Micro-fungos de interesse para o setor de petróleo, gás e biocombustíveis

Oil is a hydrocarbon mixture of various sizes, including saturated and aromatic compounds. Natural gas is a mixture of gaseous hydrocarbons and its main component is methane. In our society, the great demand for these fuels requires fast extraction, transportation and refining, increasing the number of accidents that compromise the environment. Oil is a finite resource and it is necessary to reduce the problems related to the question concerning environmental pollution which has encouraged the search for alternative fuel sources in our country. So today we have two major biofuels: ethanol and biodiesel. Concurrently, many studies have been done directed toward the isolation of microorganisms capable of degrading petrochemical industrial wastes, most of them using as a source of isolation soil and water collected in a contaminated environment. Isolation from alternative substrates has emerged as a new strategy that has provided satisfactory results. In this work, we present the leaf-cutter ants of the Attini tribe as a source for the isolation of micro-fungi with the potential for hydrocarbon degradation. These insects have a social way of life and a highly specialized system of intra and interspecific communication, which is based on the recognition of individuals through volatile chemical compounds, the majority hydrocarbons, stored in their exoskeleton. The micro-environment exoskeleton of Attini ants (genus Atta) used in this work proved to be a rich source of microbial biodiversity, as other studies have found. The flotation isolation technique applied here allowed the achievement of 214 micro-fungi, 118 representatives of the dematiaceous fungi group and 96 hyaline filamentous fungi. They were submitted to toluene degradation tests and at least one strain of each genus presented good results, namely Teratosphaeria, Exophiala, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Análise de ciclo avançado com seqüestro de carbono

The energy is considered one of the most important elements in the human´s life providing the survival as well as the well being. Nowadays, the technologies destined to generate power burn fossil fuels which pour gases (carbon dioxide among them) that contribute to the global warming phenomenon. Several research groups and universities have been studying different methods for generating power with low carbon dioxide emissions, including the possibility of burning zero-carbon fuels. In this text, it has been put attention to the Advanced Zero Emission Power Plants (AZEP) which separate the CO2 (from the gases involved in the power generation), compress it, dehydrate it and store it in appropriate reservoirs. The goal of this study was to find a possible solution to produce CO from CO2, activated by solar energy; the reaction between CO and steam generates a syngas comprised of H2 and CO2, which can be separated by chemical and/or physical processes. The text also contains a study concerning the compressed air energy storage power plant (CAES) and come up with its modification to C[CO2]ES. This power plant stores CO2 directing it to a reverse combustion process to produce CO which is headed to a syngas reactor to produce CO2 and H2. Hydrogen is separated and carried to the thermal cycle to generate power with low carbon emissions

Cogeração de energia com motores de combustão interna

The tertiary sector is largely responsible for the growth of electricity consumption in Brazil. The large commercial and public buildings, hypermarkets and shopping centers stand out as major consumers of electricity for lighting, power and thermal energy. Brazil presents significant potential for the deployment of small cogeneration plants, especially in the tertiary sector. Allied to this, the possibility of natural gas supply and the growing demands in favor of maintaining and preserving the environment favor the implementation of cogeneration plants. In this context, this paper presents a technical and economic analysis of installing a cogeneration plant using internal combustion engine with natural gas in a mall

Análise de uma câmara de combustão em escala piloto através de fluidodinâmica computacional

This work aims to examine, the behavior of a combustion chamber in pilot scale, coupled to a regenerative burner. The objective is to obtain a computational domain capable of supporting a simulation of conventional combustion and flameless combustion regimes. The objective is to obtain independence of mesh, analysis of the velocity fields of the fluid within the chamber, temperature and concentration profiles of the species emitted during the combustion process

Avaliação dos gases de efeito estufa a partir do carvão

This paper addresses the context of emissions of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) from activities related to Coal, called fugitive emissions. The survey of factors, development, analysis, and suggestions for controlling emissions are conducted in order to reduce risks to the environment and people around it. The greenhouse gases absorb radiation, emitted by the Earth’s surface, and hinder their escape into space. This process is essential to terrestrial life. Increasing the concentration of those gases in the atmosphere has led to an increase in the terrestrial temperature. A selection of processes that emit gases and the study and development of calculations for measuring fugitive emissions applied in different sources from coal are performed. The greenhouse gases can be released from the extraction, processing, storage, and transportation of fossil fuels to the end consumer. Coal has 4 main fugitive factors: mining, post-mining, oxidation at low temperature, and uncontrolled combustion. The coal formation process produces methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2), being the methane, the main greenhouse gas from the coal mining and handling. The types of activities and the weight of each in the issuing process are observed. It is also made comparisons between the countries with the highest emissions rates. Are evaluated what has been done and what is needed to decrease emissions, for example the use of gas as an alternative fuel for energy generation

Produção e estudo da imobilização de lipases fúngicas visando à obtenção enzimática de biodiesel

A atual demanda por produtos alternativos que substituam os combustíveis fósseis, causadores de alto impacto ambiental negativo, tem fomentado pesquisas em diferentes áreas como o emprego de lipases microbianas como biocatalisadores no setor de energia. Como mais uma forma de busca por tecnologias limpas, há também interesse no aproveitamento de resíduos agroindustriais. Nessa vertente, o Brasil como grande produtor agrícola se destaca na geração de subprodutos como o bagaço de cana-de-açúcar. Uma alternativa mais ecológica para atender a essa demanda é a produção de biodiesel, produzido a partir da transesterificação de triglicerídeos de origem animal ou vegetal, tendo como características não ser tóxico, ser biodegradável e fonte renovável de energia. As lipases são enzimas que aceleram reações de hidrólise e síntese, podendo ser obtidas de microorganismos por meio de processos de fermentação em estado sólido, porém com alta demanda de recursos financeiros para sua produção. Hoje em dia, o que está em alta na indústria de tecnologia com enzimas é a utilização de resíduos agroindustriais e processos de imobilização com o intuito de diminuir os gastos em sua produção, um dos gargalos para seu uso mais amplo. Neste trabalho foi analisada a viabilidade do uso do bagaço de cana-de-açúcar misturado a farelos de soja ou trigo como meios de cultivo em fermentação semi-sólida, assim como a melhor concentração de umidade para o desenvolvimento de lipases pelo microorganismos estudados. Foi testada também a viabilidade de imobilização das lipases produzidas em suporte de celite

Parametrização de modelo para simulação de distribuição de combustíveis em um terminal

A great competition between companies happens nowadays, due to, among other factors, the globalized economic system, the growing consumer demand and the technological advances. This fact implies the need for fast and efficient tools in decision making. A validated simulation model is able to perform this task. Thus, it was parameterized a simulation model of a fuel distribution terminal. It is a complex system because of its great variability. The model´s data input were collected, however the model was not statistically validated, in other word, does not adequately represent the real system. A search was made for the possible causes of this fact: dividing the compartments of tanker trucks, data collection may have been insufficient, inefficient model for unloading of biofuels

Mapeamento do processo de originação de etanol em uma empresa do setor de distribuição de combustíveis

The market segment of fuel distribution composes an important role in the development of Brazil’s industry and economy. However, it is a sector with intense competitiveness, especially in relation to ethanol. The search for competitive advantage and greater strength to the business are, therefore, of high relevance in this context, in which the concepts of Business Process Management has become more visible. Process Mapping, one of these concepts, has proven “TO BE”a strategic tool for companies which believe in flattening the structure and in the potential benefits that the improvement of its processes can provide. Thus, this work aims to map the process of Ethanol Origination of a company engaged in the distribution of this and other fuel products, and other niche markets. It was understood and designed the macro-process aforementioned and identified failures in subprocess related to it. After applying the method to select priority problems, using risk assessment criteria, five subprocess were identified to receive special action, which consisted in seeking improvements with those involved in the process, in representing its current and ideal models and in defining each department’s responsibilities for the activities in the subprocess proposed form. Thus, it is expected to mitigate mainly two negative effects found in the business: employee’s work overload and company's financial exposure

Análise dos limites de inflamabilidade a partir de uma visão de pressões parciais de biocombustível

In this work concepts of flammability limits of anhydrous and hydrated ethanol to pressures below atmospheric, using the Dalton model for gaseous mixtures. Theoretical and experimental methods for determining the boundaries and the influence of parameters such as concentration, temperature and pressure were introduced. Analyzes from partial pressures of fuel vapor and correlations with temperature and total pressure were made. Finally presents an overview of aviation fuels, their requisites and trends in the use of biofuels in commercial aviation industry

Comportamento de forrageamento e associação com bandos mistos da saíra-de-chapéu-preto (Nemosia pileata) (Aves, Thraupidae)

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Combustão do hidrogênio em escoamento supersônico

This work investigated the operating conditions of a 'scramjet' through numerical simulation considering two-dimensional steady flow. Using a commercial software, FLUENT, cases of inviscid flow with and without fuel injection, turbulent flow without fuel injection, turbulent flow with fuel injection and without burning, and finally turbulent flow with fuel injection and burning are simulated

Estudo da modificação do ângulo do conjunto cilindro-pistão em motores de combustão interna

The aim of this study is to present those who are interested in mechanical engineering, specifically automotive engineering some ideas for improvements to the current concept of internal combustion engines. It is not intenden to change totally the design of the engine known today, but to exame the feasibility of reducing a small waste generated with the current positioning of the cylinder-piston assembly. The proposal solution consists in modifying the tilt cylinder-piston assembly in the angle between the rod and the cylinder axis. This inclination causes all the force generated in the combustion process within the cylinder is delivered to the rod.Delivery force is the made in the rod longitudinal direction and not on the axis of the cylinder, preventing the occurrence of a breakdown of the force generated in the combustion process. After analyzing the idea of repositioning the piston-cylinder assemble, it is concluded that the change has a positive result in the process of harnessing the power generated in the com bustion, but its not feasible due implementation to low gain presented in this study

Desenvolvimento de vasos digestores de amostra para microondas doméstico

The application of microwave radiation on the sample preparation has been expanding increasingly in areas involving decomposition by wet and dry roads, fusion, extraction, acceleration of chemical reactions, for example. Currently, the use of microwave ovens for analytical purposes are recognized for having excellent performance for organic and inorganic samples. In the international market there are several kinds of microwaves oven which adapt the varied purposes, however yet with elevated prices which incapacitate your use as routine equipment in laboratory. Thus, many researchers have been choosing for developing own projects of microwaves oven production or to use domestic oven for the laboratory, with or without adaptations. For the evaluation of the proposed method was used in the Kjeldahl methodology for determining total nitrogen in samples of crude protein, using a domestic microwave oven and a digester pot made up in TeflonTM and distillation by steam. Were made to adapt and characterization of a domestic microwave oven, the confeccion vessel digester and the metal support for the vessel. The accuracy of the proposed method was confirmed by comparison of two methods, the standard method for conventional heating and by the proposed method, with heating by microwave radiation through the calculated values of relative standard deviation analysis

Determinação de temperatura de chamas por espectroscopia de espécies quimioluminescentes

In a combustion process involving fossil fuels, there is the formation of species Chemiluminescent, especially CH*, C2* and OH*, whose spontaneous emission can be used as a diagnostic tool. In the present work, mapping and determination of the rotational temperature of the species CH* produced in flames on a burner fueled by Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) was carried out. This study is part of a project involving the characterization of supersonic combustion in scramjets engines, whose study has been conducted in the hypersonic shock tunnel IEAv laboratories. The technique used was the natural emission spectroscopy, which has as main advantage of being non-intrusive. The rotational temperature determination was made using the Boltzmann method, whose principle is to relate the emission intensity of the species to the temperature by means of spectroscopic constants established.The temperature values were determined from the analysis of electronic bands AX and BX of the radical CH*. In order to confirm the results of flame temperatures obtained by the natural emission technique, was also used the technique of line reversal sodium. The results of both techniques showed that the temperature of the flames investigated is about 2500K a 2700K

WiMAX interoperabilidade mundial para acesso de microondas

This paper presents a technique dubbed WiMAX radio link, the IEEE 802.16 was completed in October 2001 and published on April 8, 2002 and is constantly updated, this technology specifies an interface for wireless metropolitan networks (WMAN) and is under control of the WiMAX Forum, which is a group of companies responsible for the dissipation of this technology in the world, the great benefit of this standard is to offer broadband Internet connection in areas where there is no infrastructure such as fiber optics that has a cost higher. The main purpose of this paper is to present the theoretical and technical characteristics of this technology for both the standard for fixed and mobile standard, regulation of frequency bands by the FCC and description of the physical layer, through to basic concepts are used in many other types of radio link and technologies have been adapted and updated for this little-known standard, allowing a greater range and speed, which are specified and differentiate these advancements is one of the contributions of the work done here. After the theoretical conceptualization stage, a real case study has been inserted in this work to demonstrate the effectiveness of this technology deployed. The idea of presenting this case study is linked to a better view of the use of standard in the market, nationwide