Political Ecology

Consolidated composite material made from expanded graphite (EG) powder impregnated with LiCl salt is proposed for use in solar powered adsorption ice makers. Laboratory experiments were done to test the adsorption and desorption performance of the sorbent under different temperature conditions suitable for solar energy utilization. More than 75% of the reaction between LiCl and [...]

Design and operation of complex systems for combined cooling, heating and power generation (CCHP) are always a matter of matching performance and demand characteristics of a thermal system set to supply electrical, cooling and heating loads, according to specific usage demands. Equipment selection and operation require the characterization of power, heating and cooling load demands, [...]

The two main forcings that can counteract to some extent the positive forcings from greenhouse gases from pre-industrial times to present day are the aerosol and related aerosol-cloud forcings, and the radiative response to changes in surface albedo. Here, we quantify the change in radiative forcing and land surface temperature that may be obtained by [...]

The aim of this project was to investigate how the visual appearance and energy performance of switchable or smart windows can be improved by using antireflective coatings. For this study clear float glass, low-e glass and electrochromic glass were treated with antireflection (AR) coatings. Such a coating considerably increases the transmittance of solar radiation in [...]

The structural and magnetic transitions in the shape-memory alloy Ni2MnGa can be tuned as a function of temperature by adding dopants. By altering the free energy such that the structural and magnetic transitions coincide, a giant magnetocaloric effect is created near room temperature. We show, using x-ray absorption spectroscopy and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism, how [...]

According to the World Health Organization, exposure to smoke from biomass burning is responsible for 1.5 million premature deaths annually. Previous research has focused primarily on the mass of airborne fine particulate matter as being responsible for the morbidity and mortality caused by biomass burning. These particles can penetrate deep into the lungs, causing inflammation [...]

The DEVap solves that problem. It relies on the desiccants’ capacity to create dry air using heat and evaporative coolers’ capacity to take dry air and make cold air.”By no means is the concept novel, the idea of combining the two,” Kozubal said. “But no one has been able to come up with a practical [...]