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The decay of free radicals involved in side reactions is one of the challenges faced by electrochemical degradation of organic pollutants. To this end, a non-radical oxidation system was constructed by a natural air diffusion cathode (ADC) and a Ti-based dimensional stable anode coated by RuO 2 (RuO 2 -Ti anode) for cathodic hydrogen peroxide activation by anodic chlorine evolution. The ADC fabricated by the carbon black of BP2000 produced a stable concentration of hydrogen peroxide of 339.94 mg L −1 (current efficiency of 73.4%) without aeration, which was superior to the cathode made by the XC72 carbon black. The flow-by ADC-RuO 2 system consisted of an ADC and a RuO 2 -Ti anode showed high selectivity to aniline (AN) compared to benzoate (BA) in a NaCl electrolyte, whose degradation efficiencies were 97.72% and 1.3%, respectively. Rapid degradations of a mixture of emerging pollutants and AN were also observed in the ADC-RuO 2 system, with pseudo-first-order kinetic constants of 0.51, 1.29, 0.89, and 0.99 min −1 for Bisphenol A (BPA), tetracycline (TC), sulfamethoxazole (SMX) and AN, respectively. Quenching experiments revealed the main reactive oxygen species for the pollutant degradation was singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ), which was also identified by the electron spin resonance (ESR) analysis. Finally, the steady-stable content of 1 O 2 was quantitatively determined to be 6.25 × 10 −11  M by the method of furfuryl alcohol (FFA) probe. Our findings provide a fast, low energy consumption and well controlled electrochemical oxidation method for selective degradation of organic pollutants. Graphical abstract H 2 O 2 generated on an air diffusion cathode by naturally diffused O 2 , reacts with ClO − produced from chloride oxidation on the RuO 2 -Ti anode to form singlet oxygen ( 1 O 2 ). The electrochemical system shows an efficient oxidation to electron-rich emerging pollutants including bisphenol A, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole and aniline, but a poor performance on the electron-deficient compounds (e.g., benzoate).

A variable refrigerant flow integrated stratum ventilation (VRF-SV) system was proposed as an energy efficient substitute for conventional central cooling systems for buildings. The novel system provided conditioned air to enclosed spaces with high indoor air quality and thermal comfort. This study investigated the effects of different types of ASTDs on the performance of the VRF-SV hybrid system. The performance was experimentally evaluated with five air terminal types, including bar grille, double deflection grille, jet slot, perforated and drum louver diffusers. The evaluation was carried out using standard indices: temperature and velocity distribution, airflow pattern, effective draft temperature (EDT), air distribution performance index (ADPI), thermal sensation vote and comfort feedback survey. The results indicated that the ASTD type had a significant impact on airflow pattern. Furthermore, the bar grille diffuser provided the occupants with greater thermal comfort and acceptable indoor environment. Almost all the EDT values determined in the breathing zone in the case with bar grille diffuser found under the satisfactory range, i.e., −1.2 < K < 1.2. Based on these values, the ADPI for bar grille diffuser was calculated as 92.8%. Thus, the bar grille diffuser is recommended to be installed with the VRF-SV hybrid system in buildings.

Background/Objectives: Degradation by physical and chemical agents affects the properties of essential oils; therefore, this study aimed to protect the volatile compounds present in essential oils through biopolymer encapsulation. Methods: The Achyrocline satureioides (Lam) DC. essential oil was obtained by steam distillation at 2.5 bar. The nano-sized physical coating of the active oil core resulted in an optimal polymer/oil ratio of 1:3 and particle diameter of 178 nm. The particle morphology was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The inclusion of the essential oil in the polymer was confirmed using thermogravimetric analysis. Results: The pH of the formulation remained stable for 90 days, and controlled release and encapsulation efficiencies were evaluated. Formulations were evaluated using the perfumery radar technique, which indicated a predominantly woody profile. The diffusion of fragrant compounds in the air was assessed over time and mathematically modeled. Conclusions: The produced nanostructures were efficient for the controlled release of volatile compounds from the essential oil of Achyrocline satureioides.

In the context of a sudden contraction plug conduit, the near-wall area experiences a significant shearing effect of water flow, however, the extent to which this shearing effect occurs in bubble-water flow and the related variation mechanisms of air bubble size and number remain unclear. This study employs a model test method to investigate the diffusion process of bubble-water flow in a sudden contraction plug conduit. The size and number of bubbles, as well as their distribution along the shearing section under varying initial air volume conditions, are studied in detail using a high-speed image acquisition system. The experimental findings reveal a self-similar relationship between the number and size of bubbles and their cross-sectional distribution over time. The bubble number and size vary in three stages, i.e., quasi-suspension, shearing, and shearing completion stages. The direction perpendicular to the conduit exhibits peak values in bubble number distribution over the three stages, with peak value location varying with the near-wall area. As time progresses, the peak value increases, and a larger initial air volume corresponds to a smaller distance of the peak value location from the wall. The size of air bubbles near the wall is consistent with the minimum diameter of air bubbles in shear flow and is hardly affected by the initial air volume. These results aid in comprehending the change law of two-phase water and air flow under a strong shearing effect in the plug conduit, and provide useful insights for hydraulic design in fluid engineering.

To promote the in situ generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in electro-Fenton system, a new air diffusion electrode (ADE) was put forward in the present work using N-doped multi-walled carbon nanotubes (NCNT) as the catalyst layer, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNT) as the diffusion layer, and nickel foam (NF) as the supporting material, respectively. The catalyst layer in ADE was characterized by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Then the performances of H2O2 accumulation and p-nitrophenol (p-NP) degradation with the electrode (NCNT/NF/CNT ADE) were investigated. The experimental results showed that H2O2 accumulation on the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE was greatly improved by the presence of N doping, and H2O2 accumulation concentration could reach 307 mg L−1 after 120 min at the current intensity of 100 mA. Moreover, the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE presented more effective performance on p-NP degradation than the CNT/NF/CNT ADE or the NF ADE. p-NP of initial 50 mg L−1 could be almost completely removed after 30 min, and the total organic carbon removal efficiency reached 62.61% after 120 min when 0.4 mM Fe2+ was added into the system. The repeatability test suggested that the stability of the NCNT/NF/CNT ADE was very good.

In melt blowing, microfibrous nonwoven material is manufactured by using high-speed air to attenuate polymer melt. The melt-blown air jet determines the process of polymer attenuation and fiber formation. In this work, the importance of lateral velocity on the fiber was first theoretical verified. The lateral diffused characteristic of the air flow field in slot-die melt blowing was researched by measuring the velocity direction using a dual-wire probe hot-wire anemometer. Meanwhile, the fiber path was captured by high-speed photography. Results showed that there existed a critical boundary of the lateral diffusion, however, air jets in the x–z plane are a completely diffused field. This work indicates that the lateral velocity in the y–z plane is one of the crucial factors for initiating fiber whipping and fiber distribution.

To study the characteristics of air quality and the relationship between air quality and weather factors, based on daily meteorological data from 2016 to 2019 in Beijing using information diffusion technology, the probability distribution of air quality index in different seasons and the development trend of air quality have been studied, and the relationship between weather factors and air quality discussed. The results show that: 1) According to the air quality, the order of the four seasons is summer, spring, autumn and winter. In summer, the frequency of moderate air pollution and above is about 2.54%, and the frequency of serious air pollution is about 0%. In winter, the frequency of moderate air pollution and above is 17.83%, and the frequency of serious air pollution is 2.93%. 2) The air quality of Beijing has been improving in recent years, which shows that with the strengthening of air pollution control efforts, certain results have been achieved. 3) Quantitative analysis of the relationship between winter air quality index and temperature and wind in Beijing shows that the degree of air pollution in winter increases with the increase of temperature and decreases with the increase of wind force. The frequency of mild air pollution and above is about 8.91% when the daily maximum temperature is below 0°C and 48.78% when the daily maximum temperature is above 9°C. The frequency of mild air pollution and above is about 45.17% when the daily maximum wind force is level 0, and 20.89% when the daily maximum wind force is level 3 and above. Examples show that the information diffusion technology can make full use of the location information of the sample points by transforming the traditional sample data points into fuzzy sets, and achieves good results in frequency statistics and trend fitting. The model established in this paper has the value of popularization and application.

In this study, local measurement and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) were employed to evaluate the thermal comfort in a residential environment where desiccant cooling is performed in an outdoor air condition, which is the typical summer weather in Korea. The desiccant cooling system in the present study has been developed for multi-room control with a hybrid air distribution, whereby mixing and displacement ventilation occur simultaneously. Due to this distribution of air flow, the thermal comfort was changed, and the thermal comfort indicators conflicted. The evaluation indicators included the ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers) comfort zone, predicted mean vote (PMV), and effective draft temperature (EDT). The dry-bulb temperature displayed a distribution of 26.2–26.8 °C in the cooling spaces, i.e., living room, kitchen, and dining room. When determined based on the standard ASHRAE comfort zone, the space where desiccant cooling takes place entered the comfort zone for summer. Due to the influence of solar radiation, the globe temperature was more than 2 °C higher than the dry-bulb temperature at the window. A difference of up to 6% in humidity was observed locally in the cooling space. In the dining room located along the outlet of the desiccant cooling device, the PMV entered the comfort zone, but was slightly above 1 in the rest of the space. Conversely, as for the EDT, its value was lower than −1.7 in the dining room, but was included in the comfort zone in the rest of the space. By adjusting the discharge angle upward, the PMV and EDT were expected to be more uniform in the cooling space. In particular, the optimum discharge angle obtained was 40° upward from the discharge surface.

Moisture dynamics in brick, stone and concrete has a controlling influence on the durability and performance of the built environment. Water Transport in Brick, Stone and Concrete provides a unified description of transport processes involving saturated and unsaturated flow in porous inorganic materials and structures. It sets out fundamental physics and materials science, mathematical description and experimental measurement as a basis for engineering design and construction practice. Now in its third edition, the book combines a systematic presentation of the scientific and technical principles with new analyses of topics such as sorption isotherms, temperature dependence of sorptivity, time-dependent properties of cement-based materials, layered materials, air-trapping and driving rain. It serves as an authoritative reference for research workers, practising engineers and students of civil, building, architectural and materials engineering. Much of the fundamental work is relevant to engineers in soil science and geotechnics, as well as oilfield, chemical and process engineering.

In this paper, an insect biofuel cell (BFC) using trehalose included in insect hemolymph was developed. The insect BFC is based on trehalase and glucose oxidase (GOD) reaction systems which oxidize β-glucose obtained by hydrolyzing trehalose. First, we confirmed by LC-MS that a sufficient amount of trehalose was present in the cockroach hemolymph (CHL). The maximum power density obtained using the insect BFC was 6.07 μW/cm 2 . The power output was kept more than 10 % for 2.5 h by protecting the electrodes with a dialysis membrane. Furthermore, the maximum power density was increased to 10.5 μW/cm 2 by using an air diffusion cathode. Finally, we succeeded in driving a melody integrated circuit (IC) and a piezo speaker by connecting five insect BFCs in series. The results indicate that the insect BFC is a promising insect-mountable battery to power environmental monitoring micro-tools.