Nova Scotia has over 100 commercial greenhouses covering an area of 186,245 square meters. Heating costs have become the largest energy expenditure in greenhouses mainly due to increasing fuel prices and the use of imported fuel oils. Increasing fuel prices combined with a growing desire to stabilize energy supply has led to a renewed interest in alternative fuel options for greenhouse heating. Agricultural or herbaceous biomass has the potential to become a sustainable and cost effective heating option for the greenhouse industry. Although high inorganic content create challenges during the combustion of herbaceous biomass, these crops create an opportunity if sufficient land mass is available for greenhouse growers to meet their own fuel needs. This research will review energy use and operational practices in the greenhouse industry to identify energy saving opportunities. This study will further investigate biomass feedstocks, processing and combustion technologies suitable for heating greenhouse industry in Nova Scotia.

Med ett energikombinat vid Lillesjöverket vill Uddevalla Energi energieffektivisera samt sänka temperatur på återkommande fjärrvärmevatten, för att kunna utnyttja rökgaskondensorn effektivare. Uppdraget var att utreda mängden tillgänglig energi under sommarhalvåret och utföra en matematisk kalkyl som ska ligga till grund för val av tork. Valet stod mellan två alternativ av tork där storlek på värmeväxlararea och investeringskostnad skilde dem åt. Sedan följde dimensionering av fjärrvärmeledning samt cirkulationspump från fjärrvärmenätet till tork. Syftet var att ge Uddevalla Energi ett tekniskt beslutsunderlag för val av storlek på tork samt dimensionering av energiöverföring till densamma. Som metod användes flera olika beräkningsmodeller vid kalkylering av resultaten. Vid jämförelse mellan de två torkalternativen visade det sig att med en ökad investeringskostnad med 2,18 %, för en större värmeväxlararea i tork, ökade mängden energi som fanns tillgänglig till tork under sommarhalvåret med 16,7 %. Detta medförde att kostnaderna för tillskjuten energi sänktes med 65,9 % för att Uddevalla Energi skulle nå sitt mål på 60 GWh. För att nå målet krävdes enligt kalkyl en installation av torkalternativ 2 samt en sänkning av antalet dagar då verket står still på grund av underhåll. / With an energy combine at Lillesjöverket, Uddevalla Energi wants to improve energy efficiency and lower the temperature of the returning district heating water in order to utilize the flue gas condenser more effectively. The assignment was to investigate the availability of power during the summer months and perform a mathematical calculation that will form the basis for the selection of dryer. The selection stood between two options of dryer where the size of the heat exchanger area and investment costs separated them. Also performed were sizing of the district heating water pipeline and the circulation pump from the district heating water network to the dryer. The purpose was to present Uddevalla Energi with a technical basis for selection of the size of the dryer and sizing of energy transfer to the dryer. As method several different calculations were used when calculating the results. When comparing the two options, it turned out that with an increased investment cost of 2.18%, for a larger heat exchange area in the dryer, the amount of energy available to the dryer during the summer months increased by 16.7%. This meant that the cost for energy contributed, for Uddevalla Energi to achieve their goal of 60 GWh, is reduced by 65.9%. To achieve their goal it was required by calculations to install dryer option number two and a reduction in the number of days in which the work is at a standstill due to maintenance.

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Florestal, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Florestais, 2015. / Submitted by Fernanda Percia França (fernandafranca@bce.unb.br) on 2016-06-06T18:02:25Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_LaurentRogerMarieQuéno.pdf: 3826979 bytes, checksum: 6db82beddc7b3b843b62803997939045 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Guimaraes Jacqueline(jacqueline.guimaraes@bce.unb.br) on 2016-06-15T13:08:46Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_LaurentRogerMarieQuéno.pdf: 3826979 bytes, checksum: 6db82beddc7b3b843b62803997939045 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-15T13:08:46Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2015_LaurentRogerMarieQuéno.pdf: 3826979 bytes, checksum: 6db82beddc7b3b843b62803997939045 (MD5) / Este trabalho trata da produção de pellets de madeira no Brasil: a estratégia das empresas produtoras, o custo de produção e o risco do investimento. Foram entrevistadas nove fábricas localizadas na Região Sul do país: 43 % dessa produção são exportadas, o que representa 23.000 toneladas por ano. As empresas brasileiras produtoras são geralmente de pequeno a médio porte (1200 a 25.000 toneladas por ano) e são focalizadas na transformação da maravalha de Pinus que é um resíduo da indústria madeireira com preço acessível e de fácil pelletização. Dois fatores principais favorecem o crescimento recente da produção brasileira: no mercado interno, a competitividade comparada a outras fontes de energia, e no mercado de exportação, o cambio favorável. O custo de produção foi estimado a 340 R$/t sem a tributação. O custo da matéria-prima maravalha representa 50% desse custo e a energia 15%. O meio de baixar esse custo seria de pelletizar a serragem úmida que é uma matéria-prima abundante e mais barata. Também favorecer a venda do pellet a granel porque evitaria a etapa cara e não ecológica do ensacamento. O risco financeiro foi estimado por meio da Simulação de Monte Carlo (MCS). Para uma fábrica vendendo metade da sua produção no mercado interno e a outra metade no mercado externo, o VPL tem 42,2% de chance de ser negativo e a TIR possui 36 % de chance de ser inferior à taxa mínima de atratividade que foi considerada de 14,15% a.a. As elasticidades em relação ao VPL e a TIR das variáveis formando o custo de produção foram estimadas. This paper deals with the wood pellets production in Brazil: the strategy of the producers, the production costs and the investment risk. Nine plants were interviewed located in the southern region of the country: 43% of production is exported, representing 23,000 tons per year. Brazilian producers companies are generally small to medium sized (1200 to 25,000 tons per year) and are focused on the transformation of pine wood shavings which is a residue from the timber industry with affordable and easy pelletização. Two main factors further the recent growth of Brazilian production: in the internal market, the competitiveness compared to other energy sources, and in the export market, the advantageous exchange. The cost of production was estimated at 340 R$.t-1 without taxation. The cost of the raw material shavings represents 50% of this cost and energy 15%. The way to lower this cost would be pelletize wet sawdust which is a raw material abundant and cheaper. Also promote the sale of the bulk pellet because it would avoid the expensive and not environmentally friendly step of bagging. The financial risk was estimated using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). For a factory selling half of its production on the domestic market and the other half in foreign markets, the NAV has 42.2% chance of being negative and the IRR has 36% chance of being below the minimum rate of attractiveness that was considered of 14.15% pa. The elasticity in relation to the NPV and the IRR of the variables forming the cost of production were estimated. / This paper deals with the wood pellets production in Brazil: the strategy of the producers, the production costs and the investment risk. Nine plants were interviewed located in the southern region of the country: 43% of production is exported, representing 23,000 tons per year. Brazilian producers companies are generally small to medium sized (1200 to 25,000 tons per year) and are focused on the transformation of pine wood shavings which is a residue from the timber industry with affordable and easy pelletização. Two main factors further the recent growth of Brazilian production: in the internal market, the competitiveness compared to other energy sources, and in the export market, the advantageous exchange. The cost of production was estimated at 340 R$.t-1 without taxation. The cost of the raw material shavings represents 50% of this cost and energy 15%. The way to lower this cost would be pelletize wet sawdust which is a raw material abundant and cheaper. Also promote the sale of the bulk pellet because it would avoid the expensive and not environmentally friendly step of bagging. The financial risk was estimated using the Monte Carlo simulation (MCS). For a factory selling half of its production on the domestic market and the other half in foreign markets, the NAV has 42.2% chance of being negative and the IRR has 36% chance of being below the minimum rate of attractiveness that was considered of 14.15% pa. The elasticity in relation to the NPV and the IRR of the variables forming the cost of production were estimated.

Le développement de nouvelles formes galéniques nécessite la mise au point de protocoles avec variation d’un ensemble de paramètres jouant sur les caractéristiques du dispositif. Au niveau industriel, cela représente une perte importante de temps et d’argent. Avec le développement d’outils permettant la caractérisation des systèmes et à fortiori des mécanismes impliqués dans la libération du principe actif, l’application des modèles mathématiques se voit être de plus en plus grande permettant de prédire la sortie du principe actif hors de son système. L’un des objectifs de ce travail a été de développer un modèle mathématique mécanique réaliste permettant de quantifier la libération de vitamines à partir de matrice lipidique. Deux techniques différentes de formulation : la compression directe et une suite d’extrusion en phase chauffante/ broyage/ compression directe ont permis la préparation de comprimés à base de Compritol 888 (glyceryl dibehenate NF). L’acide nicotinique a été utilisé comme principe actif modèle hautement soluble dans le milieu environnant. Des études de dissolution ont montrée une libération plus accrue pour des comprimés ayant une charge initiale en vitamine plus importante, cela liée à une augmentation de la porosité de la matrice avec l’épuisement graduel de la vitamine. Concernant la technique de préparation, un taux de sortie beaucoup plus faible dans le cas des comprimés préparés par extrusion en phase chauffante préalable, est mesuré, dû à un emprisonnement de la vitamine par la matrice fondue. A partir de ces observations et des connaissances sur les matrices lipidiques, un modèle basé sur les lois de diffusion de Fick et sur la considération de la coexistence d’une partie du principe actif sous forme dissoute ou non dissoute a été élaboré. Ce modèle permet la prédiction de la quantité de vitamine libérée au cours du temps en fonction de l’impact de la composition, de la technique de préparation et de la taille du système. Ces simulations in-silico sont d’une grande aide pour permettre d’accélérer la production de comprimés à base de Compritol 888. Dans le cas de systèmes multiparticulaires, et encore plus dans le cas de formes enrobées, des modèles mathématiques peuvent également être établis mais montrent une complexité plus grande, notamment due à la membrane polymérique. Dans cette optique, le développement de nouveaux outils pour caractériser les systèmes est primordial. Dernièrement la technologie Terahertz voit son potentiel comme nouvel outil dans la caractérisation de systèmes enrobés croissant. Son emploi dans la détection de différence de taille et d’uniformité de films polymériques d’enrobage pour des systèmes multicouches a été réalisé sur des granules de tailles conventionnelles (1mm de diamètre). Un premier enrobage de metoprolol succinate a été réalisé sur des noyaux de sucre, suivi d’un enrobage permettant le contrôle de la fuite du principe actif à base d’un mélange de Kollicoat SR :Kollicoat IR. Des granules avec différentes tailles d’enrobage ont été étudiées par Terahertz. Une taille homogène de la couche de principe actif pulvérisée a été montré dans tous les types de pellets ; alors qu’une taille croissante de l’enrobage polymérique 46 µm, 71 µm et 114 µm a pu être appréhendée. Ces résultats, mis en corrélation avec les méthodes de dissolution traditionnelles, permettront le développement d’une formule prédisant les cinétiques de libération à partir de la lecture non destructive de l’épaisseur d’enrobage par Térahertz.[...] / Development of new galenic devices needs series experiments with variation of number parameters. For industrial, it’s a lost in time and money. Food and Drug Administration initiated since several years, Process Analytical Technology (PAT) as a tool to analyze and control pharmaceutical process. These tools can be helpful to determine drug release mechanism and allow application of mathematical model to predict drug release kinetics. One objective of this work is to develop a mechanistically realistic mathematical model allowing for the quantification of vitamin release from Compritol 888 (glyceryl dibehenate NF)-based matrix tablets, prepared either by direct compression or via hot-melt extrusion/grinding/compression. Nicotinic acid has been used as highly soluble drug in surrounding medium. Dissolution studies show vitamin release rates increased with increasing initial niacin content, due to the increased matrix porosity upon vitamin depletion. In all cases, niacin release from tablets prepared via hot-melt extrusion was slower than from tablets prepared by direct compression, due to more intense embedding of the vitamin within the lipid. Importantly, a numerical model based on Fick’s law of diffusion and considering the co-existence of dissolved and non-dissolved vitamin could successfully be used to quantify vitamin release from both types of tablets, irrespective of the initial niacin loading and tablet size. In-silico simulations can be very helpful to accelerate product optimization of Compritol 888-based matrices, saving development time and costs. For multiparticulates systems, and more again for coated forms, mathematical models are more complexes. In this goal, development of new tools to characterize devices is primordial. Technology Terahertz offers an interesting potential. This technique can be used to detect difference in size and uniformity for polymeric film from multilayer pellets of 1 mm diameter. Pellets consisting of a sugar starter core and a metoprolol succinate layer were coated with a Kollicoat® SR: Kollicoat® IR polymer blend. Pellets with several coating thickness are studied. No drug layer thickness difference between batches was observed, and the average coating thicknesses were 46 µm, 71 µm and 114 µm, for the different batches. Terahertz results compared with experimental data from dissolution methods, allow predicting coating thickness results correlated with the subsequent drug release behavior. Multiparticulates systems have important interest: they allow avoiding “dose dumping”. Dose dumping is described as an unintended, rapid drug release in a short period of time of the entire amount or a significant fraction of the drug contained in a modified release dosage form (Meyer, 2005). This phenomenon can be observed in the case of ethylcellulose-based devices in presence with ethanol rich-media. Recently, ethylcellulose:guar gum blend have been reported to provide ethanol-resistant drug release kinetics from coated dosage forms. Theophylline matrix pellets were coated with ethylcellulose: guar gum blends. These granules show no change in drug release profiles upon contact with medium containing 40% of ethanol (v/v). This is because the ethanol insoluble guar gum effectively avoids undesired ethylcellulose dissolution in ethanol-rich bulk fluids. However, so far the importance of crucial formulation parameters, including the minimum amount of guar gum to be incorporated and the minimum required guar gum viscosity, remains unclear. It was found that more than 5% guar gum (referred to the total polymer content) must be incorporated in the film coating and that the apparent viscosity of a 1% aqueous guar gum solution must be greater than 150 cPs to provide ethanol-resistance. [...]

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:29:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:01:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 00989.pdf: 3605420 bytes, checksum: fc7daacfff2c91815a46f3ab15dec4a8 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:32:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:54:37Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:07:21Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Storage and handling of bulk materials in a system of silos and conveyors requires a set-up that can regulate the flow of material, a system used within LKAB is a type of vibratory feeder. These are heavily loaded resulting in continuous wear, shock and vibration. Problems that often arise are fatigue, extensive abrasion as well as bearing-failures and damaged fittings. The aim of this project was to develop the next generation feeder with focus on safety, availability and maintainability. A new design has been developed with respect to these goals and clear improvement opportunities have been presented. Through a needs analysis with study visits as well as examination and operation of the feeder systems, areas of improvement have been identied. A requirement specication has been developed to clarify the target values for the new solution and thus accommodate the needs. The developed solution maintains flow characteristics from existing systems and results in a weight loss of over 1200 kg as well as more efficient maintenance procedures.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:29:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:01:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 00989.pdf: 3605420 bytes, checksum: fc7daacfff2c91815a46f3ab15dec4a8 (MD5) / Dissertacao (Mestrado) / IPEN/D / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN/CNEN-SP

Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T12:32:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / Made available in DSpace on 2014-10-09T14:06:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 / O óxido de alumínio foi um dos primeiros compostos investigados, com vista a detectar e medir a radiação por meio da termoluminescência (TL). Comumente referido como \"alumina\", o óxido de alumínio tem características interessantes para o desenvolvimento de materiais para a dosimetria. Seu número atômico efetivo é intermediário entre o do osso e do tecido mole do corpo. Pode ser transformado em material termoluminescente pela inserção de elementos químicos em sua estrutura cristalina. Além da TL, a alumina pode apresentar luminescência opticamente estimulada (OSL), fenômeno que também pode ser usado para determinar a dose de radiação. Neste estudo, dois métodos foram investigados para inserir íons metálicos na alumina. O primeiro método foi baseado na capacidade de adsorção da alumina e o segundo denominado método da coprecipitação foi baseado na formação simultânea de compostos insolúveis. As amostras obtidas por adsorção de íons Cu2+ e Mn2+ não mostraram resultados satisfatórios. No entanto, as pastilhas de óxido de alumínio impurificado com Tm3+ via coprecipitação mostraram sinais de TL e OSL. Foi verificado também que a alumina eletrofundida disponível comercialmente é um material que apresenta resposta TL e OSL. Este material que contém diversos íons metálicos em sua estrutura foi transformado em pastilhas por sinterização com vidro. As curvas da resposta TL em função da temperatura e da resposta TL e OSL em função da dose foram determinadas. Os resultados obtidos indicam que estudos mais aprofundados das pastilhas desenvolvidas podem melhorar suas características para que sejam aplicadas em dosimetria. / Tese (Doutoramento) / IPEN/T / Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares - IPEN-CNEN/SP