Electrical Breakdown of Ice at Cryogenic Temperatures
An ice or ice-silica compound system is attractive for electrical insulation at cryogenic temperatures. A sample of ice without silica was found to have a breakdown strength of 0.3 MV/cm for ac voltages, and 0.6 MV/cm for impulse voltages. The breakdown strength of an ceicesilica compound system was 0.7 MV/cm for ac voltages. There were no visible macroscopic cracks in the sample, but microscopic cracks and voids may exist, since partial discharges were observed at about half the value of the ac breakdown voltage. The relationship between partial discharges and microscopic voids, and the voltage-time characteristics of this insulation system were studied.
Electrical treeing in hexagonal ice crystals under applied impulse voltage
Using two hexagonal samples of ice, polycrystalline and single-crystalline, the electrical treeing has been investigated under an applied impulse voltage. The crystallinity and temperature of the ice play an important role in the events of the treeing. In the single-crystalline ice, the tree in the samples at -25 /spl deg/C always progressed along the basal plane of the ice crystal, but at -196 /spl deg/C, it progressed along the c-axis. These distinctive patterns of the tree progression were attributed to the crystal axis dependence on the electrical conductivity and the relative permittivity at each temperature. The current accompanying the trees were detected by means of an electro-optic coupling with light emitting diodes and photodiodes. After the large current pulses which occur just after voltage application, small intermittent current pulses were visible in the wave tail of the applied voltage. These intermittent pulses appear to generate by the movement of accumulated charges after the formation of tree channels. The electrical breakdown strength of ice at -25 C was large for the electric field parallel to the c-axis of the single-crystalline ice.
Soil organic matter and microbiological development of technosols in the South Wales Coalfield
Abstract Degraded land (formerly ‘reclaimed’) after surface-coal-mining is a serious problem in South Wales. This project uses forestation to foster soil development on opencast coal-mine spoil technosols. It compares records of humification and the soil microbiological system (microcoenosis) using paired data from the same plantings in 1998 and 2018. Statistical analysis finds no significant difference between samples collected under trees planted by the pit-planting versus trench planting method or trees planted using organic or mineral fertilizer. However, there are strong significant differences in both soil organic matter and microflora components and significant correlations with time since tree planting. Most components of the soil organic carbon (TOC) and the microflora increase, often significantly. However, compared to 2018, 1998 samples contain significantly greater maximum levels of Insoluble Carbon while the microflora had significantly more Ammonifying bacteria. Decreases in Insoluble Carbon explain the relatively small increase in TOC between 1998 and 2018. The % extracted with 0.1 N H2SO4 is significantly larger in 2018, suggesting active weathering. Similarly, both the maxima and minima of total Humic and Fulvic acids content, extracted with 0.1 M Na4P2O7 + 0.1 M NaOH, are significantly greater in 2018. Total microflora shows significant positive correlations with time-since-tree-planting as do the proportions of bacilli and actinomycetes but the correlation with ammonifying bacteria is negative. In 1998, the microflora was dominated by non-spore-forming bacteria while, in 2018, bacilli and actinomycetes prevail; both are involved in the transformation of complex organic compounds and humification. This indicates active transformation of more complex organic compounds and advancing humification. In sum, forestation of these degraded, formerly reclaimed, opencast coal-mine spoils has resulted in a massive increase in both the size and functioning of the soil organic system.