Substantiation of parameters for the inertial mixer in a biodiesel production reactor

This paper reports results of the theoretical and experimental studies into the processes of transesterification of oils with methyl alcohol, which determined the material balance and established the molecular weight of the components involved in the process of transesterification as input and output products. The theoretical and experimental studies were carried out to calculate the indicators of the process of transesterification of fat-containing wastes depending on a change in the reaction duration and diameter of the inertial mixer of the reactor to accelerate the process of transesterification of oils with methyl alcohol. The process of transesterification is one of the basic methods for modifying the molecular composition of fat raw materials. With transesterification, the composition of fat fatty acids does not change, their statistical redistribution occurs in a mixture of triacylglycerols, which leads to a change in the physicochemical properties of fat mixtures as a result of changes in molecular composition. Transesterification of high-melting animal and vegetable fats with methyl alcohol improves the conversion of oils for the production of biodiesel from fat-containing waste. The results of the theoretical and experimental studies have helped determine the value of the flow rate of the reaction mixture, as well as the values of the geometric dimensions of the reactor, were determined (the diameter of the mixer, d=100÷500 mm; the length of the reactor is 1.5÷2.0 m). Processing of the reaction mixture made it possible to obtain a high degree of homogeneity in the concentration of components with large diameters of the inertial mixer ‒ 300...500 mm at average rotational speeds. The oil conversion has been improved, as well as productivity, by using equipment to produce biodiesel from fat-containing waste. Optimal pump performance is also ensured with minimal power consumption and reactor operation

Variable Link Performance Due to Weather Effects in a Long-Range, Low-Power LoRa Sensor Network

When aiming for the wider deployment of low-power sensor networks, the use of sub-GHz frequency bands shows a lot of promise in terms of robustness and minimal power consumption. Yet, when deploying such sensor networks over larger areas, the link quality can be impacted by a host of factors. Therefore, this contribution demonstrates the performance of several links in a real-world, research-oriented sensor network deployed in a (sub)urban environment. Several link characteristics are presented and analysed, exposing frequent signal deterioration and, more rarely, signal strength enhancement along certain long-distance wireless links. A connection is made between received power levels and seasonal weather changes and events. The irregular link performance presented in this paper is found to be genuinely disruptive when pushing sensor-networks to their limits in terms of range and power use. This work aims to give an indication of the severity of these effects in order to enable the design of truly reliable sensor networks.

Leveraging LoRaWAN Technology for Precision Agriculture in Greenhouses

The technology development in wireless sensor network (WSN) offers a sustainable solution towards precision agriculture (PA) in greenhouses. It helps to effectively use the agricultural resources and management tools and monitors different parameters to attain better quality yield and production. WSN makes use of Low-Power Wide-Area Networks (LPWANs), a wireless technology to transmit data over long distances with minimal power consumption. LoRaWAN is one of the most successful LPWAN technologies despite its low data rate and because of its low deployment and management costs. Greenhouses are susceptible to different types of interference and diversification, demanding an improved WSN design scheme. In this paper, we contemplate the viable challenges for PA in greenhouses and propose the successive steps essential for effectual WSN deployment and facilitation. We performed a real-time, end-to-end deployment of a LoRaWAN-based sensor network in a greenhouse of the ’Proefcentrum Hoogstraten’ research center in Belgium. We have designed a dashboard for better visualization and analysis of the data, analyzed the power consumption for the LoRaWAN communication, and tried three different enclosure types (commercial, simple box and airflow box, respectively). We validated the implications of real-word challenges on the end-to-end deployment and air circulation for the correct sensor readings. We found that temperature and humidity have a larger impact on the sensor readings inside the greenhouse than we initially thought, which we successfully solved through the airflow box design.

AUTOMATION SYSTEM FOR IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF PRODUCTION FOR GAS LIFT WELLS

The paper deals with the problem of automation of one of the methods of mechanized production - gas lift wells operation. The main advantages of this method of operation are its low cost, work with high gas content, simplicity of the design of deep equipment, fast repair in cattle, minimal power consumption and control and automation of the extraction process at the expense of the Gazlift process control system. This complex is designed to control the process of gas-lift oil production by remote control, as well as the collection and processing of information from primary transducers, the ability to control actuators that provide optimal performance of wells, as well as the ability to quickly change the mode of operation of wells.

Localization in Low Power Wide Area Networks using Wi-Fi Fingerprints

Supply chain management requires regular updates of the location of assets, which can be enabled by low power wide area networks, such as Sigfox. While it is useful to localize a device simply by its communication signals, this is very difficult to do with Sigfox because of wide area and ultra narrowband nature. On the other hand, installing a satellite localization element on the device greatly increases its power consumption. We investigated using information about nearby Wi-Fi access points as a way to localize the asset over the Sigfox network, so without connecting to those Wi-Fi networks. This paper reports the location error that can be achieved by this type of outdoor localization. By using a combination of two databases, we could localize the device on all 36 test locations with a median location error of 39 m. This shows that the localization accuracy of this method is promising enough to warrant further study, most specifically the minimal power consumption.

A Mechatronic System to Prevent Death due to Suffocation in a Locked Car

<div><p><em>Automation of anti-suffocation system has become a very essential part of safety in automobile. The death of toddlers, disabled people and animals due to suffocation in locked cars has been a significant problem. Hence, there is a requirement for a system which autonomously operates with minimal power consumption and cost to overcome this sort of harm to human life. </em></p><p><em>In this work an attempt has been made to develop a system that works invariably, irrespective of negligence of person handling the car. This system is a prototype vehicle model of how sensors and actuators can be appropriately used as a setup to overcome this problem.</em></p><p><em>The setup consists of a prototype vehicle, with engine cut off and all the doors closed, a temperature sensor, a motion sensor, a microcontroller and actuator and the power supply is provided by a battery.</em></p><p><em>Results indicate that, with the help of sensors and actuators window glass is lowered and circulation of fresh air takes place, temperature inside the car is lowered; this system prevents suffocation by intelligent sensing which works efficiently, this is an economical system without any compromise on its functioning.</em></p></div>

Numerical approach to solar ejector-compression refrigeration system

A model was established for solar ejector-compression refrigeration system. The influence of generator temperature, middle-temperature, and evaporator temperature on the performance of the refrigerant system was analyzed. An optimal generator temperature is found for maximal energy efficiency ratio and minimal power consumption.