Avoiding heat stress in cows is an important condition for animal productivity and the maintaining of animal health. For this, it is necessary to provide an optimal microclimate in cowsheds using systems of air cooling. The paper analyzes one of these systems—an air humidification−cooling system. The research was carried out in a semi-insulated box-type cowshed containing 244 places. The changes in temperature, relative humidity, and temperature humidity index (THI) were studied for the air coming from outside and for the air inside the cowshed. Considering the fact that the cows were in the cowshed most of the time (51.5%) under heat stress, the use of a cooling system is appropriate. It was established that a cooling system is capable of compensating for heat released by animals. It was determined that with an increase in air temperature the relative efficiency of a cooling system increases. An intensive constant air exchange provided using fan operation avoids an excessive growth of... [more]

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one of the major greenhouse gases that has been shown to cause global warming. Decreasing CO2 emissions plays an important role to minimize the impact of climate change. The utilization of CO2 gas as a cheap and sustainable source to produce higher value-added chemicals such as formic acid, methanol, methane, and acetic acid has been attracting much attention. The electrochemical reduction of CO2 catalyzed by whole-cell biocatalysts is a promising process for the production of value-added chemicals because it does not require costly enzyme purification steps and the supply of exogenous cofactors such as NADH. This study covered the recent applications of the diversity of microorganisms (pure cultures such as Shewanella oneidensis MR1, Sporomusa species, and Clostridium species and mixed cultures) as whole-cell biocatalysts to produce a wide range of value-added chemicals including methane, carboxylates (e.g., formate, acetate, butyrate, caproate), alcohols (e.g.... [more]

Asphaltenes are known to cause problems related to flocculation, precipitation, and plugging, either in the formation, production lines, and processing equipment. Different models have been proposed to predict the thermodynamic conditions under which asphaltenes precipitate over the past years. This work analyses the performance of various models on their capability to match the literature experimental data of precipitated asphaltene mass fractions. Twenty-five different models based on equation-of-state (EoS), polymer solution, and thermodynamic-colloidal theories were identified. The performance/test datasets were collected and classified according to their pressure/temperature conditions, CO2, n-C5/n-C7 gas, and liquid titrations. Statistical analysis, including residuals, parity plots, and average absolute relative deviation (AARD, %), were used to compare the adequacy of selected models. Results confirmed the need for further model development for general applications over wide pr... [more]

Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) serve as the most promising next-generation commercial batteries besides lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). Hard carbon (HC) from renewable biomass resources is the most commonly used anode material in SIBs. In this contribution, we present a review of the latest progress in the conversion of waste biomass to HC materials, and highlight their application in SIBs. Specifically, the following topics are discussed in the review: (1) the mechanism of sodium-ion storage in HC, (2) the HC precursor’s sources, (3) the processing methods and conditions of the HCs production, (4) the impact of the biomass types and carbonization temperature on the carbon structure, and (5) the effect of various carbon structures on electrochemical performance. Data from various publications have been analyzed to uncover the relationship between the processing conditions of biomass and the resulting structure of the final HC product, as well as its electrochemical performance. Our results... [more]

The fatigue life of bearing steel is closely related to the total oxygen content (T(O)) of the liquid steel. In order to stably and effectively control the T(O) during the ladle furnace (LF) refining process, we established a calculation model of optimal alkalinity for the refining slag CaO−SiO2−Al2O3−MgO−FeO−CaF2 at 1853 K based on ion−molecule coexistence theory (IMCT). Here, the influencing factors are discussed. The results show that the maximum value of NFeO occurred when the optimal alkalinity was around five at varied FeO contents, and that the optimal alkalinity basically remained the same with changes in FeO content. With the increase of MgO content, the optimal alkalinity decreased. However, the change in the value of NFeO against the higher alkalinity was not obvious at a given MgO content. The effect of Al2O3 content on the optimal alkalinity was opposite to that of MgO. With the increasing Al2O3 content, the optimal alkalinity obviously increased, while the maximum value o... [more]

Resilience is regarded as an essential design objective of a wide range of systems in modern society. This work is based on a vision that networks of mobile energy storage systems could provide an alternative off-grid power system design for rural and underdeveloped regions. To evaluate the resiliency of networked energy storage systems under overload failure, a model of concurrent cascading failure and healing processes is developed and demonstrated. Two resilience metrics are used to evaluate the resilience of a real-world network, namely the recovery level at a specified time and the recovery time. The simulations generate system trajectories at each time step. We explore the dependence of the system behavior on different model parameters that capture key recovery strategies. The success probability of the recovery of a failed node needs to be high enough for the network to restore its original functionality. Similarly, the increase in recovery budget parameter also leads to faster... [more]

Due to the necessity of effective water management, the issue of water scarcity has developed into a significant global issue. One way to collect water is through the water management method. The most common source of fresh water anywhere in the world is groundwater, which has developed into a significant global issue. Our previous research used machine learning (ML) for training models to classify groundwater quality. However, in this study, we used the time series and ensemble methods to propose a hybrid technique to enhance the multiclassification of groundwater quality. The proposed technique distinguishes between excellent drinking water, good drinking water, poor irrigation water, and very poor irrigation water. In this research, we used the GEOTHERM dataset, and we pre-processed it by replacing the missing and null values, solving the sparsity problem with our recommender system, which was previously proposed, and applying the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE). M... [more]

Fast-growing grass is a biomass material with characteristics such as high temperature and drought resistance; rapid growth and development; and repeated germination and cutting. Therefore, it is a popular biomass fuel. It is required that the pollutants produced during the biomass combustion process are appropriately controlled. For this purpose, our study analyses the influence of combustion temperature and calcium oxide (CaO) on the nitrogen oxides (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO) emission characteristics of fast-growing grass combustion using the biomass combustion flue gas analysis and testing platform. The results of our analysis revealed that CaO additive can simultaneously reduce the peak and total NOx emissions at 750 °C. Particularly, 5% CaO demonstrated a significant control effect on the NOx emission from the fast-growing grass combustion process, with a peak and total emissions reduction of 47.05% and 56.81%, respectively. In addition, with an increase in temperature, the CO... [more]

Direct interspecies electron transfer (DIET), which does not involve mediation by electron carriers, is realized by the addition of conductive materials to an anaerobic digester, which then activates syntrophism between acetogenic and methanogenic microorganisms. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the addition of two conductive materials, zero-valent iron (ZVI) and magnetite, on the methane production and microbial consortium via DIET in the anaerobic digestion of food wastewater. The operation of a batch reactor for food wastewater without the addition of the conductive materials yielded a biochemical methane potential (Bu), maximum methane production rate (Rm), and lag phase time (λ) of 0.380 Nm3 kg−1-VSadded, 15.73 mL day−1, and 0.541 days, respectively. Upon the addition of 1.5% ZVI, Bu and Rm increased significantly to 0.434 Nm3 kg−1-VSadded and 19.63 mL day−1, respectively, and λ was shortened to 0.065 days. Simultaneously, Methanomicrobiales increased from 26.60% to 4... [more]

Due to the increasing level of customization and globalization of competition, rescheduling for distributed manufacturing is receiving more attention. In the meantime, environmentally friendly production is becoming a force to be reckoned with in intelligent manufacturing industries. In this paper, the energy-efficient distributed hybrid flow-shop rescheduling problem (EDHFRP) is addressed and a knowledge-based cooperative differential evolution (KCDE) algorithm is proposed to minimize the makespan of both original and newly arrived orders and total energy consumption (simultaneously). First, two heuristics were designed and used cooperatively for initialization. Next, a three-dimensional knowledge base was employed to record the information carried out by elite individuals. A novel DE with three different mutation strategies is proposed to generate the offspring. A local intensification strategy was used for further enhancement of the exploitation ability. The effects of major paramet... [more]

Every aspect of the 21st century has undergone a revolution because of the Internet of Things (IoT) and smart computing technologies. These technologies are applied in many different ways, from monitoring the state of crops and the moisture level of the soil in real-time to using drones to help with chores such as spraying pesticides. The extensive integration of both recent IT and conventional agriculture has brought in the phase of agriculture 4.0, often known as smart agriculture. Agriculture intelligence and automation are addressed by smart agriculture. However, with the advancement of agriculture brought about by recent digital technology, information security challenges cannot be overlooked. The article begins by providing an overview of the development of agriculture 4.0 with pros and cons. This study focused on layered architectural design, identified security issues, and presented security demands and upcoming prospects. In addition to that, we propose a security architectura... [more]

Deep application of liquid fertilizer is a technique that applies liquid fertilizer deep near the root system of crops, which has many advantages such as high fertilizer utilization rate and low environmental pollution. However, high power and high specific energy consumption caused by soil-engaging components in liquid fertilizer deep application make it difficult to popularize in northeast China. The claw-toe structure of burrowing animals has the characteristics of low resistance and low friction, which has been the focus of many scholars’ research on soil-engaging components. The claw-toe structure of the badger, a widely distributed burrowing animal in northeast China, has good characteristics of low power and low specific energy consumption. Therefore, in this research, a bionic liquid fertilizer deep application spray needle was designed, based on the claw-toe structure of the badger, to improve the operating performance of liquid fertilizer deep application. In this research, t... [more]

In recent years, interest in the consumption of dried goji berries has increased due to its high bioactive properties. Alternative drying methods that provide faster drying and better preservation of bioactive properties should be developed. This study aims to investigate the effect of different drying methods on the drying time and quality characteristics of the goji berry; namely, hot-air drying (HAD), ultrasound-assisted vacuum drying (USVD), vacuum drying (VD), freeze-drying (FD), and ultrasound-pretreated freeze-drying (USFD). The drying kinetic, total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, phenolic profile, carotenoid profile, and color change of the goji berry fruit were determined. The drying times for VD, USVD, and HAD varied between 275−1330 min. USVD treatment showed faster drying behavior than the other two drying methods. The total phenolic content (TPC) value of dry samples varied between 1002.53−1238.59 mg GAE/g DM. USVD treatments exhibited a higher total phenolic cont... [more]

In order to solve the problem of new energy consumption, a combined electric and heating system (CEHS) dynamic optimal scheduling method considering the optimal control of combined heat and power (CHP) unit and electric boiler is proposed from the perspective of unit technology transformation, to optimize the thermoelectric coupling relationship and improve the regulation capacity of the CEHS. Firstly, the electric and heat output models of CHP units considering the optimal control process, were constructed and used to analyze the electric−thermal characteristics and the impact of unit pressure safety under variable load input. On this basis, CHP units, electric boilers, wind power units, and thermal power units are optimally scheduled to minimize system operating costs. Finally, a simultaneous method of “discrete first, optimize later” is proposed to solve the dynamic optimal scheduling problem. The simulation results verify that the optimal scheduling considering the optimal control... [more]

Inconel 718 is considered the most widely adopted nickel-based superalloy, and drilling of this alloy is always challenging for researchers. Cemented carbide twist drills have been evaluated in the drilling of this alloy by changing the cutting environment or by varying the tool geometry. In the latter case, the cutting speed has been extended from 30 m/min to 60 m/min when drills are micro-textured or ground. In this study, contrary to cemented carbide twist drills, for the first time, inserts named stepped (central) and peripheral (wiper) are evaluated in the drilling of this alloy. The central insert is designed for balanced forces, while the peripheral is a wiper insert designed for better surface finish. Drilling experiments are conducted in flood cooling conditions with a 12 mm diameter twist drill equipped with novel stepped and wiper inserts at varying cutting speeds (25, 35, and 45 m/min) and feed rates (0.04, 0.06, and 0.08 mm/rev). At a cutting speed (Vc) of 25 m/min and fee... [more]

Anthocyanins are one of the bioactive compounds in roselle that has many medicinal proposes. Anthocyanins are placed in the inner part of the roselle; therefore, combinations of two methods were applied to extract the anthocyanins. The first stage is employing supercritical carbon dioxide (ScCO2) to break the particle surface or outer layer of the roselle based on the total phenolic compounds (TPC) recovery, and the second step was to apply subcritical water extraction (SWE) for the extraction of anthocyanins. The objective is to determine the best conditions to obtain high yields of total anthocyanins compounds (TAC) from the roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) by employing a combination of ScCO2 and SWE. The optimal conditions of ScCO2 (first stage) were 19.13 MPa, 60 °C, and 4.31 mL/min, yielding 18.20%, and 80.34 mg/100 g TPC, respectively. The optimum conditions of SWE (second stage) were 9.48 MPa, 137 °C, and 6.14 mL/min, yielding 86.11% and 1224.61 mg/100 g TAC, respectively. The appl... [more]

Mulberry fruits (MF) contain many biologically active compounds beneficial for human health. In particular, in the literature, there are no studies on the kinetics of the freeze-drying of MF and the effect of the process temperature on the properties of dried fruits. The objective of this study was to ascertain how freeze-drying (FD) and air-drying temperature affected the kinetics of dehydration and chosen physicochemical parameters of MF. Both temperature and dehydration methods significantly influenced the drying rate and properties of MF. The Midilli model was the best fitted to the experimental data of the course of drying curves and with the lowest values of mean-square error. The highest lightness and yellowness were noted for freeze-dried fruit, whereas air-dried MF were characterized by the highest redness. An increase in drying temperature significantly changed the color of fruits and led to the degradation of L-ascorbic acid content. The highest content of L-ascorbic acid wa... [more]

Antibiotic pollution has become a serious concern due to the extensive use of antibiotics, their resistance to removal, and their detrimental effects on aquatic habitats and humans. Hence, developing an efficient antibiotic removal process for aqueous solutions has become vital. Amoxicillin (Amox) is one of the antibiotics that has been efficiently removed from an aqueous solution using hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HAP NPs). The current study synthesizes and utilizes hydroxyapatite nanoparticles as a cost-effective adsorbent. Adsorbent dose, pH solution, initial Amox concentration, equilibrium time, and temperature are among the factors that have an evident impact on Amox antibiotic adsorption. The (200) mg dose, pH (5), temperature (25) °C, and time (120) min are shown to be the best-optimized values. The nonlinear Langmuir’s isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models with equilibrium capacities of 4.01 mg/g are highly compatible with the experimental adsorption data. The experi... [more]

The World Health Organization promotes risk assessment and risk management through Water Safety Plans (WSPs) as the most effective way to manage drinking-water supplies. Despite proven advantages of this approach in other regions, WSPs are still not widely used across small drinking-water supplies in Sub Saharan Africa. The aim of this research is to identify good practices and related gaps which may assist with formal uptake of WSPs for small drinking-water supplies in Rwanda. Through semi-structured interviews with the key stakeholders involved in small drinking-water supply management across Rwanda, the aim is achieved through the investigation of the following: (i) current drinking-water management challenges; (ii) stakeholder collaboration and data management activities including reporting of information; and (iii) the regulatory and policy environment. The use and awareness of WSPs in Rwanda was confirmed as low. However certain drinking-water management activities which align wi... [more]

Renewable energy sources have become a significant alternative energy source due to the continuing depletion of conventional energy sources and fluctuation in fuel costs. Currently, wind energy is the foremost among all other renewable energy sources. However, modeling and analyzing industrial wind turbines is complex as the wind turbine power ratio and size have steadily increased. Undoubtedly, industrial wind turbines are huge and challenging to keep in research labs; simultaneously, exploring the controller/power converter performance is practically impossible. Therefore, to overcome the above drawbacks, wind turbine emulators have been developed to achieve the static and dynamic characteristics of wind energy conversion systems. This paper aims to present a comprehensive review of the different wind turbine emulators available in the literature. In addition, the implementation of real-time emulators is classified according to the structure and approaches. Furthermore, an extensive... [more]

In view of the problems of high acid consumption, the blockage of ore-bearing beds caused by iron ion precipitation and a low leaching rate in the conventional acid leaching of a sandstone-type uranium deposit, the author put forward “low-acid and oxygen leaching technology” research. In order to further clarify the mechanism of leaching sandstone-type uranium ore with low acid and oxygen, the oxidation mechanism of ferrous ion under acidic conditions, the influencing factors of ferrous ion oxidation process, the kinetic simulation of oxygen oxidizing uranium minerals, and the interaction of uranium and iron precipitation in acidic solution were analyzed and studied, and the mechanism of oxygen oxidizing uranium and uranium leaching under low acid conditions was explored. The results show that under the condition of low acidity, the kinetics that ferrous oxidized by oxygen is between the first-order and second-order reaction, which can reduce the iron ion precipitation and then reduce... [more]

The production of messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and other biologics is performed primarily in batch mode. This results in larger equipment, cleaning/sterilization volumes, and dead times compared to any continuous approach. Consequently, production throughput is lower and capital costs are relatively high. Switching to continuous production thus reduces the production footprint and also lowers the cost of goods (COG). During process development, from the provision of clinical trial samples to the production plant, different plant sizes are usually required, operating at different operating parameters. To speed up this step, it would be optimal if only one plant with the same equipment and piping could be used for all sizes. In this study, an efficient solution to this old challenge in biologics manufacturing is demonstrated, namely the qualification and validation of a plant setup for clinical trial doses of about 1000 doses and a production scale-up of about 10 million doses. Usin... [more]

To address the problem of low integration and efficiency of reverse osmosis desalination system, an energy-recovery type incurve multiple acting pump is developed with integrated functions of a high-pressure pump, energy recovery device and booster pump. In order to determine its flow range and suppress cavitation generation, a mathematical model of the port plate is established, combining the realizable k-ɛ turbulence model and the Schnerr-Sauer cavitation model to obtain the internal flow field characteristics of the port plate. The effects of different rotational speeds and inlet pressures on cavitation were analyzed to obtain the gas volume fraction distribution rules. The design is based on the pressure and mass flow monitoring test device to verify the numerical calculation results. The results show that the experimental and simulation data match accurately, and with the increase in speed and the decrease in inlet pressure, the cavitation phenomenon becomes serious and the flow c... [more]

Hyperloop technology is a transport mode designed to move passengers anywhere in the world, using electric propulsion to carry passengers through a vacuum/near-vacuum tube for a maximum speed of 1200 km/h. Given this, governments, engineers, researchers, and billionaires have been racing over the past years to obtain the first operational system in the world off the ground and bring it from concept to reality. The paper aimed to maximize the capacity of the Hyperloop’s capsule and identify a suitable design of Hyperloop technology based on the different capacities and speeds of the capsules as well as the assumptions of the initial annual demand. Additionally, significant attention will be paid to the interior design of the capsules in which people travel to make the journey more comfortable and enjoyable. The design will be conducted in AutoCAD and Autodesk Revit models based on the allocation of different components such as capacity, compressor fan, batteries, compressor motor, etc.... [more]

The effect of temperature was studied on the synthesis of fatty acid alkyl esters by means of transesterification of waste beef tallow using ethanol and, iso-butanol and 1-butanol at supercritical conditions. These alcohols are proposed for the synthesis of biodiesel in order to improve the cold flow properties of alkyl esters. Alcohol−beef tallow mixtures were fed to a high-pressure high-temperature autoclave at a constant molar ratio of 45:1. Reactions were carried out in the ranges of 310−390 °C and 310−420 °C for ethanol and iso-butanol, respectively; meanwhile, synthesis using 1-butanol was assessed only at 360 °C. After separation of fatty acid alkyl esters, these samples were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to quantify yields, chemical composition, and molecular weight. Results indicated that yields enhanced as temperature increased; the maximum yields for fatty acid ethyl esters (FAEEs) were attained... [more]