Search results for "ESAL"

Characterization of rubberized asphalt for railway sub-ballast. Improvements in the mix-design, performance features and rational methodology of HMA_…

2018

(STR) can be incorporated into asphalt mixtures in two different methods, which are referred to as the wet-dry process. The blending of recycled rubber (CRM) with asphalt has been used for years, and several manufacturing processes have been developed in Europe as well as in the USA. The use of a bituminous sub-ballast layer has been pointed out as an exciting alternative to the granular sub-ballast design traditionally applied in most railroad tracks. Frequently, unbound granular materials are replaced by bituminous sub-ballast that provide additional benefits to the subgrade protection. Much research has been conducted on finding other alternative material to be used as a modifier in asph…

CHARACTERIZATION OF RUBBERIZED ASPHALT FOR RAILWAY SUB-BALLASTS

Tesi di dottorato sotto la supervisione del professore Gaetano di Mino del Dipartimento di Ingegneria Civile di Palermo), come borsista Marie-Curie all'interno del progetto SUPRITN 2013/2017. Il mio lavoro e la linea della ricerca riguarda i conglomerati bituminosi con granulato di gomma per lo strato di sub-ballast nelle linee ferroviarie. L’attività di ricerca comprende il mix-design dell’asfalto con aggiunta di gomma, la caratterizzazione e le prestazioni per la ferrovia in termini di comportamento meccanico e lo smorzamento delle vibrazioni. In particolare con l’avvento dell’alta velocità, diversi studi hanno evidenziato ottime caratteristiche fisico-meccaniche per ciò che riguarda il c…

Electrodialysis with asymmetrically profiled membranes: Influence of profiles geometry on desalination performance and limiting current phenomena

2021

Abstract Electrodialysis (ED) has recently gained much attention in the wide field of desalination and water treatment. However, energy consumption and capital costs may impair the process competitiveness. In this regard, limiting current density (LCD) and current efficiency (η) are key performance parameters for optimized ED systems. In this work, an experimental campaign was carried out characterizing the performance of ED stacks when adopting asymmetrically profiled membranes. Current–voltage curves were recorded under different operating conditions mimicking the operation of brackish water or seawater desalination units. Results showed that there was a preferable direction of the electr…

Energy Consumption for the Desalination of Salt Water Using Polyelectrolyte Hydrogels as the Separation Agent

2017

The energy consumption for a novel desalination approach using charged hydrogels under externally applied pressure is experimentally measured and calculated. The salt separation is based on a partial rejection of mobile salt ions caused by the fixed charges inside the polyelectrolyte network. Self-synthesized and commercial poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels are used to study the desalination performance in reference to sodium chloride solutions within the concentration range of 0.1–35 g L−1. The influence of various synthetic parameters, such as the degree of crosslinking (DC) and the size and shape of the particles, is investigated. Furthermore, the effect of process parameters including the am…

Salt extraction from lime-based mortars: An experimental study using different poultice formulations

2020

Abstract The extractive capability of soluble salts in poultices treatments currently used in mortar conservation (ArbocelTM plus sepiolite; ArbocelTM, sepiolite and sand; Westox-Cocoon®) were tested to evaluate their efficiency and compatibility with specific mortar substrate. The pore size distribution of the experimental mortar substrate and of the blank dried poultices were preliminarily accomplished by mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). Desalination tests were carried out on specifically-formulated mortars after capillary absorption of Na2SO4 0.3 M solution. The efficiency of salt extraction was measured by means of electrical conductivity meter and ion chromatography. Among the test…

Performance increase of membrane distillation pilot scale modules operating in vacuum-enhanced air-gap configuration

2019

Abstract This paper presents the first experimental evaluation at pilot scale of the operation of vacuum-enhanced air-gap membrane distillation (V-AGMD) using two commercial spiral-wound modules at Plataforma Solar de Almeria's solar desalination test facilities. The main difference between the modules was the channel length (1.5 and 2.7 m) as a result of having different membrane surface area (7.2 m2 and 25.9 m2 respectively) and different number of envelopes. Suction of air from the gap improved the vapour transfer through the membrane pores and the performance of the modules was significantly increased in relation to common air-gap (AGMD) operational mode, especially in the treatment of …

I traffici illeciti nel Mediterraneo. Persone, stupefacenti, tabacco

2019

Attraverso la combinazione di ricerca criminologica e giuridico-normativa, e grazie anche alla collaborazione con esperti esterni (studiosi, magistrati, rappresentanti di istituzioni italiane e straniere), la ricerca da cui scaturisce il volume ha indagato le interazioni tra i diversi traffici illeciti e la criminalità organizzata nel bacino del Mediterraneo. In tale area, storicamente cruciale per la mobilità di persone e di beni, l’attenzione si è rivolta in particolare ai fenomeni del traffico e della tratta di persone, del traffico di stupefacenti e del contrabbando di sigarette. I contributi raccolti – unitamente al rapporto criminologico e ai cinque rapporti nazionali accessibili su w…

An ACE Wholesale Electricity Market Framework with Bilateral Trading

2011

In this paper, an agent-based simulation model for a hybrid power market structure is presented. A bilateral transaction mechanism is combined with a uniform-pricing auction settlement in order to isolate the impact of medium-term bilateral contracts on market power and spot prices in a competitive wholesale market setting. First we describe the negotiation method for bilateral trading of energy and then introduce a new approach for bidding in the DA market based on the load duration curve. We find that, despite the conventional concerns, the foreclosure effect produced by the bilateral agreement between a generation and a retail business will not necessarily lead to higher prices, and will…

Analysis of the process of environmental impact assessment for seawater desalination plants in Spain

2014

Desalination generates drinking water and enhances the economic, social, and environmental development of many areas with few water resources, such as parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and southern Europe (such as Spain and Cyprus). Desalination plants may cause environmental impacts in coastal areas and so it is necessary to submit plans for new plants to a process of environmental impact assessment (EIA) in order to achieve more environmentally viable projects, meaning: optimal locations; appropriately used systems and technologies; effective preventive, compensatory, and corrective measures; and social and environmental acceptance. This article contains a study of the process of en…

Mechanistic analysis and experimental verification of bicarbonate-controlled enteric coat dissolution: Potential in vivo implications

2019

Enteric coatings have shown in vivo dissolution rates that are poorly predicted by traditional in vitro tests, with the in vivo dissolution being considerably slower than in vitro. To provide a more mechanistic understanding of this, the dependence of the release properties of various enteric-coated (EC) products on bulk pH and bicarbonate molarity was investigated. It was found that, at presumably in vivo-relevant values, the bicarbonate molarity is a more significant determinant of the dissolution profile than the bulk pH. The findings also indicate that this steep relationship between the dissolution of enteric coatings and bicarbonate molarity limits those coatings' performance in vivo.…