A biochemical predictor of performance during mesophilic anaerobic fermentation of starch wastewater

The aim of this study was to determine the potential of biochemical parameters, such as enzyme activity and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels, as monitors of process performance in the Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor utilizing a starch wastewater. The acid and alkaline phosphatase activity and the ATP content of the UASB sludge were measured in response to changes in flow rate and nutrient loading. Conventional parameters of process performance, such as gas production, acetic acid production, COD, phosphorus, nitrogen and suspended solids loadings and % COD removal were also monitored. The response of both biochemical and conventional parameters to changing process conditions was then compared. Alkaline phosphatase activity exhibited the highest activity over the entire study perioda A high suspended solids loading was observed to upset the system in terms of gas production, acetic acid production and % COD removala The initial rate of increase in alkaline phosphatase activity following an increase in loading was four times as great during process upset than under conditions of good performance. The change in enzyme actiVity was also more sensitive to process upset than changes in acetic acid production. The change in ATP content of the sludge with time suggested that enzyme actiVity was changing independently of the actual viable biomass present. The bacterial composition of the anaerobic sludge granules was similar to that of other sludge bed systems, at the light and scanning electron microscope level. Isolated serum bottle cultures produced several acids involved in anaerobic carbohydrate metabolism. The overall performance of the UASB system indicated that higher loadings of soluble nutrients could have been tolerated by the system.

Miniature Wulff-type generator for improving feed to fuel cells /|nT.-S. Tan. -- 260 St. Catharines, Ont. : [s. n.],

The original objective of this work was to provide a simple generator w.hich would produce hydrogen torLfuel-cell feed and which could be operated under remote or northern conditions. A secondary objective was to maximize the yield of hydrogen and carbon monoxide from available feed-stocks. A search of the patent literature has indicated that the concept of a small Wulff-type generator is essentially sound and that hydrogen may be recovered from a wide variety of hydrocarbon feed-stocks. A simple experimental set-up has been devised, patterned after ~~t originally used by R. G. Wulff for producing acetylene. This provides a supply of feed-stock, with or Without a carrier gas, which may be passed directly through a heated tube, which may contain a catalyst. A suitable procedure has been devised for analysi~ effluent gases for hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, methane and carbon monoxide by gas chromatography with the column packed with .Molecular .:>ieve .5 4. Athanol with air a.s carrier gas and at the same time as oxidant o was thermolyzed at temperatures in the ra~e 700-1100 C, with or Wi~lout catalyst. Methanol with or without nitrogen as a carrier gas was also cracked with • the same type of reactor refractory tube, but the temperature range was lower t down to ,300 " C when a catalyst was used. The problems of converting methane to hydrogen and carbon monoxide effiCiently, using air and/or water as oxidants were also studied.

National energy policies of the Federal Republic of Germany and Canada in the 1970s and 1980s: are economic and/or environmental concerns responsible for change?

The thesis presents a comparison of the national energy policies of the Federal Republic of Germany and Canada from 1973 until the late 1980s. The purpose of this paper is to analyze whether economic and/or environmental concerns were responsible for changes in the· West-German and Canadian national energy policies. Furthermore, the feasibility of implementing a soft energy path in West-Germany and Canada is examined. For better comprehension of the policy-making process and implemented changes in the national energy policies of the two states, the West-German and Canadian parliamentary systems and the political cultures were compared. For the analysis, several events with international impact were taken as guidelines. Furthermore, based on statistical data, the West-German and Canadian energy production and consumption were analyzed. With reference to these results the degree of the de facto changes in the national energy policies were analyzed. In addition, the thesis discusses the possibilities which a soft energy path offers to both national governments to renounce themselves from the dependencies on a few energy resources. The thesis reveals that changes in the West-German and Canadian national energy policies, in their energy production and consumption are correlated to various world events. In particular, governmental reponses security of energy supply by the two international oil crises of 1973 and 1979/1980 demonstrate that changes in the West-German and Canadian national energy policies were implemented in reaction to economic concerns than environmental ones. With the policies "away from oil" and "off oil", the West-German and Canadian government implemented the i i substitution of oil through various diverse energy supply resources. However, energy savings concepts and policies were initiated through the first oil crisis in 1973. The world recessions in 1975 and 1982 had no 'profound impacts on the agenda of West-German and Canadian energy policies. As a consequence of the stagnation or the negative growth of the world economic market, changes in their energy production and consumption can be perceived. However, the West-German and Canadian energy production and consumption intensified with the augmentation of the world economy. During the period of study, environmental concerns were taken into account in the energy policy agendas of the Federal Republic of Germany and Canada but they were not of primary concern. wi thin the decade of. the 1980s notably more environmental considerations were taken into account in the energy policies of the two states. The two nuclear reactor accidents in 1979 and 1986 sharpened to various degrees West-German and Canadian public discourse of present energy supply mix and attitude towards energy production and consumption. The statistical data reflects yet no changes in the energy policies in regard to the position of nuclear power. However, in the next several years possible changes can be observed through statistical data, because the planning, the construction and possible phase out of nuclear power requires several years. Finally, the thesis reveals that the implementation of a soft energy path requires profound changes in the consumer behaviour. As several studies indicate, a soft energy path is technological and economically feasible for the Federal Republic of Germany and Canada, its implementation remains to be a political decision.

Studies of some cocondensations of nickel atoms with unsaturated organic ligands and with mixed ligand systems

The cocondensation of nickel with a number of unsaturated ligands was studied, as was the cocondensation with a number of mixed ligand systems. Enamines were found not to react with nickel while acrylonitrile was polymerized. In the mixed ligand syst.ems different products were obtained than when the ligands were cocondensed individually. Cocondensations of benzyl halide/allyl halide mixtures gave unstable products that were not observed when the halides were cocondensed individually. The effect of Kao-Wool insulation on nickel/benzyl halide cocondensations was found to be significant. Kao-Wool caused the bulk of the benzyl halide to be polymeri zed to a number of poly-benzylic species. An alkali metal reactor was designed for the evaporation of sodium and potassium atoms into cold solutions of metal halide and an or ganic substrate. This apparatus was used to synthesize Ni(P¢3 )3' but proved unsuccessful for synthesizing a nickel-enamine compound.