Perspectivas de inserção da energia solar fotovoltaica na geração de energia elétrica no Rio Grande do Norte

The generation of electricity in Brazil is predominantly renewable, with internal hydraulic generation being more than 70% of its energy matrix. The electricity rationing occurred in 2001 due to lack of rain, led the country to increase the participation of alternative energy sources. This need for new sources of energy makes the regional potential to be exploited, which configures the change of generation model from centralized generation to distributed generation. Among the alternative sources of energy, the solar energy is presented as very promising for Brazil, given that most of its territory is located near to the equator line, which implies days with greater number of hours of solar radiation. The state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN) has one of the highest levels of solar irradiation of the Brazilian territory, making it eligible to receive investments for the installation of photovoltaic solar plants. This thesis will present the state-of-the-art in solar photovoltaic power generation and will examine the potential for generation of solar photovoltaic power in Brazil and RN, based on solarimetrics measurements conducted by various institutions and also measurements performed in Natal, the state capital

Produção de grês porcelanato a partir de matérias-primas do Rio Grande do Norte e queima a gás natural

The State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil, possess major deposits of feldspar, clay, kaolin and talc, all raw materials used in the production of porcelainized stoneware tiles. Conversely, state industries manufacture only low added value red ceramics. Porcelainized stoneware tiles is one of the noblest ceramics, depicting low water absorption (typically below of 0,5%), in addition to excellent staining resistance and mechanical strength. The present work aims at investigating the potential of local raw materials for the production of porcelainized stoneware tiles. To that end, these materials were characterized by X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, particle size analysis, thermal gravimetric analysis and thermal differential analysis. Admixtures containing different compositions were prepared and fired at three temperatures, 1150, 1200 and 1250°C for 30 min. After firing, tests samples were characterized by water absorption tests, linear retraction, dilatometric analysis, apparent porosity, apparent specific mass, flexural strength, and microstructural analysis by XRD and SEM. The results revealed that ceramics with porcelainized stoneware tiles characteristics could be produced from raw materials originated in the State of Rio Grande do Norte

Formulação e caracterização de massas de grês porcelanato preparadas a partir de matérias-primas naturais do Rio Grande do norte e com adição de chamote de telhas

Traditional ceramics have an important role in the economy of Rio Grande do Norte. The local industries manufacture over 50 million shingles a month, corresponding to 60% of their overall production. As a result of processing flaws, roughly 20% of the production must be discarded, since little or no use has been envisaged for such fired components. Therefore, the use of this kind of residue, especially in the composition of other ceramic materials, comes as an interesting option from the economical and environmental point of view. In this scenario, the objective of the present study was to assess the effect of the addition of fired shingle waste in the composition of porcelainized stoneware tiles. To that end, two porcelainized stoneware tiles compositions were initially prepared. Subsequently, contents from 10 to 30% of roofing tiles chamote were added to each one of them. All raw materials and grog were characterized by FRX, XRD, and thermal analysis. The ceramics were fired using natural gas for 30 min at different temperatures, i.e. 1150, 1200 and 1250ºC, and fully characterized. The addition of roofing tiles chamote resulted in composition with superior properties compared to additive-free compositions. Porcelainized stoneware tiles products that fulfill required standards for practical applications were achieved

Ocorrência e Distribuiçao populacional do psilídeo-de-concha Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore 1964, (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) em Floresta de Eucalipto no Litoral Norte do Estado da Bahia, Brasil

Australian origin, Glycaspis brimblecombei has become an important pest for the cultivation of eucalyptus in Brazil. causing major damages. The first report of the red gum lerp psyllid was conducted in june 2003, in São Paulo State, Brazil. In November 2008, was observed in the North coast of Bahia State, damaging Eucalyptus spp. In may 2009, we evaluated the intensity of attack on 708 hectares, planted with different hybrids of Eucalyptus, divided into 25 plots, in which it was found that 48% of the plots were infested with less than one nymph per leaf, 48% with one to three nymphs per leaf, and 4% with four to six nymphs per leaf.

Estudo do potencial refratário de argilas sílico-aluminosas do Rio Grande do Norte

The segment of the structural ceramics industry is one of the most important to the economy of Rio Grande do Norte. The supply chain makes a total of 206 companies that are distributed in 39 counties, concentrated in three regional centers: Seridó Apodi / Assu and great Natal. The ceramic industry in the state is around 80 million pieces per month, with 50,186 million of these tiles, which makes the Rio Grande do Norte one of the largest manufacturers of product in the Country. Different ceramic products can be manufactured by mixing two or more clays and accessory minerals. Mixtures acquire characteristics and form what is called the ceramic body. Refractory masses have a high melting point and thermal shock support. Its composition contains refractory clays with a little iron oxide and material fluxes. A line of semi-refractory ceramic products that stands out for its high added value are the bricks in ivory or red, used in building barbecues, fireplaces, wood stoves and braziers. The aim of this study was to use alumina-clay or silica- alumina-clay to the industrial RN, for the production of refractory bricks semi-refractory burning light. Clay and Kaolin were characterized for their chemical and mineralogical composition, immediately after ceramic bodies were made with different concentrations of the components, they were raised, pressed and sintered. After sintering the resulting products were characterized in terms of mechanical, thermal and dimensional than the characterization by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. After obtaining the results, we concluded that the studied clay can be used for the production of semi-refractory bricks

Avaliação físico-química e funcional da algaroba prosopis juliflora proveniente da mesorregião agreste do Rio Grande do Norte

Algaroba (Prosopis juliflora) is a typical legume from arid and semi arid regions, which is composed by sugar-rich pods and high protein seeds. Phenolic compounds are secondary metabolites recognized as potent bioactive compounds, found in several vegetables.Therefore, the objective of this work is to characterize the algaroba flour in terms of its physicalchemical composition, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity by DPPH and ABTS methods, a-amylase and a-glycosidase inhibition, as well as to analyze its organic compounds by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Three experimental groups were investigated (seeds, seeds and pod together and only pod), which were prepared by oven drying and posterior grinding. Water and ethanol extracts (70, 80, 100% v/v) were prepared and used for functional studies. Organic compounds were detected by using HPLC equipment coupled to mass spectrometer. Results show important physical-chemical differences among the experimental groups, seeds, seeds and pod together and only pod. The algarroba seed flour is high in protein (49.49%) and fat (3.10%), while the pod flour is especially rich in sugar (60.3% to 67.9%). Algaroba phenolics are concentrated in pod flour, mainly in water extracts (1.30 mg GAEQ/100g sample). All seed extracts showed high DPPH activity and maximum antioxidant activity was registered for ethanol 80% extracts (19.81 μM Trolox/g sample). The ABTS activity ranged from 9.73 to 12.74 μM Trolox/g sample. Nearly all the extracts were able to inhibit α-amylase activity mildly (30.50% to 48.80%), while the maximum α-glycosidase inhibition was observed for pod water extracts (81.03%). Algaroba water extracts proven to be especially rich in organic compounds, observed by the high number of chromatographic peaks. Results demonstrate that algaroba is a potential candidate for further investigations concerning its possible functional applications

Viabilidade técnica de uma rota não convencional para a produção de leite de cabra em pó em cooperativas do Rio Grande do Norte

Nowadays, Brazil has both the greatest goat herd and the greatest goat milk production of South America. The state of Rio Grande do Norte, located in northeast of Brazil, has an average year production of three thousand cubic meters of goat milk in natura. Part of this milk production is homemade and it comes from small farms, which unite in rural cooperatives created to encourage the production and implementation of industrial processes for preservation and processing of milk. Results presented by literature and obtained from preliminary essays in this thesis show that non conventional dryer of spouted bed with inert particles is able to produce powder milk from in natura milk (cattle or goat), with the same quality of spray dryer, however, operating at low cost. The method of drying in spouted bed consists of injecting milk emulsion on the bed of inert particles gushed by hot air. This emulsion covers the particles with a thin film, which dries and is reduced to powder during the circulation of inerts inside the bed. The powder is dragged by exhaustion air and separated in the cyclone. The friction among particles resulted from the particles circulation, encourages high taxes of shear in the thin film of emulsion, breaking the cohesive forces and making this process possible. Studying the drying process and the powder goat milk production in one unit of spouted bed with inert particles, seeing the development of a low cost technological route for powder milk production is the aim of this thesis. The powder milk produced by this route must attend the local demand of food industries which need an intermediate product to be used as a food ingredient (ice-cream, milk candy). In order to reach this aim, this thesis approaches the aspects related to physical, thermodynamics and physic-chemicals characteristics of goat milk, whose complete data are still inexistent in the literature. The properties of materials are of great importance to the project of any process which involves the operations of transportation of movement, heat and mass quantity, such as the dryers which operate in fluid dynamically active regime, like the spouted bed. It was obtained new data related to the goat milk properties in function of concentration of solids and temperature. It is also important to mention the study developed about the kinetic of solids retention in the bed of inert particles during the drying of goat milk. It was found more adequate processes conditions to the proposed technological route to be implemented in small and micro-industries, with simplifications in the system of milk injection as well as in the form of operation of the dryer. Important data were obtained for a posterior stage of this research which involves the v modeling, simulation, control and optimization of the process. The results obtained in this thesis, in relation to process performance as well as to the quality of produced powder milk validate the proposal of using the spouted bed dryer in the production of powder goat milk