A distributed measurement method for in-situ soil moisture content by using carbon-fiber heated cable

Moisture content is a fundamental physical index that quantifies soil property and is closely associatedwith the hydrological, ecological and engineering behaviors of soil. To measure in-situ soil moisturecontents, a distributed measurement system for in-situ soil moisture content （SM-DTS） is introduced.The system is based on carbon-fiber heated cable （CFHC） technology that has been developed to enhancethe measuring accuracy of in-situ soil moisture content. Using CFHC technique, a temperature characteristicvalue （Tt） can be defined from temperatureetime curves. A relationship among Tt, soil thermalimpedance coefficient and soil moisture content is then established in laboratory. The feasibility of theSM-DTS technology to provide distributed measurements of in-situ soil moisture content is verifiedthrough field tests. The research reported herein indicates that the proposed SM-DTS is capable ofmeasuring in-situ soil moisture content over long distances and large areas.

Performance evaluation of two types of heated cables for distributedtemperature sensing-based measurement of soil moisture content

Distributed temperature sensing(DTS)using heated cables has been recently developed for distributed monitoring of in-situ soil moisture content.In this method,the thermal and electrical properties of heated cables have a significant influence on the measurement accuracy of soil moisture content.In this paper,the performances of two heated cables,i.e.the carbon-fiber heated cable(CFHC)and the metalnet heated cable(MNHC),are studied in the laboratory.Their structures,uniformity in the axial direction,measurement accuracy and suitability are evaluated.The test results indicate that the MNHC has a better uniformity in the axial direction than CFHC.Both CFHC and MNHC have high measurement accuracy.The CFHC is more suitable for short-distance measurement(500 m),while the MNHC can be used for longdistance measurement(>500 m).

The Impacts of Supplemental Irrigation Based on Soil Moisture Measurement and Nitrogen Use on Winter Wheat Yield and Nitrogen Absorption and Distribution

Based on split plot design method of field test,the impacts of supplemental irrigation based on soil moisture measurement and nitrogen use on winter wheat yield and nitrogen absorption and distribution were studied.Supplemental irrigation had three levels: 60%(W_1),70%(W_2) and 80%(W3) of the targeted relative water content at 0-40 cm of soil layer during jointing period of winter wheat.Nitrogen fertilization had three levels: not using nitrogen(N_0),using pure nitrogen of 195 kg/hm^2(N_(195)) and 255 kg/hm^2(N_(255)).Results showed that:(i)different supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization significantly affected plant height and leaf area of winter wheat during key growth period.Under the same supplemental irrigation treatment,both plant height and leaf area of winter wheat showed as N_(255)> N_(195)> N_0(P <0.05).Plant height in N_(195) and N_(255)treatments was significantly higher than that in N_0 treatment,but there was not significant difference between N_(195) and N_(255)(P >0.05).Under the same nitrogen fertilization,plant height in W_2(569.4 m^3/hm^2) and W3(873.45 m^3/hm^2) treatments was significant higher than that in W_1(265.2 m^3/hm^2),but there was not significant difference between W_2 and W3(P >0.05).It illustrated that excessive nitrogen fertilization and supplemental irrigation did not significantly affect plant height and leaf area of winter wheat.(ii) Under the same nitrogen fertilization level,yield increase effect of winter wheat by supplemental irrigation showed a declining trend with nitrogen application amount increased.It illustrated that nitrogen fertilization and supplemental irrigation had certain critical values on the yield of winter wheat.When surpassing the critical value,the yield declined.When nitrogen fertilization amount was 195 kg/hm^2,and supplemental irrigation amount was 70% of field moisture capacity(569.4 m^3/hm^2),the highest yield 8500 kg/hm^2 could be obtained.(iii) During mature period of winter wheat,nitrogen accumulation amount of plant treated by nitrogen was significantly higher than that not treated by nitrogen(P <0.05).But under the treatments of W_2 and W3,nitrogen accumulation amount in N_(255) significantly declined when compared with N_(195)(P <0.05).Especially under W3(873.45 m^3/hm^2) level,nitrogen accumulation amount in N_(255) was even lower than N_0.Under the treatments of N_0 and N_(195),nitrogen accumulation amount of plant significantly increased with supplemental irrigation increased(P < 0.05).But under N_(255) treatment,there was not significant difference(P > 0.05).It illustrated that moderate supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization could improve nitrogen absorption ability of winter wheat,but excessive supplemental irrigation and nitrogen fertilization were not favorable for plant's nitrogen absorption.(iv) Although the increase of supplemental irrigation during jointing period improved nitrogen absorption ability of winter wheat and promoted winter wheat absorbing more nitrogen,it inhibited nitrogen transferring and distributing to seed.Comprehensively considering growth condition of winter wheat and nitrogen risk condition,it is suggested that nitrogen application amount was 195 kg/hm^2,and supplemental irrigation reached 70% of field moisture capacity(569.4 m^3/hm^2),which could be as the suitable water and fertilizer use amounts in the region.

A Highly Sensitive Femtosecond Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy System with Simultaneous Measurement of Multiple Polarization Combinations

Characterization of real-time and ultrafast motions of the complex molecules at surface and interface is critical to understand how interracial molecules function. It requires to develop surface-sensitive, fast-identification, and time-resolved techniques. In this study, we employ several key technical procedures and successfully develop a highly sensitive femtosecond time-resolved sum frequency generation vibrational spectroscopy （SFG-VS） system. This system is able to measure the spectra with two polarization combinations （ssp and ppp, or psp and ssp） simultaneously. It takes less than several seconds to collect one spectrum. To the best of our knowledge, it is the fastest speed of collecting SFG spectra reported by now. Using the time-resolved measurement, ultrafast vibrational dynamics of the N-H mode of α-helical peptide at water interface is determined. It is found that the membrane environment does not affect the N-H vibrational relaxation dynamics. It is expected that the time-resolved SFG system will play a vital role in the deep understanding of the dynamics and interaction of the complex molecules at surface and interface. Our method may also provide an important technical proposal for the people who plan to develop time-resolved SFG systems with simultaneous measurement of multiple polarization combinations.

Discussion on the Soil and Water Conservation Model in Mountain Photovoltaic Power Generation Project

In the context of rising global energy demand and increasing awareness of environmental protection,photovoltaic power generation,as a clean and renewable form of energy,has become increasingly important and has received widespread attention and application worldwide.However,during the construction and operation of mountain photovoltaic power generation projects,water and soil erosion has become a major challenge,which not only restricts the sustainable development process of the project,but also has a significant negative impact on the local ecological environment.This article deeply analyzes the multiple causes,extensive impacts and effective prevention and control strategies of water and soil erosion in mountain photovoltaic power generation projects.The results show that rainfall intensity,terrain slope,soil type and vegetation coverage are the four key factors leading to soil erosion.Soil erosion not only causes a sharp decline in soil fertility,but also aggravates the problem of sediment deposition in rivers and reservoirs,and poses a direct threat to the stability and operating efficiency of photovoltaic equipment.In order to deal with the above problems,this paper innovatively puts forward a series of soil and water conservation technologies,covering multiple dimensions such as engineering measures,plant measures,farming measures and temporary measures,and deeply discusses the application models and management strategies of these measures in key stages such as planning and design,construction,operation and maintenance.Through specific case analysis,the successful practical experience of soil and water conservation is refined and summarized,and the key role of community cooperation,technical support and modern monitoring technology in preventing and controlling soil and water erosion is further emphasized.This article aims to achieve a win-win situation of ecological environment protection and energy development and utilization through scientific planning and effective governance,and contribute to the construction of a green,low-carbon,and sustainable energy system.

The runoff characteristics and harmonic analysis of the soil moisture dynamics in Robinia pseudoacacia stand

Robinia pseudoacacia stands act as a typical ecological protection forest in hilly semi-arid area of China. Two fields of surface runoff were separately set up in R. pseudoacacia stand and its clearcut area in the western Liaoning Province (1850-12225 E, 4024-4234 N) for measuring the characteristics of runoff and sediment as well as soil moisture dynamics. Contractive analysis of the two land types showed that there existed a significant difference in volumes of runoff and sediment between the sites of R. pseudoacacia stand and its clearcut area. The runoff volume and sediment volume in clearcut area were much bigger than those in R. pseudoacacia stand, with an increase amount of 40%-177% for runoff and 180%-400% for sediment. Hydrograph of surface runoff of typical rainfall showed that the peak value of runoff in R. pseudoacacia stand was decreased by 1.0-2.5?0-3m3s-1 compared with that in its clearcut area, and the occurring time of peak value of runoff in R. pseudoacacia stand was 10-20 min later than that in its clearcut area. Harmonic analysis of soil moisture dynamics indicated that the soil moisture in R. pseudoacacia stand was 2.3 % higher than that in clearcut area, and the soil moisture both in R. pseudoacacia stand and its clearcut area could be divided into dry season and humid season and varied periodically with annual rainfall precipitation. It was concluded that R. pseudoacacia stand plays a very important role in storing water, increasing soil moisture, and reducing surface runoff and soil erosion.

An evaluation of soil moisture from AMSR-E over source area of the Yellow River, China

In this study,in-situ soil moisture measurements are used to evaluate the accuracy of three AMSR-E soil moisture prod ucts from NASA(National Aeronautics and Space Administration),JAXA(Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency)and VUA(Vrije University Amsterdam and NASA)over Maqu County,Source Area of the Yellow River(SAYR),China.Re sults show that the VUA soil moisture product performs the best among the three AMSR-E soil moisture products in the study area,with a minimum RMSE(root mean square error)of 0.08(0.10)m3/m3 and smallest absolute error of 0.07(0.08)m3/m3 at the grassland area with ascending(descending)data.Therefore,the VUA soil moisture product is used to describe the spatial variation of soil moisture during the 2010 growing season over SAYR.The VUA soil moisture product shows that soil moisture presents a declining trend from east south(0.42 m3/m3)to west north(0.23 m3/m3),with good agreement with a general precipitation distribution.The center of SAYR presents extreme wetness(0.60 m3/m3)dur ing the whole study period,especially in July,while the head of SAYR presents a high level soil moisture(0.23 m3/m3)in July,August and September.

New generation traction power supply system and its key technologies for electrified railways

Unlike the traditional traction power supply system which enables the electrified railway traction sub- station to be connected to power grid in a way of phase rotation, a new generation traction power supply system without phase splits is proposed in this paper. Three key techniques used in this system have been discussed. First, a combined co-phase traction power supply system is applied at traction substations for compensating negative sequence current and eliminating phase splits at exits of substations; design method and procedure for this system are presented. Second, a new bilateral traction power supply technology is proposed to eliminate the phase split at section post and reduce the influence of equalizing current on the power grid. Meanwhile, power factor should be adjusted to ensure a proper voltage level of the traction network. Third, a seg- mental power supply technology of traction network is used to divide the power supply arms into several segments, and the synchronous measurement and control technology is applied to diagnose faults and their locations quickly and accurately. Thus, the fault impact can be limited to a min- imum degree. In addition, the economy and reliability of the new generation traction power supply system are analyzed.

Technical Research for Detector of Grain Moisture Content Based on Error Compensation

According to the existing method including testing the frequency and establishing the relationship between moisture content and frequency, a corresponding instrument was designed. In order to further improve the accuracy and rapidity of the system, a new approach to describe the relationship between the measurement error and the temperature was proposed. The error band could be obtained and divided into several parts（based on the range of temperature） to indicate the error value that should compensate the grain moisture content for the changes in temperature. By calculating the error band at the maximum and the minimum operating temperatures, as well as by determining the error compensation value from the error band based on the measurement moisture content, the final effective result was derived.

Improved Channel Reciprocity for Secure Communication in Next Generation Wireless Systems

To secure the wireless connection between devices with low computational power has been a challenging problem due to heterogeneity in operating devices,device to device communication in Internet of Things(IoTs)and 5G wireless systems.Physical layer key generation(PLKG)tackles this secrecy problem by introducing private keys among two connecting devices through wireless medium.In this paper,relative calibration is used as a method to enhance channel reciprocity which in turn increases the performance of the key generation process.Channel reciprocity based key generation is emerged as better PLKG methodology to obtain secure wireless connection in IoTs and 5G systems.Circulant deconvolution is proposed as a promising technique for relative calibration to ensure channel reciprocity in comparison to existing techniques Total Least Square(TLS)and Structured Total Least Square(STLS).The proposed deconvolution technique replicates the performance of the STLS by exploiting the possibility of higher information reuse and its lesser computational complexity leads to less processing time in comparison to the STLS.The presented idea is validated by observing the relation between signalto-noise ratio(SNR)and the correlation coefficient of the corresponding channel measurements between communicating parties.

INVESTIGATION OF THE CHARACTERISTICS OF DYNAMIC HEAT AND MOISTURE TRANSMISSIONS THROUGH FABRICS

In this paper, the dynamic heat and moisture transmissions through fabrics are investigated, and their interaction manner is discussed. The essentials of the apparatus developed for measuring the amount of heat flow through fabrics during the whole period of simulated sweating action is reported. The registered heat flow flux in a continuous curve form covering the complete dry-wet-dry cycle of the sample is presented. Interpretation of the feature of the curve and indexes for characterizing the wearing comfort property of fabrics are suggested.

Evidence of Dual Scale Porous Mechanisms During Fluid Migration in Hardwood Species (Ⅰ) Using the Attenuation of a Aolychromatic X-ray Beam to Determine the Evolution of Moisture Content During Imbibition of Beech

An experimental device able to determine the moisture content of wood usingX-ray attenuation is used to study the imbibition of beech samples (Fagus silvatica). The apparatusincludes an X-ray generator, a protective tube, collimating plates and a 50 mm detector. Detectedparticles can be categorised by energy (accuracy of the order of 20%) or by position (accuracy 100μm). The independent choice of both the energy spectrum (through the voltage) and the counting rate(through the current intensity) makes the installation very flexible. However, a rigorous treatmentis necessary to deal with the attenuation of a polychromatic spectrum. The appropriate calculationsare presented and validated with homogeneous samples made of wood and water. In addition, someresults are presented with samples heterogeneous in density and moisture content. Finally, theexperimental device is used to study the evolution of moisture content during saturationexperiments, for which the moisture migration is mainly due to capillary forces. The geometricalconfiguration was so arranged that the transfer can be studied in two directions simultaneously.

An experimental study of temperature and moisture content of wet porous materials under short-pulsed laser heating

The measurements of temperature and moisture content of a wet porous material were accomplished on the micro-seconds scale. The temperature wave was observed when the wet porous material was heated by short-pulsed laser with high power. It firstly revealed that the moisture content of wet porous material rapidly rises twice in one laser irradiation. The influences of laser parameters, the thickness and initial moisture content of the wet porous material on its temperature and moisture content were investigated.

Fabrication and performance evaluation of the thermoelectric generation and performance measuring system

A novel thennoelectric generating and performance measuring system （TGPMS） was designed and fabricated. TGPMS can not only achieve the function of thennoelectric generation, but also measure the thennoelectric performance parameters of the bismuth-telluride-based thennoelectric device accurately. These thennoelectric performance parameters mainly include the dependence of the Seebeck coefficient of the thennoelectric device on the device＇s temperature in the low temperature range （about 40 ~ 190~C ）, and the dependence of the power output and thermoelectric conversion efficiency on the temperature dif- ference or output load. With the optimum load, the optimal value of the power output is 3.39W when the temperature difference reaches 231.2~C, and the optimal value of the conversion efficiency is 3.22% when the temperature difference reaches 208.9~C. TGPMS provides an experimental foundation for the application of the thennoelectric generators in the space field.

Power Quality Issues Concerning Photovoltaic Generation and Electrical Vehicle Loads in Distribution Grids

The high utilization level of renewable generation including residential photovoltaic (PV) systems together with the uncontrolled charging of electric vehicles (EVs) can have a significant impact on load characteristics in distribution networks. Harmonic content of PV generation, EV charging loads, and their influence on power quality indicators in residential distribution networks are discussed in this paper. For investigating likely power quality scenarios, PV generation and EV charging measurement results including current harmonic amplitude and phase angle values are used and compared with present load characteristics. Different modelling scenarios are analysed and a simplified model of harmonics in PVs and EVs is offered. The results of the study show moderate additional harmonic distortion in residential load current and voltage distortion at the substation’s busbar when PV generation and EV loading are added. The scenarios presented in this paper can be further used for modelling the actual harmonic loads of the PVs and EVs in distribution networks.

Angle Measurement Based on Second Harmonic Generation Using Artificial Neural Network

This article proposed an angle measurement method based on second harmonic generation(SHG)using an artifcial neural network(ANN).The method comprises three sequential parts:SHG spectrum collection,data preprocessing,and neural network training.First,the referenced angles and SHG spectrums are collected by the autocollimator and SHG-based angle sensor,respectively,for training.The mapping is learned by the trained ANN after completing the training process,which solves the inverse problem of obtaining the angle from the SHG spectrum.Then,the feasibility of the proposed method is verifed in multiple-peak Maker fringe and single-peak phase-matching areas,with an overall angle measurement range exceeding 20,000 arcseconds.The predicted angles by ANN are compared with the autocollimator to evaluate the measure-ment performance in all the angular ranges.Particularly,a sub-arcsecond level of accuracy and resolution is achieved in the phase-matching area.

Prediction and fusion algorithm for meat moisture content measurement based on loss-on-drying method

The loss-on-drying method has been widely used as a standard approach for measuring the moisture content of high-moisture materials such as solid and semi-solid foods.Loss-on-drying method provides reliable results,whilst usually labor-intensive and time-consuming.This paper presents a novel algorithm for predicting the moisture content of meats based on the loss-on drying method.The proposed approach developed a drying kinetics model of meats based on Fick’s Second Law and designed a prediction algorithm for meat moisture content using the least-squares method.The predicted results were compared with the official method recommended by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists(AOAC).When the moisture content of meat samples(beef and pork)was varied from 69.46%to 74.21%,the relative error of the meat moisture content(MMC)calculated by the proposed algorithm was 0.0017-0.0117,the absolute errors were less than 1%.The testing time was about 40.18%-56.87%less than the standard detection procedure.

Review of research progress on soil moisture sensor technology

Soil moisture is directly related to the amount of irrigation in agriculture and influences the yield of crops.Accordingly,a soil moisture sensor is an important tool for measuring soil moisture content.In this study,the previous research conducted in recent 2-3 decades on soil moisture sensors was reviewed and the principles of commonly used soil moisture sensor and their various applications were summarized.Furthermore,the advantages,disadvantages,and influencing factors of various measurement methods employed were compared and analyzed.The improvements were presented by several scholars have established the major applications and performance levels of soil moisture sensors,thereby setting the course for future development.These studies indicated that soil moisture sensors in the future should be developed to achieve high-precision,low-cost,non-destructive,automated,and highly integrated systems.Also,it was indicated that future studies should involve the development of specialized sensors for different applications and scenarios.This review research aimed to provide a certain reference for application departments and scientific researchers in the process of selecting soil moisture sensor products and measuring soil moisture.

An integrated methodology for soil moisture analysis using multispectral data in Mongolia

Soil moisture(SM)content is one of the most important environmental variables in relation to land surface climatology,hydrology,and ecology.Long-term SM data-sets on a regional scale provide reasonable information about climate change and global warming specific regions.The aim of this research work is to develop an integrated methodology for SM of kastanozems soils using multispectral satellite data.The study area is Tuv(48°40′30″N and 106°15′55″E)province in the forest steppe zones in Mongolia.In addition to this,land surface temperature(LST)and normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI)from Landsat satellite images were integrated for the assessment.Furthermore,we used a digital elevation model(DEM)from ASTER satellite image with 30-m resolution.Aspect and slope maps were derived from this DEM.The soil moisture index(SMI)was obtained using spectral information from Landsat satellite data.We used regression analysis to develop the model.The model shows how SMI from satellite depends on LST,NDVI,DEM,Slope,and Aspect in the agricultural area.The results of the model were correlated with the ground SM data in Tuv province.The results indicate that there is a good agreement between output SM and SM of ground truth for agricultural area.Further research is focused on moisture mapping for different natural zones in Mongolia.The innovative part of this research is to estimate SM using drivers which are vegetation,land surface temperature,elevation,aspect,and slope in the forested steppe area.This integrative methodology can be applied for different regions with forest and desert steppe zones.

Photopatternable PEDOT:PSS/PEG hybrid thin film with moisture stability and sensitivity

Degradation and delamination resulting from environmental humidity have been technically challenging for poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate)(PEDOT:PSS)thin-film processing.To overcome this problem,we introduced a one-step photolithographic method to both pattern and link a PEDOT:PSS film onto a poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG)layer as a hybrid thin film structure on a flexible substrate.This film exhibited excellent long-term moisture stability(more than 10 days)and lithographic resolution(as low as 2μm).Mechanical characterizations were performed,including both stretching and bending tests,which illustrated the strong adhesion present between the PEDOT:PSS and PEG layers as well as between the hybrid thin film and substrate.Moreover,the hybrid moisture-absorbable film showed a quick response of its permittivity to environmental humidity variations,in which the patterned PEDOT:PSS layer served as an electrode and the PEG layer as a moisture-sensing element.Perspiration tracking over various parts of the body surface as well as breath rate measurement under the nose were successfully carried out as demonstrations,which illustrated the potential utility of this stable hybrid thin film for emerging flexible and wearable electronic applications.