Open Access

Introduction: Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) with biventricular (BV) pacing is an established therapy for heart failure (HF) patients with ventricular desynchronization and reduced left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction. The aim of this study was to evaluate electrical ventricular desynchronization with transthoracic and transesophageal signal averaging electrocardiography in HF, to better select patients for CRT. Methods: 13 HF patients (age 68 ± 10 years; 2 females, 11 males) with New York Heart Association (NYHA) class 2.8 ± 0.5, 28.6 ± 12.6 % LV ejection fraction and 155 ± 24 ms QRS duration (QRSD) were analysed with transthoracic and transesophageal electrocardiogram recording and novel National Intruments LabView 2009 signal averaging software. Esophageal TO Osypka catheter was perorally applied to the esophagus and placed in the position of maximum LV de-flection. The 0.05-Hz high-pass filtered surface electrocardiogram and the 10-Hz high-pass filtered bipolar transesophageal electrocardiogram were recorded with Bard EP-System and 1000-Hz sampling rate. Results: Transesophageal LV electrogram recording was possible in all HF patients (n=13). Transesophageal interventricular conduction delay (IVCD) was 51 ± 19 ms and measured between the earliest onset of QRS in the 12-channel surface electrocardiogram and the onset of the LV deflection in the transesophageal electrocardiogram. Transesophageal intra-left ventricular delay (LVCD) was 90 ± 16 ms and measured between the onset and offset of the LV deflection in the transesophageal electrocardiogram. QRSD to transesophageal IVCD ratio was 3.43 ± 1.31 ms, QRSD to transesophageal LVCD ratio was 1.75 ± 0.28 ms and QRSD was evaluated between onset and offset of QRS signal in the 12-channel surface electrocardiogram. Conclusion: Determination of IVCD, LVCD, QRSD-to-IVCD-ratio and QRSD-to-LVCD-ratio by transesophageal LV electrogram recording with LabView 2009 signal averaging technique may be useful parameters of ventricular desynchronisation to improve patient selection for CRT.

In this paper, a new method is demonstrated for onlin e remote simulation of photovo ltaic systems. The required communication technology for the data exchange is introduced a nd the methods of PV generato r parameter extraction for the simulation models are analysed. The method shown for parameter extraction from the ma nufacturer data is especially useful for the commissioning procedure, where the measured installed pow er is transferred to standard test conditions using the simulation model and can then be easily compared with the de sign power. At a simulation accuracy of 2% using the software environment INSEL ® any problems with the PV gene rator can reliably be detected. Online simulation of a grid connected PV generator is then carried out during the operation of the photovoltaic plant. The visualisation includes both the monitored and the simulated online data sets, so that a very efficient fault detection scheme i s available. The method is implemented and validated on several grid connected photovolta ic power plants in Germany. It is excellently suited to provide automatic and real time fault detection and significantly impr ove the commissioning procedure for photovoltaic plants of all sizes.

The aim of the paper was to investigate the energy saved in the shift from separate generation of thermal and electrical energy to trigeneration at the energy facility in Offenburg University of Applied Sciences (HS OG). The energy facility at HS OG used a traditional heating system and electricity from grid until 2007 afterwhich they installed a trigeneration system to meet its continuously changing dynamic thermal and electrical demands. This paper highlights the methodology that had been derived to analyze and study the effect of this shift based on the energy consumption data available from 2004 to 2011, which were scarce due to the limited monitoring. From the energy analysis, we concluded that 8 % primary energy was saved in this shift at the energy facility of HS OG. And from economical perspective 5 % useful thermal energy and 39 % useful electrical energy was saved in this shift at the energy facility of HS OG. Nevertheless, the term energy saving, in general, is very relative and complex to define in such a changeover.

The particulate matter and gas emissions of several plant oils are analyzed in the hot exhaust gas under various engine conditions at different speeds and loads The measurement data are compared to the emission values of conventional diesel fuel (gas oil). The investigation concentrates on a modern common rail TDI light duty diesel, four cylinders, for passenger cars. The differences in the gas and particulate matter emission - compared to conventional diesel fuel - are remarkably low for the diesel engine which is properly adjusted for the plant oils. Emission data of an old heavy duty diesel engine are also shown for comparison reasons and reveals large differences. Differences are found in the pressures of the indicator diagram, time resolved over the crank angle. Plant oils consistently exhibit a higher cylinder pressure. The TEM investigation confirms the differences found by the LPME (long path multi-wavelength extinction) on-line analysis.