Lanthanum based high surface area perovskite-type oxide and application in CO and propane combustion

The perovskite-type oxides using transition metals present a promising potential as catalysts in total oxidation reaction. The present work investigates the effect of synthesis by oxidant co-precipitation on the catalytic activity of perovskite-type oxides LaBO3 (B= Co, Ni, Mn) in total oxidation of propane and CO. The perovskite-type oxides were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption (BET method), thermo gravimetric and differential thermal analysis (ATG-DTA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Through a method involving the oxidant co-precipitation it's possible to obtain catalysts with different BET surface areas, of 33-44 m²/g, according the salts of metal used. The characterization results proved that catalysts have a perovskite phase as well as lanthanum oxide, except LaMnO3, that presents a cationic vacancies and generation for known oxygen excess. The results of catalytic test showed that all oxides have a specific catalytic activity for total oxidation of CO and propane even though the temperatures for total conversion change for each transition metal and substance to be oxidized.

Spot-test identification and rapid quantitative sequential analysis of dipyrone

A qualitative spot-test and tandem quantitative analysis of dipyrone in the bulk drug and in pharmaceutical preparations is proposed. The formation of a reddish-violet color indicates a positive result. In sequence a quantitative procedure can be performed in the same flask. The quantitative results obtained were statistically compared with those obtained with the method indicated by the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia, using the Student's t and the F tests. Considering the concentration in a 100 µL aliquot, the qualitative visual limit of detection is about 5×10-6 g; instrumental LOD ≅ 1.4×10-4 mol L-1 ; LOQ ≅ 4.5×10-4 mol L-1.

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Accelerated ageing like a vigour test to diasporas of Myracrodruon urundeuva Fr. Allem

This work established the adequate temperature and the period of exposition for the accelerated ageing test with diasporas of Myracrodruon urundeuva from an area of the Cerrado in the state of Mato Grosso, Brazil. Before and after the ageing, at the temperatures of 40ºC, 41ºC, 42ºC and 45ºC combined with periods of 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 hours, the water content and germination were evaluated. For each treatment, 12g of diasporas in mini chambers with 40 mL of distilled water were submitted to the accelerated ageing test. A total of 100 diasporas, divided into four replications, in plastic boxes, on two sheets of blotting paper, in germinator at 25ºC and 8 hours of photoperiod were germinated. In all treatments the content of water of the aged diasporas was superior to 20% and this value stabilized itself between 25% and 28%, from the 18 hours of exposition. Independently of the tested periods, the ageing at the temperatures of 40ºC, 41ºC and 42ºC did not affect the germination. After the ageing at 45ºC, the germination did not differ among the periods of 12, 18 and 24 hours of exposition, but in all these periods it was inferior to the control and superior to the periods of 30 and 36 hours. In these last two periods, fungi were observed. The accelerated ageing of diasporas of Myracrodruon urundeuva should be conducted at the temperature of 45ºC, during the exposition periods of 12 to 24 hours.

Software Test Process Development

In this thesis, the components important for testing work and organisational test process are identified and analysed. This work focuses on the testing activities in reallife software organisations, identifying the important test process components, observing testing work in practice, and analysing how the organisational test process could be developed. Software professionals from 14 different software organisations were interviewed to collect data on organisational test process and testing‐related factors. Moreover, additional data on organisational aspects was collected with a survey conducted on 31 organisations. This data was further analysed with the Grounded Theory method to identify the important test process components, and to observe how real‐life test organisations develop their testing activities. The results indicate that the test management at the project level is an important factor; the organisations do have sufficient test resources available, but they are not necessarily applied efficiently. In addition, organisations in general are reactive; they develop their process mainly to correct problems, not to enhance their efficiency or output quality. The results of this study allows organisations to have a better understanding of the test processes, and develop towards better practices and a culture of preventing problems, not reacting to them.

DENDROCLIMATOLOGICAL RECONSTRUCTION OF SPRING-SUMMER PRECIPITATION FOR FAZENDA RIO GRANDE, PR, WITH SAMPLES OF Araucaria angustifolia (Bertol.) Kuntze

ABSTRACT Samples of Araucaria angustifolia were collected at Fazenda Rio Grande, Paraná, Brazil (25°39'S 49 18'O) in January 2011. The 32 samples from 8 trees were subjected to treatments following dendrochronological techniques. The cores were measured and dated using optical and computational methodology, and then standardized to obtain a growth-ring time series, which considers the 1907-2009 time range and represents Fazenda Rio Grande. Tree-ring indices were analyzed and correlated to temperature and precipitation averages from the 1961-2009 range. This procedure aimed to study and understand the influence of the local climate on the plant growth and if this influence can be quantified. A. angustifolia trees produce visible annual growth rings, and their earlywood and latewood are clearly defined. The present study shows that A. angustifolia is sensitive to climate variables (e.g., low temperatures in wintertime tend to stop the growth rate). The correlation between tree rings and monthly precipitation series showed a common trend, making it possible to estimate the seasonal rainfall behavior for the entire 1907-2009 range.

Test Campaign Parameter Editor for a Graphical TTCN-3 Development Environment

This paper presents the design for a graphical parameter editor for Testing and Test Control Notation 3 (TTCN-3) test suites. This work was done in the context of OpenTTCN IDE, a TTCN-3 development environment built on top of the Eclipse platform. The design presented relies on an additional parameter editing tab added to the launch configurations for test campaigns. This parameter editing tab shows the list of editable parameters and allows opening editing components for the different parameters. Each TTCN-3 primitive type will have a specific editing component providing tools to ease modification of values of that type.

Saostuman esto prosessiputken pinnalle

Työn tarkoituksena oli tutkia kirjallisuudessa esitettyjen menetelmien soveltuvuutta estää kalsiumkarbonaatin saostuminen PCC – prosessissa paperikonelinjan massansyöttöputkessa. Menetelmien heikkoudet ja toimivuudet arvioitiin lähdetietojen perusteella, joiden perusteella tehtiin johtopäätelmiä niiden toimivuudesta prosessissa ja käytettävyydestä kalsiumkarbonaattisaostuman muodostumiseen. Kirjallisuusselvitys osoittaa, että saostuma voidaan estää kemiallisesti ja sähkökemiallisesti sekä modifioimalla materiaalipintaa. Lisäksi sen muodostuminen voidaan estää ultraääniaaltojen avulla sekä indusoimalla mahdolliseen saostuskohtaan magneetti- tai sähkökenttä. Kokeellisessa osassa keskityttiin kirjallisuuden perusteella tutkimaan kalsiumkarbonaatin saostumista kaupallisilla menetelmillä. Tutkimuksissa käytettiin erilaisia pinnoitemateriaaleja, ultraääniaaltoja sekä magneettikenttää että liuossähkökemiaa. Näiden lisäksi tutkittiin saostumisen kehittymistä putkipinnalle ajan funktiona. Kokeellisten tulosten perusteella kirjallisuudessa esitetyistä menetelmistä ei suoraan mikään sovellu sellaisenaan tutkitussa prosessissa saostuman muodostumisen estoon. Koeparametrien optimointi muuttamalla tunnettuja parametreja prosessitilanteeseen paransi kalsiumkarbonaatin liukoisuutta. Tämän tutkimuksen tuloksena löytyi menetelmäkuvaus, jolla saostumien muodostuminen putkipinnoille voidaan estää.

Intensity-duration-frequency ratios obtained from annual records and partial duration records in the locality of Pelotas - RS, Brazil

The intensity-duration-frequency occurrence ratio (IDF) is a tool commonly used for precipitation-runoff data transformation, which is established from observations of intense precipitations over a period sufficiently long as to allow the occurrence of extremes at the observation site. This study focused on verifying the existence or absence of new data, in terms of IDF ratio, by using partial duration records produced from data on maximum daily disaggregated rainfall for pre determined durations. The partial duration records considered a base value of 55 mm, totaling 279 values. After the rainfall series were established, their independence and seasonality were assessed. Using the Student's t-test statistics, it was established that no new data, as IDF ratio, emerged from the analysis of the partial duration series with the recommended base value of precipitation, as compared to the historical records.

Test of a microlysimeter for measurement of soil evaporation

Quantifying soil evaporation is required on studies of soil water balance and applications aiming to improve water use efficiency by crops. The performance of a microlysimeter (ML) to measure soil evaporation under irrigation and non-irrigation was evaluated. The MLs were constructed using PVC tubes, with dimensions of 100 mm inner diameter, 150 mm depth and 2.5 mm wall thickness. Four MLs were uniformly distributed on the soil surface of two weighing lysimeters conducted under bare soil, previously installed at Iapar, in Londrina, PR, Brazil. The lysimeters had 1.4 m width, 1.9 m length and 1.3 m depth and were conducted with and without irrigation. Evaporation measurements by MLs (E ML) were compared with measurements by lysimeters (E L) during four different periods in the year. Differences between E ML and E L were small either for low or high atmospheric demand and also for either irrigated or non-irrigated conditions, which indicates that the ML tested here is suitable for measurement of soil evaporation.

Mathematical analysis of maximum power generated by photovoltaic systems and fitting curves for standard test conditions

The rural electrification is characterized by geographical dispersion of the population, low consumption, high investment by consumers and high cost. Moreover, solar radiation constitutes an inexhaustible source of energy and in its conversion into electricity photovoltaic panels are used. In this study, equations were adjusted to field conditions presented by the manufacturer for current and power of small photovoltaic systems. The mathematical analysis was performed on the photovoltaic rural system I-100 from ISOFOTON, with power 300 Wp, located at the Experimental Farm Lageado of FCA/UNESP. For the development of such equations, the circuitry of photovoltaic cells has been studied to apply iterative numerical methods for the determination of electrical parameters and possible errors in the appropriate equations in the literature to reality. Therefore, a simulation of a photovoltaic panel was proposed through mathematical equations that were adjusted according to the data of local radiation. The results have presented equations that provide real answers to the user and may assist in the design of these systems, once calculated that the maximum power limit ensures a supply of energy generated. This real sizing helps establishing the possible applications of solar energy to the rural producer and informing the real possibilities of generating electricity from the sun.

Analysis of the relationship intensity, duration, frequency of disaggregated daily rainfall in southern Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

The intensity, duration, and frequency relationship (IDF) of rainfall occurrence may be done through continuous records of pluviographs or daily pluviometer values . The objective of this study was to estimate the intensity-duration-frequency relationships of precipitation, using the method of daily rainfall disaggregation, at weather stations located to the southern half of the state of Rio Grande do Sul; comparing them with those obtained by rain gauge records, in places considered homogeneous from the meteorological point of view. The IDF equation parameters were estimated from daily rainfall disaggregation data, using the method of nonlinear optimization. To validate the equations confidence indices and efficiency and the "t" Student test, among maximum intensity values obtained from the disaggregated daily rainfall durations of 10; 30; 60 min and 6; 12 and 24 h and those extracted from existing IDF equations. For all studied stations and return periods, the trust index values were regarded as "optimal", i.e., greater than 0.85. The maximal intensity of rainfall obtained by daily rainfall disaggregation have similarity with those obtained by relations IDF standards. Thus, the method constitutes a feasible alternative in obtaining the IDF relationships.

Bartlett-Lewis of rectangular pulse modified model: estimate of parameters for simulation of precipitation in sub-hourly duration

The Bartlett-Lewis Rectangular Pulse Modified (BLPRM) model simulates the precipitous slide in the hourly and sub-hourly and has six parameters for each of the twelve months of the year. This study aimed to evaluate the behavior of precipitation series in the duration of 15 min, obtained by simulation using the model BLPRM in situations: (a) where the parameters are estimated from a combination of statistics, creating five different sets; (b) suitability of the model to generate rain. To adjust the parameters were used rain gauge records of Pelotas/RS/Brazil, which statistics were estimated - mean, variance, covariance, autocorrelation coefficient of lag 1, the proportion of dry days in the period considered. The results showed that the parameters related to the time of onset of precipitation (λ) and intensities (μx) were the most stable and the most unstable were ν parameter, related to rain duration. The BLPRM model adequately represented the mean, variance, and proportion of the dry period of the series of precipitation lasting 15 min and, the time dependence of the heights of rain, represented autocorrelation coefficient of the first retardation was statistically less simulated series suitability for the duration of 15 min.