In Situ Measurement of the Undisturbed Ground Temperature for Ground Source Heat Pump System

The undisturbed ground temperatures are important for design of the ground heat exchangers in ground source heat pump （GSHP） systems. In this paper, the undisturbed ground temperatures measured in two different methods are presented. The investigation was carried out in two cases. The temperature measured with the direct method is assumed to give the correct undisturbed ground temperature profile. The temperature measured with indirect method overestimates the undisturbed ground temperature by 2.1℃ and 1.7~C. This difference is mainly caused by the circulation pump and ambient air to the fluid. Therefore, the results that are decreased about 2℃ as compared with the indirect measured are recommended to estimate the undisturbed ground temperature in situ measuring. A smaller pump or deeper borehole or mild weather would result in a more correct temperature. Because the undisturbed ground temperature is affected by many factors. Whether or not these conclusions are correct to other areas, this would need further investigation.

Re-measuring International Short-term Capital Flow into China with Varying Methods

This paper.fi＇rst conducts a systematic review of domestic and foreign scholars＇ approaches to predicting short-term capital flows, then employs a combination of both direct and indirect methods to carry out its analysis. Three kinds of indicators, both specific and general, are applied in both methods. Thorough consideration is given to short-term international capital inflow from trade, other current account items, capital account, and errors and omissions, as well as other channels through which short term capital might accrue to a nation＇s balance. Based on a comprehensive comparison of year-on-year data, this paper also estimates monthly data using a simplified, indirect calculation approach. Estimates show that, despite a degree of difference in results between methods, most estimates are highly consistent for a given period. Based on monthly estimates, we conclude that turbulence in international financial markets （i.e., the United States subprime mortgage crisis and the European sovereign debt crisis） has had a major impact on China ＇s short-term capital flow.

Soil Bulk Density Estimation Methods: A Review

Measurement of soil bulk density is important for understanding the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Accurate and rapid soil bulk density measurement techniques play a significant role in agricultural experimental research. This review is a comprehensive summary of existing measurement methods and evaluates their advantages, disadvantages, potential sources of error,and directions for future development. These techniques can be broadly categorised as direct and indirect methods. Direct methods include core, clod, and excavation sampling, whereas indirect methods include the radiation and regression approaches. The core method is most widely used, but it is time consuming and difficult to use for sampling multiple soil depths. The size of the coring cylinder used, operator experience, sampling depth, and in-situ soil moisture content significantly affect its accuracy. The clod method is suitable for use with heavy clay soils, and its accuracy is dependent on equipment calibration, drying time, and operator experience, but the process is complicated and time consuming. Excavation techniques are most commonly used to evaluate the bulk density of forest soils, but have major limitations as they cannot be used in soils with large pores and their measurement accuracy is strongly influenced by soil texture and the type of analysis selected. The indirect methods appear to have greater accuracy than direct approaches, but have higher costs, are more complex, and require greater operator experience. One such approach uses gamma radiation, and its accuracy is strongly influenced by soil depth. Regression methods are economical as they can make indirect measurements, but these depend on good, quality data of soil texture and organic matter content and geographical and climatic properties. Also, like most of the other approaches, its accuracy decreases with sampling depth.