Researches on the mixture limits of animal fats with liquid hydrocarbons for combustion at industrial level

The experimental research has highlighted the variety of possibilities of combustion of animal fat from bovine and swine mixed with liquid hydrocarbons. Previous research has established that the upper limit for an efficient combustion was 30 %. For a perfect mixing, the lower temperature limit was set to 40 °C. In the fuel laboratory, at the department TMETF was determined the viscosity of the mixtures for different proportions. The values obtained for various concentrations and preheating temperatures were close to the values for liquid hydrocarbons. The experimental researches have studied the combustion of the mixture using a mechanically spraying burner with constant pressure between 14 and 18 bar. The aspiration of the mixture is done from a specially designed tank; this tank is equipped with an electric heater, in order to maintain the mixture at a constant temperature between 40 °C to 50 °C. After that, the burner heats again the mixture with an integrated heating device up to 75 °C. The burner is also equipped with an air blower, pump and a calibrated nozzle. The combustion resulted from the experimental boiler with a power rated to 55 kW were monitored with a thermal vision camera and an exhaust gas analyser. This research has demonstrated the viability of using this type of mixtures in energetic burning equipment designed for liquid hydrocarbons.

Seasonal Change in Distribution and Heat Coma Temperature of Oceanic Skaters, Halobates (Insecta, Heteroptera: Gerridae)

A series of studies were conducted during two cruises between Tokyo and Honolulu in September 2010 and from February to March 2012. The aims of the studies were to (1) compare the distribution of three species of Halobates oceanic skaters, H. germanus, H. micans, and H. sericeus, with respect to their temperature limits; (2) identify the lower temperature limit of H. sericeus, the species that displays the widest distribution range (40°N–35°S) latitude; and (3) test the hypothesis that H. sericeus can change their temperature tolerance to adapt to seasonal changes in sea surface temperatures. The heat coma temperature (HCT) was measured during the two cruises and the values were compared between the two populations of H. sericeus. The species collected in September 2010 were H. germanus, H. micans, and H. sericeus. H. sericeus was dominant, occupying more than 90% of the collecting sites. H. germanus and H. micans were collected in the northern and western part of the cruise track (29–34°N, 141–151°E), and not in the southern and eastern part. The population density of these two species was 9000–150,000/km2 in the first cruise, which took place in summer. On the other hand, H. sericeus was collected throughout the cruise track during that cruise. The population density of H. sericeus was relatively high, at 4000–310,000/km2, in the southern and eastern part of the cruise track (19–29°N, 152°E–165°W). In February and March 2012, only H. sericeus was collected at a density of 17,000–80,000/km2 and only in the eastern and southern part, at 25°–28°N, 169°E–178°W. No Halobates oceanic skaters were found in the western or northern part (30°N and further north, 159°E and further west) during that cruise. The lower limit for the inhabitation of sea surface temperatures appeared to be 27.8 °C or slightly lower for H. germanus and H. micans, but was 22.1 °C or slightly lower for H. sericeus. H. sericeus specimens, mostly adults, that had been collected during the two cruises were used in heat coma experiments. Summer specimens showed significantly higher heat coma temperatures (HCTs) than the winter specimens. This difference in HCTs may be the result of relatively long term temperature acclimation in the summer or winter for the adults that inhabit the temperate and subtropical areas along the cruise tracks between Tokyo and Honolulu in the Pacific Ocean. This temperature plasticity of H. sericeus may be related to the wider latitude area inhabited by this species (main range: 40°N–25°S).

Synthesis of Carbon Nanostructures on Iron Nanopowders Obtained by Electrical Explosion of Wires

This work presents the results of experiments on synthesis of carbon nanostructures by the method of thermal chemical vapor deposition using iron nanopowders obtained by the method of electrical explosion of wires as catalysts. To study the process of nucleation and growth of individual carbon nanostructures, experiments were conducted not only on nanopowders, but also on the separated clusters. To determine the optimum conditions of the carbon nanostructures synthesis and lower temperature limit, experiments were performed at different temperatures (300–700 °C) and pressures (100–400 mbar). The experiments have shown that the lower temperature limit for carbon nanostructures synthesis on the iron nanopowders is 350 °C and in this process the growth of carbon nanostructures is not so massive. Stable growth of carbon nanostructures for nanopowders as well as for the separated clusters began from 400 °C during the entire range of pressures. In contrast to the carbon nanostructures on nanopowders, in the case of the separated clusters a strong<br />dependence of their nucleation and growth on temperature and pressure was traced.

Low-temperature limitation of bioreactor sludge in anaerobic treatment of domestic wastewater

Two strategies exist for seeding low-temperature anaerobic reactors: the use of specialist psychrophilic biomass or mesophilic bioreactor sludge acclimated to low temperature. We sought to determine the low-temperature limitation of anaerobic sludge from a bioreactor acclimated to UK temperatures (&lt;15 °C). Anaerobic incubation tests using low-strength real domestic wastewater (DWW) and various alternative soluble COD sources were conducted at 4, 8 and 15 °C; methanogenesis and acidogenesis were monitored separately. Production of methane and acetate was observed; decreasing temperature resulted in decreased yields and increased ‘start-up’ times. At 4 °C methanogenesis not hydrolysis/acidogenesis was rate-limiting. The final methane yields at 4 °C were less than 35% of the theoretical potential whilst at 8 and 15 °C more than 75 and 100% of the theoretical yield was achieved respectively. We propose that the lower temperature limit for DWW treatment with anaerobic bioreactor sludge lies between 8 and 4 °C and that 8 °C is the threshold for reliable operation.