Mapping erosion-corrosion of carbon steel in oil exploration conditions: Some new approaches to characterizing mechanisms and synergies

Erosion by solid particles in oil/water slurries is a technologically important area. In such conditions, it is necessary to distinguish between the effects of the sand, aqueous environment, and the oil. Erosion-corrosion maps provide a means of identification between erosion-corrosion regimes as a function of erosion and corrosion parameters. However, there has been no work carried out to map the effects of parameters in oil/water slurries. This paper investigates the effect of erosion-corrosion on carbon steel in oil field production and maps the results. Distinctions between “synergistic” and “additive” erosion-corrosion behaviour are superimposed on the maps in the various environments.     

Thermal performance analysis of gas turbine engines based on different compressor configurations

In this study, the performance of several gas turbine engines has been investigated using computational modelling based on the actual manufacturer's data. Further, the study focuses on evaluating the impact of varying the configuration of the compressor on overall engine performance based on the first and second laws of thermodynamics. The results confirm that the main source of irreversibilities occurs in the combustion chamber in all cases. The exergetic efficiency of the gas turbine engine significantly varies with compressor configurations, type of compressors, load variation, climatic condition, and isentropic efficiency. The engine capacity and high‐pressure turbine inlet temperature govern the gas turbine performance, and higher values are more favourable. The gas turbine exergetic efficiency drops off when the power setting adjusted at part‐load and at high ambient temperature. The most optimal gas turbine performance is located at the single axial compressor case, followed by the axial‐centrifugal compressor and then the centrifugal–centrifugal compressor.     

Review of thermal energy storage for air conditioning systems

Thermal energy storage is very important to eradicate the discrepancy between energy supply and energy demand and to improve the energy efficiency of solar energy systems. Latent heat thermal energy storage (LHTES) is more useful than sensible energy storage due to the high storage capacity per unit volume/mass at nearly constant temperatures. This review presents the previous works on thermal energy storage used for air conditioning systems and the application of phase change materials (PCMs) in different parts of the air conditioning networks, air distribution network, chilled water network, microencapsulated slurries, thermal power and heat rejection of the absorption cooling. Recently, researchers studied the heat transfer enhancement of the thermal energy storage with PCMs because most phase change materials have low thermal conductivity, which causes a long time for charging and discharging process. It is expected that the design of latent heat thermal energy storage will reduce the cost and the volume of air conditioning systems and networks.     

Phenolic content and antioxidant activities of selected potato varieties and their processing by-products

The total content of free, esterified and bound phenolics of the peel and flesh of four potato varieties (Purple, Innovator, Russet and Yellow) were determined using the Folin–Ciocalteu method. The respective antioxidant activities of these potatoes and/or their skins were evaluated using several in vitro assays. The phenolic profiles of potato peel and flesh samples were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detection (HPLC-DAD). Bound and esterified phenolics contributed as much or even more than the free phenolics to the antioxidant activity of the peels; extracts from Purple variety showing the highest activity. The peels of all varieties showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher phenolic content and antioxidant activities than their respective flesh. Chromatographic data showed differences in the amounts, but not in types, of phenolic compounds in the potato peel samples. Thus, potato processing discard may be used in food formulations and their extracts could potentially be employed as an effective source of antioxidants in food systems.     

Prebiotics as functional foods: A review

Prebiotics are short chain carbohydrates that are non-digestible by digestive enzymes in humans and selectively enhance the activity of some groups of beneficial bacteria. In the intestine, prebiotics are fermented by beneficial bacteria to produce short chain fatty acids. Prebiotics also render many other health benefits in the large intestine such as reduction of cancer risk and increase calcium and magnesium absorption. Prebiotics are found in several vegetables and fruits and are considered functional food components which present significant technological advantages. Their addition improves sensory characteristics such as taste and texture, and enhances the stability of foams, emulsions and mouthfeel in a large range of food applications like dairy products and bread. This contribution reviews bioactives from food sources with prebiotic properties. Additionally, food application of bioactive prebiotics, stimulation of the viability of probiotics, health benefits, epidemiological studies, and safety concerns of prebiotics are also reviewed.