Screening of Tea (Camellia sinensis) for Trait-Associated Molecular Markers

This study was done to identify random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers that may associate with seven important traits in tea. Sixty RAPD primers were first screened using 18 cultivars under each of the 7 traits, followed by confirmatory screening of 20 promising primers with 32 tea cultivars. Six RAPD primers generated a total of nine specific bands that associated with six desired traits: black tea quality and tolerance to drought, high temperature, low temperature, Phomopsis theae, and high yield. These markers would allow early identification of plant material with the desired traits that can be advanced to the next stage of selection and enhance targeted choice of breeding stocks with the desirable traits. The nine RAPD markers identified in this study could improve precision and efficiency in tea breeding and selection and are an important contribution towards the establishment of marker-assisted selection in tea breeding programmes.     

Corrosion Products Formed on Mild Steel Samples Submerged in Various Aqueous Solutions

Corroded samples, from the steel shell of an industrial evaporator system were investigated. A protective magnetite layer had formed, which subsequently dissolved in localised areas, resulting in failure of the shell. To clarify the mechanisms involved, mild steel samples of similar composition to the steel shell were submerged in the condensate and experiments were performed at room temperature and at 90°C under both static and dynamic conditions for exposure times up to 30 days. Control samples were submerged in deionised water under similar conditions. The dynamic corrosion rates in the industrial condensate were a factor of 2 higher than the rates for the deionised water, whilst static corrosion rates, measured in both media, were lower by a factor of 3 to 4 found for the dynamic experiments. The corrosion products were identified by means of CEMS analyses. The main components were magnetite and oxyhydroxides of iron. Additional to the species mentioned, -Fe₂O₃, goethite and hematite formed.     

Characterization of a low concentrator photovoltaics module

Low concentration photovoltaic (LCPV) systems have the potential to reduce the cost per kWh of electricity compared to conventional flat-plate photovoltaics (PV) by up to 50%. The cost-savings are realised by replacing expensive PV cells with relatively cheaper optical components to concentrate incident solar irradiance onto a receiver and by tracking the sun along either 1 axis or 2 axes. A LCPV module consists of three interrelated subsystems, viz., the optical, electrical and the thermal subsystems, which must be considered for optimal module design and performance. Successful integration of these subsystems requires the balancing of cost, performance and reliability. In this study LCPV experimental prototype modules were designed, built and evaluated with respect to optimisation of the three subsystems and overall performance. This paper reports on the optical and electrical evaluation of a prototype LCPV module.     

Biopolymer Corrosion Inhibition of Mild Steel: Electrochemical/Mössbauer Results

Metallic corrosion is the destructive attack of a metal by its environment. Organic inhibitors, amongst others, adsorb directly onto the surface of the metal and can thus inhibit corrosion. Chitosan, tri-methyl chitosan and dodecyl amine hydrochloride were studied with a view to assessing their potential use as adsorption inhibitors for mild steel in acid chloride and sulphate solutions. The inhibition efficiency was studied successfully by potentiostatic polarisation (Tafel plots), Mössbauer spectroscopy (CEMS and transmission) and corrosion experiments in static acidified electrolytes. Inhibition efficiencies ranged from 20 to 93%. The chemical compositions of the corrosion products were determined by means of Mössbauer spectroscopy, which identified iron hydroxides as the main corrosion products forming in the presence of the inhibitors.     

Experimental analysis and modeling of the IV characteristics of photovoltaic solar cells under solar spectrum spot illumination

In this paper, some models that have been put forward to explain the characteristics of a photovoltaic solar cell device under solar spot-illumination are investigated. In the experimental procedure, small areas of the cell were selected and illuminated at different solar intensities. The solar cell open circuit voltage (V_oc) and short circuit current (I_sc) obtained at different illumination intensities was used to determine the solar cell ideality factor. By varying the illuminated area on the solar cell, changes in the ideality factor were studied. The ideality factor obtained increases with decreasing illumination surface ratio. The photo-generated current at the illuminated part of the cell is assumed to act as a dc source that injects charge carriers into the p-n junction of the whole solar cell while the dark region of the solar cell operates in a low space charge recombination regime with small diffusion currents. From this analysis, a different model of a spot illuminated cell that uses the variation of ideality factor with the illuminated area is proposed.     

Characterization of cell mismatch in a multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic module

In this study the causes and effects of cell mismatch were identified in a multi-crystalline silicon photovoltaic module. Different techniques were used to identify the causes of the mismatch, including Electroluminescence (EL) imaging, Infrared (IR) imaging, current–voltage (I–V) characteristics, worst-case cell determination and Large Area Laser Beam Induced Current (LA-LBIC) scans. In EL images the cracked cells, broken fingers and material defects are visible. The presence of poorly contacted cells results in the formation of hot-spots. LA-LBIC line scans give the relative photoresponse of the cells in the module. However, this technique is limited due to the penetration depth of the laser beam. The worst case cell determination compares the I–V curves of the whole module with the I–V curve of the module with one cell covered, allowing the evaluation of the performance of each cell in a series-connected string. These methods allowed detection of the poorly performing cells in the module. Using all these techniques an overall view of the photoresponse in the cells and their performance is obtained.     

Some Mechanical Properties of Austempered Ductile Iron

In the present investigation the influence of the microstructure, obtained after an austempering treatment in a "process window", on the mechanical properties of austempered ductile iron has been investigated. These properties include tensile strength, elongation and hardness. Conversion electron Mössbauer spectra (CEMS) were measured, after heat treatment.     

The influence of temperature on σ-phase formation and the resulting hardening of Fe–Cr–Mo-alloys

Hardening in Fe–Cr–Mo-alloys due to the formation of σ-phase, has been the subject of theoretical and experimental interest. In the present investigation Fe–Cr-alloys containing 0, 2, 4 and 6% Mo were prepared and were fully transformed to the σ-phase by isothermally annealing the samples for various periods at temperatures of 600–800oC. After each annealing cycle room temperature CEMS-spectra were recorded and micro-hardness tests were performed. The micro-hardness increases with annealing time and temperature, in accordance with the fraction of σ-phase present, and ranged from about 140 HV to 200 HV. From the measurements, activation energies were also deduced. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Measurement of Residual Elastic Strains in a Titanium Alloy Using High Energy Synchrotron X-Ray Diffraction

Residual elastic strains in a bent bar of titanium alloy Ti-6Al-4V were measured using high energy diffraction on station 16.3 at SRS Daresbury. Using a single bounce Laue crystal monochromator, diffraction peaks were collected for reflections (00.2), (10.1), (10.2) and (11.0) from the hcp alpha phase of the titanium alloy. Reference values of the lattice spacing for each of the reflections were found from the diffraction pattern collected from a stress-free sampling volume. The residual elastic strain values calculated on the basis of each reflection were then computed and plotted as a function of position across the bent bar. The average macroscopic residual elastic strain was computed using an averaging procedure taking into account the multiplicity of each reflection. Energy dispersive white beam diffraction from the same bent bar was used to collect diffraction patterns over the range of lattice spacings between 0.8 and 2.2 Å. Detector calibration was carried out using the procedure described in Liu et al. (2005) and detailed interpretation of the energy dispersive profiles was carried out allowing the identification of average residual elastic strains in the two principal phases present in the titanium alloy considered, the α-Ti hcp and the β-Ti bcc phases. Peak-specific residual strain profiles computed on the basis of monochromatic measurements show significant differences reflecting the variation in the elastic and plastic properties with grain orientation, i.e., crystal anisotropy. Using the contrast between the elastic and plastic properties of different directions within the α-Ti hcp lattice, the difference between residual elastic strains measured for (00.2) and (11.0) reflections was plotted, as well as the ‘difference strain’ between (00.2) and (10.1) reflections. These profiles show a good qualitative correlation with the plastic strain profile introduced by inelastic bending that was computed from the analysis of Pawley refinement of the energy-dispersive diffraction measurements.