Immersion freezing (ice nucleation by particles immersed in supercooled water) is a key process for forming ice in mixed-phase clouds. Immersion freezing experiments with particles in microliter-sized (millimeter-sized) water droplets are often applied to detecting very small numbers of ice nucleating particles (INPs). However, the application of such large droplets remains confined to the dete...

This paper describes the fabrication of pressure-driven, open-channel microfluidic systems with lateral dimensions of 45–300 microns carved in omniphobic paper using a craft-cutting tool. Vapor phase silanization with a fluorinated alkyltrichlorosilane renders paper omniphobic, but preserves its high gas permeability and mechanical properties. When sealed with tape, the carved channels form con...

poetry writing has been characterized by spontaneity and intuition, but this spontaneity was neither pure nor innocent, for the poet had to carefully scheme his poetry, urged by his aspiration to be as elevated as his diction and craft could be, together with the competitive spirit which naturally reigns over poetic genius. the poet, thus, had to pursue means which could allow him achieve maste...

Incited by public fascination and engineering application, water-skipping of rigid stones and spheres has received considerable study. While these objects can be coaxed to ricochet, elastic spheres demonstrate superior water-skipping ability, but little is known about the effect of large material compliance on water impact physics. Here we show that upon water impact, very compliant spheres nat...

This paper describes the fabrication of pressure-driven, open-channel microfluidic systems with lateral dimensions of 45-300 microns carved in omniphobic paper using a craft-cutting tool. Vapor phase silanization with a fluorinated alkyltrichlorosilane renders paper omniphobic, but preserves its high gas permeability and mechanical properties. When sealed with tape, the carved channels form con...

The adoption of hydrofoils in the International Moth class of dinghy has posed new challenges to sailors both in terms of the set-up of the boat and hydrofoils, and their sailing techniques and styles. The experience of sailors in the class indicates that the height above the water surface at which the boat is flown (ride height) and the amount of windward heel (heel angle) are critical factors...

A survey of energy harvesting methods specific to a marine environment is presented in order to optimally choose and design an energy harvester that will be embedded in an autonomous water quality monitoring platform. Output power formulae are derived as a function of characteristic device length in order to perform a scaling analysis and a comparison of the mechanisms. Limitations of the diffe...

The paper presents the main features of the European project Mobicossum IST 1999-57455, still running. The project is a CRAFT one approved inside the Fifth Framework Programme. It aims to define a middleware offering services for the management of large plants, in the field of gas and water distribution and wastewater treatment systems. In the paper, the main features of the project will be exp...