微型燃气轮机乙醇燃烧室点火与熄火试验

对应用于微型燃气轮机上的可再生生物质燃料乙醇燃烧室开展了试验研究,包括4种不同的供油方式,获得了常温常压进口条件下乙醇燃烧室的点火与熄火特性.研究结果表明:常温常压下采用旋流器的乙醇燃烧室的贫油点火和贫油熄火当量比的值均随空气流量的增加而减小,其点火与熄火性能优于预蒸发预混管燃烧室.      

不同热值生物燃料燃烧特性数值模拟

采用标准k-ε湍流模型、涡耗散湍流燃烧模型、P-1辐射传热模型对二维简化燃烧室燃料甲烷气、沼气、生物质气的燃烧特性进行了数值模拟.通过比较不同截面的燃烧情况,分析燃烧室内的温度分布、NOx质量分数分布、流场结构,研究了不同热值燃料的燃烧特性.结果表明:在入口空气、燃料质量流量相同的条件下,随着燃料热值降低,燃烧温度降低,温度分布更均匀,NOx排放量减少,流动速度降低;适当调节余气系数,能改善燃烧效果,温度分布仍满足高热值燃料燃烧温度高于低热值燃料燃烧温度的规律;在生物燃料混合气中掺入不同热值的可燃成分,可改变混合气的热值,恰当的混合比例能更好地发挥生物燃料的作用.     

A straw-soil co-composting and evaluation for plant substrate in BLSS

Material closure is important for the establishment of Bioregenerative Life Support System, and many studies have focused on transforming candidate plant residues into plant culture medium. For the limitations of using wheat straw compost as substrate for plant cultivation, a straw-soil co-composting technique was studied. The changes of pH, C/N value, germination index, cellulose, lignin and so on were monitored during the co-composting process. The maturity was evaluated by the C/N value and the germination index. The result showed that after 45 days’ fermentation, the straw-soil final co-compost with inoculation (T1) became mature, while the co-compost without inoculation (T0) was not mature. In the plant culture test, the T1 substrate could satisfy the needs for lettuce’s growth, and the edible biomass yield of lettuce averaged 74.42 g pot⁻¹ at harvest. But the lettuces in T0 substrate showed stress symptoms and have not completed the growth cycle. Moreover, the results of nitrogen (N) transformation experiment showed that about 10.0% and 3.1% N were lost during the T1 co-composting and plant cultivation, respectively, 23.5% N was absorbed by lettuce, and 63.4% N remained in the T1 substrate after cultivation.     

Changes in plant medium composition after a spaceflight experiment: Potassium levels are of special interest

We present results on the analysis of 100 mL medium samples extracted from sterilized foam (Smithers-Oasis, Kent OH) used to support the growth of a representative dicotyledon (Haplopappus gracilis) and a representative monocotyledon (Hemerocallis cv Autumn Blaze) in NASA’s Plant Growth Unit (PGU) during a 5-day Space Shuttle flight and ground experiments. At recovery, the media remaining within replicate (n = 5) foam blocks (for both the spaceflight and ground experiments) were extracted under vacuum, filtered and subjected to elemental analyses. A unique aspect of this experiment was that all plants were either aseptically-generated tissue culture propagated plantlets or aseptic seedling clones. The design of the PGU facilitated the maintenance of asepsis throughout the mission (confirmed by post-flight microbial sampling) and thus any possible impact of microorganisms on medium composition was eliminated. Concentration levels of some elements remained the same, while some decreased and others increased. There was a significant two-fold difference between the final concentrations of potassium when the Earth-based and microgravity experiments were contrasted.     

Study on O2 generation and CO2 absorption capability of four co-cultured salad plants in an enclosed system

The ability to generate O₂ and absorb CO₂ of several co-cultured vegetable plants in an enclosed system was studied to provide theoretical reference for the future man-plant integrated tests. Four kinds of salad plants (Lactuca sativa L. var. Dasusheng, Lactuca sativa L. var. Youmaicai, Gynura bicolor and Cichorium endivia L.) were grown in the CELSS Integration Test Platform (CITP). The environmental factors including O₂ and CO₂ concentration were continuously monitored on-line and the plant biomass was measured at the end of the test. The changing rules of O₂ and CO₂ concentration in the system were basically understood and it was found that the O₂ generated by the plants could satisfy the respiratory needs of 1.75 persons by calculation. It was also found that the plants could absorb the CO₂ breathed out by 2 persons when the light intensity was raised to 550 mmol m⁻² s⁻¹ PPF. The results showed that the co-cultured plants hold good compatibility and excellent O₂-generating and CO₂-absorbing capability. They could also supply some fresh edible vegetable for a 2-person crew.     

植物细胞响应重力变化的Ca2+信号

重力大小的改变(微重力和超重力)可以对植物的生长发育、生理生化特性、细胞超微结构、基因和蛋白的表达等产生广泛的影响,而Ca~(2+)可能在此过程中起信号物质的作用.重力刺激在植物细胞中引发事件的顺序可能是:重力刺激的感受—细胞膜系统张力改变—膜理化特性改变—膜透性、离子转运、膜连接酶活性等改变—Ca~(2+)信号的产生和转导—新陈代谢变化—生理反应.植物对重力水平变化应激响应的至关重要一步是引起细胞内Ca~(2+)分布区域和浓度的变化,这是将细胞外重力刺激转换为细胞内化学信号的关键步骤.由于机械力敏感的C~(2+)通道的活化和Ca~(2+)-ATPase酶活性受到抑制,重力改变时细胞质中自由Ca~(2+)浓度增加,随后Ca~(2+)作为第二信使介导相关酶活性发生改变,最终引起一连串的生理生化反应.本文探讨了重力变化对植物细胞质内自由Ca~(2+)浓度的影响、Ca~(2+)信号的产生机制.以及Ca~(2+)作为次级信号对细胞生理生化过程调节作用的途径和机制,介绍了常用的Ca~(2+)研究方法,并分析了研究的关键点和难点.     

The performance of KSC Fixation Tubes with RNALater for orbital experiments: A case study in ISS operations for molecular biology

Molecular biology experiments on the International Space Station (ISS) continue to face challenges of sample harvesting and sample return to earth for post flight analysis; however, the use of Kennedy Space Center Fixation Tubes filled with RNALater has proven to be a robust solution to many of these challenges. While it is clear that one direction of future spaceflight experimentation may be towards enhanced on-orbit analytical capabilities, the rapid progress of earth-bound analytical capacity dictates that facile return of molecular biology samples from the ISS will continue to be a mainstay of space life sciences research and flight operations. In this paper we present a case study of the successful performance of KFTs and RNALater over a broad set of operational conditions of ascent configuration, on-orbit experiment use, on-orbit storage and sample return configurations that are unique to ISS current operations and constraints. We also provide observations on performance limits and discuss deployment opportunities and scenarios that are consistent with continued successful ISS molecular biology experimentation.     

Crop parameters estimation by fuzzy inference system using X-band scatterometer data

Learning fuzzy rule based systems with microwave remote sensing can lead to very useful applications in solving several problems in the field of agriculture. Fuzzy logic provides a simple way to arrive at a definite conclusion based upon imprecise, ambiguous, vague, noisy or missing input information. In the present paper, a subtractive based fuzzy inference system is introduced to estimate the potato crop parameters like biomass, leaf area index, plant height and soil moisture. Scattering coefficient for HH- and VV-polarizations were used as an input in the Fuzzy network. The plant height, biomass, and leaf area index of potato crop and soil moisture measured at its various growth stages were used as the target variables during the training and validation of the network. The estimated values of crop/soil parameters by this methodology are much closer to the experimental values. The present work confirms the estimation abilities of fuzzy subtractive clustering in potato crop parameters estimation. This technique may be useful for the other crops cultivated over regional or continental level.     

陆海激光卫星高程测量的思考

为满足新形势下陆海激光卫星高程测量的需求,分析了高精度高程控制点数据获取、森林生物量估算、浅海及海岛礁地形测绘、"三极"区域高程变化监测等方面的需求,提出了发展多波束激光卫星测高的初步设想,并就高精度激光指向测量技术、距离门宽度动态适应调整技术等关键技术问题进行了探讨。     

Canadian advanced life support capacities and future directions

Canada began research on space-relevant biological life support systems in the early 1990s. Since that time Canadian capabilities have grown tremendously, placing Canada among the emerging leaders in biological life support systems. The rapid growth of Canadian expertise has been the result of several factors including a large and technically sophisticated greenhouse sector which successfully operates under challenging climatic conditions, well planned technology transfer strategies between the academic and industrial sectors, and a strong emphasis on international research collaborations. Recent activities such as Canada’s contribution of the Higher Plant Compartment of the European Space Agency’s MELiSSA Pilot Plant and the remote operation of the Arthur Clarke Mars Greenhouse in the Canadian High Arctic continue to demonstrate Canadian capabilities with direct applicability to advanced life support systems. There is also a significant latent potential within Canadian institutions and organizations with respect to directly applicable advanced life support technologies. These directly applicable research interests include such areas as horticultural management strategies (for candidate crops), growth media, food processing, water management, atmosphere management, energy management, waste management, imaging, environment sensors, thermal control, lighting systems, robotics, command and data handling, communications systems, structures, in-situ resource utilization, space analogues and mission operations. With this background and in collaboration with the Canadian aerospace industry sector, a roadmap for future life support contributions is presented here. This roadmap targets an objective of at least 50% food closure by 2050 (providing greater closure in oxygen, water recycling and carbon dioxide uptake). The Canadian advanced life support community has chosen to focus on lunar surface infrastructure and not low Earth orbit or transit systems (i.e. microgravity applications). To advance the technical readiness for the proposed lunar missions, including a lunar plant growth lander, lunar “salad machine” (i.e. small scale plant production unit) and a full scale lunar plant production system, a suite of terrestrial developments and analogue systems are proposed. As has been successfully demonstrated by past Canadian advanced life support activities, terrestrial technology transfer and the development of highly qualified personnel will serve as key outputs for Canadian advanced life support system research programs. This approach is designed to serve the Canadian greenhouse industry by developing compliance measures for mitigating environmental impact, reducing labour and energy costs as well as improving Canadian food security, safety and benefit northern/remote communities.