The humidifier may help fight flu

The air cool and dry winter can give you chapped lips, cracked hands, and now, the study suggests, the greater the chance of getting the flu. A new analysis of the data shows that in conditions of low humidity, Invalid article ID is more likely to survive, or them a better chance to spread from person to person and making its way to you.

The findings also suggests that the use of a humidifier can be a good idea, in places where the spread of the flu represents a serious threat, such as intensive care units, or even from home with a sick child--sensitivity to moisture loving mold and the dispute is not a problem, according to Jeffrey Shaman, PhD., from Oregon State University in Corvallis, co-author of the new study.

"It seems that [the flu virus] the ability to survive and be transmitted person-to-person is significantly affected by how dry or humid air," says shaman, whose study is published in this weeks Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences.

The name for this potentially deadly respiratory infection comes from the Italian word for effect; centuries ago, people believed that the influence of the Planet people are ill with the disease. Our science today is a little firmer, but scientists are still not 100% sure how and why the virus spreads, and they remain stumped about why some parts of the world have such a pronounced winter flu season with almost no influenza activity in the warmer months.

Shaman believes he found the answer: its all about moisture. Absolute humidity, it means, which is particularly low in cold weather.

The shaman and his colleague Melvin Kohn of the Oregon Department of health services in Portland revisited a 2007 study that found that the higher the humidity of the slowdown in the spread of the flu among Guinea Pigs. Scientists had measured air humidity by using the relative humidity, or how saturated the air with water vapor.

For example, the relative humidity of 75% would mean that the air is holding 75% of its total capacity of water vapor. The relative humidity is strongly influenced by temperature; the warmer the air, the more water vapor, which can hold, while cooler air cannot hold as much water vapor.

Absolute humidity of the air, on the other hand, refers to the actual amount of water vapor in the air regardless of saturation. The relative humidity of the gas is used as the cars gauge, Shaman notes. It will tell you how full your tank. Absolute humidity represents how many litres in the tank, regardless of the size of the tank.

Shaman converted a Guinea pig from relative humidity absolute humidity, and found that the link between the humidity and flu spreads much more powerful. "The absolute humidity of the air, for reasons that remain unknown, it affects how long the virus remains viable," he says. "It really explains why this marked seasonality in temperate areas."

The researcher also looked at studies, dating back to the 1940s the survival of influenza virus in the air. Some of the included information about the relative humidity of the air, which was converted to the absolute humidity. Once again got a stronger relationship between survival and the humidity of the air.

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Physical effects of a humidifier? The Mayo Clinic study, saying the actor

Dry provides the onslaught of winter weather. Air cooled as moisture is the ability to actually hold the goods. Humidifiers add moisture can offset this natural reduction. Well-humidified air is usually caused by a cold, dry air helps relieve the disease and a range of benefits. Mayo Clinic is a not-for-profit leader in medical care, research and education. According to their website "sinuses, bloody noses and lips are cracked and dry-humidifiers are caused by dry indoor air, this can help soothe a familiar problem. A humidifier can be flu or other respiratory conditions are even easier. "

The optimum humidity level in your home is between 30 and 50%. The Mayo Clinic less that ideal humidity conditions by describes problems that may occur. "Low humidity may cause dry skin, itchy eyes, your nasal passages and throat irritation. high humidity can make your home feel stuffy and walls, floors, and the growth of harmful bacteria, dust mites and mold that cause the other can result in condensation on the surface. These can cause respiratory problems and allergies, Allergy and asthma flare trigger. "

So, you will be able to solve a lot of winter provoked a humidifier while you can do too much humidity and also the negative side effects. This keeps the humidity level for optimal humidifier that can make the choice to underscore the importance of. The Mayo Clinic States, "bought a humidifier, consider buying one with built-in humidity (humidistat) maintains the humidity within a healthy range."

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Vornado ultrasonic humidifier is literally small particles to create a fine mist of water into smithereens. Humidity is pushed through a room, use the work. Evaporative humidifier and run ultrasound does not need a wick. Humidistat controls the humidity level of the room exactly. A large 2 gallon water tank cover this humidifier to 900 square feet.

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Study IDs two compressed air energy storage methods, sites for the Northwest

Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified two possible sites in eastern Washington state to build compressed air energy storage facilities that could temporarily store the Northwest’s excess wind power. Enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month could be stored in porous rocks deep underground for later use, according to a new, comprehensive study. Researchers at the Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and Bonneville Power Administration identified two unique methods for this energy storage approach and two eastern Washington locations to put them into practice.

Compressed air energy storage plants could help save the region's abundant wind power – which is often produced at night when winds are strong and energy demand is low – for later, when demand is high and power supplies are more strained. These plants can also switch between energy storage and power generation within minutes, providing flexibility to balance the region's highly variable wind energy generation throughout the day.

"With Renewable Portfolio Standards requiring states to have as much as 20 or 30 percent of their electricity come from variable sources such as wind and the sun, compressed air energy storage plants can play a valuable role in helping manage and integrate renewable power onto the Northwest's electric grid," said Steve Knudsen, who managed the study for the BPA.

Geologic energy savings accounts

All compressed air energy storage plants work under the same basic premise. When power is abundant, it's drawn from the electric grid and used to power a large air compressor, which pushes pressurized air into an underground geologic storage structure. Later, when power demand is high, the stored air is released back up to the surface, where it is heated and rushes through turbines to generate electricity. Compressed air energy storage plants can re-generate as much as 80 percent of the electricity they take in.

The world's two existing compressed air energy storage plants – one in Alabama, the other in Germany – use man-made salt caverns to store excess electricity. The PNNL-BPA study examined a different approach: using natural, porous rock reservoirs that are deep underground to store renewable energy. The Department of Energy's Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Bonneville Power Administration have identified two locations in eastern Washington state that could store enough Northwest wind energy to power about 85,000 homes each month. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Interest in the technology has increased greatly in the past decade as utilities and others seek better ways to integrate renewable energy onto the power grid. About 13 percent, or nearly 8,600 megawatts, of the Northwest's power supply comes from of wind. This prompted BPA and PNNL to investigate whether the technology could be used in the Northwest. To find potential sites, the research team reviewed the Columbia Plateau Province, a thick layer of volcanic basalt rock that covers much of the region. The team looked for underground basalt reservoirs that were at least 1,500 feet deep, 30 feet thick and close to high-voltage transmission lines, among other criteria.

They then examined public data from wells drilled for gas exploration or research at the Hanford Site in southeastern Washington. Well data was plugged into PNNL's STOMP computer model, which simulates the movement of fluids below ground, to determine how much air the various sites under consideration could reliably hold and return to the surface. Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified a site they call Yakima Minerals that is about 10 miles north of Selah, Wash., and could house an 83-megawatt geothermal compressed air energy storage facility. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Two different, complementary designs

Analysis identified two particularly promising locations in eastern Washington. One location, dubbed the Columbia Hills Site, is just north of Boardman, Ore., on the Washington side of the Columbia River. The second, called the Yakima Minerals Site, is about 10 miles north of Selah, Wash., in an area called the Yakima Canyon.

But the research team determined the two sites are suitable for two very different kinds of compressed air energy storage facilities. The Columbia Hills Site could access a nearby natural gas pipeline, making it a good fit for a conventional compressed air energy facility. Such a conventional facility would burn a small amount of natural gas to heat compressed air that's released from underground storage. The heated air would then generate more than twice the power than a typical natural gas power plant.

The Yakima Minerals Site, however, doesn't have easy access to natural gas. So the research team devised a different kind of compressed air energy storage facility: one that uses geothermal energy. This hybrid facility would extract geothermal heat from deep underground to power a chiller that would cool the facility's air compressors, making them more efficient. Geothermal energy would also re-heat the air as it returns to the surface.

Researchers at PNNL and BPA have identified a site they call Columbia Hills north of Boardman, Ore., on the Washington state side of the Columbia River, that could house a 207-megawatt conventional compressed air energy storage facility. Credit: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

"Combining geothermal energy with compressed air energy storage is a creative concept that was developed to tackle engineering issues at the Yakima Minerals Site," said PNNL Laboratory Fellow and project leader Pete McGrail. "Our hybrid facility concept significantly expands geothermal energy beyond its traditional use as a renewable baseload power generation technology."

The study indicates both facilities could provide energy storage during extended periods of time. This could especially help the Northwest during the spring, when sometimes there is more wind and hydroelectric power than the region can absorb. The combination of heavy runoff from melting snow and a large amount of wind, which often blows at night when demand for electricity is low, can spike power production in the region. Power system managers have a few options to keep the regional power grid stable in such a situation, including reducing power generation or storing the excess power supply. Energy storage technologies such as compressed air energy storage can help the region make the most of its excess clean energy production.

Working with the Northwest Power and Conservation Council, BPA will now use the performance and economic data from the study to perform an in-depth analysis of the net benefits compressed air energy storage could bring to the Pacific Northwest. The results could be used by one or more regional utilities to develop a commercial compressed air energy storage demonstration project.

Details on the Northwest's two potential compressed air energy storage sites:

Columbia Hills Site

Location: north of Boardman, Ore., on Washington side of Columbia River
Plant type: conventional, which pairs compressed air storage with a natural gas power plant.
Power generation capacity: 207 megawatts
Energy storage capacity: 231 megawatts
Estimated levelized power cost: as low as 6.4 cents per kilowatt-hour
Would work well for frequent energy storage
Continuous storage for up to 40 days

Yakima Minerals Site

Location: 10 miles north of Selah, Wash.
Plant type: hybrid, which pairs geothermal heat with compressed air storage
Power generation capacity: 83 megawatts
Energy storage capacity: 150 megawatts
Estimated levelized power cost: as low as 11.8 cents per kilowatt-hour
No greenhouse gas emissions
Potential for future expansion

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