Дисертації з теми "Plant fibers Analysis"

[Truncated abstract] Palynology has been used in a number of criminal cases where pollen and spores (palynomorphs) on clothing has featured as evidence. Pollen and spores are microscopic, generally morphologically unique to a plant genus and often species, resistant to decay, produced in large amounts and are components of soil. These unique features of pollen and spores make palynology a highly valuable forensic tool. Clothing is an excellent collector of pollen and spores as they become trapped in the fabric weave when clothing is brushed against flowering plants, comes into contact with dust, soil or air-borne pollen. Most forensic palynologists have found that palynomorphs from a crime scene may remain on clothing after washing or several days wear. No empirical research has been conducted on the retention of palynomorphs on clothing under differing conditions. Research of this kind is required to provide support for the future presentation and validation of palynological evidence in court. This project examined the relative retention of palynomorphs on clothing that had been worn during a simulated assault in a sheltered garden on the grounds of St George's College, Western Australia. Three replicate control soil samples each were collected from the actual assault scene and the whole garden to provide a baseline palynological profile for comparison to the experimental (Evidentiary) clothing samples. Forty pollen samples from the predominant species of plants in the garden and surrounds were collected, processed and databased as a reference for palynomorph identification. Standard T-shirts and jeans were chosen as the research clothing. During the simulated assault the knees of the jeans and the backs of the T-shirts came into abrasive contact with the soil of the garden for approximately one minute. The clothing then underwent three 'conditions' to simulate 'real life' situations. Three clothing sets were immediately collected after the assault (E1), three sets were worn for a period of three days after the assault (E2) and three sets were washed after the assault (E3). ... The Background clothing samples did not have a profile similar to the research garden but the profiles collected from each set reflected the areas to which they were worn. The number of palynomorphs per gram of garden soil ranged from thousands to tens-of-thousands of palynomorphs. The total number of palynomorphs collected by the E1 samples ranged from 100,000 to millions per clothing item. The E2 samples retained 1000's to tens-of-thousands of palynomorphs and the E3 samples retained 100's to 1000's of palynomorphs. The background clothing samples collected 1000's to tens-of-thousands of palynomorphs. These results confirm that jeans and T-shirts worn during an assault then worn for a period of days, or washed, will still contain pollen and spores characteristic of the assault area. This highlights the importance of investigating police enquiring where and for how long clothing of interest has been worn before and after an event, or if the clothing has been washed since the event. The results of this study will provide forensic palynologists with supportive data for future casework involving clothing.

Les fibres naturelles telles que le lin, le chanvre, le bambou ou la miscanthus sont de plus en plus utilisées pour renforcer les composites industriels afin de réduire le poids, le coût et l’impact environnemental des produits. Elles remplacent les composites conventionnels tels que les composites à base de résine polymère et fibres synthétiques. Les méthodes de parachèvement par usinage de ces produits agrocomposites demeurent un verrou technologique et un défi scientifique. Ceci est dû principalement à la structure complexe des fibres végétales constituée de cellulose et issue des feuilles ou des tiges de plantes cultivées. Ce travail de thèse propose une analyse multiéchelle du comportement à la coupe de ces matériaux renouvelables qui exploite un procédé 2D de coupe orthogonale et un procédé 3D de coupe par fraisage. L’objectif étant de mieux appréhender les mécanismes physiques majeurs activés par le processus d’enlèvement de matière des agrocomposites. Aussi, pour identifier les effets d’échelle observés en usinage, une caractérisation tribo-mécanique des agrocomposites stratifiés par nanoindentation et rayage ainsi que des essais mécaniques spécifiques ont été réalisés. Les fibres végétales se différencient des fibres synthétiques par une flexibilité transversale qui leur confère une grande capacité à se déformer lors du contact avec l’outil de coupe. Ainsi, la rigidité mécanique du contact outil/matière contrôle ici la coupe par cisaillement plastique des fibres végétales et, par conséquence, la qualité de la surface usinée des agrocomposites. Les fibres végétales, associées à une matrice polymère thermoplastique, présentent par ailleurs un comportement mécanique élastoplastique avec un endommagement ductile lorsqu’elles sont sollicitées suivant leur direction transversale. Ceci explique la production de copeaux continus en usinage par opposition aux composites synthétiques conventionnels. Les comportements mécanique et tribologique des fibres végétales en usinage sont fonction de l’échelle de contact. Ceci explique le caractère multiéchelle de la coupe des agrocomposites dont l’usinabilité est intiment liée à la taille du renfort fibreux
Natural fibers such as flax, hemp, bamboo or miscanthus are increasingly used as fibrous reinforcement in order to reduce the weight, the cost and the environmental impact of products. They replace the conventional composites based on polymer resin and synthetic fibers. The finishing operations by machining of these biocomposite products remain a technological issue and a scientific challenge. This is mainly due to the complex structure of natural fibers composed of cellulose and extracted from plant leaf or plant stem. This research work provides a multiscale analysis of cutting behavior of these renewable materials in 2D orthogonal cutting and 3D milling processes. The primary objective is to better understand the major physical mechanisms activated by the material removal process of biocomposites. Furthermore, to identify the scale effects observed in machining, a tribo-mechanical characterization of stratified biocomposites by nanoindentation and scratch as well as specific mechanical tests were carried out. Natural fibers are distinguished from synthetic fibers by a transverse flexibility, which enable them good ability to deform upon contact with the cutting tool. Thus, the mechanical tool/material contact stiffness controls the cutting by plastic shearing of plant fibers and, consequently, it controls the quality of the biocomposite-machined surfaces. Otherwise, natural fibers, associated with a thermoplastic polymer matrix, have an elastoplastic behavior with a ductile damage when they are stressed in their transverse direction. This explains the production of continuous chips when machining biocomposites, unlike conventional synthetic composites. The mechanical and tribological behaviors of plant fibers in machining are dependent on the contact scale. This explains the multiscale cutting character of biocomposites where the machinability is intimately related to the size of the fibrous reinforcement

Cotton (Gossypium spp.) is the worlds leading textile fiber crop, and an important source of oil and protein. Insufficient candidate gene derived-markers suitable for genetic mapping and limited information on genes that control economically important traits are the major impediments to the genetic improvement of Upland cotton (G. hirsutum L.). The objectives of this study were to develop a SNP marker discovery strategy in tetraploid cotton species, SNP characterization and marker development from fiber initiation and elongation related genes, chromosomal assignment of these genes by SNP marker-based deletion analysis or linkage mapping, and genetic and molecular analysis of mutants affecting cotton fiber development. Phylogenetic grouping and comparision to At- and Dt-genome putative ancestral diploid species of allotetraploid cotton facilitated differentiation between genome specific polymorphisms (GSPs) and marker-suitable locus-specific polymorphisms (LSPs). By employing this strategry, a total of 222 and 108 SNPs were identified and the average frequency of SNP was 2.35% and 1.30% in six EXPANSIN A genes and six MYB genes, respectively. Both gene families showed independent and incongruent evolution in the two subgenomes and a faster evolution rate in Dt-genome than that in At-genome. SNPs were concordantly mapped to different chromsomes, which confirmed their value as candidate gene marker and indicated the reliability of SNP discovery stragey. QTL mapping by two F₂ populations developed from fiber mutants detected major QTL which explain 62.8-87.1% of the phenotypic variation for lint percentage or lint index in the vicinity of BNL3482-138 on chromosome 26. Single marker regression analyses indicated STV79-108, which was located to the long arm of chromosome 12 (the known location of N₁ and perhaps n₂ loci), also had significant association (R² % value 15.4-30.6) with lint percentage, lint index, embryo protein percentage and micronaire. Additional QTL and significant markers associated with other seed and fiber traits were detected on different chromosomes. Inheritance analysis indicated that both genetic models N₁N₁n₂n₂ and n₂n₂li₃lisub>3 could lead to the fiberless phenotype. The observation of fuzzless-short lint phenotype indicated fiber initiation and elongation were controlled by different mechanisms. The penetrance of Li₂ gene expression was observed in this study.

La prise de conscience mondiale des enjeux environnementaux a conduit à l’émergence de composites«verts», dans lesquels les fibres naturelles sont amenées à remplacer les fibres synthétiques. Ces nouveaux matériaux offrent des alternatives écologiques aux composites synthétiques traditionnels mais sont difficilement utilisables pour des applications semi-structurales ou structurales. Une solution possible à ce problème est le développement des composites hybrides, en combinant ensemble fibres naturelles et synthétiques. Dans ce cadre, l'objectif de cette étude était de développer des composites hybrides à base de fibres de basalte et de lin. Les composites hybrides ont été élaborés par moulage par infusion sous vide avec une matrice époxy. À des fins de comparaison,des composites 100% à fibres de lin et100%à fibres de basalte ont également été produits. Une caractérisation mécanique quasi-statique et dynamique amontré que l'hybridation permet d’obtenir un composite avec des propriétés mécaniques intermédiaires comparées à celles des composites à fibres de lin ou de basalte. Cependant, l’analyse approfondie des dommages a montré la nécessité d'optimiser la qualité d'adhésion de l'interface fibre/matrice afin d'accroître les performances mécaniques des composites hybrides obtenus. Pour cette raison, différents traitements de modification de surface ont été développés et étudiés pour les fibres de lin et de basalte. Un traitement physique par plasma (Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition) a été appliqué aux fibres de lin et de basalte. Les fibres de lin ont également été soumises à deux traitements chimiques utilisant des espèces enzymatiques et du CO2supercritique. Les effets des traitements sur la stabilité thermique, la morphologie et les propriétés mécaniques des fibres de lin et de basalte ont été étudiés. L’adhérence fibre/matrice a été analysée en réalisant des tests de fragmentation sur des composites monofilamentaires. La qualité de l'adhésion entre les fibres et les matrices époxy et vinylester a été évaluée en termes de longueur critique de fragment, de longueur de décohésion interfaciale et de résistance au cisaillement interfacial. La micto-tomographie haute résolution a été utilisée pour analyser les mécanismes d'endommagement lors des tests de fragmentation. Pour les deux types de fibres, les meilleurs résultat sont été obtenus grâce au traitement par plasma. Ce traitement a consisté à déposer un revêtement homogène de tétravinylsilane à la surface des fibres de basalte et de lin, ce qui a permis une augmentation significative de l’adhérence fibre/matrice, ouvrant ainsi la voie à la prochaine génération de composites hybrides plus respectueux de l’environnement et utilisables pour des applications semi-structurales
Global awareness of environmental issues has resulted in the emergence of “green” composites, in which natural fibres are used to replace synthetic ones. However, in semi-or structural applications, it can be inconvenient to use composites based on natural fibres. A possible solution to this problem is the development of hybrid composite materials, combining together plies of natural and synthetic fibres. In this framework, the aim of this research project was to develop basalt-flax fibre hybrid composites with a view to obtaining more environmentally friendly composites for semi-structural applications. Hybrid composites were produced through vacuum infusion molding with epoxy matrix.For comparison purposes, 100% flax fibre composites and 100% basalt fibre composites were also manufactured. A quasi-static and dynamic mechanical characterization showed that the hybridization allows the production of a composite with intermediate mechanical performances compared to those possessed by flax and basalt composites. However, the damage analysis has revealed the need to optimize the fibre/matrix interface adhesion quality, in order to increase the mechanical properties of the resulting hybrid composites. For this reason, different surface modification treatments have been specifically designed and investigated for flax and basalt fibres. Flax and basalt fibres were treated by the physical process of Plasma Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition. Flax fibres were also subjected to two chemical treatments using enzymatic species and supercritical CO2. The effects of the surface modification treatments on the thermal stability, morphology and mechanical properties of flax and basalt fibres have been investigated. The degree and extent of fibre/matrix adhesion were analyzed by micromechanical fragmentation tests on monofilament composites. The adhesion quality between fibres and both epoxy and vinylester matrices has been assessed in terms of critical fragment length, debonding length and interfacial shear strength. High-resolution μ-CT has been used to support the analysis of the damage mechanisms during fragmentation tests. For both flax and basalt fibres, the best results were obtained after the plasma polymer deposition process. This process was able to produce a homogeneous tetravinylsilane coating on the surface of basalt and flax fibres, which resulted in a significant increase in the fibre/matrix adhesion, thus paving the way for the next generation of more environmentally friendly hybrid composites for semi-structural applications

Modern chemical technology is an efficient tool for solving problems, particularly within the complex environment of the pulp and paper industry, and the combination of experimental studies, mill data and mass balance calculations are of fundamental importance to the development of the industry. In this study various examples are presented, whereby chemical technology is of fundamental importance. It is well documented that under normal conditions the molten salt mixture from the kraft recovery boiler flows down into the dissolving tank without problems. However, in the case of  alternatives to the kraft recovery boiler, knowledge of more precise data of the molten salts is required for the design calculations. In this study the viscosity for the case of sodium carbonate and 30 mole% sulphide has been measured and is of the magnitude 2 – 3 cP at temperatures relevant for a recovery boiler, i.e. similar to water at room temperature. The presence of non-process elements (NPE) in a typical pulp mill has been investigated. The main input is with regards to the wood, and anticipated problems include; deposits in evaporators, high dead-load in liquor streams, plugging of the upper part of the recovery boiler and decreasing efficiency in the causticization department. Efficient green liquor clarification is of the greatest importance as an efficient kidney for many NPE. Mill data and calculations show that the magnesium added in the oxygen delignification does not form a closed loop. Integration of a prehydrolysis kraft pulp mill producing dissolving pulp with a plant producing viscose textile fiber could be highly beneficial. The prehydrolysis liquor will contain both sugars and acetic acid. It is however not possible to fully replace the sulphuric acid of the viscose spinning bath with acetic acid of own production. The sulphuric chemicals from the viscose plant can be partly taken care of in the kraft recovery area as well as the viscose plant which can be supplied with alkali and sulphuric acid. Zinc-containing effluents from the viscose plant can be treated with green liquor to precipitate zinc sulphide.
Modern chemical technology is an extremely efficient tool for solving problems particularly in a complicated environment such as the pulp and paper industry. Here, examples are studied during which chemical technology is of fundamental importance. At normal conditions the molten salt mixture from the kraft recovery boiler flows down into the dissolving tank without hindrance. However, for certain kraft recovery boiler alternatives, knowledge of more precise data of the molten salts is required. The viscosity for the case of sodium carbonate and 30 mole% sulphide has been measured and is of the magnitude 2 – 3 cP at relevant temperatures. The main input of non-process elements (NPE) is down to the wood, and known problems include deposits in evaporators and decreasing efficiency in the causticization department. Green liquor clarification is an efficient kidney for many NPE. Magnesium added in the oxygen delignification does not form a closed loop. Integration of a prehydrolysis kraft pulp mill producing dissolving pulp with a plant producing viscose textile fiber could be of significant interest, as the handling of both alkali and sulphuric compounds can be integrated. Problems will however arise as the capacity of the pulping line and the chemical recovery has to be adjusted.

Beef products represent the fourth largest agricultural commodity in the state of California, valuing more than $3 billion from 2013 to 2015 (CDFA, 2016) and procure 90% of the income for the range livestock industry (FRAP, 2003). Forages found on California’s coastal, desert, foothill, and mountain ranges are the basis of the state’s beef cattle industry. Understanding their nutritional quality of these forages is important for their effective use (George et al., 2001a; Waterman et al., 2014). The objectives of this research were to investigate the nutritional characteristics, and in situ digestbilities in Angus beef cattle, of common California annual and perennial grasses: wild oats (Avena barbata and Avena fatua), soft chess (Bromus hordeaceous), filaree (Erodium botrys), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), blue wildrye (Elymus glaucus), creeping wildrye (Leymus tritichoides), melic (Melica californica, Melica imperfecta, Melica torreyana), foothill needlegrass (Nasella lepida), purple needlegrass (Nasella pulchra). Nutritional composition as a percentage of dry matter (crude protein, CP; neutral detergent fiber, NDF; acid detergent fiber, ADF; and acid detergent lignin, ADL) and digestibilities were compared at four growth stages: late vegetative (LV), early reproductive (ER), late reproductive (LR), and dry (D). Plant samples were collected in San Luis Obispo County, CA. Crude protein concentrations decreased, and fiber concentrations increased, with maturity (P ≤ 0.05). Perennial grasses contained more NDF and ADF than annual grasses, across all growth stages (P ≤ 0.05). Annual grasses were significantly higher than perennials in dry matter digestibility (%DMD) at the 48 h incubation, when averaged across all growth stages (P ≤ 0.05); and at the LR and D stages, when averaged across all incubation periods (P ≤ 0.05). Within the annual grasses, %DMD was similar between ER, LR, and D stages. Within the perennial grasses, %DMD was similar between the LR and D stages (P ≤ 0.05).

Overcoming many of the constraints to early stage investment in biofuels production from sugarcane bagasse in Australia requires an understanding of the complex technical, economic and systemic challenges associated with the transition of established sugar industry structures from single product agri-businesses to new diversified multi-product biorefineries. While positive investment decisions in new infrastructure requires technically feasible solutions and the attainment of project economic investment thresholds, many other systemic factors will influence the investment decision. These factors include the interrelationships between feedstock availability and energy use, competing product alternatives, technology acceptance and perceptions of project uncertainty and risk. This thesis explores the feasibility of a new cellulosic ethanol industry in Australia based on the large sugarcane fibre (bagasse) resource available. The research explores industry feasibility from multiple angles including the challenges of integrating ethanol production into an established sugarcane processing system, scoping the economic drivers and key variables relating to bioethanol projects and considering the impact of emerging technologies in improving industry feasibility. The opportunities available from pilot scale technology demonstration are also addressed. Systems analysis techniques are used to explore the interrelationships between the existing sugarcane industry and the developing cellulosic biofuels industry. This analysis has resulted in the development of a conceptual framework for a bagassebased cellulosic ethanol industry in Australia and uses this framework to assess the uncertainty in key project factors and investment risk. The analysis showed that the fundamental issue affecting investment in a cellulosic ethanol industry from sugarcane in Australia is the uncertainty in the future price of ethanol and government support that reduces the risks associated with early stage investment is likely to be necessary to promote commercialisation of this novel technology. Comprehensive techno-economic models have been developed and used to assess the potential quantum of ethanol production from sugarcane in Australia, to assess the feasibility of a soda-based biorefinery at the Racecourse Sugar Mill in Mackay, Queensland and to assess the feasibility of reducing the cost of production of fermentable sugars from the in-planta expression of cellulases in sugarcane in Australia. These assessments show that ethanol from sugarcane in Australia has the potential to make a significant contribution to reducing Australia’s transportation fuel requirements from fossil fuels and that economically viable projects exist depending upon assumptions relating to product price, ethanol taxation arrangements and greenhouse gas emission reduction incentives. The conceptual design and development of a novel pilot scale cellulosic ethanol research and development facility is also reported in this thesis. The establishment of this facility enables the technical and economic feasibility of new technologies to be assessed in a multi-partner, collaborative environment. As a key outcome of this work, this study has delivered a facility that will enable novel cellulosic ethanol technologies to be assessed in a low investment risk environment, reducing the potential risks associated with early stage investment in commercial projects and hence promoting more rapid technology uptake. While the study has focussed on an exploration of the feasibility of a commercial cellulosic ethanol industry from sugarcane in Australia, many of the same key issues will be of relevance to other sugarcane industries throughout the world seeking diversification of revenue through the implementation of novel cellulosic ethanol technologies.

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This work aimed to estimate the general combining ability (GCA) and the specific combining ability (SCA) for agronomic traits among six upland cotton genotypes and their fifteen hybrid combinations; and to determine the predominant genetic effects in the control of the evaluated traits. In 2015, six cotton genotypes: FM 993, CNPA 04-2080, PSC 355, TAM B 139-17, IAC 26 and TAMCOT – CAMD-E, and fifteen hybrid combinations were evaluated at the Experimental Station of Embrapa Algodão, located in Patos - PB. The experiment consisted of a randomized block design with three replications. The following characteristics were evaluated: plant height (PH, cm); appearance of the first flower (AFF, days); appearance of the first boll (AFB, days); weight of one boll (BW, g); cotton seed yield (CSY, kg/ha); lint percentage (LP, %); cotton fiber yield (LY, kg/ha); length (LEN, mm); uniformity (UNI, %); strength (STR, gf/tex), and fineness (FIN, IM). Diallel analysis was carried out according to the method 2, model 1 of Griffing (1956). Significant differences were detected between the treatments and between the combining abilities estimates (GCA and SCA). Additive effects were predominant for the following characteristics: PH, AFF, AFB, LP, LEN, UNI, STR, FIN and non-additive effects were predominant for: BW, CSY and LY. The genotypes CNPA 04- 2080, IAC 26 and FM 993 showed highest estimates of gi for yield, and the genotype TAM B 139-17 presented the highest estimates for fiber characteristics. In general, the best combinations were: FM 993 x PSC 355, FM 993 x TAMCOT-CAMD-E, CNPA 04-2080 x TAM B 139-17, CNPA 04-2080 x TAMCOT-CAMD-E, PSC 355 x IAC 26 and TAM B 139- 17 x IAC 26, since they have the largest SCA (sij) with at least one of the parents of high GCA (gi). Therefore, they are indicated for extraction of elite lines and for the obtainment of superior genotypes.
O objetivo deste trabalho foi estimar a capacidade geral (CGC) e específica (CEC) de combinação para características agronômicas e tecnológicas de fibra entre seis genótipos de algodoeiro herbáceo e suas quinze combinações híbridas, bem como determinar os efeitos genéticos predominantes no controle dos caracteres avaliados. Em 2015, seis genótipos de algodoeiro: FM 993, CNPA 04-2080, PSC 355, TAM B 139-17, IAC 26 e TAMCOT – CAMD-E e quinze combinações híbridas foram avaliadas na Estação Experimental da Embrapa Algodão, localizada em Patos - PB. O delineamento utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso com três repetições. Foram avaliadas as seguintes características: Altura de plantas (ALT, cm); Aparecimento da primeira flor (APF, dias); Aparecimento do primeiro capulho (APC, dias); Peso de um capulho (P1C, g); Produtividade de algodão em caroço (PROD, kg/ha); Porcentagem de fibras (PF, %); Produtividade de algodão em fibra (PRODF, kg/ha); Comprimento da fibra (COMP, mm); Uniformidade (UNF, %); Resistência (RES, gf/tex) e Finura (FIN, IM). Procedeu-se a análise dialélica, utilizando-se o método 2, modelo 1 segundo a metodologia proposta por Griffing (1956). Diferenças significativas foram detectadas entre os tratamentos e entre as capacidades combinatórias (CGC e CEC). Verificou-se predominância dos efeitos aditivos para as características: ALT, APF, APC, PF, COMP, UNF, RES, FIN e predominância dos efeitos não aditivos para: P1C, PROD e PRODF. Os genótipos CNPA 04-2080, IAC 26 e FM 993 apresentaram as maiores estimativas de gi para a produtividade, enquanto TAM B 139-17 obteve as maiores estimativas para as características de fibra. De um modo geral, as melhores combinações foram: FM 993 x PSC 355, FM 993 x TAMCOT-CAMD-E, CNPA 04-2080 x TAM B 139- 17, CNPA 04-2080 x TAMCOT-CAMD-E, PSC 355 x IAC 26 e TAM B 139-17 x IAC 26, por apresentarem as maiores CEC (Sij) com pelo menos um dos pais de alta CGC (gi ). Sendo assim, estas combinações são indicadas para extração de linhagens e obtenção de genótipos superiores.

[EN] Anaerobic MBRs (AnMBRs) can provide the desired step towards sustainable wastewater treatment, broadening the range of application of anaerobic biotechnology to low-strength wastewaters (e.g. urban ones) or extreme environmental conditions (e.g. low operating temperatures). This alternative technology gathers the advantages of anaerobic treatment processes (e.g. low energy demand stemming from no aeration and energy recovery through methane production) jointly with the benefits of membrane technology (e.g. high quality effluent, and reduced space requirements). It is important to highlight that AnMBR may offer the possibility of operation in energy neutral or even being a net energy producer due to biogas generation. Other aspects that must be taken into account in AnMBR are the quality and nutrient recovery potential of the effluent and the low amount of sludge generated, which are of vital importance when assessing the environmental impact of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The main aim of this Ph.D. thesis is to assess the economic and environmental sustainability of AnMBR technology for urban wastewater treatment at ambient temperature. Specifically, this thesis focusses on the following aspects: (1) development of a detailed and comprehensive plant-wide energy model for assessing the energy demand of different wastewater treatment systems at both steady- and unsteady-state conditions; (2) proposal of a design methodology for AnMBR technology and identification of optimal AnMBR-based configurations by applying an overall life cycle cost (LCC) analysis; (3) life cycle assessment (LCA) of AnMBR-based technology at different temperatures; and (4) evaluation of the overall sustainability (economic and environmental) of AnMBR for urban wastewater treatment. In this research work, a plant-wide energy model coupled to the extended version of the plant-wide mathematical model BNRM2 is proposed. The proposed energy model was used for assessing the energy performance of different wastewater treatment processes. In order to propose a guidelines for designing AnMBR at full-scale and to identify optimal AnMBR-based configurations, the proposed energy model and LCC were used. LCA was used to assess the environmental performance of AnMBR-based technology at different temperatures. An overall sustainability (economic and environmental) assessment was conducted for: (a) assessing the implications of design and operating decisions by including sensitivity and uncertainty analysis and navigating trade-offs across environmental and economic criteria.; and (b) comparing AnMBR to aerobic-based technologies for urban wastewater treatment. This Ph.D. thesis is enclosed in a national research project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation entitled "Using membrane technology for the energetic recovery of wastewater organic matter and the minimisation of the sludge produced" (MICINN project CTM2008-06809-C02-01/02). To obtain representative results that could be extrapolated to full-scale plants, this research work was carried out in an AnMBR system featuring industrial-scale hollow-fibre membrane units that was operated using effluent from the pre-treatment of the Carraixet WWTP (Valencia, Spain).
[ES] El reactor anaerobio de membranas sumergidas (AnMBR) puede proporcionar el paso deseado hacia un tratamiento sostenible del agua residual, ampliando la aplicabilidad de la biotecnología anaerobia al tratamiento de aguas residuales de baja carga (ej. agua residual urbana) o a condiciones medioambientales extremas (ej. bajas temperaturas de operación). Esta tecnología combina las ventajas de los procesos de tratamiento anaerobio (baja demanda energética gracias a la ausencia de aireación y a la recuperación energética a través de la producción de metano) con los beneficios de la tecnología de membranas (ej. efluente de alta calidad y reducidas necesidades de espacio). Cabe destacar que la tecnología AnMBR permite la posibilidad del autoabastecimiento energético del sistema debido a la generación de biogás. Otros aspectos que se deben considerar en el sistema AnMBR son el potencial de recuperación de nutrientes, la calidad del efluente generado y la baja cantidad de fangos producidos, siendo todos ellos de vital importancia cuando se evalúa el impacto medioambiental de una planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas. El objetivo principal de esta tesis doctoral es evaluar la sostenibilidad económica y medioambiental de la tecnología AnMBR para el tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas a temperatura ambiente. Concretamente, esta tesis se centra en las siguientes tareas: (1) desarrollo de un modelo de energía detallado y completo que permita evaluar la demanda energética global de diferentes sistemas de tratamiento de aguas residuales tanto en régimen estacionario como en transitorio; (2) propuesta de una metodología de diseño e identificación de configuraciones óptimas para la implementación de la tecnología AnMBR, aplicando para ello un análisis del coste de ciclo de vida (CCV); (3) análisis del ciclo de vida (ACV) de la tecnología AnMBR a diferentes temperaturas; y (4) evaluación global de la sostenibilidad (económica y medioambiental) de la tecnología AnMBR para el tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas. En este trabajo de investigación se propone un modelo de energía acoplado a la versión extendida del modelo matemático BNRM2. El modelo de energía propuesto se usó para evaluar la eficiencia energía de diferentes procesos de tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas. Con el fin de proponer unas directrices para el diseño de AnMBR a escala industrial e identificar las configuraciones óptimas para la implementación de dicha tecnología, se aplicaron tanto el modelo de energía propuesto como un análisis CCV. El ACV se usó para evaluar la viabilidad medioambiental de la tecnología AnMBR a diferentes temperaturas. En este trabajo se llevó a cabo una evaluación global de la sostenibilidad (económica y medioambiental) de la tecnología AnMBR para: (a) evaluar las implicaciones que conllevan ciertas decisiones durante el diseño y operación de dicha tecnología mediante un análisis de sensibilidad e incertidumbre, y examinar las contrapartidas en función de criterios económicos y medioambientales; y (b) comparar la tecnología AnMBR con tecnologías basadas en procesos aerobios para el tratamiento de aguas residuales urbanas. Esta tesis doctoral está integrada en un proyecto nacional de investigación, subvencionado por el Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), con título "Modelación de la aplicación de la tecnología de membranas para la valorización energética de la materia orgánica del agua residual y la minimización de los fangos producidos" (MICINN, proyecto CTM2008-06809-C02-01/02). Para obtener resultados representativos que puedan ser extrapolados a plantas reales, esta tesis doctoral se ha llevado a cabo utilizando un sistema AnMBR que incorpora módulos comerciales de membrana de fibra hueca. Además, esta planta es alimentada con el efluente del pre-tratamiento de la EDAR del Barranco del Carraixet (Valencia, España).
[CAT] El reactor anaerobi de membranes submergides (AnMBR) pot proporcionar el pas desitjat cap a un tractament d'aigües residuals sostenible, i suposa una extensió en l'aplicabilitat de la biotecnologia anaeròbia al tractament d'aigües residuals amb baixa càrrega (p.e. aigua residual urbana) o a condicions mediambientals extremes (p.e. baixes temperatures d'operació). Aquesta tecnologia alternativa reuneix els avantatges dels processos de tractament anaerobi (baixa demanda d'energia per l'estalvi de l'aireig i possibilitat de recuperació energètica per la producció de metà), conjuntament amb els beneficis de l'ús de de la tecnologia de membranes (p.e efluent d'alta qualitat, i reduïdes necessitats d'espai). Cal destacar que la tecnologia AnMBR permet la possibilitat de l'autoabastiment energètic del sistema degut a la generació de biogàs. Altres aspectes que s'han de considerar en el sistema AnMBR són el potencial de recuperació de nutrients, la qualitat de l'efluent i la baixa quantitat de fang generat, tots ells de vital importància quan s'avalua l'impacte mediambiental d'una planta de tractament d'aigües residuals urbanes. L'objectiu principal d'aquesta tesi doctoral és avaluar la sostenibilitat econòmica i mediambiental de la tecnologia AnMBR per al tractament d'aigües residuals urbanes a temperatura ambient. Concretament, aquesta tesi se centra en les tasques següents: (1) desenrotllament d'un detallat i complet model d'energia per al conjunt de la planta a fi d'avaluar la demanda d'energia de diferents sistemes de tractament d'aigües residuals tant en règim estacionari com en transitori; (2) proposta d'una metodologia de disseny i identificació de les configuracions òptimes de la tecnologia AnMBR mitjançant l'aplicació una anàlisi del cost de tot el cicle de vida (CCV) ; (3) anàlisi del cicle de vida (ACV) de la tecnologia AnMBR a diferents temperatures; i (4) avaluació global de la sostenibilitat (econòmica i mediambiental) de la tecnologia AnMBR per al tractament d'aigües residuals urbanes. En aquest treball d'investigació es proposa un model d'energia a nivell de tota la planta acoblat a la versió estesa del model matemàtic BNRM2. El model d'energia proposat s'ha utilitzat per a avaluar l'eficiència energètica de diferents processos de tractament d'aigües residuals urbanes. A fi de proposar unes directrius per al disseny d'AnMBR a escala industrial i identificar les configuracions òptimes de la tecnologia AnMBR, s'ha aplicat tant el model d'energia proposat, com el cost del cicle de vida (CCV). L'anàlisi del cicle de vida (ACV) s'ha utilitzat per a avaluar el rendiment mediambiental de la tecnologia AnMBR a diferents temperatures. En aquest treball s'ha dut a terme una avaluació global de la sostenibilitat (econòmica i mediambiental) de la tecnologia AnMBR per a: (a) avaluar les implicacions de les decisions de disseny i operació per mitjà d'una anàlisi de sensibilitat i incertesa i examinar les contrapartides en funció de criteris econòmics i mediambientals; i (b) comparar la tecnologia AnMBR amb tecnologies basades en processos aerobis per al tractament d'aigües residuals urbanes. Aquesta tesi doctoral està integrada en un projecte nacional d'investigació, subvencionat pel Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN), amb títol "Modelación de la aplicación de la tecnología de membranas para la valorización energética de la materia orgánica del agua residual y la minimización de los fangos producidos" (MICINN, projecte CTM2008-06809-C02-01/02). Per a obtenir resultats representatius que puguen ser extrapolats a plantes reals, aquesta tesi doctoral s'ha dut a terme utilitzant un sistema AnMBR que incorpora mòduls comercials de membrana de fibra buida. A més, aquesta planta és alimentada amb l'efluent del pretractament de l'EDAR del Barranc del Carraixet (València, Espanya).
Pretel Jolis, R. (2015). Environmental and economic sustainability of submerged anaerobic membrane bioreactors treating urban wastewater [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/58864
TESIS
Premiado

碩士
國立臺灣科技大學
設計研究所
98
Beginning to realize the impact of the exhaustion of oil reserves, the world nations have launched a green consumer movement. This phenomenon is also reflected in international design competitions, in which the products of Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia have become the winners. This research explored the relationship between product image and form style of these award-winning plant fiber products in order to identify the common rule of Kansei image and vocabulary of the plant fiber products. Questionnaire survey was used in this research. The final questionnaire was applied with Multi-Dimensional Scaling and was run on a desktop computer. A total of 30 persons were selected to fill in the questionnaire, 15 were design background men and women, and 15 were non-design background men and women. Questionnaire data was collated for the mean, and the SPSS was used for single sample T-test and ANOVA. Factor analysis and multiple regression analysis of grouping elements were conducted, while the Multi-Dimensional Scaling Analysis was used for original data to create adjectives space. The conclusions of this research were as follows. 1. Static/ dynamic, complex/ simple, plain/ fashion, and rational/ emotional adjectives, were similar to the result of geometric/ streamlined adjectives. 2. East/ West adjectives were similar to the result of artificial/ natural, and cold/warm adjectives. The further East the product originated, the more it brought out the natural and intimate quality. And the further West the product originated the more man-made and cool it was. 3. Preference and modernity were positively correlated. In addition, preference was also positively correlated with the sense of intimacy and the West. It indicated that the more intimate, modern or Western products were more acceptable to consumers. 4. Heavy/ light adjectives were on a separate axis that could not be combined with other vocabulary. 5. There was a significant difference between design background people and non-design background people in the judgment of intensity dimension.

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L.) is a highly productive crop that is cultivated worldwide for its fibre content which may be used to produce various commodities. The kenaf crop was commercially cultivated in South Africa in the 1950’s, but production was discontinued from the 1960’s up to the mid 2000’s. Production commenced again and kenaf emreged as a “new” fibre crop with the first kenaf processing factory in the country going into production in 2006 in KwaZulu-Natal. Due to the importance of kenaf in manufacturing of various commodities, there was a need to investigate the agronomic practices thereof to ensure sustainable yield. Therefore a two year study (2008/09 and 2009/10 summers) was conducted in Pretoria to investigate the influence of nitrogen, plant population, row spacing and water treatments on kenaf growth, yield, chemical quality and microscopic analysis of the fibre. In total, four field trials were conducted at the Hatfield Experimental Farm of the University of Pretoria. In 2008/09 a trial was conducted to investigate effects of plant population (200,000; 300,000 and 400,000 plants ha-1), nitrogen level (0, 50, 100 and 150 kg ha-1) and row spacing (0.17, 0.34 and 0.50 m) under rainfed conditions. Sampling for growth parameters were done at 85, 113 and 126 days after planting (DAP). The biomass and chemical analysis of bark fibre were conducted only at or after the final harvest, at 126 DAP. In general, no clear effect of different treatment was observed on either parameter studied. During 2009/10 three experiments were conducted. The first two had the same nitrogen levels as in the previous season, but were grown either under rainfed or irrigated conditions. The nitrogen was applied as two dressings of 0 and 50 kg ha-1 at planting and 0, 50 and 100 kg ha-1 at thinning (35 DAP). The third experiment investigated combinations of plant population (main plots) and row spacing (sub plots) under rainfed conditions. Due to increasing stem yield with increasing plant population during 2008/09, the lowest population of 200,000 plants ha-1 was left out and 500,000 and 600,000 plants ha-1 were added. The same three row spacings as in 2008/09 were used. Nitrogen was applied at 150 kg ha-1, with 50 kg ha-1 at planting and 100 kg ha-1 at thinning. Growth and biomass parameters, water use efficiency (WUE) (nitrogen trial only) were subsequently measured up to the end of the growth cycle. The chemical characteristics of bark fibre and nutrient removal (nitrogen trial only), nutrient use efficiency as well as the nitrogen contents of leaves and stems were determined only once at final harvest. The number of fibre rings and fibre bundles were assessed only once during the growth cycle. Growth and biomass parameters, WUE and both nutrient removal and nutrient use efficiency generally tended to increase with increase in nitrogen level under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. On the other hand, increasing plant population tended to result in a decrease in all growth parameters, while it increased biomass yield per hectare. Finally, the effect of row spacing was inconsistent for the same parameter from one sampling to another one, and from one parameter to another. The chemical characteristics of bark fibre showed inconsistent responses to all agronomic practices. The number of fibre rings and fibre bundles increased with increasing nitrogen level, decreased as plant population increased, but did not show clear trends with regard to row spacing. In general the plants grown under irrigated conditions performed better than those grown under rainfed conditions. The results of this study revealed that under the environmental conditions of Pretoria, nitrogen levels above 100 kg ha-1 applied in two dressings should result in best plant performance, but most benefit could be obtained under irrigated conditions. A plant population of 500,000 plants ha-1 or higher and row spacing wider than 0.34 m proved to be most suitable for both growth and biomass parameters.
Dissertation (MScAgric)--University of Pretoria, 2015.
tm2015
Plant Production and Soil Science
MScAgric
Unrestricted

The attachment of Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens to surfaces was studied. B. fibrisolvens strain E14, sticky (S) and loose (L) that had been reported previously (Nili and Brooker 1995) were used as models. In preliminary studies, the two cell types were compared; studies included physical and growth characteristics in defined, solid or liquid medium containing various carbon sources, the presence of compounds that may induce or inhibit attachment, and their phenotypic stability. Extracellular protein, chromosomal DNA, plasmid and 16S rDNA profiles of the two variants were examined. Compared to the non-adhering L cells, the adhering S cells were shinier, spherical, more intensely pigmented (yellow), more firmly attached to the agar surface and could only be removed with scraping. After longer incubation, the cells were released from the agar but the colonies tended to stick together, and only became separable when further incubated. In contrast, the L cells were non spherical, loosely attached to the agar and separable at all stages of growth. In liquid medium, the S cells tended to clump during the early stages of growth, and be dispersed at later stages. The L cells were dispersed throughout the medium at all stages of growth. The phenotypes of the 2 variants were stable; both variants maintained their characteristics through multiple passages on solid and in liquid medium. The presence of molecules that induced attachment of S or inhibited attachment of L cells were not detected, but it was noted that S cells produced more extensive extracellular polymer than did L cells. The extracellular proteins, chromosomal DNA, endogenous plasmid, and 16S rDNA profiles of the two variants were identical, indicating that they were of the same species. The effect of attachment on nutrient utilisation was studied by comparing the growth of the two variants in various carbon or nitrogen sources, as well as their xylanase, CMCase and proteolytic activities. Although not significant, the attachment of S cells seemed to have a slight effect on nutrient utilisation, compared to L cells. The morphology of the variants were compared and examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Extracellular polymer (EP) biosynthesis and attachment was studied using S and L samples prepared at various stages of growth. The effect of carbon source on morphology was studied using S and L samples prepared from cells grown in the presence of various carbon sources. The L cells seemed unable to spread EP to surfaces or to neighbouring cells, forming globular EP. Compared to other soluble carbon sources, cellobiose seemed to induce more globular (condensed) EP and less polymer spreading. It was also observed that EP might be secreted to the medium at stationary phase. The level of EP production as well as its monosaccharide and fatty acid composition between S and L cells was compared. The cell associated, secreted or total EP was isolated using gradient centrifugation, cell free medium (Stack 1988) or plate (Berri and Rollings 1995) methods, respectively. The effect of carbon source on the level of EP as well as the monosaccharide and fatty acid composition was also studied. The S cells tended to produce more EP than the L cells; the maximum ratio of EP production between S and L cells was approximately 2:1. There were no differences in the monosaccharide and fatty acid compositions between S and L EP, but the proportions of components did differ. This was most pronounced in lipid, especially C16:0 content, which was much higher in S than in L EP. Compared to other soluble carbon sources, less EP and reduced C16:0 was produced in cells grown on cellobiose. It was observed that the S and L EP behaved differently during phenol or water/methanolchloroform extraction, which suggested property differences between their EP. The C16:0 may reflect the presence of lipoteichoic acid (LTA), and there were indications that there may be an association between LTA and extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) in S but not in L EP. An attempt was made to isolate attachment gene(s). S chromosomal DNA was electroporated into competent E. coli or B. fibrisolvens E14 L cells using pBHerm plasmid as a vector. No sticky E. coli transformants were observed, but sticky-like transformants were observed from L cells that were transformed with S DNA. These transformants were stable through 5 passages under selection pressure (10 g/ml of erythromycin), although some revertants were observed after the 3rd passage when the passage was carried out without selection. Total chromosomal DNA and 16 S rDNA profiles of the transformants were identical to the original variants, and together with hybridisation analysis suggested that the transformants and the variants were related. There were indications that chromosomal integration occurred within the sticky-like transformants, probably due to homology between the donor and the host DNA. These studies have shown that B. fibrisolvens strain E14 S and L cells are closely related and that attachment of S cells is associated with characteristics and lipid content of their EP. Genetic complementation studies suggest that a change in attachment phenotype can be brought about by chromosomal integration.
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2010