on rainfall data from 22 meteorological stations. The effect of climate was analyzed by dividing the study period into three decades i.e. Decade 1: 1982–1991, Decade 2: 1992–2001 and Decade 3: 2002–2011. Kriging interpolation was used for rainfall mapping. The results show that spatial distribution of 5-day antecedent rainfall does not coincide with that of the annual rainfall. The maximum annual rainfall occurred in the northwestern side of Singapore. On the other hand, the maximum 5-day antecedent rainfall occurred in the north and northeastern sides. The results of this study suggest that the climate change has increased the amount of 5-day antecedent rainfall quite significantly, i.e. from 420.5 (1987) to 592.9 mm (2006), thus affecting the vulnerability of the area with respect to rainfall-induced slope failure. The analyses also showed that most of slope failures were located in the north and northeast of Singapore between December and earlier March. More slope failures were observed in Decade 3 as compared to Decades 1 and 2. In other words, the analysis confirmed that 5-day antecedent rainfall had affected the slope stability in Singapore.     

TBT toxicity on the marine microalga Nannochloropsis oculata

Commercial antifouling formulations containing TBT are the major source of organotin contamination in coastal waters. In view of the persisting TBT residues (13 ng Sn l⁻¹) in the coastal waters of South Korea, an attempt has been made to evaluate the growth response and biochemical composition of laboratory-cultured Nannochloropsis oculata to TBT toxicity. It is evident that the persisting concentration level of TBT is high enough to cause adverse effect on the microalgal species. The EC₅₀ (24 h) was found to be at 0.89 nM level of TBT for this marine eustigmatophyte N. oculata. Photosynthetic pigment content was significantly affected. At elevated TBT concentrations of 1.0 nM, especially pronounced changes in biochemical composition was found. TBT tolerance of N. oculata and its growth as well as biochemical responses are discussed.     

HEAVY PRECIPITATION IN HONG KONG, 1951-2000*

Daily precipitation amounts greater than 50 mm from 1951 to 2000 in Hong Kong were analyzed to determine their seasonal and annual frequencies.A total of 627 extreme rainfall days happened and 334 (53.27%) days occurred in summer.Non significant increasing trends for annual precipitation and number of heavy rain days were detected.Daily surface weather maps were used to identify the synoptic weather types producing the heavy rainfall.It was discovered that tropical cyclone and low pressure induced most of the heavy precipitation.Seven out of twelve years with counts of heavy rain days over fifteen coincided with E1 Nino events.     

基于自适应共振模型的遥感影像分类方法研究

人工神经网络（ANN）是人视觉和服的基本功能的抽象、简化和模拟。在对遥感影像的综合解释应用中，与传统的统计方法和符号逻辑方法相比较，ANN更接近人对影像的视觉解译分析过程。自适应共振理论（ART）是一种自组织产生认知编码的神经网络理论，其自组织、反馈式增量学习机能，能兼顾适应性和稳定性，克服了一般神经网络学习速度慢、网络结构难以确定、局部最小陷阱等缺陷。以FUZZY－ART和ARTMAP为基础，提出基于ART遥感影像非监督和监督分类的一般模型，并以实际上土覆盖分类和城市结构信息提取为应用实例，通过与传统统计方法和一般ANN分类器相比较，ART具有正确率更同、学习速度快、自适应性等优点，是复杂数据分类和信息提取的有效工具。