Process Behavior and Product Quality in Fertilizer Manufacturing Using Continuous Hopper Transfer Pan Granulation—Experimental Investigations

Fertilizers are commonly used to improve the soil quality in both conventional and organic agriculture. One such fertilizer is dolomite for which soil application in granulated form is advantageous. These granules are commonly produced from ground dolomite powder in continuous pan transfer granulators. During production, the granulator’s operation parameters affect the granules’ properties and thereby also the overall performance of the fertilizer. To ensure product granules of certain specifications and an efficient overall production, process control and intensification approaches based on mathematical models can be applied. However, the latter require high-quality quantitative experimental data describing the effects of process operation parameters on the granule properties. Therefore, in this article, such data is presented for a lab-scale experimental setup. Investigations were carried out into how variations in binder spray rate, binder composition, feed powder flow rate, pan inclination angle, and angular velocity affect particle size distribution, mechanical stability, and humidity. Furthermore, in contrast to existing work samples from both, pan granules and product granules are analyzed. The influence of operation parameter variations on the differences between both, also known as trajectory separation, is described quantitatively. The results obtained indicate an increase in the average particle size with increasing binder flow rate to feed rate and increasing binder concentration and the inclination angle of the pan. Compressive strength varied significantly depending on the operating parameters. Significant differences in properties were observed for the product and the intermediate (pan) samples. In fact, for some operation parameters, e.g., binder feed rate, the magnitude of the separation effect strongly depends on the specific value of the operation parameter. The presented concise data will enable future mathematical modeling of the pan granulation process, e.g., using the framework of population balance equations.

EVALUATION OF EQUILIBRIUM CORE OPERATION OF THE RSG-GAS REACTOR

The Indonesian Multipurpose Reactor, RSG-GAS reactor will accomplish its first lifetime in December 2020. The reactor has been operated in safe and reliable manner for about 33 years since it commenced in operation in 1987 to serve radioisotopes production, NAA, neutron beam experiments, material irradiation, and reactor physics experimental activities as well as training. The paper is intended to evaluate its in-core fuel management that is the conformance between the theory and implementation of the equilibrium core. Evaluation of the reactor operation parameter was carried out for core numbers 91 – 100. The data show that excess reactivity, shutdown reactivity and control rod reactivity have no significant difference at each core. The result shows that the BATAN-FUEL accurately determine the equilibrium core and its fuel loading pattern.This in-core fuel management of the RSG-GAS reactor supports the safety of reactor operation.

Stochastic Modeling Of Photovoltaic Cell Condition

The paper presents the author’ original modification of the residual method in order to construct an efficient tool for assessing the condition of photovoltaic cells, in particular – panels made of amorphous cells which are characterized by significant random operation parameter changes. The solution constructed has been verified through experiments, which show the usefulness of the proposed methodology as it allows to minimize the risk of obtaining false diagnostic information in the process of assessing the condition of photovoltaic panels.

Toz Gıda Proseslerinde Akışkan Yatak Uygulamaları

Fluidized bed system has a wide range of use from heavy industry to pharmaceutical, chemical and food industry. In this system, a bed of solid particles is transformed into a fluid-like state through suspension in a fluid. The minimum fluidization rate, defined as the speed at which the fluidization begins at the bed, is the most important design and operation parameter of the fluidized bed systems. Fluidized bed in powdered foods are widely used for drying, agglomeration, granulation and coating processes. Since many events take place simultaneously in fluidized bed technology, there are many variables acting on the system. In this review, information is given about fluid bed, fluidized bed applications in powder food processes and parameters to be considered during the use of fluidized bed system.

Neutron and gamma-ray fluxes measured by SciCRT prototype at the top of Sierra Negra volcano, Mexico

The mini-SciCR is a cosmic ray detector, it is made of scintillator bars with a total volume of 20 x 20 x 20.8 $cm^{3}$. The array of scintillator bars act both as a target and as a tracker of the incident radiation. In this paper we describe the method developed with the help of a Monte Carlo simulation to distiguish the neutron signals from gamma ray signals, it is based on the different maximum energy deposited at a scintillator bar by neutrons and gamma rays. To distiguish the neutral emission signals (neutrons and gamma rays) from charged particles signals, we implemented via software a system of anti-coincidence between edge bars and internal bars of the detector. We also report the flux of neutrons and gamma rays measured by the mini-SciCR at the top of the Sierra Negra volcano at 4,600 m.a.s.l., in Eastern Mexico. The mini-SciCR was operating from October 2010 to July 2012. We also present the Forbush decrease registered by the mini-SciCR on march, 2012. The mini-SciCR is a prototype of a new cosmic ray detector called SciBar Cosmic Ray Telescope installed in the same place, which is in the process of operation parameter tuning and calibration. The SciCRT will work mainly as a Solar Neutron and Muon Telescope.