In this study, rubber seed/shea butter oil was used to formulate core oil. The formulated core oil was characterised. D-optimal mixture design was used for multi response optimisation of the functional properties of rubber seed-shea butter coil oil. Desirable values for some responses might be obtained from a factor combination while for others responses not so desirable values. Through multiple response optimisations, a factor setting that gives the desirable values for all responses was obtained. The selected optimum mixture setting for the formulated core oil is 65.937% Rubber seed and 34.063% Shea butter oil at desirability of 0.924. Under the optimum condition the functional properties of the core oil was found to be 39.57KN/M2, 626.85KN/M2, 36.63KN/M2, 593.906KN/M2, 412.605 and 167.309s for Green Compressive Strength, Dry Compressive Strength, Green Tensile Strength, Dry Tensile Strength, Permeability and Collapsibility respectively. The optimum conditions were validated with less than 0.2% error. The functional properties of the formulated core oil was compared to the functional properties of linseed core oil. It was found that rubber seed-shea butter core oil can be used for producing cores suitable for Aluminium casting.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are one group of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that are of international concern because of global distribution, persistence, and toxicity. Removal of these compounds from the environment remains a very difficult challenge because the compounds are highly hydrophobic and have very low solubility in water. A 900 W domestic microwave oven, pyrex vessel reactor, pyrex tube connector and condensing system were used in this experiment. Radiation was discontinuous and ray powers were 540, 720 and 900 W. The PCBS were analyzed by GC-ECD. The application of microwave radiation and H2O2/TiO2 agents for the degradation of polychlorinated biphenyl contaminated oil was explored in this study. PCB – contaminated oil was treated in a pyrex reactor by microwave irradiation at 2450 MHz with the addition of H2O2/TiO2. A novel grain TiO2 (GT01) was used. The determination of PCB residues in oil by gas chromatography (GC) revealed that rates of PCB decomposition were highly dependent on microwave power, exposure time, ratio to solvent with transformer oil in 3:1, the optimal amount of GT01 (0.2 g) and 0.116 mol of H2O2 were used in the study. It was suggested that microwave irradiation with the assistance of H2O2/TiO2 might be a potential technology for the degradation of PCB – contaminated oil. The experiments show that MW irradiation, H2O2 oxidant and TiO2 catalyst lead to a degradation efficiency of PCBs only in the presence of ethanol. The results showed that the addition of ethanol significantly enhanced degradation efficiency of PCBs.
The aim of the work was to estimate the influence of plants mycorrhizas on the number of hydrocarbons degrading bacteria, saprophytic bacteria and molds fungi during the remediation of the soil samples contaminated with used engine oil. The investigation were carried out in laboratory conditions. Nine modifications of the soil substrate were prepared and divided into three groups: the first one - without used engine oil; the second one - with 10% (w/w) of used engine oil; the third one - with 25% (w/w) of used oil. In each group one sample was sown with ribwort, one was inoculated with living spores of mycorrhizal fungi and sown with ribwort, and the third one was left without plants and mycorrhizal fungi. The sample of the uncontaminated soil was the control. The investigation showed a significant effect of used engine oil, the presence of ribwort and mycorrhizal fungi on the number of soil microorganisms. The increase of the number of hydrocarbons degrading bacteria, in respect to the control sample was observed in the used engine oil contaminated samples. The seeding of soil samples with plants and additional inoculation with spores of mycorrhizal fungi stimulated the increase of the number of microorganisms in the all studied groups.
A verification study of ultrasound transmission numerical simulation results with experiment results is presented in this paper. The work considers a model of a transformer tank which is filled with electro insulating oil. In the experiment, performed under laboratory conditions, an ultrasound wave is generated by a piezoelectric transducer that is fixed in the centre of the tank and measured by another transducer mounted inside the tank at three distances: 10, 20 and 30 cm from the sound source. The transducer is able to measure and generate acoustic waves in the ultrasound frequency band up to 1 MHz. The simulation considers numerical calculation of acoustic pressure distribution inside the tank in which acoustic source emits waves with frequency equal to 100 kHz. Verification analysis has confirmed consistency of the numerically calculated values with the measurement results.
The aim of the study was to determine the impact of various methods of oil mixing with wastewater on
properties of synthetic municipal wastewater containing edible oil (SMW+0.02% m/v rapeseed oil). The study was
carried out in 3L glass, cylindrical reactors to which SMW+0.02% were introduced. Various methods of its mixing
with water were applied: mechanical mixing (SMW+0.02%+mixing) and sonication (SMW+0.02%+ultrasounds).
The wastewater was sonicated at 35 kHz for 30 min. The constant temperature conditions were maintained during
the experiment for each mixing method (15°C, 20°C and 30°C). The analysis of parameters (pH, COD, BOD5
and
long chain free fatty acids concentration) of raw wastewater and after 2, 4, 6, 24, 48 and 72 hours of inoculation
was performed to determine the effect of mixing method.
The most signifi cant changes in wastewater chemical parameters after the introduction of the oil were observed
in the case of COD. For SMW+0.02%+ mixing a slow increase in COD within 24 hours of the process was observed.
In the case of SMW+0.02%+ultrasounds the increase and the decrease of COD value were observed in reference
to the initial value. The changes in acids concentrations observed in reactors with SMW+0.02%+ultrasounds were
referred to the ones observed in reactors with SMW+0.02%+mixing but changes were more intense in the fi rst
reactor. The use of ultrasounds in pre-treatment of wastewater resulted in the intense appearance of palmitic acid
for 6 hours. Regardless of the emulsion formation method (mixing or ultrasounds), the concentration of oleic acid
and linoleic acid was reduced. The biggest changes in free fatty acids concentration were observed for palmitic,
oleic and linoleic acids after 24 hours.
In the paper, the authors investigate the assumptions concerning checking calculations of a sliding bearing with a floating ring. The adiabatic model of the bearing is used for the calculations. Particular design stages are depicted in the form of a structural chart. The proper work conditions of the bearing are formulated and discussed. For the presented calculation example, the authors have determined the area of feasible solutions. In the conclusion, the authors formulate suggestions that might be useful for the designers who deal with these types of bearings.
Fatty acids are very important biological substances due to their metabolic, structural and signal- ing functions. Omega-3 has different beneficial, harmful and neutral effects on adipokines. Adi- pokines have autocrine, paracrine and endocrine effects on metabolism. In the study 54 German Fawn x Hair crossbred goats were synchronized using intravaginal sponges. During the first pe- riod (mating-75 days), all animals were fed a diet supplemented with protected fat and during the second period of pregnancy (76 days-kidding), one of the groups was fed a diet supplemented with fish oil and other was fed a diet supplemented with protected fat. Serum leptin, ghrelin, adi- ponektin and omentin levels were measured by ELISA system. Distributed fed (roughage and concentrate) were sampled and dry matter, crude protein, fat, and ash were determined by AOAC (1988) analysis methods. The Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF) and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) analysis were conducted using heat stable α-amylase and sodium sulphite. Fat source (fish oil or protected fat) affected feed consumption and the highest feed consumption was found in the group fed with protected oil first half of the pregnancy and with fish oil in the second half of the pregnancy and in the fish oil group during the pregnancy. It was determined that the use of fish oil during pregnancy did not affect ghrelin, leptin and omentin concentrations in serum. Adipokine levels of fish oil fed animals during any period of pregnancy were found to be high and it was also found that serum adiponectin levels in goats fed with diet containing fish oil in the first half of pregnancy and protected fat in the second half were statistically significantly high in adipokines.
The aim of the study is to discuss the relationship of the crude oil price, speculative activity and fundamental factors. An empirical study was conducted with a VEC model. Two cointegrating vectors were identified. The first vector represents the speculative activity. We argue that the number of short non-commercial positions increases with the crude oil stock and price, decreases with the higher number of long non-commercial positions. A positive trend of crude oil prices may be a signal for traders outside the industry to invest in the oil market, especially as access to information could be limited for them. The second vector represents the crude oil price under the fundamental approach. The results support the hypothesis that the crude oil price is dependent on futures trading. The higher is a number of commercial long positions, the greater is the pressure on crude oil price to increase.
The possibilities of remote sensing techniques in the field of the Earth surface monitoring and protection specifically for the problems caused by petroleum contaminations, for the mapping of insufficiently plugged and abandoned old oil wells and for the analysis of onshore oil seeps are described. Explained is the methodology for analyzing and detection of potential hydrocarbon contaminations using the Earth observation in the area of interest in Slovakia (Korňa) and in Czech Republic (Nesyt), mainly building and calibrating the spectral library for oil seeps. The acquisition of the in-situ field data (ASD, Cropscan spectroradiometers) for this purpose, the successful building and verification of hydrocarbon spectral library, the application of hydrocarbon indexes and use of shift in red-edge part of electromagnetic spectra, the spectral analysis of input data are clarified in the paper. Described is approach which could innovate the routine methods for investigating the occurrence of hydrocarbons and can assist during the mapping and locating the potential oil seep sites. Important outcome is the successful establishment of a spectral library (database with calibration data) suitable for further application in data classification for identifying the occurrence of hydrocarbons.
New York Bay is one of the most important transition regions of ships trading to east America. The region plays an important role in the commerce of the New York metropolitan area. The area is surrounded with the coasts that have various levels of environmental sensitivity. The area accommodates high diversity of native ecosystems and species that are rather vulnerable in case of oil spill. Thus getting well informed about the likelihood, or fate, of oil spills around this region is of great importance so that proactive measures can be taken. The purpose of this study is to investigate the oil spill and predict the future accidents likely to be encountered around the Bay of New York. Two trajectory models have been conducted for the study. ADIOS (Automated Data Inquiry for Oil Spills), has been conducted for natural degradation calculations, and, GNOME (General NOAA Operational Modeling Environment), has been conducted for surface spread simulation. The results gained through these efforts are hoped to be useful for many organizations dealing with oil spill response operations and contribute to an effective and efficient coordination among the relevant institutions.
In this paper, the properties of AE signals originating from phenomena occurring during magnetization of ferromagnetic materials which are used to construct power transformer cores are presented. The AE signals in a selected power oil transformer were recorded and analyzed. The analysis included, i.e., time, frequency, and time-frequency analyses, calculations of amplitude distributions of the signals and defined AE descriptors, determination of the descriptor map on the side walls of transformers, as well as a detailed analysis of selected part of the signals.
The maps of descriptors were analyzed in the frequency bands of 20–70 kHz, 70–100 kHz, and 100–200 kHz. The analysis of the properties of the signals was performed in time and frequency domains. Based on the analysis, there were identified the AE signals originating from the phenomena occurring during the core magnetization of a power oil transformer. To identify those phenomena, the maps of the ADC descriptor calculated in the band of 20–70 kHz when selecting the measurement points in which there were no AE sources from partial discharges were used.
An analysis of magnetoacoustic emission signals in the bands of 70–100 kHz and 100–200 kHz was also performed. The analysis of the signal properties in such an extended frequency range allowed determining the properties of the magnetoacoustic signals coming from core sheets of power oil transformers.