Inaugurele rede uitgesproken in verkorte vorm bij de aanvaarding van de positie van lector Meertaligheid en Geletterdheid aan de NHL Stenden Hogeschool. In deze rede gaat Joana Duarte dieper in op het thema meertaligheid in het onderwijs vanuit een sociolinguïstisch perspectief op het noorden van Nederland.
A local operating theater ventilation device to specifically ventilate the wound area has been developed and investigated. The ventilation device is combined with a blanket which lies over the patient during the operation. Two configurations were studied: Configuration 1 where HEPA-filtered air was supplied around and parallel to the wound area and Configuration 2 where HEPA-filtered air was supplied from the top surface of the blanket, perpendicular to the wound area. A similar approach is investigated in parallel for an instrument table. The objective of the study was to verify the effectiveness of the local device. Prototype solutions developed were studied experimentally (laboratory) and numerically (CFD) in a simplified setup, followed by experimental assessment in a full scale mock-up. Isothermal as well as non-isothermal conditions were analyzed. Particle concentrations obtained in proposed solutions were compared to the concentration without local ventilation. The analysis procedure followed current national guidelines for the assessment of operating theater ventilation systems, which focus on small particles (<10 mm). The results show that the local system can provide better air quality conditions near the wound area compared to a theoretical mixing situation (proof-of-principle). It cannot yet replace the standard unidirectional downflow systems as found for ultraclean operating theater conditions. It does, however, show potential for application in temporary and emergency operating theaters
Small urban water bodies, like ponds or canals, are often assumed to cool their surroundings during hot periods, when water bodies remain cooler than air during daytime. However, during the night they may be warmer. Sufficient fetch is required for thermal effects to reach a height of 1–2 m, relevant for humans. In the ‘Really cooling water bodies in cities’ (REALCOOL) project thermal effects of typical Dutch urban water bodies were explored, using ENVI-met 4.1.3. This model version enables users to specify intensity of turbulent mixing and light absorption of the water, offering improved water temperature simulations. Local thermal effects near individual water bodies were assessed as differences in air temperature and Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). The simulations suggest that local thermal effects of small water bodies can be considered negligible in design practice. Afternoon air temperatures in surrounding spaces were reduced by typically 0.2 °C and the maximum cooling effect was 0.6 °C. Typical PET reduction was 0.6 °C, with a maximum of 1.9 °C. Night-time warming effects are even smaller. However, the immediate surroundings of small water bodies can become cooler by means of shading from trees, fountains or water mists, and natural ventilation. Such interventions induce favorable changes in daytime PET.
Eggshell particles as bio-ceramic in sustainable bioplastic engineering – ESP-BIOPACK Plastics make our lives easier in many ways. However, if they are not properly disposed of, they end up in the environment. Recently, biodegradable biopolymers, such as polylactic acid (PLA) and polyhydroxy alkanoates (PHAs), have moved towards alternatives for applications such as sustainable packaging. The major limitations of these biopolymers are the high cost, which is due to the high cost of the starting materials and the small volumes, and the poor thermal and mechanical properties such as limited processability and low impact resistance. Attempts to modify PHAs have been researched in many ways, such as blending various biodegradable polymers or mixing inorganic mineral fillers. Eggshell (10 million tons per year by 2030) is a natural bio-ceramic mineral with a unique chemical composition of calcium carbonate (>95% calcite). So far it has been regarded as a zero-value waste product, but it could be a great opportunity as raw material to reduce the cost of biopolymers and to improve properties, including the decomposition process at the end-of-life. In this project, we aim to develop eggshell particles that serve as bio-fillers in biopolymers to lower the cost of the product, to improve mechanical properties and to facilitate the validation of end-of-life routes, therefore, economically enhance the wide applications of such. The developed bioplastic packaging materials will be applied in SME partner EGGXPERT’s cosmetics line but also in other packaging applications, such as e.g. biodegradable coffee capsules. To be able to realize the proposed idea, the partnership between Chemelot Innovation and Learning Labs (CHILL), EGGXPERT B.V. and the Research Centre Material Sciences of Zuyd University of Applied Sciences is needed to research the physical, mechanical and end-of-life influences of eggshell particles (ESP) in biopolymers such as PLA and PHA and optimize their performance.
Tijdens het eindevent en in de eindrapportage van het Flow4nano project zijn verschillende onderdelen geïdentificeerd die voor de verdere duurzame doorwerking van de resultaten, en het vergroten van de impact, gewenst zouden zijn. Met deze Top-up willen de verkregen kennis door ontwikkelen en volledige datasets genereren die daarna gepubliceerd kunnen worden om zodoende het onderzoeksveld en bedrijfsleven te informeren over het gecontroleerd maken van nanodeeltjes in flow reactoren. Tevens willen wij door middel van het verwerken van de resultaten in het onderwijscurriculum ook toekomstige generaties studenten inlichten over de mogelijke toepassingen van de in Flow4nano gemaakte materialen. 1. Duurzame doorwerking naar de beroepspraktijk In Flow4nano hebben we twee belangrijke resultaten gehaald die nog niet volledig ingezet kunnen worden in de beroepspraktijk, omdat er nog wat meer onderzoek nodig is en incomplete datasets volledige disseminatie tegenhouden. a) We hebben een flow reactor ontwikkelt die twee vloeistofstromen kan mixen. Om er zeker van te kunnen zijn dat deze reactor ook goed geschikt is voor het maken van nanodeeltjes zijn we begonnen de mixing in deze flow reactor, onder invloed van nanodeeltjes in de vloeistofstromen, in kaart te brengen. De volgende stap hierin is deze dataset compleet te maken en deze te dissemineren naar stakeholders uit de beroepspraktijk via de lectoraatsnieuwsbrief en een poster op het jaarlijkse Nanotechnology crossing borders symposium (organisatoren: TNO/Brightlands Materials Center, Zuyd Hogeschool en Universiteit van Hasselt). b) We hebben kristallijne ZrO2 nanodeeltjes gemaakt. Zo hebben we kunnen aantonen dat onze flow reactoren niet alleen heel precies TiO2 nanodeeltjes kunnen maken, maar bredere inzetbaarheid hebben. Ook hier moeten we de dataset compleet maken en zullen we de resultaten dissemineren naar de beroepspraktijk via de lectoraatsnieuwsbrief en een poster. 2. Duurzame doorwerking naar het onderzoek De resultaten die behaald zullen worden tijdens het in de “duurzame doorwerking naar de beroepspraktijk” paragraaf beschreven onderzoek zijn ook zeer relevant voor het onderzoeksveld. Het is het doel om tijdens het Top-up project deze resultaten te dissemineren in twee open access artikelen, naast de disseminatie naar onderzoeksstakeholders door disseminatie via de lectoraatsnieuwsbrief en de poster. 3. Duurzame doorwerking naar het onderwijs In de laatste maanden van het Flow4nano Pro project is besloten om een nieuw vak aan het programma van de Material Science afstudeerrichting toe te voegen en zodoende het curriculum van de Applied Science studie te verbeteren. Dit vak zal ingaan op de energietoepassingen van materialen (in bijvoorbeeld zonnecellen) en het principe van de optische folies, zoals gemaakt in het Flow4nano project, past hier goed in. Binnen dit Top-up project willen we een set lesmateriaal voor dit vak ontwikkelen.
The drive to reduce the carbon intensity of the energy system has generated much interest in applying carbon-free fuels such as ammonia (NH3) in combustion systems. The high hydrogen density and well-established production processes make NH3 a valuable chemical energy carrier to address and sustain the energy shift toward renewable energy source integration. However, some difficulties can be highlighted in the NH3 practical application. The combustion of NH3 is prone to producing harmful nitric oxides. In addition, NH3 has lower reactivity than most hydrocarbon fuels, which makes ignition challenging. Also, admixing NH3 with highly reactive fuels such as DME will facilitate ignition. The partnerships of this proposal are very interested in applying renewable NH3 as fuel in combined heat and power engines, and this research proposal suggests simulating a dual-fuel engine with NH3 as its primary fuel. The results of this research will help determine the optimum operating conditions for performing an experimental study.
