This work presents an application possibility of sorption refrigerators driven by low temperature fluid for air conditioning of buildings. Thermodynamic models were formulated and absorption LiBr-water chiller with 10 kW cooling power as well as adsorption chiller with silica gel bed were investigated. Both of them are using water for desorption process with temperature Tdes = 80 °C. Coefficient of performance (COP) for both cooling cycles was analyzed in the same conditions of the driving heat source, cooling water Tc = 25 °C and temperature in evaporator Tevap = 5 °C. In this study, the computer software EES was used to investigate the performance of absorption heat pump system and its behaviour in configuration with geothermal heat source.

Thermodynamic analysis of car air cooler is presented in this paper. Typical refrigerator cycles are studied. The first: with uncontrolled orifice and non controlled compressor and the second one with the thermostatic controlled expansion valve and externally controlled compressor. The influence of the refrigerant decrease and the change of the air temperature which gets to exchangers on the refrigeration efficiency of the system; was analysed. Also, its effectiveness and the power required to drive the compressor were investigated. The impact of improper refrigerant charge on the performance of air conditioning systems was also checked.

Adsorption refrigeration systems are able to work with heat sources of temperature starting with 50°C. The aim of the article is to determine whether in terms of technical and economic issues adsorption refrigeration equipment can work as elements that produce cold using hot water from the district heating network. For this purpose, examined was the work of the adsorption air conditioning equipment cooperating with drycooler, and the opportunities offered by the district heating network in Warsaw during the summer. It turns out that the efficiency of the adsorption device from the economic perspective is not sufficient for production of cold even during the transitional period. The main problem is not the low temperature of the water supply, but the large difference between the coefficients of performance, COPs, of adsorption device and a traditional compressor air conditioning unit. When outside air temperature is 25°C, the COP of the compressor type reaches a value of 4.49, whereas that of the adsorption device in the same conditions is 0.14. The ratio of the COPs is 32. At the same time ratio between the price of 1 kWh of electric power and 1 kWh of heat is only 2.85. Adsorption refrigeration equipment to be able to compete with compressor devices, should feature COPads efficiency to be greater than 1.52. At such a low driving temperature and even changing the drycooler into the evaporative cooler it is not currently possible to achieve.

As a kind of mass transfer process as well as the basis of separating and purifying mixtures, interfacial adsorption has been widely applied to fields like chemical industry, medical industry and purification engineering in recent years. Influencing factors of interfacial adsorption, in addition to the traditional temperature, intensity of pressure, amount of substance and concentration, also include external fields, such as magnetic field, electric field and electromagnetic field, etc. Starting from the point of thermodynamics and taking the Gibbs adsorption as the model, the combination of energy axiom and the first law of thermodynamics was applied to boundary phase, and thus the theoretical expression for the volume of interface absorption under electric field as well as the mathematical relationship between surface tension and electric field intensity was obtained. In addition, according to the obtained theoretical expression, the volume of interface absorption of ethanol solution under different electric field intensities and concentrations was calculated. Moreover, the mechanism of interfacial adsorption was described from the perspective of thermodynamics and the influence of electric field on interfacial adsorption was explained reasonably, aiming to further discuss the influence of thermodynamic mechanism of interfacial adsorption on purifying air-conditioning engineering under intensification of electric field.

This study presents the rheological properties of sewage sludge after conditioning with the application of biomass ash. The impact of sewage sludge pre-treatment on its viscosity, flow curves and thixotropy was investigated. The increase of shear stress and the decrease of viscosity were observed with the increase of shear rate. Obtained results were compared with raw sewage sludge and the sludge after modification by means of polyelectrolyte in the dosage of 1.5 g (kg d.m.)^-1. The findings proved that samples of raw and conditioned sewage sludge had thixotropic characteristics. The correlation between moisture content and capillary suction time reduction as well as selected rheological parameters were also determined. On the basis of the obtained results it was stated that the Ostwald de Vaele model best fits the experimental data.

The condition number of the Generalized Inertia Matrix (GIM) of a serial chain can be used to measure its ill-conditioning. However, computation of the condition number is computationally very expensive. Therefore, this paper investigates alternative means to estimate the condition number, in particular, for a very long serial-chain. For this, the diagonal elements of the GIM are examined. It is found that the ratio of the largest and smallest diagonal elements of the GIM, when scaled using an initial estimate of the condition number, closely resembles the condition number. This significantly simplifies the process of detecting ill-conditioning of the GIM, which may help to decide on stability of the system at hand.

In this article we present an industrial application of our mathematical model that integrates

planning and scheduling. Our main objective is to concretize our model and compare the

reel results with the theoretical ones. Our application is realized on a conditioning line of

pharmaceutical products at the ECAM EPMI production laboratory. For this reason and to

save time, we used Witness simulation tool. It gives an overall idea of how the line works,

the Makespan of each simulation and it highlights areas for improvement. We looked for

the best resulting sequence which corresponds to the minest Makespan and total production

cost. Then this sequence is applied on the conditioning line of pharmaceutical products for

simulation. On the other hand, we program our mathematical model with the parameters of

the conditioning line under python in version 3.6 and we adopt a simulation/optimization

coupling approach to verify our model.

Multidisciplinary research was carried on in 1978/79 in the region of Admiralty Bay and Arctowski Station. This area is representative of the near-shore Antarctic ecosystem. It is characterized by a number of local traits such as climate, ice conditions, hydrology, hydrochemistry and hydrodynamics. Estimates were made of primary production and abundance of zooplankton in Admiralty Bay and of the biomass and quantity of food taken by avi-fauna and pinnipeds. Main routes and directions of transport of mineral and organic matter are shown; some of them have been estimated quantitatively. A continuous inflow of organic matter from Bransfield Strait is necessary for the summer functionning of Admiralty Bay.

In the summers of 1978 and 1979 meteorological observations and measurements were carried out in South Spitsbergen. These investigations gave a characteristic of the summer meteorological conditions in the forefield of the Gås Glacier. Some regularities were found to exist in the distribution of air temperature and other meteorological elements.

Temporal differentiation of the air thermal conditions in SW part of Spitsbergen has been presented in this paper. Daily meteorological records of the Polish Polar Station of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Hornsund have been used for the period of 1978—1986. Distributions of basic thermal indices based on mean, maximum, minimum air temperatures and minimum temperature at a ground surface have been given. Annual patterns of the above elements of various occurrence probabilities have been also presented and thermal periods have been distinguished.

The Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences: Technical Sciences (Bull.Pol. Ac.: Tech.) is published bimonthly by the Division IV Engineering Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, since the beginning of the existence of the PAS in 1952. The journal is peer‐reviewed and is published both in printed and electronic form. It is established for the publication of original high quality papers from multidisciplinary Engineering sciences with the following topics preferred: Artificial and Computational Intelligence, Biomedical Engineering and Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, Control, Informatics and Robotics, Electronics, Telecommunication and Optoelectronics, Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, Thermodynamics, Material Science and Nanotechnology, Power Systems and Power Electronics.

Journal Metrics: JCR Impact Factor 2018: 1.361, 5 Year Impact Factor: 1.323, SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) 2017: 0.319, Source Normalized Impact per Paper (SNIP) 2017: 1.005, CiteScore 2017: 1.27, The Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education 2017: 25 points.

Abbreviations/Acronym: Journal citation: Bull. Pol. Ac.: Tech., ISO: Bull. Pol. Acad. Sci.-Tech. Sci., JCR Abbrev: B POL ACAD SCI-TECH Acronym in the Editorial System: BPASTS.

This paper presents the parameters of the reference oxy combustion block operating with supercritical steam parameters, equipped with an air separation unit and a carbon dioxide capture and compression installation. The possibility to recover the heat in the analyzed power plant is discussed. The decision variables and the thermodynamic functions for the optimization algorithm were identified. The principles of operation of genetic algorithm and methodology of conducted calculations are presented. The sensitivity analysis was performed for the best solutions to determine the effects of the selected variables on the power and efficiency of the unit. Optimization of the heat recovery from the air separation unit, flue gas condition and CO2 capture and compression installation using genetic algorithm was designed to replace the low-pressure section of the regenerative water heaters of steam cycle in analyzed unit. The result was to increase the power and efficiency of the entire power plant.

The flat horizontal polymer loop thermosyphon with flexible transport lines is suggested and tested. The thermosyphon envelope consists of a polyamide composite with carbon based high thermal conductive micro-, nanofilaments and nanoparticles to increase its effective thermal conductivity up to 11 W/(m°C). Rectangular capillary mini grooves inside the evaporator and condenser of thermosyphon are used as a mean of heat transfer enhancement. The tested working fluid is R600. Thermosyphon evaporator and condenser are similar in design, have a long service life. In this paper three different methods (transient, quasi-stationary, and stationary) have been used to determine the thermophysical properties of polymer composites used as an envelope of thermosyphon, which make it possible to design a wide range of new heat transfer equipment. The results obtained contribute to establish the viability of using polymer thermosyphons for ground heat sinks (solar energy storage), gas-liquid heat exchanger applications involving seawater and other corrosive fluids, efficient cooling of superconductive magnets impregnated with epoxy/carbon composites to prevent wire movement, enhance stability, and diminish heat generation.

The aim of this article is to defi ning problems occurring in the spatial management system, including those independent of subsequent legislative changes. The process of adopting decisions to be viable and socially equitable and execute the requirements of spatial order and sunstainable development requires fundamental changes. The study draws a conclusion – important in the context of subsequent research activities – that the varied application of development decisions in diff erent municipalities is also the result of not preparing a large part of the representatives of municipalities for specifi c spatial activities.

Small construction objects are often built by standard task teams. The problem is, how to allocate these teams to individual works? To solve the problem of allocation three methods have been developed. The first method allows to designate optimal allocation of teams to the individual works in deterministic conditions of implementation. As a criterion of the optimal allocation can be applied: “the minimization of time” or “the minimization of costs” of works execution. The second method has been developed analogously for both criteria but for stochastic conditions and for the stochastic data. The third method allows to appoint a compromise allocation of teams. In this case, the criteria “the minimization of time” and “the minimization of costs” are considered simultaneously. The method can be applied in deterministic or stochastic conditions of works implementation. The solutions of the allocation problems which have been described allow to designate the optimal allocation of task teams and to determine the schedule and cost of works execution.

Thermal imagers often work in extreme conditions but are typically tested under laboratory conditions. This paper presents the concept, design rules, experimental verification, and example applications of a new system able to carry out measurements of performance parameters of thermal imagers working under precisely simulated real working conditions. High accuracy of simulation has been achieved by enabling regulation of two critical parameters that define working conditions of thermal imagers: imager ambient temperature and background temperature of target of interest. The use of the new test system in the evaluation process of surveillance thermal imagers can bring about a revolution in thermal imaging metrology by allowing thermal imagers to be evaluated under simulated, real working conditions.

Managing human consumption has a major impact on the functioning of societies, and – even more importantly – on the condition of our planet. What does the future hold?

The advance of technical state criteria for elements of mining hoists demands a basic strength-fatigue analysis where the real values of loads and the real time function of the load variability could be used. That problem concerns also the suspension gear of skip and balance ropes, where fatigue durability should be considered as time function related to the hoist facility type. Such objective can not be achieved without comprehensive study of the dynamics of processes both in the regular operation of the facility and in its emergency states. In this work the author presents some considerations, that are however, limited to the analysis of dynamic phenomena observed in the condition of the emergency braking of the hoist facility. The results were verified by load measurements taken for some elements of the analysed real object system.

This study gives an analysis of the variation of main meteorological parameters on the Station Arctowski in the time from December 1979 through March 1980 — the summer season of the IV Antarctic Expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Characteristics of wind speed and direction, of air temperature, atmospheric pressure, precipitation, cloudiness, soil temperature at the station and surface water temperatures of the Admiralty Bay are based on the standard synoptic observations.

Ground temperature measurement results in main ecotopes of the Kaffiöyra coastal plain (Oscar II Land, northwestern Spitsbergen): sea beach, tundra and morainic plateau, are presented and discussed in the paper. The spatial distribution of thermal conditions is discussed with particular regard to temperature of the active surface and vertical gradients of temperature dependent on daytime and weather conditions.

With reference to the situation experienced in several Polish collieries where the risk of occurrence of gas-geodynamic phenomena is increasing and decisions to start the mining activities need to take numerous constraints associated with previous mining into account, this paper addresses certain geo-mechanical aspects of longwall mining in the zones of excavation edge interactions giving rise to major changes in the conditions of the deposit and rock strata, as a consequence of previous mining operations in adjacent coalbeds. Starting from the analytical description of displacements and stresses in the proximity of longwall mining systems, the paper summarizes the results of model tests and investiga-tions of the influence that the excavation edge has on the behavior and structural continuity of a portion of the coal body in the coalbed beneath or above an old excavation. Based on selected nonlinear functions emulating the presence of edges in the rock strata, a comparative study is carried out by investigating two opposite directions of workface advance, from the gob area towards the coal body and from the coal body towards the gobs. The discussion of the results relies on the analysis of roof deformation and the concentration factor of the vertical stress component at the workface front.

The paper presents the results of assessment studies of the time course for technical wear in masonry buildings located in the area of mining-induced ground deformations. By using fuzzy inference system (FIS) and the “if-then” rule, corresponding language labels describing actual damage recorded in structure components were translated into scalar outputs describing the degree of damage to the building. Adopting this approach made it possible to separate damage resulting from additional effects coming from mining-induced ground deformations and the natural wear and tear of masonry structure. By using statistical analysis an exponential function for the condition of building damage and the function of natural wear and tear were developed. Both phenomena were subject to studies as a function of time regarding the technical age of building structure. The results obtained were used to develop a model for the course of technical wear of traditionally constructed buildings used within mining areas.

In the course of natural wear and tear buildings located in mining areas are additionally exposed to forced ground deformations. The increase of internal forces in structure components induced by those effects results in creating an additional stress factor and damage. The hairline cracks and cracks of building structure components take place when the intensity value of mining effects becomes higher than the component stress resistance and repeated effects result in the decrease of structure rigidity. The observations of building behaviour in mining areas show that the intensity of mining activity and the multiplicity of its effect play a substantial role in the course of technical wear of buildings. The studies show that the level of damage resulting from mining effects adds up to natural wear and tear of the building and impairs the global technical condition as compared to similar buildings used outside mining areas.

Safe mine operations and optimal economical decision making in the context of lignite resources require an adequate level of knowledge about the spatial distribution of critical attributes in terms of geometry and quality in the deposit. Therefore, ore body models are generated using different approaches in geostatistics, depending on the problem to be solved. In this article the analysis of geostatistical methods used for deposits modeling has been presented. Based on exploration data concerning caloric value Q, models of one exemplary lignite deposit has been made. Two models of deposit were prepared using two different methods: ordinary kriging (OK) and sequential Gaussian conditional simulation (SGSIM). Different models of the same deposit were analyzed and compared with source data using criterion of fidelity to statistical attributes like: mean value, variance, statistical distribution. Models, which have been created based on exploration data, were compared with in-situ data gained from survey activities in the exploitation process. As a result of comparison correlation factor and measures of deviations were computed: average relative error, absolute relative error. Models were compared with in situ data, considering statistical features and local variability as well. In conclusion, the study gives valuable information into the benefits of using certain geostatistical approaches for variable tasks and problems in the lignite deposits design process. For the assessment of average values of deposit parameters ordinary kriging provides appropriate effects. Geostatisical simulation (e.g. sequential Gaussian simulation - SGSIM) provides much more relevant information for tasks connected to probability (or risk) of defined threshold exceedences than ordinary kriging. Models made with simulation method are characterized by high fidelity of spatial distribution in comparison to source data.