The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) is a leading research organization in the United Kingdom focused on energy-related research and policy. Established in 2004, UKERC aims to provide integrated and independent research that addresses the challenges of energy supply, demand, and sustainability in the context of climate change and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

Applied mechanics is a branch of mechanics that deals with the behavior of physical systems under the action of forces. It combines principles of physics and mathematics to analyze and solve problems related to motion and forces in various real-world contexts. Applied mechanics is crucial in fields such as engineering (mechanical, civil, aerospace, etc.), biomechanics, and materials science. Key areas within applied mechanics include: 1. **Statics**: The study of forces in equilibrium where objects are at rest or moving at a constant velocity.

In engineering, "deflection" refers to the displacement of a structural element or beam from its original position when subjected to an external load or force. It is a crucial concept in the fields of structural engineering, mechanical engineering, and materials science, as it helps to assess how structures behave under applied loads.

Rigid body dynamics is a branch of mechanics that deals with the motion and equilibrium of rigid bodies, which are objects that do not deform under the application of forces. In this context, a "rigid body" is an idealization where the distance between any two points in the body remains constant regardless of the forces applied to it.

Statistical Process Control (SPC) is a method used in quality control and management that employs statistical methods to monitor and control a process. The main goal of SPC is to ensure that a process operates efficiently, producing more specification-conforming products with less waste (rework or scrap). Here are some key features and concepts of SPC: 1. **Control Charts**: One of the core tools of SPC is the control chart, which visually represents data over time.

"Fides" is a Latin term that translates to "trust" or "faith," and in various contexts, it can refer to the concept of reliability, credibility, or assurance. In relation to reliability, Fides signifies the confidence one can place in a system, process, or individual to perform consistently and meet expected standards without failure.

Cooling technology refers to a variety of systems and methods used to remove heat from an environment or physical object to lower its temperature or maintain a desired thermal condition. This technology is applied in numerous fields, including HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), refrigeration, industrial processes, electronics cooling, and even in automotive applications.

Cryogenics is the branch of physics and engineering that studies the production and effects of very low temperatures, typically below -150 degrees Celsius (-238 degrees Fahrenheit). It involves the study of the behavior of materials at these extreme temperatures and the techniques used to achieve such conditions, often focusing on the properties and behavior of gases, liquids, and solids at cryogenic temperatures.

Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) refers to the technology and systems used to control the temperature, humidity, and air quality in residential, commercial, and industrial environments. Here's a brief overview of each component: 1. **Heating**: This component is responsible for increasing the temperature of indoor spaces during colder months. Common heating systems include furnaces, heat pumps, electric heaters, and boilers. These systems distribute heated air or water throughout a building to maintain a comfortable temperature.

PC-SAFT stands for "Perturbed Chain - Statistical Associating Fluid Theory." It is a theoretical framework and equation of state used to model the thermodynamic properties of complex fluids, including polymers, colloids, and associated fluids. PC-SAFT builds upon the traditional SAFT by incorporating the effects of chain-length distribution and chain flexibility, making it particularly suitable for systems with complex molecular interactions.

A bimetallic strip is a mechanical device consisting of two strips of different metals bonded together. When the temperature changes, the different thermal expansion rates of the two metals cause the strip to bend or curve. This is due to the fact that different metals expand and contract at different rates when heated or cooled. **Key features and applications of bimetallic strips include:** 1.

Thermodynamic modeling is a scientific approach used to describe and predict the behavior of physical systems in terms of energy, heat, work, and the laws governing these processes. It employs the principles of thermodynamics, which is the branch of physics that deals with the relationships between heat, work, temperature, and energy, to analyze complex systems in various fields such as chemistry, engineering, materials science, and biology.

Oil sludge is a complex mixture of oil, water, solid particles, and various contaminants that can accumulate in storage tanks, pipelines, and other equipment used in the petroleum industry. It typically consists of: 1. **Crude Oil Residue**: The leftover oil that remains after the refined products have been extracted. 2. **Water**: Often contains a significant amount of water which can be mixed with the oil.

Dühring's rule, named after the German chemist Karl Friedrich Dühring, is a guideline used in the field of solubility and solution chemistry. It states that the solubility of a salt in a solution can be considered to change with temperature according to a linear relationship when the solution is saturated.

An equation of state (EOS) is a mathematical relationship that describes the state of a physical system by relating its macroscopic properties, such as pressure, volume, temperature, and number of particles. Equations of state are crucial for understanding and predicting the behavior of materials under various conditions, particularly in thermodynamics, fluid dynamics, and materials science.

An air-cooled engine is a type of internal combustion engine that uses air to remove heat from the engine components, rather than relying on a liquid coolant, such as water or antifreeze, that circulates through a radiator. In these engines, the heat generated by the engine during operation is dissipated directly into the surrounding air.

The Bendix drive, also known as the Bendix starter drive or overrunning clutch, is a mechanical device used in automotive starters. It plays a crucial role in starting an internal combustion engine. The primary function of the Bendix drive is to engage the starter motor with the engine's flywheel, allowing the motor to turn the engine over for starting.

The hydrocarbon dew point (HDP) is a critical parameter in natural gas processing and involves the temperature and pressure at which hydrocarbon liquids (like condensates and heavy hydrocarbons) begin to condense out of a natural gas mixture. It is an important consideration in the production, transportation, and storage of natural gas, as the presence of these liquid hydrocarbons can lead to operational issues, such as pipeline blockages, equipment corrosion, and reduced heating value of the gas.

Inversion temperature is a term used in thermodynamics and gas physics to describe the temperature at which a gas, when cooled, undergoes a change in behavior that leads to the inversion of its thermal conductivity characteristics. Specifically, it refers to the temperature above which a gas behaves like an ideal gas and below which its thermal conductivity starts to increase with increasing temperature, rather than decreasing as might be expected.

Liquid air is air that has been cooled to extremely low temperatures, typically around -196 degrees Celsius (-321 degrees Fahrenheit), at which point it becomes a liquid. At this temperature, the major components of air—mainly nitrogen (about 78%), oxygen (about 21%), and small amounts of noble gases and other trace elements—liquefy.