The utilisation of waste process grease (WPG) as feedstock for biodiesel production was investigated in this study. WPG is a lubrication oil used in the metalworking industry and is considered a hazardous waste material. WPG contains vegetable oil and animal fat which are used as base oils in the lubricant formulation. Three different production routes were followed to produce biodiesel using WPG as feedstock. The first production route involved the conventional two-step production process comprising the acid esterification of the free fatty acids, followed by alkaline transesterification. The second production route involved the extraction of free fatty acids in the WPG by means of liquid-liquid extraction and the production of biodiesel from the extracted free fatty acids through acid esterification. The produced biodiesel was purified by means of chromatography. A third process route was the saponification of the WPG using aqueous sodium hydroxide followed by acidulation with hydrochloric acid. The resulting acid oil was purified by means of column chromatography, using a hydrophobic resin as the stationary phase prior to esterification through acid catalysis to produce biodiesel. The crude biodiesel was purified using column chromatography with silica gel as stationary phase. The optimum reaction conditions for the reduction of the free fatty acid content of WPG in route 1 to 0.5% were a methanol to oil ratio of 8:1 and a reaction temperature of 65 °C with a catalyst loading of 4 wt%. Acetonitrile was found to be the most effective extraction solvent for the reduction of sulphur compounds in the free fatty acid feedstock in route 2. A reverse phase chromatographic system with a hydrophobic stationary phase and methanol as the mobile phase was found to be an effective system to reduce the sulphur to below 10 ppm as specified by the SANS 1935 biodiesel standard in route 3. Both the conventional two-step process (route 1) and the liquid-liquid extraction process (route 2) were found not to be suitable for the production of biodiesel from WPG as the sulphur content of the produced biodiesel for routes 1 and 2 was 8 141 ppm and 4 888 ppm, respectively. The sulphur content of the produced biodiesel following route 3 was 9 ppm. The latter approach reduced the sulphur content of the biodiesel to acceptable levels that conform to the SANS 1935 standard to be used in a B10 biodiesel blend. A biodiesel yield of 45%, calculated as the mass of biodiesel produced as a percentage of the total mass of dried WPG used, was achieved with route 3. The biodiesel conformed to most of the specifications in the SANS1935 standard for biodiesel. The presence of a relatively high concentration of saturated fatty acids reflected in the higher cetane number of 74.7, the high cold filter plugging point of +10 and the oxidative stability of > 6 hours. A comparative cost analysis for route 3 indicated that the production cost of biodiesel, compared to the cost of petroleum diesel is marginally higher at the current Brent crude oil price of $102.41 per barrel. The production of biodiesel from WPG will be economically viable once the crude oil price has risen to about $113 per barrel. / Thesis (PhD (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

The utilisation of waste process grease (WPG) as feedstock for biodiesel production was investigated in this study. WPG is a lubrication oil used in the metalworking industry and is considered a hazardous waste material. WPG contains vegetable oil and animal fat which are used as base oils in the lubricant formulation. Three different production routes were followed to produce biodiesel using WPG as feedstock. The first production route involved the conventional two-step production process comprising the acid esterification of the free fatty acids, followed by alkaline transesterification. The second production route involved the extraction of free fatty acids in the WPG by means of liquid-liquid extraction and the production of biodiesel from the extracted free fatty acids through acid esterification. The produced biodiesel was purified by means of chromatography. A third process route was the saponification of the WPG using aqueous sodium hydroxide followed by acidulation with hydrochloric acid. The resulting acid oil was purified by means of column chromatography, using a hydrophobic resin as the stationary phase prior to esterification through acid catalysis to produce biodiesel. The crude biodiesel was purified using column chromatography with silica gel as stationary phase. The optimum reaction conditions for the reduction of the free fatty acid content of WPG in route 1 to 0.5% were a methanol to oil ratio of 8:1 and a reaction temperature of 65 °C with a catalyst loading of 4 wt%. Acetonitrile was found to be the most effective extraction solvent for the reduction of sulphur compounds in the free fatty acid feedstock in route 2. A reverse phase chromatographic system with a hydrophobic stationary phase and methanol as the mobile phase was found to be an effective system to reduce the sulphur to below 10 ppm as specified by the SANS 1935 biodiesel standard in route 3. Both the conventional two-step process (route 1) and the liquid-liquid extraction process (route 2) were found not to be suitable for the production of biodiesel from WPG as the sulphur content of the produced biodiesel for routes 1 and 2 was 8 141 ppm and 4 888 ppm, respectively. The sulphur content of the produced biodiesel following route 3 was 9 ppm. The latter approach reduced the sulphur content of the biodiesel to acceptable levels that conform to the SANS 1935 standard to be used in a B10 biodiesel blend. A biodiesel yield of 45%, calculated as the mass of biodiesel produced as a percentage of the total mass of dried WPG used, was achieved with route 3. The biodiesel conformed to most of the specifications in the SANS1935 standard for biodiesel. The presence of a relatively high concentration of saturated fatty acids reflected in the higher cetane number of 74.7, the high cold filter plugging point of +10 and the oxidative stability of > 6 hours. A comparative cost analysis for route 3 indicated that the production cost of biodiesel, compared to the cost of petroleum diesel is marginally higher at the current Brent crude oil price of $102.41 per barrel. The production of biodiesel from WPG will be economically viable once the crude oil price has risen to about $113 per barrel. / Thesis (PhD (Chemical Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Over 18 billion barrels of waste fluids are generated annually from oil and gas production in the United States. As a large amount of water is used for oilfield operations, treating and reusing produced water can cut the consumption of fresh water in well sites. This research has helped to develop a membrane process train for a mobile produced water treatment unit for treating oilfield produced brine for reuse. To design the process train, over 30 sets of combination tests at pilot laboratory scale were performed using pretreatment, microfiltration and nanofiltration processes. Membrane performance was selected based on high flux separation efficiency, high tolerance for solids and fluid treatments. Over 95 % solids rejection and greater than 80 % oil removal efficiency were obtained in all these tests. Process train (pre-treatment and membrane) performance was monitored by chemical analysis of permeate and models fitting experimental data for the process. From the results, hydrocarbon rejection was analyzed; total organic carbon rejection was 47.9 %, total carbon content averaged 37.3 % rejection and total inorganic carbon rejection was at 3.66 %. BTEX removal efficiency ranged from 0.98 % to 52.7 % with the progressive pretreatment methods of using cartridge filters. The nanofiltration membrane showed significant reduction in total dissolved solids and in both anionic and cationic species. The process train is seen to follow a sequence of treatment from cartridge and oil removal filter treatment to microfiltration treatment to ultrafiltration, followed by nanofiltration for the purpose of this research. Further research still needs to be done on to determine the kind of analytical test which will give real time feedback on effectiveness of filters. In summary, the process train developed by TAMU-GPRI possesses distinct advantages in treating oilfield produced brine using membrane technology. These advantages include high quality of permeate, reduced sludge and the possibility of total recycle water systems. The small space requirement, moderate capital costs and ease of operation associated with the use of the mobile unit membrane technology also makes it a very competitive alternative to conventional technologies.

Grease-lubricated journal bearings are widely used in heavy duty applications, such as construction equipment, agriculture- and forest machines. The main purpose of the grease-lubricated journal bearing is solely to create sustainable rotation of a given application. However, purpose seldom decides complexity of journal bearing design. Depending on application, parameters such as Load , Material  and Lubrication immensely increase complexity of the design. Tribology is a highly interdisciplinary subject, which requires knowledge concerning physics, chemistry, metallurgy and solid mechanics. Tribological aspects of a design are frequently regarded as irrelevant. Tribological issues are commonly enlightened in combination with structural design weaknesses. The main aim of the thesis was to analyze two cylinder joints found in a Komatsu Forest 951 crane and establish root cause to the structural and tribological issues. Outline of the approach was divided into three main targets: 1. Investigate mechanical and tribological aspects of the crane design. 2. Understand how these aspects influence the life time of the bearings. 3. Summarize the analysis and suggest improvements based on the discovery. Fundamental structural and tribological design guidelines regarding grease-lubricated journal bearings have been presented in this thesis. Damaged components such as cylinders, pins and journal bearings have been examined at Komatsu Forest’s factory in Umeå. Further, a scanning electron microscopy study has been done at Luleå University of Technology, to determine predominant wear mechanisms in the harvester crane joints. A non-linear finite element model of the crane has been designed to represent pressure distribution in the contact between bearing and pin. The finite element analysis gives a good approximation of the contact but leaves room for further refinements. Temperatures, in the contacts, have not been identified and will be measured outside the time frame of the master’s thesis. Design changes, with respect to discovered structural and tribological issues have been suggested. The suggested improvements can potentially increase the life time of lift cylinders, pins and journal bearings.

Uppsatsen beskriver tiden kring 50-talet för att genom detta visa den ungdomskultur som då uppstod. När filmen Ung rebell hade premiär 1955 var den en föregångare inom filmbranchen genom att gestalta ungdomskulturen på ett nytt sätt. Uppstasen analyserar denna film, Sista natten med gänget (1973), samt Grease (1978) för att visa vilka verktyg som används för att visa ungdomskulturen under denna tid. En del av analysen är att påvisa bilens roll i ungdomskulturen i film gesaltad under och strax efter 50-talet.

Submitted by Marcia Silva (marcia@latec.uff.br) on 2016-06-06T19:49:35Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Marcio Santos Souza.pdf: 1968058 bytes, checksum: 6661d62ea17eb9024d2a910ec3540c20 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-06T19:49:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissert Marcio Santos Souza.pdf: 1968058 bytes, checksum: 6661d62ea17eb9024d2a910ec3540c20 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-12-09 / A Região de Jacarepaguá concentra atualmente 237 estabelecimentos classificados na categoria RESTAURANTES, segundo dados obtidos na RAIS, gerando milhões de litros de gorduras oriundas do processo de transformação e descarte de restos de alimentos. As gorduras geradas nesses estabelecimentos deveriam em tese ser coletadas por empresas especializadas para depois as destinarem à Estação de Tratamento de Esgoto (ETE) da Alegria, mas observamos vários procedimentos inadequados desde o descarte da gordura na própria rede coletora, até o uso de terrenos baldios. Esse cenário pode ser evitado com a limpeza e manutenção adequadas das caixas de gordura, que correspondem a tratamento preliminar do efluente. As formas de retirada de gordura mais utilizadas pelo restaurantes são o uso de caminhões limpa fossa, deslocamento de um funcionário do próprio restaurante para a retirada, uso de soda cáustica ou coleta por um caminhão de lixo comum. Uma das maneiras de reduzir esse problema é através do processo de bioaumentação, utilizando agentes biológicos que decompõem a gordura gerada e acumulada tanto nas tubulações quando na própria caixa de gordura. Diferente do modelo tradicional, onde a gordura é transferida de um lugar para outro, com os microrganismos, a mesma não é formada, sendo digerida rapidamente pelos agentes biológicos tais como bactérias do gênero Bacilus, alvo desse estudo. Esse trabalho, temos como objetivo apresentar um estudo sobre a viabilidade de utilização de técnicas de bioaumentação na limpeza de caixas de gordura, cujo cenário percebemos que mesmo sendo viável tanto operacionalmente quanto financeiramente, há entraves no que tange ao nível de conhecimento e graus de disponibilidade para mudança, fazendo com que os impactos ambientais sejam bem evidentes. / The Jacarepagua Region in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, currently focuses 237 establishments classified in the category RESTAURANTS, according to data obtained from RAIS, generating millions of liters of fat derived from the transformation process and disposal of food waste. Fat generated in these establishments should theoretically be collected by specialised companies and then delivered to the Sewage Treatment Plant, but several inadequate procedures are observed, like the disposal of fat in the sewage collection system itself or at vacant lots. This scenario can be avoided by proper cleaning and maintenance of grease traps, what corresponds to the preliminary treatment of the effluent. Most used forms of fat removal by restaurants are waste haulers, removal by restaurants' employees, use of caustic soda or collection by a common garbage truck. One way to reduce this problem is through bioaugmentation process using biological agents that break down fat generated and accumulated either in the pipes or in the grease traps. Unlike the traditional model, where fat is transferred from one place to another, with microorganisms, the fat is quickly digested by biological agents as bacteria of the genus Bacillus, target of the study. The goal of this study is to assess the potential environmental and economic benefits of applying bioaugmentation in cleaning restaurant grease traps. Results show that even being both operationally and financially feasible, there are barriers when it comes to the leves of knowledge and interest in changing current behaviours, causing quite evident environmental impacts

Tato disertační práce se zaměřuje na studium závislosti mezi reakčním momentem ložiska mazaného plastickým mazivem s lithným mýdlem a vlastnostmi maziva, jako například tloušťka vytvářeného mazacího filmu, jeho reologie, struktura zpevňovadla, trakční vlastnosti či vliv topografie povrchu. Typ maziva poskytujícího nižší odpor závisí na podmínkách provozu ložiska, zejména rychlosti. Chování mazacího filmu za nízkých rychlostí má vliv na reakční moment ložiska v nízkých rychlostech. Mez toku a trakční chování koreluje s momentem ložiska za vysokých rychlostí. Schopnost zpevňovadla vstupovat do kontaktu má vliv na tloušťku filmu, vzhled kavitační oblasti na výstupu kontaktu a chování hladovění. Důvod vstupu zpevňovadla do kontaktu je jeho chemická struktura. Vysoká polárnost hydroxylových sloučenin zpevňovadla podporuje jeho vtažení kontaktními povrchy. Mazivo s nejvyšší polaritou prokázalo na površích obsahujících denty nejčastější vstup do prostoru dentů. Na základě předchozích pozorování je navržen popis principu mechanismu mazání.

This diploma thesis deals with the experimental study of the influence of operating conditions on the tribological aspects of the wheel flange and rail gauge contact. The wheel flange contact occurs when the vehicle moves on a curve track and it leads to severe up to catastrophic wear regime. For effective reduction of wear is important to apply a suitable amount of lubricant at appropriate intervals into the contact. The issue in this work comprehensively studies using of three laboratory apparatus and six methods that are theoretically and experimentally compared. Assessed are friction, wear, distribution and film thickness of lubricants for different contact conditions. The resulted amount of lubricant and interval of its application eliminates development of seizure at low consumption of lubricant. The understanding of mechanisms that occur in the wheel-rail contact not only helps to reduce operating costs and improved to energy efficiency of movement of vehicle on a track, but it is the basis for safe, reliable and ecological operation of rail transport.

This doctoral thesis presents the results of the development of two software programs for the design of progressive distributors and progressive lubrication systems. One of these programs implements a genetic algorithm and the other, which is used to design progressive lubrication systems, implements a parallel genetic algorithm of the island model. The program for the design of progressive distributors was implemented in Java using the NetBeans development environment and the other program was created in Matlab. The thesis further focuses on analytical and computational solutions of the flow of compressible greases seen as viscoplastic fluids. Equations for the numerical solution of the non-steady flow of compressible viscoplastic Bingham fluids were derived and solved by the Lax-Wendroff method in Matlab. As several constants had to be set in the equations, experiments were conducted with the ecological grease Plantogel 2S in the laboratory of the Kaplan Department of Hydraulic Machines, mainly to determine the sound velocity in this grease. The sound velocity was calculated based on the experimental results by applying Fourier transformation and the transition matrix method. In addition to this, the rheological measurements of greases were used. As seen from the results, the ecological greases are actually thixotropic viscoplastic fluids with a significant elastic element. Since a Newton fluid was assumed when calculating the sound velocity, the possibilities of using the transition matrix method for viscoplastic fluids were then considered. No analytical solution of the flow of viscoplastic fluids in a frequency spectrum has been published so far. Because it emerged that greases had a significant elastic stress factor, the problem of the non-steady flow of elastic-viscoplastic fluids was solved numerically between two infinite parallel plates by applying the finite difference method (FDM). The computation was done in Matlab. This doctoral thesis makes a contribution to solving problems related to the design of progressive distributors and progressive lubrication systems used to distribute compressible greases. Considering the complex approach to this field and the achieved results, the thesis also represents a significant contribution to design work.

In industrial practice greases are mainly used as lubricants in hydrodynamic plain bearings and roller bearings. The use in hydrostatic bearings is avoided due to the difficult controllability. One reason is the complex non-Newtonian flow behavior of greases. The motivation for this paper is the use of greases to increase the efficiency of hydrostatic bearings. The assumption is that the so-called yield stress of consistent greases can lead to self-sealing behavior in the bearing under stationary operation conditions. Assuming a volume-flow-free operation of the bearing, a concept for the active control of the sealing gap height and thus the bearing stiffness was developed. The concept idea is the use of a second medium with Newtonian characteristic for pressure transfer. The grease and the pressure control fluid are structurally separated. The grease is induced in the shortest possible way into the bearing pocket to keep the pressure losses as low as possible. The results of test bench investigations indicate the feasibility of a gap height control with very high bearing stiffness under use of highly consistent greases and initiate further investigation on non-stationary operation.