Design, development and performance monitoring of a photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) air collector

The photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) systems allow the enhancement of the energy performance of photovoltaics, by removing thermal energy and subsequently decreasing the operating temperature of the cells. The possibility of the utilization of heat for climatization makes them attractive for the building integration. In order to diffuse this kind of solar systems it is necessary to translate the basic concepts into efficient and functional technological components and associated performance should be evaluated in a reliable manner. This paper presents the experimental and theoretical results of a research and development program carried out at the Politecnico di Milano on the design, development and performance monitoring of a hybrid PVT air collector. One of the main products of the research consists of a simulation model for performance prediction of the system. This R&D program led to the development of the TIS (tetto integrale solarizzato, i.e. integrated solar roof), an innovative technological system for building integration of hybrid PVT air collectors. The successful commercial application of the TIS in a research center building is also shown as a case study.     

Transglutaminase treatment of brown rice flour: A chromatographic, electrophoretic and spectroscopic study of protein modifications

Recently, it was shown that transglutaminase (TGase) treatment of brown rice (BR) flour results in textural improvements of gluten-free bread. In this study, changes in the protein profiles of BR flour and protein fractions induced by TGase treatment were investigated to better understand the activity and specificity of the enzyme. Size-exclusion HPLC (SE-HPLC) profiles of flour extracts, under reducing conditions, revealed the presence of macromolecular protein complexes, as well as low molecular weight proteins. After TGase treatments (10 U/g of proteins) a general reduction in peak intensities indicated the polymerisation of BR proteins into larger, insoluble complexes. Microchip capillary electrophoresis and two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis revealed that the α and β glutelin subunits were primary substrates for the polymerisation reaction, whereas albumins and globulins were only slightly affected. SE-HPLC of the protein fractions revealed glutelins’ polymerisation into high molecular weight structures after TGase treatment. Dynamic light scattering measurements showed that new supramolecular aggregates of glutelins co-existed with the macromolecular complexes already present in the untreated fraction. Front-face fluorescence approaches indicated that TGase treatment caused a decrease in protein surface hydrophobicity of BR flour, but not of the glutelin suspensions. It is concluded that the large protein complexes resulting from glutelin polymerisation and the stronger hydrophobic interactions among proteins result in the improved textural properties of TGase-treated BR bread.     

Protein content and gluten quality of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum subsp. durum) as affected by sowing date

The end use quality of durum wheat is sensitive to the environmental conditions pertaining before and during grain filling, and can therefore be modified by manipulation of cultivar and sowing date. A field trial was carried out to study the effect on protein content and gluten quality of varying both sowing date (October, December and March) and cultivar (Simeto, Colosseo and Creso). A delay in sowing date was associated with a decrease in mean grain weight, but not in grain nitrogen content, thus leading to an overall increase from 10.7 to 14.7% in grain protein percentage. Independent of sowing date, over 78% of the grain nitrogen was derived from re‐translocation from vegetative tissue. The similar amounts of nitrogen accumulated in each grain at maturity were set by the similarity in the amount of nitrogen available at anthesis. The observed increase in protein percentage partly explained the greater dough strength (alveographic W) observed in material harvested from the latest sowing. The gluten index, on the other hand, decreased as sowing was delayed. Given the parallel increase in glutenin percentage, we propose that temperatures above 30 °C at the end of the grain filling period have a negative effect on the gluten polymerisation process. Copyright © 2007 Society of Chemical Industry     

Soil fungi reduce the iron content and the DNA damaging effects of asbestos fibers

Some soil fungi growing on asbestos fibers release chelators and antioxidants. The bioweathering potential of fungi has thus been envisaged as a possible route for bioremediation of asbestos rich soils, where no inactivation procedures have been established so far. The present study reports fungal-mediated modification of the surface reactivity of the fibers and of their potential to damage DNA in vitro. Verticillium sp. and Paecilomyces sp. were selected among the fungi isolated from fragments of chrysotile bearing rocks, as the most potent in iron extraction, and studied in parallel with F. oxysporum, previously reported to modify the surface reactivity of asbestos fibers. One sample of chrysotile from the Western Alps and a sample of UICC (Union Internationale Contre le Cancer) crocidolite were incubated with or without fungi. All fungi extracted iron from both fibers (7.3% from crocidolite and 33.6% from chrysotile by Verticillium sp.), releasing it into the medium. F. oxysporum and Paecilomyces sp. suppressed the potential of the fibers to release hydroxyl radical, while Verticillium sp. suppressed it on crocidolite but enhanced it on chrysotile, a hallmark of ongoing mobilization of reactive iron. Fibers incubated in the growth medium, but in the absence of fungi, exhibited a remarkable potential to damage DNA in vitro, measured by the generation of 8-oxo-7,8-dihydro-2'-deoxyguanosine, while all the fungi reduced such effect. Fungi may thus be regarded as appropriate candidates for bioremediation of asbestos rich soils whereby the reactive iron ions responsible for DNA damage are progressively removed from the fibers.     

Freeze–thaw stability of lecithin and modified starch-based nanoemulsions

The impact of freeze–thaw cycles on the physical stability of oil-in-water emulsions containing lecithin – coated and modified starch – coated droplets has been studied by combined dynamic light scattering (DLS) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) measurements. Emulsions prepared by high-pressure homogenization were within 200 nm size ranges. Lecithin-based emulsion systems were unstable to freeze–thaw cycles, which was attributed to extensive droplet aggregation induced by the ice formation during emulsion freezing process. Instead, modified starch systems were highly stable due to the formation of a thick layer of emulsifier which prevented the coalescence of nanoemulsions. The addition of ice nucleating protein lowered the freeze–thaw stability of lecithin-based emulsions, but had negligible effect on modified starch-based emulsions. In contrast, the addition of poly(ethylene glycol) improved the stability of lecithin-based emulsions but destabilized the modified starch-based emulsion systems.     

Design of photocatalytic reactors made easy by considering the photons as immaterial reactants

While it is quite obvious that photons have an essential role in photochemical and photocatalytic processes, it is not simple to analyse the radiation process.A simple approach is presented on the assumption that photons can be treated as immaterial reactants. It is then possible to evaluate the radiation process in terms of parameters such as conversion, selectivity and yield, which are common in the conventional reaction engineering, and of an additional parameter, a volume efficiency factor, which accounts for the exploitation of the reaction volume as the result of the inevitable attenuation of the radiation in the transport through the participating medium.Attention has also been focused on the validation of kinetic data when, as it is usually done, they are interpreted in terms of volume averages.Finally, guidelines have been prepared to support preliminary phases of analysis and/or design of a photocatalytic reactor.     

Application of an optimized AM procedure following a SBO in a VVER-1000

The University of Pisa was involved in investigations of an Accident Management (AM) procedure based on passive feed water injection. Some experiments were performed to validate this possibility (e.g. in LOBI and Bethsy facilities) and fully analyzed by thermal hydraulic system codes. Recent activities in which the University of Pisa is engaged (also as leader) are focused on VVER-1000 safety analyses. The idea is now to use the acquired knowledge to explore if a procedure based on passive feed water injection is applicable and can provide any benefits to the Russian design pressurised plant.The postulated accident is a station blackout, in such a way only passive systems are available. The proposed AM is based on secondary and primary side depressurisation in sequence. The secondary side depressurisation performed by the BRU-A valves has the scope to feed passively the SGs with the water left in the feed water lines and in the deaerators. The primary side depressurisation, via the PORV, is foreseen to keep the plant at the lowest pressure (to reduce the energy of the system) and to maximize the “grace time” of the plant. Three cases are here considered: no operator action, application of the optimized AM sequence, application of the AM procedure at the last time when it is effective.The intention of this paper is to show that in case of an unlikely event such a SBO the implementation of a strategy based on systems not designed for specific safety application can have a large impact on the “grace time” of the plant.     

Earth-to-air heat exchangers for Italian climates

The European Energy Efficiency Building Directive 2002/91/CE, as well as other acts and funding programs, strongly promotes the adoption of passive strategies for buildings, in order to achieve indoor thermal comfort conditions above all in summer, so reducing or avoiding the use of air conditioning systems.In this paper, the energy performances achievable using an earth-to-air heat exchanger for an air-conditioned building have been evaluated for both winter and summer. By means of dynamic building energy performance simulation codes, the energy requirements of the systems have been analysed for different Italian climates, as a function of the main boundary conditions (such as the typology of soil, tube material, tube length and depth, velocity of the air crossing the tube, ventilation airflow rates, control modes). The earth-to-air heat exchanger has shown the highest efficiency for cold climates both in winter and summer.The possible coupling of this technology with other passive strategies has been also examined. Then, a technical-economic analysis has been carried out: this technology is economically acceptable (simple payback of 5–9 years) only in the cases of easy and cheap moving earth works; moreover, metallic tubes are not suitable.Finally, considering in summer a not fully air-conditioned building, only provided with diurnal ventilation coupled to an earth-to-air heat exchanger plus night-time ventilation, the possible indoor thermal comfort conditions have been evaluated.     

Effects of free fatty acids on the oxidative processes in purified olive oil

Several studies have investigated the interaction of free fatty acids with the oxidative phenomena involving oils during processing and storage. Nevertheless, the available information is insufficient and, in some cases, contradictory.The aim of this work was to throw light upon this matter, by evaluating – by means of different analytical approaches – the effect of adding increasing amounts of free fatty acids (0.25%, 0.5%, 1%, 3%) on the oxidative processes occurring in purified olive oil during oxidation at 60 °C.The results obtained showed that oxidized forms of triglycerides and polar oligopolymers of triglycerides increased during oxidation. Low amounts of added FFA caused a further increase of the levels of oxidized triglycerides and triglyceride oligopolymers – pointing out a pro-oxidant activity – while higher doses of added free fatty acids lead to lower amounts of oxidized forms of triglycerides respect to the purified oil. This could be due to an increase in peroxide decomposition exerted by free fatty acids when present in higher amounts.     

Biochemical and sensory characteristics of traditional fermented sausages of Vallo di Diano (Southern Italy) as affected by the use of starter cultures

In this study, two strains of Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from traditional fermented sausages of Vallo di Diano (Southern Italy) were used in combination with an acidifying strain of Lactobacillus curvatus as starter culture for the production of fermented sausages. Two starter formulation were developed combining the proteolytic but not lipolytic (prt(+), lip(-)) S. xylosus CVS11 with the L. curvatus AVL3 (starter S1) and the S. xylosus FVS21 (prt(-), lip(+)) with the same strain of L. curvatus (starter S2). Proteolysis and lipolysis were observed during ripening by the increase in total free amino acids (FAA) and free fatty acids (FFA), respectively. Such activities were observed in both started and non started sausages (control). Moreover, the proteolytic and lipolytic activities were detected in products started by both formulations irrespective of the presence of such activities in the strains used. Therefore, it was not possible to conclude whether the effect of proteolysis and lipolysis during ripening of the started fermented sausages was due to the activity of the starter cultures or to the action of meat endogenous enzymes.