Processes

Grape-based brandies are one of the most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. The most popular one, Cognac, comes from the Charentes region of Southwest France, and it is mostly produced from the grape variety ‘Ugni Blanc’. However, wines destined for the elaboration of wine spirits also come from different white grape varieties; ‘Colombard’, ‘Folle Blanche’, ‘Montils’, and ‘Semillon’. In this study, the possibility of using the red grape varieties ‘Cabernet Sauvignon’ and ‘Syrah’ was investigated with an emphasis on the change of volatile compounds during the production process. During production, some specific volatile compounds such as 2-hexenal, 3-octanone, isopropyl myristate, ethyl palmitate, ethyl oleate, phenethyl acetate, 1-hexanol, and β-damascenone could be attributed to the primary aroma generated from the grape varieties. During the vinification and fermentation process, the development of ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, 3-methylbutanol, acetic acid, and octanoic acid occurred. Finally, 3-methylbutanol and predominant esters, ethyl hexanoate, ethyl octanoate, ethyl decanoate, and ethyl laurate, were generated during the distillation and maturation process. The composition and concentration of determined predominant esters in produced brandies suggest that both brandies have volatile profiles comparable to some of the world’s most popular brandies. Full article

Globalization has created a highly competitive and diverse market, an uncertain and risky business environment, and changing customer expectations. An effective manufacturing strategy reduces complexity and provides organizations with a well-organized manufacturing structure. However, existing research on manufacturing strategies appears scattered, lacking systematic understanding and finding no causal relationship between manufacturing strategies’ outputs (MSOs) and their importance. Therefore, this study is a pioneer in identifying the influential factors of MSOs in the adoption of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies utilizing the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) approach. This method is considered an effective method for identifying the cause-effect relationship of complex problems. It evaluates interdependent relationships among MSO factors from the perspective of academic and industry experts. Identifying cause and effect factors leads to increasing the market’s competitiveness and prioritizing them. To deal with the vagueness of human beings’ perceptions, this study utilizes fuzzy set theory and the DEMATEL method to form a structural model. Results show that customer satisfaction, cost per unit produced, and the number of advanced features are the main factors influencing MSOs. Full article

Coalescence-induced droplet jumping on superhydrophobic surfaces with different initial positions was numerically simulated using the 2D multi-relaxation-time (MRT) Lattice Boltzmann method (LBM). Simulation results show that for coalesced droplets with radii close to the structure length scale, the change of initial droplet positions leads to a significant deviation of jumping velocity and direction. By finely tuning the initial droplet positions on a flat-pillared surface, perpendicular jumping, oblique jumping, and non-jumping are successively observed on the same structured surface. Droplet morphologies and vector diagrams at different moments are considered. It is revealed that the asymmetric droplet detachment from the structured surface leads to the directional transport of liquid mass in the droplet and further results in the oblique jumping of the coalesced droplet. In order to eliminate the influence of initial droplet position on droplet jumping probability, a surface with pointed micropillars is designed. It is demonstrated that compared to flat-topped micropillars, a surface with pointed micropillars can suppress the initial droplet position effects and enhance droplet jumping probability. Furthermore, the effect of droplet/structure scale on droplet jumping is investigated. The influence of initial positions on coalescence-induced droplet jumping from the refined surface can be ignored when the droplet scale is larger than three times the structure scale. This study illustrates the role of initial droplet position in coalescence-induced droplet jumping and provides guidelines for the rational design of structured surfaces with enhanced droplet self-shedding for energy and heat transfer applications. Full article

Background: Psoriasis is one of the most commonly recognized dermatological diseases, characterized by distinct structural changes, hyperproliferation and inflammation. The aim of the study was quantitative comparisons of psoriatic skin with skin without psoriatic lesions by non-invasive imaging methods. Methods: 71 patients diagnosed with psoriasis vulgaris underwent non-invasive imaging of skin at the site of the psoriatic lesion and at the site without such lesion. Skin density, epidermis thickness and subepidermal low-echogenic band (SLEB) thickness were measured by high-resolution ultrasound (HFU). Blood perfusion was assessed using laser speckle contrast analysis (LASCA) and skin temperature was measured by thermal imaging camera. Hyperspectral camera was used to obtain spectral reflectance profiles in psoriatic lesion and skin without psoriatic changes. Results: The greatest differences in skin density and epidermal thickness between psoriatic and unchanged skin were observed on the forearms. The skin covered with psoriatic plaques was 80% less dense, and the epidermis in this area was 121% thicker. The greatest thickness of SLEB was observed in the knee area (Me = 0.389 mm). Skin with psoriatic lesions is characterized by a higher temperature (Me = 33.6 vs. Me = 31) and blood perfusion than skin without psoriasis (Me = 98.76 vs. Me = 50.65). Skin without psoriasis shows lower reflectance than psoriatic lesion from 623 nm to 1000 nm; below this value, skin without psoriatic lesion shows higher reflectance. Conclusions: Skin density and epidermis thickness, skin blood perfusion, temperature and reflectance can be useful parameters for monitoring the course of psoriasis and its treatment, especially since the examination of psoriatic skin with proposed methods is non-invasive, quantitative and easy to perform in clinical conditions. Full article

The article investigated the flow of boiling streams through a nozzle with an oblique cut. Due to this flow organization, deviation from the nozzle axis at the vortex chamber inlet occurred. The study of flow modeling in the inlet section was carried out. The flow design and the calculation scheme of the vortex liquid–steam jet apparatus were proposed. Analytical expressions between the main operating parameters were obtained according to the developed mathematical model. A recommended oblique-cut angle for the active-flow nozzle was evaluated considering the transition through the first critical section based on the tangential velocity flow model. Validation of the mathematical model in the inlet section of the vortex chamber was provided based on the comparison with available experimental data. Flow visualization in the inlet section of the vortex chamber was obtained. The assumption of uneven flow distribution was confirmed experimentally. Overall, the boiling liquid flow was implemented in the active flow nozzle. The obtained scientific and practical results help to determine geometric parameters and physical characteristics of the vortex-type liquid–steam jet apparatus at the design stage. The obtained results were implemented to modernize vacuum units based on vortex type liquid–steam jet apparatuses. Full article

Carob syrup is one of the most important carob products, which can have applications in pastry and confectionery, as a fruit preservative, but also in the pharmaceutical field because of the antimicrobial activity due to its polyphenol content. Carob syrup is traditionally made through a very time-consuming process, involving solid–liquid extraction in boiling water and concentration at a high temperature (>100 °C), which potentially causes the degradation of the active compounds (i.e., procyanidins or flavonol glycosides). Therefore, in this work, an alternative and less drastic method based on ultrasound technology was proposed to produce carob syrup. Processing conditions (i.e., time, temperature, and liquid–solid ratio) influencing the extraction of total soluble solids (TSS) and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were optimized using a central composite design coupled to response surface methodology. Reliable mathematical models allowed us to predict the highest TSS (24 ± 2 °Brix) and TPC (1.7 ± 0.5 mg/mL) values that could be obtained at 15 min, 35 °C, and 2 mL/g. Finally, a different HPLC-DAD phenolic pattern was determined between syrups produced by traditional and ultrasound methods; epicatechin, 4-hydroxycoumaric acid, and ferulic acid were more concentrated in the former, while procyanidin B₂, myricitrin, and quercitrin were prevalent in the latter one. Full article

Spices are known to have various physiological functions. We focused on the anti-glycation effects of spices, researched anti-glycation active ingredients in coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds, and conducted experiments using human skin-derived fibroblast TIG-110 cells as a model of glycation. We isolated 11 compounds from two spice seeds and found several substances that showed anti-glycation activity. A new compound (5,5′-diallyl-2,2′-diglucopyranosyl-3,3′-dimethoxy diphenyl ether) was isolated from fennel seeds and showed high anti-glycation activity with an IC50 value of 0.08 mM, thereby indicating a high anti-glycosylation activity. In this study, we established a glyoxal (GO)-induced glycation test method for human skin cells, confirmed the anti-glycation effect of spice seeds using this glycation induction model, and found that the exposure of TIG-110 human skin-derived fibroblast cells to GO reduced cell viability. The most stable conditions for cell viability were found to be a GO concentration of 1.25 mM and a culture time of 48 h. We evaluated extracts and isolates of spice seeds using this model as a model test for glycation induction. We conducted qualitative and quantitative analyses of carboxymethyl lysine (CML), a type of AGE, to determine the relationship between cell viability and AGEs. The relationship between cell viability and the amount of CML was correlated. Establishing a glycation induction model test using skin cells makes it possible to quickly screen extracts of natural ingredients in the future. Moreover, the results of this model showed that extracts of two spice seeds and their isolates have high anti-glycation activity, and they are expected to be used as cosmetics, health foods, and pharmaceutical ingredients. Full article

Employees are the most important and dynamic elements in the railway transportation system. How to achieve accurate control of inertial violation of “key person, key matter, key period”, and formulate more personalized risk response strategy is a thorny problem that faced by safety managers. The existing risk response usually takes control measures from the perspective of the system as a whole, ignoring the heterogeneity of risk, and the selection of response strategies only considers the target risks to be dealt with, ignoring the secondary risks that may occur in the process of risk response, or the residual risks formed by changing the existing risk, coupled with the lack of quantitative evaluation of risk response effect, resulting in poor risk response effect. By introducing the grid theory and taking the risk event of “the assistant watchman does not appear as required” at Huangyangcheng station of Shenshuo Railway as an example, this study constructs a grid response model of the assistant watchman risk events based on system dynamics. Through the grid division, the model accurately locates and classifies the assistant watchman on duty. Then, during the system dynamics simulation process, the hazard factor is regarded as a bridge, and the traditional virtual boundary of system simulation is transformed into accurate grid definition. By improving the response strategy of safety behavior risk event of the assistant watchman on duty in cell grid and using Vensim-PLE software for personalized simulation, the intervention of “the assistant watchman does not appear as required” risk event is transformed from qualitative analysis to dynamic quantitative mathematical model, so as to realize the personalized response simulation analysis of employees in the grid. Full article

China is taking initiative in energy transition to cope with the long-term controversy of its enormous energy consumption, aiming to use less carbon. Wind power, especially offshore wind energy, has become a prevailing alternative due to its low carbon emissions, renewability, competitiveness, and operation security. The layout of a transmission channel is a key consideration in marine project implementation. This paper investigates the technical characteristics, application status, and viable advantages of a conventional AC transmission, voltage source converter-based high-voltage direct current (VSC-HVDC) transmission, gas-insulated line (GIL) transmission, and hybrid HVDC transmission. A component-resolved evaluation model was proposed to estimate the costs to be incurred of four electrical transmission options for offshore wind power along the coast of Eastern China, with technical feasibility and economical considerations. Cost comparisons and component sensitivity analyses were developed with different transmission distances and capacities. Results suggest HVAC transmission and VSC-HVDC are the preferable solutions for present offshore wind farm development in Eastern China, and the economic potential of the hybrid HVDC makes it feasible for future deployment. Some conclusions can be applied in disparate regions across the globe. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a complex Bacillus subtilis additive on the fermentation quality and bacterial community during the ensiling process of whole-plant corn silage (WPCS). The pH values of WPCS treated with the B. subtilis inoculant decreased faster than those of the control without inoculant, and significantly higher contents of lactic acid (LA) and acetic acid (AA) were observed. After 45 days of ensiling, the LA contents reached 7.95% (w/w). In the treatment group, the neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents decreased significantly compared to the control, and the degradation rates of the NDF and ADF were 26.52% and 27.34% after 45 days, respectively. The deoxynivalenol (DON) content in the treatment group decreased to 205.67 μg/kg, which was significantly lower than the content of 382.51 μg/kg in the control group. The results indicated the positive effect of the B. subtilis inoculant in improving WPCS fermentation, especially in terms of degrading linocellulose and removing DON. The analysis of the bacterial community indicated that the B. subtilis inoculant resulted in an increased abundance of Lactobacillus, which contributed to the enhancement of LA production. The increased abundance of Bacillus possibly played a role in the degradation of NDF and ADF and the reduction in DON. Therefore, the complex B. subtilis additive could be used for the production of high-quality WPCS. Full article

The Lamm–Honigmann energy storage is a sorption-based storage that can be arbitrarily charged and discharged with both heat and electrical power. The mechanical charging and discharging processes of this storage are characterized by an internal heat transfer between the main components, absorber/desorber and evaporator/condenser, that is driven by the working-fluid mass transferred between those components with the help of an expansion or compression device, respectively. In this paper, thermal operation maps for the mechanical charging and discharging processes are developed from energy balances in order to predict power output and storage efficiency depending on the system state, which, in particular, is defined by the mass flow rate of vapor and the salt mass fraction of the absorbent. The conducted method is applied for the working-fluid pair LiBr/H${}_2$O. In a first step, a thermal efficiency is defined to account for second-order losses due to the internal heat transfer; e.g., for discharging from a salt mass fraction of $0.7$ to one of $0.5$ (kg LiBr)/(kg sol.) at a temperature of 130 °C, it is found that the reversible shaft work output is reduced by 1.1–2.9%/(K driving temperature difference). For lower operating temperatures, the reduction is larger; e.g., at 80 °C, the efficiency loss due to heat transfer rises to $3.5$%/K for a salt mass fraction of $0.5$ (kg LiBr)/(kg sol.). In a second step, a quasi-stationary assumption leads to the thermal operation map from which the discharging characteristics can be found; e.g., at an operating temperature of 130 °C for a constant power output of $0.4$ kW/m${}^2$ heat exchanger area at volumetric and inner machine efficiencies of ${\eta }_i={\eta }_{vol}=0.8$ and for an overall heat-transfer coefficient of 1500 W/(K m${}^2$), the mass flow rate has to rise continuously from $1.5$ to $4.2$ g/(s m${}^2$), while the thermal efficiency is reduced from 97% to 83% due to this rise and due to the dilution of the sorbent. For this discharging scenario, the corresponding discharge time is 4.4 (min·m${}^2$)/(kg salt). This results in an exergetic storage density of around 29 Wh/(kg salt mass). For a charge-to-discharge ratio of 2 (charging times equals two times discharging time) and with the same heat-transfer characteristic and machine efficiencies for constant power charging with adiabatic compression, the system is charged at around $0.75$ kW/m${}^2$, resulting in a round-trip efficiency of around 27%. Besides those predictions for arbitrary charging and discharging scenarios, the derived thermal maps are especially useful for the dimensioning of the storage system and for the development of control strategies. It has to be noted that the operation maps do not illustrate the transient behavior of the system but its quasi-stationary state. However, it is shown, mathematically, that the system tends to return to this state when disturbed. Full article

An experimental investigation was conducted to examine, for the first time, the influences of using different designs of tube arrangements on the local heat transfer coefficient (LHTC) in a bubble column (with a diameter of 0.13 m) equipped densely with a bundle of tubes. The effect of using two different designs of tube arrangements has been examined for a broad range of gas flow rates using a sophisticated heat transfer technique. The obtained results indicate that the LHTC increases significantly with increasing the gas velocity, regardless of the design and installation of the tubes in the column. Additionally, the shape of the LHTC’s profiles alters considerably by the presence of a bundle of tubes and their arrangements. Moreover, the results indicate that the square tube pitch arrangement provides uniform heat transfer profiles, which enhance the performance of the bubble column reactor by 30%. Furthermore, the heat transfer profiles were found to be varied with the axial height of the column. The new experimental results obtained in this investigation will provide experimental reference data for creating and validating a mathematical model for predicting LHTCs. In addition, this will facilitate this kind of reactor’s design, scale-up, and operation. Full article

Preferential solute transport is a common phenomenon in soil, and it is of great significance to accurately describe the mechanism of pollutant transport and water and soil environmental governance. However, the description of preferential solutes still relies on applying solute breakthrough curves for model parameters fitting. At present, most of the solute breakthrough curves are obtained indoors, and with some limitations. Therefore, this study established a method for securing solute breakthrough curves based on the electrical resistivity method. The research results show that the change in soil concentration during the tracer infiltration process can be captured by establishing the fitting relationship between soil resistivity and solute concentration. Then the solute breakthrough curve can be found. Through a time moment analysis, the difference between the breakthrough curve parameters obtained by the traditional method and the resistivity method is slight; the average error is less than 10%. On this basis, the sensitive response of the parameters of the “mobile–immobile” model to concentration was elucidated through different concentration tracer experiments, among which β and D are more sensitive, and w is less sensitive. The suitable tracer concentration range should be 50–120 mg/L. Therefore, the established method could obtain the breakthrough curves and describe the transport of preferential solutes at the field scale. Full article

Peat has attracted considerable interest as a potential source of alternative fuel in terms of improving hydrocarbons production and satisfying market demand. The next decade is likely to witness a raise in its exploitation. Nevertheless, the characteristics of peat pyrolysis process, via which many experts expect a considerable generation of hydrocarbons, have not been dealt with in depth. In the present study we have applied thermal analysis combined with isoconversional and model methods for clarifying the kinetic and thermodynamic aspects of the process of generating hydrocarbons from peat via pyrolysis in the absence and presence of iron tallates as a catalytic agent. The obtained results showed a positive effect of the opted catalyst on the process of peat pyrolysis. It has been shown that the catalyst is able to reduce the energy of activation of peat pyrolysis process. Moreover, the Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy of complex formation values have been found lower in the presence of iron tallates for all the applied isoconversional methods (Friedman and KAS). The evidence from the present study points toward the beneficial effect generated from the utilization of iron tallates in the processes of hydrocarbons generation from peat for improving energy production in the future. Full article

The iron bath gasifier studied in this paper is a new type of reactor for handling organic solid waste, in which the complex transport phenomena comprising high temperature, the multiphase flow, mixing, and chemical reaction takes place. It is of great significance to study the melt’s flow and mass transfer behavior in this reactor. The influence of different process parameters on the mixing behavior of the molten pool was studied by the water modeling experiment and numerical simulation method. The experimental results show that the height of the water phase has a highly significant effect on the mixing time of the molten pool, followed by the horizontal angle of the side gun and the bottom blowing flow rate. As the height of the water increases, the mixing time decreases. When the horizontal angle of side lances increases, the mixing time decreases. With the increase in the flow rate of the bottom lance, the mixing time decreases. The results obtained by numerical simulation were compared with the experimental results to determine the reliability of the mathematical model for future optimization of the process parameters by numerical simulation. These studies are helpful for optimizing the design of the reactor and improving the process parameters. Full article

Increasing demands on mobility and transport, but limited space above ground, lead to new traffic routes being built, even more underground in the form of tunnels. In addition to improving the traffic situation, tunnels offer the possibility of contributing to climate-friendly heating by indirectly serving as geothermal power plants. In this study, the geothermal potential of the future longest railway tunnel in the world, the Brenner Base Tunnel, was evaluated. At the Brenner Base Tunnel, warm water naturally flows from the apex of the tunnel towards the city of Innsbruck, Austria. In order to estimate its geothermal potential, hydrological data of discharge rates and temperatures were investigated and analyzed. The investigations indicated the highest geothermal potential in the summertime, while the lowest occurs during winter. It could be shown that these variations were a result of cooling during discharge through areas of low overburden (mid mountain range), where the tunnel atmosphere is increasingly influenced by the air temperatures outside the tunnel. Nevertheless, the calculations showed that there will be a usable potential after completion of the tunnel. Full article

This research introduces the analysis of fluoxetine and sertraline by means of the TLC-densitometric method. They provide information on LOD and LOQ under various chromatographic conditions. The study used adsorption (NPTLC) and partition (RPTLC) thin-layer chromatography in combination with a densitometric analysis. Four types of chromatographic plates precoated with: silica gel 60 F₂₅₄, silica gel 60, silanized silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ (RP-2), and a mixture of silica gel 60 and kieselguhr F₂₅₄, as well as three mobile phases: chloroform + methanol + ammonia (9:1:0.4, v/v/v), chloroform + methanol + glacial acetic acid (5:4:1, v/v/v), and acetone + toluene + ammonia (10:9:1, v/v/v), were used in NPTLC. RP-18F₂₅₄ and silanized silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ (RP-2) plates and four mobile phases: methanol + water (10:0 and 9:1, v/v), acetone + water (10:0 and 9:1, v/v), were used in RPTLC. The lowest LOD and LOQ values for fluoxetine were obtained using a silanized silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ (RP-2) with acetone + toluene + ammonia (10:9:1, v/v/v) in NPTLC, and with a silanized silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ (RP-2) in combination with methanol + water (10:0, v/v) in RPTLC. The lowest LOD and LOQ values of sertraline were obtained using a silica gel 60 with acetone + toluene + ammonia (10:9:1; v/v/v) in NPTLC. The smallest amount of sertraline was detected on the silanized silica gel 60 F₂₅₄ plate in combination with methanol + water (9:1, v/v) in RPTLC. The obtained results provide important information that can give a good basis and set the direction for further, more detailed research; the results can also benefit other researchers who analyze fluoxetine and sertraline with the TLC technique in model systems (testing standards) as well as in drug and biological samples. Full article

The integration of insect-derived extracts in feed and food products has become a field of growing interest in recent years. In this review, we collect different studies carried out on edible insects’ transformation processes and focus on the various treatment operations, extraction technologies, and solvents used in different processing steps. We include an overview of current insights into the different steps of the transformation process: insect reception, killing methods, pretreatments, storage, delipidation, protein extraction, as well as chitin and chitosan extraction. Finally, we reflect on the most important future challenges of this sector. Full article