scholarly journals Velocity and uniformity of air circulation in conventional kilns for sawn timber

2012 ◽  
pp. 129-140
Author(s):  
Branko Kolin ◽  
Goran Milic ◽  
Igor Golic
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Air Velocity ◽  
Coniferous Species ◽  
Kiln Drying ◽  
Conventional Kiln Drying ◽  
Sawn Timber ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Electrical Consumption ◽  
Air Circulation

This paper presents the results of a research of velocity of air circulation in the conventional kiln drying of sawn timber and its influence on the uniformity of final moisture content. The data showed that the air velocity (between 0.8 - 1.2 m?s -1) is significantly lower than the one that is optimal for timber drying of coniferous species (3 - 4 m?s-1). This results in a reduction in the capacity of installations for drying, increased energy (thermal and electrical) consumption and thereby increase in the cost of drying. The correlation between the speed of air circulation and the final MC of timber due to prolonged drying was not established. Recommendations that should eliminate the identified deficiencies are also given.

scholarly journals A Study on the Feasibility of Anaerobic Co-Digestion of Raw Cheese Whey with Coffee Pulp Residues

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3611
Author(s):  
Sandra Gonzalez-Piedra ◽  
Héctor Hernández-García ◽  
Juan M. Perez-Morales ◽  
Laura Acosta-Domínguez ◽  
Juan-Rodrigo Bastidas-Oyanedel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Methane Production ◽  
Kinetic Models ◽  
Cheese Whey ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Gompertz Model ◽  
Coffee Pulp ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Best Fit ◽  
Cheese Production

In this paper, a study on the feasibility of the treatment of raw cheese whey by anaerobic co-digestion using coffee pulp residues as a co-substrate is presented. It considers raw whey generated in artisanal cheese markers, which is generally not treated, thus causing environmental pollution problems. An experimental design was carried out evaluating the effect of pH and the substrate ratio on methane production at 35 °C (i.e., mesophilic conditions). The interaction of the parameters on the co-substrate degradation and the methane production was analyzed using a response surface analysis. Furthermore, two kinetic models were proposed (first order and modified Gompertz models) to determine the dynamic profiles of methane yield. The results show that co-digestion of the raw whey is favored at pH = 6, reaching a maximum yield of 71.54 mLCH4 gVSrem−1 (31.5% VS removed) for raw cheese whey and coffee pulp ratio of 1 gVSwhey gVSCoffe−1. The proposed kinetic models successfully fit the experimental methane production data, the Gompertz model being the one that showed the best fit. Then, the results show that anaerobic co-digestion can be used to reduce the environmental impact of raw whey. Likewise, the methane obtained can be integrated into the cheese production process, which could contribute to reducing the cost per energy consumption.

scholarly journals Electoral Incentives and the Allocation of Public Funds

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frederico Finan ◽  
Maurizio Mazzocco
Keyword(s):  
Electoral System ◽  
Policy Reforms ◽  
Public Funds ◽  
Term Limit ◽  
The Public ◽  
Public Projects ◽  
Electoral Incentives ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost

Abstract Politicians allocate public resources in ways that maximize political gains, and potentially at the cost of lower welfare. In this paper, we quantify these welfare costs in the context of Brazil’s federal legislature, which grants its members a budget to fund public projects within their states. Using data from the state of Roraima, we estimate a model of politicians’ allocation decisions and find that 26.8% of the public funds allocated by legislators are distorted relative to a social planner’s allocation. We then use the model to simulate three potential policy reforms to the electoral system: the adoption of approval voting, imposing a one-term limit, and redistricting. We find that a one-term limit and redistricting are both effective at reducing distortions. The one-term limit policy, however, increases corruption, which makes it a welfare-reducing policy.

scholarly journals Verification of the effect of sleeping environment and humidification on middle-aged people in whole-house air-conditioning ventilation system housing

2019 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 02044
Author(s):  
Akemi Iwaki ◽  
Takashi Akimoto ◽  
Naho Misumi ◽  
Takuya Furuhashi
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Moisture Content ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Sleep Latency ◽  
Ventilation System ◽  
Circulation Type ◽  
Living Environment ◽  
Aged People ◽  
Air Circulation ◽  
Skin Moisture

This study focused on the thermal comfort of air circulation-type whole-house air-conditioning ventilation systems. We studied the influence of 24-h continuous whole-house air-conditioning on the living environment in which the occupant is sleeping. A survey was conducted in the summer of 2016 and winter of 2017 to ascertain the influence on the sleeping environment, skin moisture content, and blood pressure. We then compared the results with those of the sleeping environment of residents in air-conditioned housing surveyed the previous year. The sleeping environment when using a personal humidifier around the occupant’s head was examined during winter when the humidity is low. The results indicated that sleep latency was significantly shortened in the 24-h continuous whole-house air-conditioning ventilation system in both summer and winter because the temperature control of the bedroom before going to bed affects the sleep latency. Subjectively, no participants felt dryer than the values measured in the bedroom environment. The results implied that the comfort of the entire building was improved with continuous air-conditioned housing.

scholarly journals A MEAN FIELD GAME ANALYSIS OF SIR DYNAMICS WITH VACCINATION

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
Josu Doncel ◽  
Nicolas Gast ◽  
Bruno Gaujal
Keyword(s):  
Mean Field ◽  
Vaccination Strategy ◽  
Game Analysis ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Mean Field Game ◽  
Vaccination Behavior ◽  
Switching Curve ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Vaccination Period

We analyze a mean field game model of SIR dynamics (Susceptible, Infected, and Recovered) where players choose when to vaccinate. We show that this game admits a unique mean field equilibrium (MFE) that consists in vaccinating at a maximal rate until a given time and then not vaccinating. The vaccination strategy that minimizes the total cost has the same structure as the MFE. We prove that the vaccination period of the MFE is always smaller than the one minimizing the total cost. This implies that, to encourage optimal vaccination behavior, vaccination should always be subsidized. Finally, we provide numerical experiments to study the convergence of the equilibrium when the system is composed by a finite number of agents ( $N$ ) to the MFE. These experiments show that the convergence rate of the cost is $1/N$ and the convergence of the switching curve is monotone.

Identification prediction moisture content of Thai coconut sugar (Cocos nucifera L.) using FT-NIR spectroscopy

Food Research ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 382-385
Author(s):  
D. Thumrongchote
Keyword(s):  
Moisture Content ◽  
Cocos Nucifera ◽  
Nir Spectroscopy ◽  
Grocery Stores ◽  
Absorbance Spectrum ◽  
Coconut Tree ◽  
Cocos Nucifera L ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Non Destructive ◽  
Low Glycemic Index

Coconut sugar is a local sugar from the blossoms of a coconut tree. It has been considered a healthy sugar due to its low glycemic index. There is an attempt to add other sugar to it to lower the cost. Thus, this research aimed to identify Thai coconut sugar and to establish models for predicting the moisture content of coconut sugar by using FT-NIR spectroscopy. Thai coconut sugar samples were purchased from local grocery stores in four provinces, online, and the community market. Their moisture contents were varied and equilibrated for 24 hrs prior to the measurements of moisture and FT-NIR spectra. The results showed that FT-NIR spectra of Thai coconut sugar differ from sucrose, glucose and fructose at the absorbance spectrum of 5379-5011 cm-1 . FT-NIR spectroscopy of 54 known moisture samples of Thai coconut sugar was used to obtain a model to predict moisture content. The predicted equation, using the PLS technique with the Spectrum Quant program, was found to give a standard error of prediction (SEP) 0.077% (less than 0.10%), indicating a non-destructive method of accurately and precisely predicting moisture levels in the coconut sugar. The results obtained suggested that FTNIR spectroscopy has the potential to be used as a tool to identify Thai coconut sugar accurately. It can rapidly predict the moisture content in the sample which will be useful in quality control standards.

Hiding Data in Plain Sight: Towards Provably Unbreakable Encryption with Short Secret Keys and One-Way Functions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mircea-Adrian Digulescu
Keyword(s):  
Encryption Scheme ◽  
Secret Key ◽  
Small Probability ◽  
Random Data ◽  
Computing Power ◽  
Plain Text ◽  
Secret Keys ◽  
The One ◽  
One Way Function ◽  
The Cost

It has long been known that cryptographic schemes offering provably unbreakable security exist, namely the One Time Pad (OTP). The OTP, however, comes at the cost of a very long secret key - as long as the plain-text itself. In this paper we propose an encryption scheme which we (boldly) claim offers the same level of security as the OTP, while allowing for much shorter keys, of size polylogarithmic in the computing power available to the adversary. The Scheme requires a large sequence of truly random words, of length polynomial in the both plain-text size and the logarithm of the computing power the adversary has. We claim that it ensures such an attacker cannot discern the cipher output from random data, except with small probability. We also show how it can be adapted to allow for several plain-texts to be encrypted in the same cipher output, with almost independent keys. Also, we describe how it can be used in lieu of a One Way Function.

scholarly journals Farm Gate Prices for Non-Varietal Wine in Argentina: A Multilevel Comparison of the Prices Paid by Cooperatives and Investor-Oriented Firms

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Agustina Malvido Perez Carletti ◽  
Markus Hanisch ◽  
Jens Rommel ◽  
Murray Fulton
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Unique Data ◽  
Market Shares ◽  
Price Effects ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
The One ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Price Differences ◽  
Multilevel Regression Model

AbstractIn this paper, we use a unique data set of the prices paid to farmers in Argentina for grapes to examine the prices paid by non-varietal wine processing cooperatives and investor-oriented firms (IOFs). Motivated by contrasting theoretical predictions of cooperative price effects generated by the yardstick of competition and property rights theories, we apply a multilevel regression model to identify price differences at the transaction level and the departmental level. On average, farmers selling to cooperatives receive a 3.4 % lower price than farmers selling to IOFs. However, we find cooperatives pay approximately 2.4 % more in departments where cooperatives have larger market shares. We suggest that the inability of cooperatives to pay a price equal to or greater than the one paid by IOFs can be explained by the market structure for non-varietal wine in Argentina. Specifically, there is evidence that cooperative members differ from other farmers in terms of size, assets and the cost of accessing the market. We conclude that the analysis of cooperative pricing cannot solely focus on the price differential between cooperatives and IOFs, but instead must consider other factors that are important to the members.

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