Can regional policies shape migration flows?

Our empirical analysis focuses on the effect of regional policies on migration attraction factors in Europe. We employ a regression discontinuity design to assess the causal relationship between the reception of large amounts of public funds and migration flows in the EU-15 regions. In highly-subsidised regions, we find a large increase in the share of foreign citizens from less-developed countries when compared to low-subsidised regions with similar pre-treatment characteristics. The analysis shows that such an increase is due to the positive impact of the European regional policy on job market opportunities as well as the improvement of public goods supply.     

Effect of nanostructured grains in co-sputtered Ni-GDC thin-film anode on methane conversion kinetics for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells operating on nearly dry methane

Direct-methane solid oxide fuel cells (DMSOFCs) have recently attracted substantial attention due to their simplified system, reduced cost, and the direct availability of methane fuel obtained from natural gas. Among oxygen-ion conductive materials, doped-ceria such as gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) or samarium-doped ceria can be incorporated into Ni-based anodes to reinforce their coking resistance, enlarge their electrochemical reaction area, and improve the kinetics of the internal reforming/electrochemical oxidation of methane. To reduce the range of operating temperatures of DMSOFCs while maintaining their performance, the thin film deposition technique of magnetron sputtering was adopted in this work. An Ni-GDC thin-film anode and a Pt thin-film cathode were deposited on scandia-stabilized zirconia (ScSZ) electrolyte supports. This fuel cell was tested with directly supplied methane fuel (3% H₂O) at 500 °C. The results demonstrated the effects of the GDC volume fraction in the anode—which was controlled by co-sputtering power—on open circuit voltage and electrochemical performance. The co-sputtered Ni-GDC anode was able to survive through 36-h operation, although there was some performance degradation. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy results revealed no formation of filamentous carbon on the Ni catalysts, despite the fact that both X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy analyses detected carbon coking. The relatively high performance and resistance to carbon coking of co-sputtered thin-film anode were attributed to its intrinsic small grain size.     

车用有机朗肯循环系统中计量泵的性能研究

在模拟车用有机朗肯循环(organic Rankine cycle,ORC)系统的工作环境下,设计并搭建以R123作为工质的液压隔膜计量泵性能测试平台。在额定转速(2900 r/min)下,通过调节液压隔膜计量泵的冲程(25%、50%、75%、100%)和出口压力,得到变工况下液压隔膜计量泵的特性曲线,并分析液压隔膜计量泵的关键参数对车用ORC系统性能的影响情况。结果表明:液压隔膜计量泵的流量受冲程影响,与出口压力基本无关。其输入功率和实际运行效率均随着冲程的增加而升高,最高分别可达523.91 W、88.27%。应用该液压隔膜计量泵的模拟车用ORC系统吸热量变化范围较广,系统热效率最高可达12.81%。液压隔膜计量泵可应用于车用ORC系统,通过调节液压隔膜计量泵的冲程和出口压力,可实现提高车用ORC系统热效率、增加系统净输出功率的目的。     

纵轴式掘进机截割头载荷影响因素的仿真分析

针对现有掘进机截割头载荷特性研究方法采用单一影响因素不能全面反映截割头载荷及其波动变化规律的问题,通过分析截割头瞬时载荷,确定了纵轴式掘进机在水平截割工况下截割头载荷的主要影响因素有截割岩石特性、截割头掏槽深度、截割头吃刀深度、截割头转速和截割臂摆速。针对某纵轴式掘进机水平截割工况,采用Matlab对影响截割头载荷的多种因素进行仿真分析,得到了各向载荷及其波动随各因素的变化规律:截割头载荷随着岩壁普氏系数的增大而增加,其中横向阻力增加尤为明显,横向阻力波动程度高于其他方向载荷,且随着岩壁普氏系数的增大呈减小趋势;随着截割头掏槽深度的增加,截割头各向载荷近似呈线性增加,其中升力增加幅度最大,各向载荷波动则随着截割头掏槽深度的增大而减小;随着吃刀深度的增加,截割头载荷总体呈增大趋势,载荷波动程度则随之减小;在截割头转速一定的情况下,截割头载荷均随着截割臂摆速的增加而增大,在同一摆速下,截割头载荷随着截割头转速的减小而增大,横向阻力波动明显高于升力和推进阻力波动,横向阻力和推进阻力波动按截割头载荷规律变化,升力波动则与之相反。截割头载荷波动变化规律与截割头载荷变化规律不尽一致,有时甚至相互冲突。因此,掘进机作业过程中应合理选择截割头掏槽深度、吃刀深度等操作参数和截割头转速、截割臂摆速等运动参数,使各参数相互匹配,以减小掘进机振动,延长使用寿命。     

Multi-objective optimal allocation strategy for the energy internet in Huangpu District,Guangzhou, China

To improve the overall efficiency of the energy system, the basic structure for the energy internet of coordination and optimization of “generation-grid-load-storage” of Huangpu District, Guangzhou, China is designed, while the arrangement for the output of centralized and distributed energy module and energy storage are proposed. Taking economic benefit maximization, environmental benefit maximization and energy efficiency maximization as sub-objectives, the mathematical model of multi-objective optimal allocation and operation strategy of the energy internet is established considering supply-demand balance constraints, equipment characteristic constraints, operation mode constraints, and energy conditions constraints. The calculation results show that without considering the outsourced electricity, the balanced strategy, the economic development strategy, the environmental protection strategy, and the energy efficiency strategy are obtained by calculation, which are all superior to the traditional energy supply strategy. Moreover, considering the outsourced electricity, the proportion of outsourced electricity to total electricity is 19.8%, which is the system optimization of the energy internet under certain power demand. Compared with other strategies without outsourced electricity, the outsourced electricity strategy can have a certain emission reduction effect, but at the same time reduce the economic benefit. Furthermore, the huge difference in demand for thermal and cooling load between industrial and commercial areas results in the installed capacity of gas distributed energy stations in industrial areas being nearly twice as large as that in commercial areas. The distributed photovoltaic power generation is allocated according to the proportion of the installed roof areas of photovoltaic power generation system in residential, industrial, and commercial areas.     

Strategic Planning for Employment Self-Containment in Metropolitan Sub-Regions

Metropolitan strategic plans often focus on strengthening local employment opportunities to address the congestion and commuting issues threatening city sustainability. The success of such strategies relies on a more equitable distribution of jobs between sub-regions and can be comparatively benchmarked through one of the three related measures of employment self-sufficiency, self-containment or jobs-housing balance. However, in practice, planning policy implementation to meet these targets seldom reduces automobile commuting. This paper investigates self-containment across a range of occupation and industry types to highlight large differences in commuting and employment patterns through a case study of Perth’s Northwest sub-region, Western Australia. Its findings suggest the application of current sub-regional policy and targets within Perth may reinforce the wage and skill disadvantage of outer metropolitan sub-regions over the inner core. It recommends a more nuanced understanding of these measures taking into account the complex dynamics of both employment opportunities and commuting patterns across sub-regions of a city.     

基于深度学习的传感器优化布置方法

针对传感器优化布置(optimal sensor placement,简称OSP)问题,提出了一种新的使用深度神经网络的解决方案,并以简化的桥梁形状的桁架结构中的振动测试传感器优化为例进行了验证。首先,选择一种传统的传感器优化布置方法,对自动化生成的大量不同的桁架结构分别进行传感器优化布置计算,将所得优化布置结果在进行数据预处理后构建出深度学习方法所需要的训练集与验证集;其次,使用Python语言和深度学习框架TensorFlow设计实现与本研究问题适配的深度神经网络模型并训练;然后,随机生成了新的桁架结构参数;最后,将深度神经网络输出的传感器布置结果和传统方法的计算结果进行了比较,验证了本研究方法的有效性以及在速度上、可移植性与可扩展性方面的性能优势。     

Experiences with Jatropha cultivation in sub-Saharan Africa: Implications for biofuels policies

Jatropha curcas L. has emerged in recent times as a leading energy crop in sub-Saharan Africa with over 32 countries in the region involved in its cultivation. By 2008, five countries in the region (Senegal, Nigeria, Mali, Ethiopia, and Zimbabwe) had policies promoting Jatropha cultivation. These policies were not informed by empirical evidence arising from the performance of Jatropha in the region. This paper analyses performance data of Jatropha in the region with a view to synthesizing information that is useful for evidence-based policy formulation. Production data in terms of agronomic issues and seed yields are analyzed. The results show that most of the attributes generically associated with Jatropha have not been achieved in the region and there has been inadequate research to support Jatropha cultivation. Policies supporting cultivation of Jatropha need to be informed by these observations in order to promote viable cultivation of the crop.     

Economic effects of regulating the seismic strengthening of older buildings

The marked increase in the awareness of earthquake risk following the Canterbury earthquakes in New Zealand offered a unique opportunity to investigate the economic effect of disaster-mitigation regulations on the commercial building stock. A difference-in-differences (DD) framework was used to determine whether earthquake risk has been capitalized into the property prices of buildings constructed prior to 1976, as a response to the national policy requiring assessment and strengthening (or demolition) of the existing earthquake-prone building stock. A negative externality is found in the policy announcement on affected (pre-1970s) office and retail buildings which caused office buildings to suffer a 12.5% stigma discount. However, retail properties were less impacted suffering a 2.3% stigma loss. The value of the commercial building stock has been affected by the policy. These findings provide policy-makers with timely evidence as to the economic effects of New Zealand’s earthquake-prone buildings policy. Facing losses in property value and financial responsibility for retrofitting their assets, building owners will be looking for a workable set of regulatory and non-regulatory incentives to encourage disaster risk management and protect the built environment.     

枞树型核电轮槽精铣刀制造技术优化设计

以枞树型叶根精铣刀为例,阐述了可换硬质合金型线刀体和刀片精铣刀的优化设计、制造工艺、建模及优化设计,进行切削过程加工策略优化和加工过程模拟,设计制造了锥柄专用工装及检测环规、磨削刀片后角专用工装,采用NUMROTO软件编制刀片加工工步。该项目研制的可换刀片精铣刀型线精度完全能达到进口铣刀水平,能满足大部分轮槽与叶根加工对型线精度的要求,可以大幅度节约刀具费用。