scholarly journals Biogas Yielding Potential of Maize Chaff Inoculated with Cow Rumen and Its Characterization

Author(s):  
S. Chukwuka Iweka ◽  
K. C. Owuama

Human Life on earth is driven by energy and with the global challenge on best ways to manage waste, there is need to convert organic waste to bioenergy which will help reduce the rate of environmental pollution and over dependence on conventional source of energy. In this investigation maize chaff were inoculated with cow rumen using different concentration ratios (S/I) of 1:1, 1: 1.55, 1:3.5 for 25, 31 and 37 days Retention Time (RT) as design by Central Composite Face Centered Design to optimize the process and predict the best response. The result obtained shows that the mixture ratio of 0.65 (1:1.55) for 31 days gave the optimum yield while 0.65 mixing ratio for 37 days gave the maximum yield at 0.42L under mesophilic (20°C to 45°C) condition. The Flash point of the cummulative maximum yield was -164°C which is really flammable. The model F-value is 95.03, p-values is < 0.0001 which is less than 0.05 and both values indicate model terms are significant. Lack of Fit F-value of 0.43 implies the fitting effect is good. Its R2 value of 0.9855 is very close to 1 which is good. In addition, the biogas products were characterized by FTIR spectroscopy and Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The FTIR analyzes showed the presence of Alcohol and was further proven by 69% methane gotten as indicated by the GC-MS. Thus, the result shows high methane yield, flammability and suitability for maize chaff inoculated with cow rumen for energy production.

2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (4B) ◽  
pp. 138
Author(s):  
Tran Thi Hien

The conditions of the hydrothermal carbonization process to produce biochar from coffee husk will be optimized for maximum yield. Besides, response surface methodology (RSM) and central composite face-centered (CCF) method will be used in designing experiments. Also, the optimal value of factors such as temperature, time and biomass: water ratio which can provide a maximum yield of biochar will be worked out using Modde 5.0. As a result, the optimal conditions for maximum yield of biochar was obtained as temperature of 180 oC, 3.5 h and biomass: water ratio of 15 %. It can also be concluded that temperature has greater impact on the transformation of biochar than time and biomass: water ratio.


2016 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 81 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Iordehiin Gbenyi ◽  
Iro Nkama ◽  
Mamudu Halidu Badau

<p>Blends of sorghum and Bambara groundnut flour at 90:10, 80:20 and 70:30 ratios respectively, were extruded at 20%, 22.5% and 25% moisture levels and 120<sup>o</sup>C, 140<sup>o</sup>C and 160<sup>o</sup>C barrel temperatures using a single-screw extruder. Response surface methodology with central composite face-centered (CCF) design was used to model the viscosity, water absorption index (WAI) water solubility index (WSI), sectional expansion index (SEI), bulk density (BD), apparent specific volume (ASV) and mass flow rate of the extrudates. The viscosity, WAI, WSI, SEI, BD, ASV and MFR of extrudates varied from 8.38 to 18.78 Nsm-<sup>2</sup>, 5.30 to 6.21 g/g water, 10.5 to 21%, 2.55 to 5.1, 0.223 to 0.499 g/cm<sup>3</sup>, 4.15 to 6.55 cm<sup>3</sup>, and 1.19 to 2.3 g/s respectively. The R<sup>2</sup> values were 0.83, 0.71, 0.55, 0.61, 0.66, 0.77 and 0.61 respectively with a non-significant lack of fit; except for viscosity. Plots of residuals against fitted values showed that residuals were randomly scattered in all cases, thus validating the empirical models for the responses. The optimum amount of Bambara groundnut flour, feed moisture and extrusion temperature were established for viscosity, WAI, SEI, BD, ASV and MFR of the extrudates. Feed moisture had the most effect on extrudates functional and physical properties followed by extrusion temperature.<strong></strong></p>


2018 ◽  
pp. 5-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stanislav Darula

Three elements mainly wind, water and sun seemed to determine in ancient ages the basic phenomena of life on Earth. Architectural history documented the importance of sun influence on urban and building construction already in layouts of Mesopotamian and Greek houses. Not only sun radiation but especially daylight played a significant role in the creation of indoor environment. Later, in the 20th century, a search of interaction between human life in buildings and natural conditions were studied considering well­being and energy conscious design recently using computer tools in complex research and more detail interdisciplinary solutions. At the same time the restricted daytime availability of natural light was supplemented by more efficient and continually cheaper artificial lighting of interiors. There are two main approaches to standardize the design and evaluation of indoor visual environment. The first is based on the determination of the minimum requirements respecting human health and visibility needs in all activities while the second emphasizes the behaviour and comfort of occupants in buildings considering year­around natural changes of physical quantities like light, temperature, noise and energy consumption. The new current standardization basis for daylight evaluation and window design criteria stimulate the study of methodology principles that historically were based on the overcast type of sky luminance pattern avoiding yearly availability of sky illuminance levels. New trends to base the daylight standardization on yearly or long­term availability of daylight are using the averages or median sky illuminance levels to characterise local climatological conditions. This paper offers the review and discussion about the principles of the natural light standardization with a short introduction to the history and current state, with a trial to focus on the possible development of lighting engineering and its standards in future.


1996 ◽  
Vol 34 (12) ◽  
pp. 9-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. de Jong ◽  
J. T. van Buuren ◽  
J. P. A. Luiten

Sustained developments is the target of almost every modern water management policy. Sustainability is focused on human life and on the ecological quality of our environment. Both aspects are essential for life on earth. Within a river catchment area this means that well balanced relations have to be laid between human activities and ecological aspects in the involved areas. Policy analysis is especially looking for the most efficient way to analyse and to overcome bottlenecks. In The Netherlands project “The Aquatic Outlook” all these elements are worked out in a nationwide scale, providing the scientific base and policy analysis from which future water management plans can be derived.


Think ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (60) ◽  
pp. 33-49
Author(s):  
William Lyons

The author sets out to respond to the student complaint that ‘Philosophy did not answer “the big questions”’, in particular the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The response first outlines and evaluates the most common religious answer, that human life is given a meaning by God who created us and informs us that this life is just the pilgrim way to the next eternal life in heaven. He then discusses the response that, from the point of view of post-Darwinian science and the evolution of the universe and all that is in it, human life on Earth must be afforded no more meaning than the meaning we would give to a microscopic planaria or to some creature on another planet in a distant universe. All things including human creatures on Planet Earth just exist for a time and that is that. There is no plan or purpose. In the last sections the author outlines the view that it is we humans ourselves who give meaning to our lives by our choices of values or things that are worth pursuing and through our resulting sense of achievement or the opposite. Nevertheless the question ‘What is the meaning of life?’ can mean quite different things in different contexts, and so merit different if related answers. From one point of view one answer may lie in terms of the love of one human for another.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 82-93
Author(s):  
Aleksandr Subetto

It is proved that the current era is characterized by many governments around the world as dictatorship of "appearance" or "simulation" of the most activities transforming politics, even the tragic events like local ecological catastrophes, local wars, "colour revolutions", the elections in a "theatre", "acting", on the background of market ecocide – really accelerating processes of the first phase of a Global Environmental Disaster, which, at the transition "point of no return" in the near future, may turn into a process of irreversible environmental destruction of all mankind. This dictatorship of "appearance" or simulation as a "curtain" market democracy, hiding the capitalism-led, process of dehumanization of man, is an indicator of the inadequacy of states and political "elites" imperative of survival of mankind, as the imperative out of the ecological impasse of history in market-capitalist format. There comes a reckoning for this departure into the " market-capitalist illusion of apparent prosperity. The societies of the world, including Rossiya, have faced a dilemma:either environmental destruction, or the Noosphere Breakthrough, which, in its essence, is a change in the social organization of social life and its reproduction – the transition from the dominance of capitalism and the market to the Noosphere Ecological Spiritual Socialism on the basis of scientific and educational society and the management of socionatural evolution.


Catalysts ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dongyan Zhang ◽  
Yuyang Fan ◽  
Anqing Zheng ◽  
Zengli Zhao ◽  
Fengyun Wang ◽  
...  

Anhydrosugars, such as levoglucosan (LG), are high value-added chemicals which are mainly derived from fast pyrolysis of pure cellulose. However, fast pyrolysis of raw lignocellulosic biomass usually produces a very low amount of levoglucosan, since alkali and alkaline earth metals (AAEM) present in the ash can serve as the catalysts to inhibit the formation of levoglucosan through accelerating the pyranose ring-opening reactions. In this study, eucalyptus was impregnated with H2SO4 solutions with varying concentrations (0.25–1.25%). The characteristics of ash derived from raw and H2SO4-impregnated eucalyptus were characterized by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The pyrolysis behaviors of raw and H2SO4-impregnated eucalyptus were performed on the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS). TG analysis demonstrated that the H2SO4-impregnated eucalyptus produced less char than raw eucalyptus. Py-GC/MS analysis showed that even small amounts of H2SO4 can obviously improve the production of anhydrosugars and phenols and suppressed the formation of carboxylic acids, aldehydes, and ketones from fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus. The rank order of levoglucosan yield from raw and impregnated eucalyptus was raw < 1.25% H2SO4 < 1% H2SO4 < 0.75% H2SO4 < 0.25% H2SO4 < 0.5% H2SO4. The maximum yield of levoglucosan (21.3%) was obtained by fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus impregnated with 0.5% H2SO4, which was close to its theoretical yield based on the cellulose content. The results could be ascribed to that H2SO4 can react with AAEM (e.g., Na, K, Ca, and Mg) and lignin to form lignosulfonate, thus acting as an inhibitor to suppress the catalytic effects of AAEM during fast pyrolysis of eucalyptus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 6663-6667
Author(s):  
Kamath Madhusudhan ◽  
Bhavana B. Bhat

Traditional medicines have been used since the beginning of human life on earth. Traditional medicines form a part of the household not only in India but also in western countries. According to WHO, traditional medicines are those extracts from plants which are of medicinal value. Around 80% of the world's population relies on traditional medicines for medicinal purposes or as neutraceuticals. There is a well-established procedure for conducting clinical trials of western medicine, but when in the case of traditional medicines, there are several obstacles in the path. Where traditional medicines are the oldest form of medicines used by human's specific issues like lack of infrastructure, lack of sponsors and lack of skilled manpower hinders the clinical trial process for traditional medicines. The articles focus on various issues for conducting clinical trials and the steps taken by the government to address these issues. Centres like the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences are working rigorously to research traditional medicine to establish safety and efficacious data at par with modern medicines. Standardization of the collected raw material, in-process standardization and quality control check of the final product will further help in reducing the harmful adverse effects.


2021 ◽  
Vol 42 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Muessigbrodt ◽  
F Demoniere ◽  
S Finoly ◽  
M Mommarche ◽  
J Inamo

Abstract   The COVID-19 pandemics is a global challenge with a huge impact on medicine, politics, economy, education, travel and many other aspects of human life. The treatment of heart rhythm disorders has also been affected by the disease itself and by restrictions in order to constrain the spread of the virus. Catheter ablations of cardiac arrhythmias are nowadays frequently guided by electro-anatomic mapping systems. Technical staff with medical training, or medical staff with technical training, is needed to assist the operator. Travel restrictions due to current COVID-19 pandemics have limited the in person availability for technical support staff. To overcome these limitations we explored the feasibility of remote support with an internet based communication platform. A total of 9 patients (87,5% male, mean age 66,6 years) with different arrhythmias (atrial fibrillation, left atrial flutter, typical right atrial flutter, left ventricular tachycardia), having undergone ablation procedures between October 2020 and February 2021, were included. Acute procedural success was obtained in 9 out of 9 procedures. No complications occurred. Our experience with remote support for electro-anatomic mapping for complex electrophysiological ablation procedures, show the feasibility and safety of this approach. It increases the availability of technical support at reduced costs and a reduced CO2 footprint. Remote support for electro-anatomic mapping may therefore facilitate continuous care for patients with arrhythmias during the COVID-19 pandemics. Due to its advantages beyond COVID-19 pandemics related problems, it will likely play a greater role in the future. FUNDunding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: None.


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