Electricity, hot water and cold water production from biomass. Energetic and economical analysis of the compact system of cogeneration run with woodgas from a small downdraft gasifier

Wood gasification technologies to convert the biomass into fuel gas stand out. on the other hand, producing electrical energy from stationary engine is widely spread, and its application in rural communities where the electrical network doesn't exist is very required. The recovery of exhaust gases (engine) is a possibility that makes the system attractive when compared with the same components used to obtain individual heat such as electric power. This paper presents an energetic alternative to adapt a fixed bed gasifier with a compact cogeneration system in order to cover electrical and thermal demands in a rural area and showing an energy solution for small social communities using renewable fuels. Therefore, an energetic and economical analysis from a cogeneration system producing electric energy, hot and cold water, using wooden gas as fuel from a small-sized gasifier was calculated. The energy balance that includes the energy efficiency (electric generation as well as hot and cold water system; performance coefficient and the heat exchanger, among other items), was calculated. Considering the annual interest rates and the amortization periods, the costs of production of electrical energy, hot and cold water were calculated, taking into account the investment, the operation and the maintenance cost of the equipments. Crown Copyright (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hexagonal mesoporous silica modified with 2-mercaptothiazoline for removing mercury from water solution

A method for the attachment of 2-mercaptothiazoline (MTZ) to modified silica gel has been developed. In the first step, a new silylant agent was synthesized, named SiMTZ, by the reaction between MTZ molecule and chloropropyltrimethoxysilane (SiCl). SiMTZ and tetraethylortosilicate were co-condensed in the presence of n-dodecylamine, a neutral surfactant template, to produce a modified ordered hexagonal mesoporous silica named HMTZ. The modified material contained 0.89 +/- 0.03 mmol of 2-mercaptothiazoline per gram of silica. FT-IR, FT-Raman, Si-29- and C-13-NMR spectra were in agreement with the proposed structure of the modified mesoporous silica in the solid state. HMTZ material has been used for divalent mercury adsorption from aqueous solution at 298 I K. The series of adsorption isotherms were adjusted to a modified Langmuir equation. The maximum number of moles of mercury adsorbed gave 2.34 +/- 0.09 mmol/g of material. The same interaction was followed by calorimetric titration on an isoperibol calorimeter. The HMTZ presented a high capacity for the removal of the contaminant mercury from water. The Delta H and Delta G values for the interaction were determined to be -56.34 +/- 1.07 and -2.14 +/- 0.11 kJ mol(-1). This interaction process was accompanied by a decrease of entropy value (- 182 J mol(-1) K-1). Thus, the interaction between mercury and HMTZ resulted in a spontaneous thermodynamic system with a high favorable exothermic enthalpic effect. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preconcentration and determination of Cu(II) in a fresh water sample using modified silica gel as a solid-phase extraction adsorbent

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

Avaliação da remoção de hidrocarbonetos aromáticos (BTEX) em águas utilizando materiais nanoestruturados do tipo Ti-MCM-41

Volatile Organic Compounds are pollutants coming mainly from activities that use fossil fuels. Within this class are the BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and xylenes) compounds that are considered hazardous. Among the various existing techniques for degradation of pollutants, there is advanced oxidation using H2O2 generating hidoxil radical ( OH). In this work, the mesoporous material of MCM-41 was synthesized by hydrothermal method and then was used as support, the impregnation of titanium by the method of synthesis with excess solvent to obtain the catalyst Ti-MCM-41. The catalyst was used in the reaction catalyzed removal of BTEX in water using H2O2 as oxidant. The materials were characterized by: XRD, TG/DTG, FTIR, nitrogen adsorption-desorption and FRX-EDX, in order to verify the method of impregnation of the mesoporous titanium support was effective. Catalytic tests were carried out in reactors of 20 mL containing BTEX (100.0 μg/L), H2O2 (2.0 M) and Ti-MCM-41 (2.0 g/L) in acid medium. The reaction occurred for 5 h at 60 °C and analysis were performed by gas chromatography with photoionization detector and static headspace sampler. The characterizations have proven the effectiveness of the synthesis method used and the incorporation of titanium lt in the support. The catalytic tests showed satisfactory results with conversion of more than 95 % for the studied compounds, where the catalyst 48% Ti-MCM-41 showed a higher removal efficiency of the compounds under study

Synthesis, characterization, and application of modified silica in the removal and preconcentration of lead ions from natural river water

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

Utilização de uma coluna de flotação para remoção de compostos orgânicos da água de produção

Innovative technologies using surfactant materials have applicability in several industrial fields, including petroleum and gas areas. This study seeks to investigate the use of a surfactant derived from coconut oil (SCO saponified coconut oil) in the recovery process of organic compounds that are present in oily effluents from petroleum industry. For this end, experiments were accomplished in a column of small dimension objectifying to verify the influence of the surfactant SCO in the efficiency of oil removal. This way, they were prepared emulsions with amount it fastens of oil (50, 100, 200 and 400 ppm), being determined the great concentrations of surfactant for each one of them. Some rehearsals were still accomplished with produced water of the industry of the petroleum to compare the result with the one of the emulsions. According to the experiments, it was verified that an increase of the surfactant concentration does not implicate in a greater oil removal. The separation process use gaseous bubbles formed when a gas stream pass a liquid column, when low surfactant concentrations are used, it occurs the coalescence of the dispersed oil droplets and their transport to the top of the column, forming a new continuous phase. Such surfactants lead to a gas-liquid interface saturation, depending on the used surfactant concentration, affecting the flotation process and influencing in the removal capacity of the oily dispersed phase. A porous plate filter, with pore size varying from 40 to 250 mm, was placed at the base of the column to allow a hydrodynamic stable operation. During the experimental procedures, the operating volume of phase liquid was held constant and the rate of air flow varied in each experiment. The resulting experimental of the study hydrodynamic demonstrated what the capturing of the oil was influenced by diameter of the bubbles and air flow. With the increase flow of 300 about to 900 cm3.min-1, occurred an increase in the removal of oil phase of 44% about to 66% and the removal kinetic of oil was defined as a reaction of 1° order.

Síntese, caracterizaçao e propriedades catalicas da peneira molecular nanoestruturada modificada com lantanio

The nanostructured molecular sieve SBA-15 was synthesized by the hydrothermal method, and modified with lanthanum with Si/La molar ratios of 25, 50, 75 and 100. The materials were evaluated as catalysts for the cracking of n-hexane model reaction. Type SBA- 15 and LaSBA-15 mesoporous materials were synthesized using tetraetilortosilicato as a source of silica, hydrochloric acid, heptahydrate lanthanum chloride and distilled water. Pluronic P123 triblock. polymer was used as structure template. The syntheses were carried out by 72 hours. The obtained SBA-15 samples were previously analyzed by thermogravimetry, in order to check the conditions of calcination for removal of organic template. Then, the calcined materials were characterized by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy, adsorption and desorption of nitrogen, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray microanalysis by dispersive energy. The acidity of the samples was determined using adsorption of n-bulinamina and desorption followed by thermogravimetry. It was found that the hydrothermal synthesis method was suitable for the synthesis of the SBA-15 mesoporous materials, with an excellent degree of hexagonal ordering. The reactions of catalytic cracking of n-hexane were carried out using a fixed bed continuous flow microreactor, coupled on-line to a gas chromatograph. From the catalytic evaluation, it was observed that the mesoporous materials containing lanthanum showed different results for the reaction of cracking of nhexane compared to the unmodified mesoporous material SBA-15. As a result of cracking was obtained as main products hydrocarbons in the range of C1 to C5. The catalyst that showed better properties in relation to the acidity and catalytic activity was LaSBA-15 with the ratio Si/La = 50

Increase of gastric area and weight gain in rats submitted to the ingestion of gasified water

OBJETIVO: em virtude do aumento progressivo da utilização de bebidas gaseificadas e do ganho de peso na população brasileira, e sabendo-se que os refrigerantes têm no gás carbônico um fator em comum, planejou-se um estudo experimental em ratos para investigar os efeitos da água gaseificada na ingestão hídrica e alimentar, ganho de peso, área gástrica, glicemia, hematócrito e hemoglobina. MÉTODOS: Foram constituídos 4 grupos de 12 ratos acompanhados por 36 dias. Ao Grupo-1 foi oferecido 35 g/dia de ração ad libitum e 20 ml de água não gaseificada em 4 períodos diários, ao Grupo-2 foi oferecido 35 g/dia de ração ad libitum e 20 ml de água gaseificada em 4 períodos diários, ao Grupo-3 foi oferecido 10 g/dia de ração ad libitum e 20 ml de água não gaseificada em 4 períodos diários e ao Grupo-4 foi oferecido 10 g/dia de ração ad libitum e 20 ml de água gaseificada em 4 períodos diários. RESULTADOS: Os resultados identificaram que os animais que foram submetidos ao tratamento com água gaseificada (Grupo-2 e Grupo-4), apresentaram um maior volume de ingestão hídrica e aumento significativo da área gástrica (p<0,001), no Grupo-2 a ingestão alimentar assim como o ganho de peso foi significativo (p<0,01), os dados de glicemia, hematócrito e hemoglobina não tiveram alterações significativas entre os grupos estudados. CONCLUSÃO: Nas condições em que foi realizado este experimento, concluímos que a água gaseificada favoreceu a ingestão hídrica e alimentar, o ganho de peso e o aumento da área gástrica.

Microbiological Evaluation of Chicken Carcasses in an Immersion Chilling System with Water Renewal at 8 and 16 Hours

Since 2004, Brazil has been the leading exporter of chicken. Because of the importance of this sector in the Brazilian economy, food safety must be ensured by control and monitoring of the production stages susceptible to contamination, such as the chilling process. The goal of this study was to evaluate changes in microbial levels on chicken carcasses and in chilling water after immersion in a chilling system for 8 and 16 h during commercial processing. An objective of the study was to encourage discussion regarding the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture Livestock and Food Supply regulation that requires chicken processors to completely empty, clean, and disinfect each tank of the chilling system after every 8-h shift. Before and after immersion carcasses were collected and analyzed for mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, conforms, and Escherichia coli. Samples of water from the chilling system were also analyzed for residual free chlorine. The results do not support required emptying of the chiller tank after 8 h; these tanks could be emptied after 16 h. The results for all carcasses tested at the 8- and 16-h time points indicated no significant differences in the microbiological indicators evaluated. These data provide both technical and scientific support for discussing changes in federal law regarding the management of immersion chilling water systems used as part of the poultry processing line.

EFFECT of ULTRASONIC EXCITATION on THE MICROTENSILE BOND STRENGTH of GLASS IONOMER CEMENTS TO DENTIN AFTER DIFFERENT WATER STORAGE TIMES

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

L-Type calcium channels mediate water intake induced by angiotensin injection into median preoptic nucleus

Calcium ions are widely accepted as critically important in responses of neurons to a stimulus. We have show previously the central involvement of angiotensin II (ANGII) in water intake. This study determined whether voltage-dependent calcium channels are involved in ANGII-induced behavioral drinking implicating nitrergic mechanism. The antidipsogenic actions of L-type calcium channel antagonists nifedipine, on ANGII-induced drinking behavior were studied when it is injected into the median preoptic nucleus (MnPO). The influence of nitric oxide (NO) on nifedipine antidipsogenic action was also studied by utilizing the N-W-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME) a constitutive nitric oxide synthase inhibitor constitutive (cNOSI) and 7-nitroindazol (7-NIT) a specific neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor (nNOSI) and L-arginine a NO donor. Rats 200-250 g, with cannulae implanted into MnPO, pre-treated into MnPO with either nifedipine, followed by ANGII, drank significantly less water than controls during the first 15 min after injection. However, L-NAME potentiated the dipsogenic effect of ANGII that is blocked by prior injection of nifedipine and L-arginine. 7-NIT injected prior to ANGII into MnPO also potentiated the dipsogenic effect of ANGII but with a less intensity than L-NAME that it is also blocked by prior injection of nifedipine. The results described in this paper provide evidence that calcium channels play important roles in the ANGII-induced behavioral water intake. The structures containing NO in the brain such as MnPO include both endothelial cells and neurons might be responsible for the influence of nifedipine on dipsogenic effect of ANGII. These data shows the correlation between L-type calcium channel and a free radical gas NO produced endogenously from amino acids L-arginine by endothelial and neuronal NO synthase in the control of ANGII-dipsogenic effect. This suggests that an L-type calcium channel participates in both short- and longer-term neuronal actions of ANGII by nitrergic way. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Water deprivation-induced sodium appetite

A water deprived animal that ingests only water efficiently corrects its intracellular dehydration, but remains hypovolemic, in negative sodium balance, and with high plasma renin activity and angiotensin II. Therefore, it is not surprising that it also ingests sodium. However, separation between thirst and sodium appetite is necessary to use water deprivation as a method to understand the mechanisms subserving sodium appetite. For this purpose, we may use the water deprivation-partial repletion protocol, or WD-PR. This protocol allows performing a sodium appetite test after the rat has quenched its thirst; thus, the sodium intake during this test cannot be confounded with a response to thirst. This is confirmed by hedonic shift and selective ingestion of sodium solutions in the sodium appetite test that follows a WD-PR. The separation between thirst and sodium appetite induced by water deprivation permits the identification of brain states associated with sodium intake in the appetite test. One of these states relates to the activation of angiotensin II All receptors. Other states relate to cell activity in key areas, e.g. subfornical organ and central amygdala, as revealed by immediate early gene c-Fos immunoreactivity or focal lesions. Angiotensin II apparently sensitizes the brain of the water deprived rat to produce an enhanced sodium intake, as that expressed by spontaneously hypertensive and by young normotensive rat. The enhancement in sodium intake produced by history of water deprivation is perhaps a clue to understand the putative salt addiction in humans.The paper represents an invited review by a symposium, award winner or keynote speaker at the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior [SSIB] Annual Meeting in Portland, July 2009. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Effect of green Coffea arabica L. seed oil on extracellular matrix components and water-channel expression in in vitro and ex vivo human skin models

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

Role of olfaction and vision cues in feeding behavior and alarm reaction in the catfish pintado, Pseudoplatystoma corruscans

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

Differential responses between mature and young leaves of sunflower plants to oxidative stress caused by water deficit

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