A proposal for reservoir volume calculation in rainwater harvesting systems

This paper introduces a proposal for reservoir volume calculation in rainwater harvesting systems. The proposed method can be used for reservoir volume design in rainwater harvesting systems and is based on three important variables. These variables are water demand, system efficiency and repayment time. Several simulations were carried out in different scenarios considering typical values of both catchment area (for low-income and medium-income households) and water demand, with fixed water and tank costs. Results showed that the integrated analysis of demand, efficiency and repayment time may assist designers to determine a more adequate reservoir volume.

Avaliação da qualidade de águas pluviais armazenadas e estudos de tratabilidade empregando filtro de pressão com diferentes meios filtrantes visando ao aproveitamento para fins não potáveis

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Gestão ambiental na produção avícola: estudo de caso

The present study addresses the application of the Environmental Management System in chicken production on a farm owned by the Nardo brothers, located in the city of Guapiaçu/SP (Brazil). The objectives were to analyze the process of solid waste generation, destination and forms of treatment in this activity; propose measures to reduce the use of potable water for non-potable ends; determine other measures identified through a questionnaire drafted by Embrapa (Brazilian Agriculture Research Cooperative) and administered to employees who have direct involvement in the productive process; pay visits to chicken production enterprises; and employ the guidelines proposed by the National Fowl-Breeding Sanitation Program that guide the application of the Environmental Management System. Adequate management of waste was put into effect through the construction of a compost shed capable of meeting current production demands, in which all procedures were accompanied – from civil construction to the commercialization process of the organic fertilizer generated. The rain-gathering system for the roofs of the pens proposed to reduce the consumption of potable ground water destined for washing the floors of the pens was completely dimensioned and budgeted, allowing the motivated owners to place the project into effect in a timely fashion. Other simpler but no less important proposals were also made in order to bring the production up to the required quality standards.

Aplicação de programa computacional no dimensionamento de volume de reservatório para sistema de aproveitamento de água pluvial da cidade de Ponta Grossa, PR

The main aim of this paper was to use the REZZ software to calculate the tank volume rainwater harvesting system. For this purpose, rain data of Ponta Grossa-PR-Brazil were used considering different statistical treatment (average, 75%, 85%, 95% and 99% of confidence) and different roof areas (50, 80, 120 and 200 m2). The harvesting system was considered only for toilet flush in households with 3, 4 and 5 inhabitants. There were applied the following methods/concepts: Flow equalization (Rippl); Brazilian method as well the English and German practical methods. Further, the mass-balance was simulated for some conditions. All considered methods are described in NBR15527/07, the Brazilian standard for rainwater harvesting. As expected, the results pointed out for huge differences depending on the choice method and the statistical treatment of the rain data. The REZZ appliance showed to be useful thus permitting to set different conditions and to obtain rapid results in order to assist designers to adopt the best cistern volume for each particular case.

Procedimentos para o dimensionamento de reservatório de água pluvial para residências unifamiliares: viabilidade e aprimoramento metodológico

This paper focus to apply, to discuss and to propose the Maximum Harvesting Method improvement, regarding the method application, for household rainwater harvesting systems. For this purpose, the rainwater was considered to supply the flush toilet demand in a household for 3, 4, and 5 inhabitants. The 80, 120 and 200m2 catchments areas and the 0, 1, 2 and 4mm first flushes discharges were also considered. Further, the improvement suggestions for cistern volume calculus and volume/level dynamics variation in a period were presented and the results were compared applying the Simulation Analyses Method. The results indicate that the Maximum Harvesting Method could be applied and that the improvement proposal can be used to determinate the cistern volume as well to analyze the dynamic behavior of volume/level, constituting by itself a single tool to assist rainwater harvesting systems designers.

Metodologia de otimização para o dimensionamento de reservatórios de águas pluviais

This work aimed to develop an optimization methodology for reservoir sizing in rainwater harvesting systems in order to increase the economic viability of projects in this area. For this, concepts of Operations Research were used so as to develop mathematical programming problems related to minimizing the life cycle cost and maximizing efficiency. The results obtained for different sizing methods were presented based on a case study, emphasizing the importance of tools that are able to provide a more accurate analysis and tend to significantly increase the economic viability of rainwater harvesting systems.

Dissolved organic carbon in rainwater from areas heavily impacted by sugar cane burning

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Population structure of pond-raised Macrobrachium amazonicum with different stocking and harvesting strategies

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

On the performance of a dual-mode non-linear vibration energy harvesting device

The research trend for harvesting energy from the ambient vibration sources has moved from using a linear resonant generator to a non-linear generator in order to improve on the performance of a linear generator; for example, the relatively small bandwidth, intolerance to mistune and the suitability of the device for low-frequency applications. This article presents experimental results to illustrate the dynamic behaviour of a dual-mode non-linear energy-harvesting device operating in hardening and bi-stable modes under harmonic excitation. The device is able to change from one mode to another by altering the negative magnetic stiffness by adjusting the separation gap between the magnets and the iron core. Results for the device operating in both modes are presented. They show that there is a larger bandwidth for the device operating in the hardening mode compared to the equivalent linear device. However, the maximum power transfer theory is less applicable for the hardening mode due to occurrence of the maximum power at different frequencies, which depends on the non-linearity and the damping in the system. The results for the bi-stable mode show that the device is insensitive to a range of excitation frequencies depending upon the input level, damping and non-linearity.

On the optimum parameters of a device for harvesting energy from running and walking

This paper investigates the feasibility of using an energy harvesting device tuned such that its natural frequency coincides with higher harmonics of the input to capture energy from walking or running human motion more efficiently. The paper starts by reviewing the concept of a linear resonant generator for a tonal frequency input and then derives an expression for the power harvested for an input with several harmonics. The amount of power harvested is estimated numerically using measured data from human subjects. Assuming that the input is periodic, the signal is reconstructed using a Fourier series before being used in the simulation. It is found that although the power output depends on the input frequency, the choice of tuning the natural frequency of the device to coincide with a particular higher harmonic is restricted by the amount of damping that is needed to maximize the amount of power harvested, as well as to comply with the size limit of the device. It is also found that it is not feasible to tune the device to match the first few harmonics when the size of the device is small, because a large amount of damping is required to limit the motion of the mass.

Vibration energy harvesting using piezoelectric transducer and non-controlled rectifiers circuits

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Hartman-Grobman decomposition when in presence of jumps in the relative degree of the dynamics in an energy harvesting device

This work deals with the nonlinear piezoelectric coupling in vibration-based energy harvesting, done by A. Triplett and D.D. Quinn in J. of Intelligent Material Syst. and Structures (2009). In that paper the first order nonlinear fundamental equation has a three dimensional state variable. Introducing both observable and control variables in such a way the controlled system became a SISO system, we can obtain as a corollary that for a particular choice of the observable variable it is possible to present an explicit functional relation between this variable one, and the variable representing the charge harvested. After-by observing that the structure in the Input-Output decomposition essentially changes depending on the relative degree changes, presenting bifurcation branches in its zero dynamics-we are able in to identify this type of bifurcation indicating its close relation with the Hartman - Grobman theorem telling about decomposition into stable and the unstable manifolds for hyperbolic points.

An alternative technique to the harvesting of a connective tissue graft from a thin palate: Enhanced wound healing

This article describes an alternative surgical approach to the harvesting of subepithelial connective tissue grafts from thin palates. A partial-thickness flap is raised, and a graft composed of epithelium and connective tissue is removed from the palate. The superficial layer ( epithelium and a thin zone of connective tissue) is then dissected from the graft and replaced at the donor site to facilitate faster healing. The subjacent layer of connective tissue is placed as needed to obtain root coverage. The clinical application of this technique is described in two patients with multiple gingival recessions.

Evaluation of Patients' Perceptions of Alterations After Chin Bone Graft Harvesting

Objective: To evaluate patients' perceptions of alterations occurring after chin bone harvesting.Materials and Methods: Thirty patients were evaluated subjectively by visual analog scale-related sensitivity, facial aesthetics, eating, speaking, and lower lip movement, during 12 months. Objective analysis used the static light touch neurosensorial test. The statistical analysis was executed with Friedman test with P < 0.05 for both samples.Results: Subjective analysis revealed no alterations (1) to facial aesthetics, eating, speaking or lower lip movement but sensitivity of the mental region went from a lot of alteration initially (5) to little at the end of the study (3). Objective analysis results showed normal sensitivity (1) in the region after 12 months.Conclusion: The discrepancy between subjective and objective analyses may be indicative of the limited precision of clinical testing for subjective impressions assessment. (Implant Dent 2012;21:411-414)

Prospective study of soft tissue contour changes following chin bone graft harvesting

This study sought to evaluate changes in the soft tissue contour after chin bone graft harvesting. Thirty selected patients underwent chin bone graft harvesting and evaluations were made using lateral cephalograms preoperatively and postoperatively at 30 and 180 days. Fixed points and lines were established on cephalometric tracings and used to measure the selected vertical and sagittal parameters. Results showed statistically significant alterations to the vertical position values of the vermilion (V-VPV) which increased from 9.70 to 11.01 and the exposure of lower incisors (V-ELI) which increased from 1.85 to 3.5, showing an increase in their distance from the plane of reference and a lowering of their position, the clinical equivalent of a labial ptosis condition. None of the sagittal parameters analysed showed any statistically significant variation in the final evaluation. The study concluded that the alterations to patients' soft tissue contours resulted mainly from failure to ensure precise reattachment of the mentalis muscles and identified the need for further investigation of that aspect.