Iranica Journal of Energy & Environment
Volume:2 Issue: 4, Autumn 2011

The performance of the continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) for the in-situ production of hydrogen gas (H) integrated with a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) was investigated. Facultative 2 anaerobe fermentation of Enterobacter aerogenes ADH-43 was conducted into CSTR 50 rpm of agitation speed, 37°C of temperature, 6.3 of pH and 0.15; 0.3; 0.45; 0.60 hG1 of dilution rate. Bio-H produced was assessed after 2 inserting it into a fuel cell to generate electricity and measuring voltages. The system was integrated with a ceramic membrane having 0.2 μm pore size for recycling the retentive cell into reactor and separating the permeate supernatant during the fermentation. The obtained H was purified from CO by absorption in Ca(OH) 2 2 2 solution prior to feed to PEMFC. The CSTR was initially operated on batch basis to increase the bacterial cell density to ensure the production of sufficient H and develop a feeding culture strategy for continues operation 2 mode. The result showed that the highest H production achieved at continuous system resulted in 0.30 hG 2 1 of optimum dilution rate. The maximum H volume of 9.76 l H /l sugar, the yield of 1.8 mol H /mol sugar and 2 2 2 the flow rate of 115 ml H /min were obtained. Furthermore, colony count of 9.81 log cfu/ml, pH of 5.73, maximum 2 electrical current of 0.38 Ampere, electrical power of 2.20 Watt and electrical voltage of 5.75 volt after given resistance using LED of 25 ohm was also obtained.

Solar distillation mimics nature’s hydrologic water cycle by purify water through evaporation as well as condensation. It is one of the most basic purification systems available today to get high quality of drinking water and can remove non-volatile contamination from almost any water source. Solar still is a one kind of solar distillation system in which brackish or impure water converted into drinkable water. Here, three solar stills have developed by locally available materials. The first one is a conventional type and the second solar still is consists of Aluminum plate while the third one consists of Galvanized iron. Here, experiment performed to get higher distillate output from solar still. Experiments represent that, solar still consists of aluminum plate gives 30 % more output compared with conventional solar still and Galvanized iron plate inside solar still gives 12% more output compared with conventional solar still. Hence, Aluminum plate is the best plate to obtain higher distillate output from solar still.

This paper presents a novel technique for transformer differential protection to prevent incorrect operation due to inrush current. The proposed method in this paper is based on time frequency transform known as the Wavelet transform. The discrete Wavelet transform is used for analysis the differential current signals in time and frequency domains. The investigation on the energy distribution of the signal on the discrete Wavelet transform components shows the difference distribution between inrush and internal fault current signals of power transformer. The correlation factor which is a statistical parameter is used here to express the pattern of the energy distribution for different current signals. The proposed algorithm is based on the correlation factors to distinguish between internal fault and inrush currents in the transformer differential protection. The proposed algorithm is tested and simulated for several cases by simulating inrush and internal fault currents. The simulation of inrush and internal fault currents are performed using electromagnetic transient program PSCAD/EMTDC software. Simulation results show that the proposed scheme accurately identifies inrush and fault currents at the distance of the power transformer protection in a time period less than quarter of power frequency cycle. In addition the proposed method has high sensitivity and reliability. The method has low computation work and not requires determining the threshold for each new power system.

In order to study the effects of nitrogen and available soil water levels on growth and yield components of sunflower (cv. Embrapa 122 / V-2000), an experiment was carried out from November 2009 to October 2010 in the Agricultural Engineering Department of the Federal University of Campina Grande, Campina Grande, Paraiba, Brazil. The treatments were arranged as a completely randomized design, in a 4×4 factorial experiment (four nitrogen levels and four available soil water levels), with three replications, totaling 48 experimental units. The nitrogen (N) levels in kg haG1 were: 0; 60; 80 and 100 added as urea; the available soil water (AW) levels were 55; 70; 85 and 100%. In conclusion, this study showed that the application of nitrogen fertilizer levels and available soil water levels led to significant increase in growth and production traits except for the dry weight of 1000 seeds.

The present study has focused on the effect of various carbon sources such as glucose, sucrose and date syrup as natural carbon sources along with Lactobacillus plantarum microorganism on demineralization (DM) of shrimp shell. Logistic and Verhulst Equations were used for the determination of growth kinetic parameters. Maximum demineralization efficiency of 82% was obtained in the media contained date syrup. Data for fermentation with media contained date syrup were suitably fitted with both Verhulst and Logistic Equations. Kinetic data was obtained and Gompertz model for production of lactic acid was used. For the media contained date syrup as carbon source, maximum rate of acid production was obtained.

The focus of present research paper was to investigate the energy availability from agricultural crop residue, animal waste and present energy consumption patterns of three villages (Thudoor, Yedehalli and Bilaki) of Shivamogga District, Karnataka state. The integrated energy plan for selected villages is prepared covering geographic and demographic characteristics and present energy consumption pattern. The results indicate that, the electricity generated from crop residue using gasifier technology and fluidized bed gasification can meet about 25.6, 38.49 and 52% of the total electrical energy demand of Thudoor, Yedehalli and Bilaki villages respectively. Results of mean volume of biogas yield from the use of animal waste (cow dung) were 748.8 m3, 883.2 m3 and 291.84 m3 of bio gas/day in Thudoor, Yedehalli and Bilaki villages respectively. The amount of biogas produced is sufficient to meet 100% cooking energy demand of the villages.

In this study, Organonitrogen pesticides (ONPs) levels were determined in surface and groundwater samples from El-Rahawy area in the southwestern part of Nile Delta, Egypt. Gas Chromatography with Nitrogen Phosphorous Detector (GC-NPD) was proposed to determine the concentration of eleven ONPs, molinate, atrazine, simazine, prometon, propazine, prometryn, simetryn, ametryn, alachlor, terbutryn and metolachlor during winter and summer seasons. The most abundant components were molinate and propazine. The total concentrations of ONPs in the surface samples were from 3.9636 to 75.878 ng LG1 while in groundwater were below the detection limit i.e. 0.02 ng LG1. The results have been discussed and compared with Canadian water quality guidelines for irrigation and fresh water.

This study evaluated the chemical characteristics of soils under different management systems, i.e., the culture of sugar cane with and without vinasse compared to forest area in the Coastal Plains of State Paraiba. For each management system were opened five profiles occurring in the same soil class, dystrophic Ultisol grayish. In each profile, the soil samples were collected at 0-5, 5-10, 10 20 and 20-40 cm depths. These samples, after being air dried and passed through a sieve of 2 mm, were characterized chemically. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance and Tukey test at 5% probability. The pH, electrical conductivity, exchangeable aluminum, potential acidity and phosphorus results, in relation to soil management, were significantly affected; in relation to depth, there was a significant effect on the pH results and on the electrical conductivity, calcium, sodium, potassium, potential acidity and P results. However, for area x depths there was a significant difference only for aluminum, potential acidity and phosphorus contents. The results of this study show that treatment with vinasse application promotes improvements in soil chemical properties such as pH increases and the availability of K and P in the surface layers of soil.

In this study, the performance of an aerobic sequencing batch reactor (SBR) removing carbon and nutrient (N & P) from Faraman’s industrial wastewater (FIW) was investigated. This study was performed by varying two significant independent variables viz. aeration time and biomass concentration. The experiments were conducted based on a central composite design (CCD) and analyzed using response surface methodology (RSM). The region of exploration for the process was taken as the area enclosed by aeration time (6-24 h) and mixed liquor volatile suspended solid (MLVSS) concentration (2000-7000 mg/l) boundaries. Seven dependent parameters as the process responses were measured and calculated. Direct and interactive effects of the variables on the responses were described by the models given by RSM. The results showed that the maximum total COD (TCOD) removal of 73.89% was obtained at the highest value of the factors 24 h and 7000 mg/l). The maximum values of total nitrogen (TN) removal efficiency were found to be 36.39%. The low TN removal directed the study to the reduction of oxygen level from 7 to 3 mg/l. The DO reduction with the extended aeration mode resulted in an increase in TN removal while decreased the TCOD, non biodegradable COD (nbCOD) and BOD removal efficiencies. The oxygen concentration had diminutive effect on phosphorus removal.

The object of this study is determination of the relationship between airborne methylene diphenyl diisocyanate (MDI) and selective psychrometric variables. The production of MDI factories were polyurethane adhesives, paints and varnishes and the workers were exposed to MDI in the indoor air. The air samples were collected by midget impinger and multiple regressions model was used to determine the relationship between variables. All of the samplers (midget impinger) were connected to mini personal sampler pump fixed to workstations near the source of pollution based on NIOSH method 5522. The first step in the analysis of a solution is derivatization of isocyanates for the separation through HPLC, for their qualitative as well as quantitative analysis. Air sampling and analysis was performed according to (NIOSH) method 5522 for diisocyanate in air. The results revealed that a correlation between MDI concentration and relative humidity, dry bulb temperature, altitude and dimension of polyurethane factories. Dimension of factories yields reasonable negative relationship, the MDI concentration was ranged from 93.8 to 9 (μg/m3) and statistically significant at 0.0001 level and the relative humidity was ranged from 42.6 to 45% and dry bulb temperature ranged from 28 to 29°C were statistically significant at 0.035 and 0.0001 level, respectively. A statistical predictive model was obtained from multiple regression modeling for MDI and psychrometric parameters. The result of the current study may be useful for the prediction of diisocyanate pollution for polyurethane factories in the same psychrometric condition. This indicates that the MDI concentration is attributed to psychrometric parameters.

Fish sampling were carried out using beach seines during the fishing season from early October 2006 to mid April 2007. The gonadosomatic indexes (GSI) in range and average for female and male were 0.03 to 40.28 (5.70 ± 6.48) and 0.13 to 16.71 (3.39 ± 2.33), respectively. The GSI indicated that the reproductions of R. f. kutum were occurred during March-April, with the highest average value of 6.52 for males and of 17.00 for females in April. Fifty percent of length maturity (L) at FL = 37.78 cm was recorded. The absolute fecundity ranged from m50% 15,723 for a three-year old to 130,737 eggs for an eight-year old female, with a mean of 60435 ± 24889. The relationship between fecundity (F) and fork length (cm) was represented by the formula: Fec. = 6616FL+25916. The von Bertalanffy growth parameters was: L =67.5cm, K=0.21 yearG, t =-0.10 for throw population of kutum. 8 0 1 The maximum spawning migration into the rivers based on GSI occurred significantly in April but it be affected by environment of sea water layers. The results showed that the length at first maturity and fecundity of R. f. kutum reduced in southern part of Caspian Sea.

This paper presents a new method for detecting EEG spikes using the time-frequency distribution of the signal. As spikes are short-time broadband events, their energy patterns are represented as ridges in the time-frequency domain. In this domain, the high instantaneous energy of the spikes makes them more distinguishable from the background. To detect spikes, the time-frequency distribution of the signal of interest is first enhanced to attenuate the noise. Two frequency slices of the enhanced time frequency distribution are then extracted and subjected to the smoothed nonlinear energy operator (SNEO). Finally, the output of the SNEO is thresholded to localise the position of the spikes in the signal. The SNEO is employed to accentuate the spike signature in the extracted frequency slices. A spike is considered to exist in the time domain signal if the spike signature is detected at the same position in both frequency slices. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated and compared with an existing spike detection method using both synthetic and newborn EEG signals.