Acidogenic fermentation of blended food‐waste in combination with primary sludge for the production of volatile fatty acids

The performance of a laboratory‐scale anaerobic acidogenic fermenter fed with a mixture of blended kitchen food‐waste and primary sludge from a sewage treatment plant was investigated for the production of volatile fatty acids (VFA). The operating variables for acidogenic fermentation were kitchen food‐waste content (10 and 25 wt %), hydraulic retention time (HRT: 1, 3 and 5 days), temperature (ambient: 18 ± 2 °C, and mesophilic: 35 ± 2 °C) and pH (varied from 5.2 to 6.7). The experimental results indicated that effluent VFA concentrations and VFA production rates were higher at ambient temperature than at mesophilic conditions. The net amount of VFA with 10 wt % food‐waste increased up to 920 mg dm^?3 with an increase of HRT, but contrasting results (a decrease of 2610 mg dm^?3) were found due to the conversion of VFA into biogas in the case of 25 wt % food‐waste, which increased significantly at HRT of 3–5 days. In terms of biogas composition (CO₂ and CH₄), the organic matter was converted into CO₂ through the oxidative pathway by facultative species at low temperature while mesophilic temperature and optimum pH (6.3–7.8) played a pivotal role in increasing rate of conversion of VFA into biogas by methanogenesis. Rates of VFA production and their conversion are dependent on the food‐waste content in the mixture. Yet, the higher concentration of food‐waste (25% compared with 10%) did not produce VFA proportionally due to the increased rate of conversion of VFA into gaseous products. The maximum VFA production rate (0.318 g VFA_produced g^?1 VS_fed day^?1) was achieved in the 10 wt % food‐waste at ambient temperature and at a 5‐day HRT. Copyright © 2005 Society of Chemical Industry     

Displacement Discontinuity Method for Fracture Mechanics Analysis of Reissner Plates: Static and Dynamic

This paper is concerned with the displacement discontinuity method applied to the shear deformable plates (Reissner’s and Mindlin’s theories) with cracks subjected to static and dynamic loads. Fundamental solutions of dislocation are derived using the Fourier transform method and the Laplace transformation technique. Boundary integral equations are presented in terms of rotations/displacement on the crack surfaces. The Chebyshev polynomials of the second kind are used to evaluate the integral equations with hypersingular kernels on the crack boundaries and determine the stress intensity factors at the crack tips. Comparisons are made with other numerical solutions to demonstrate the proposed method is accurate both for static and dynamic problems.     

Effects of solid retention time on the performance of submerged anoxic/oxic membrane bioreactor.

In this study, four similar bench-scale submerged Anoxic/Oxic Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) were used simultaneously to investigate the effects of solids retention time (SRT) on organic and nitrogen removal in MBR for treating domestic wastewater. COD removal efficiencies in all reactors were consistently above 94% under steady state conditions. Complete conversion of NH(4+)-N to NO(3-)-N was readily achieved over a feed NH(4+)-N concentration range of 30 to 50 mg/L. It was also observed that SRT did not significantly affect the nitrification in the MBR systems investigated. The average denitrification efficiencies for the 3, 5, 10 and 20 days SRT operations were 43.9, 32.6, 47.5 and 66.5%, respectively. In general, the average effluent nitrogen concentrations, which were mainly nitrate, were about 22.2, 27.6, 21.7 and 13.9 mg/L for the 3, 5, 10 and 20 days SRT systems, respectively. The rate of membrane fouling at 3 days SRT operation was more rapid than that observed at 5 days SRT. No fouling was noted in the 10 days and 20 days SRT systems during the entire period of study.     

Effect of shape on the radiation-stimulated deformation of crystals

Translated from Atomnaya Énergiya, Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 208–209, March, 1989.     

Phosphine-induced sterility in Ephestia cautella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae)

The present study was conducted to explore the sterilizing effect of phosphine on Ephestia cautella. Three to four-day old pupae were exposed to 0, 0.007, 0.014, 0.021, 0.028, 0.035, 0.042 and 0.049 mg/l of phosphine for 24 h at room temperature. The normally developed adults of each treatment were pair mated and several physiological and genetical parameters were investigated. The results showed gradual increases with dose in pupal mortality and adult malformation. The crossing results showed no changes in adult longevity and mating frequency. However, consistent reduction was noted in the fecundity and fertility of normally emerged adults. Preliminary data indicated similar levels of inherited sterility in the F₁ adults raised from the above mentioned crosses.     

Micro-RBS characterisation of the chemical composition and particulate deposition on pulsed laser deposited Si1−xGex thin films

The formation and deposition of particulates by pulsed laser deposition of Si_1−xGe_x semiconductor alloy thin films are discussed. Using Rutherford backscattering spectrometry with micrometer lateral resolution (micro-RBS) the film composition was measured with high accuracy, even in the presence of particulates with a high areal density of 20,000–30,000 particulates per mm². We show that on impact of a particulate, the part of the thin film which is already deposited probably melts and its Ge content segregates to the surface.     

Methods for Estimating Theoretically the Influence of Ion Scattering and Reflection on the Isotopic Sensitivity of Static Magnetic Mass-Spectrometers

For purposes of optimizing ion-optical systems, analyzer construction, and pump placement in static magnetic mass-spectrometers for isotopic analysis of uranium compounds, a comparative analysis is made and a review is given of methods described in the literature for theoretical estimates of the influence of scattering and reflection of ions on the isotopic sensitivity. Conclusions which make it possible to solve the problem are drawn.     

Making combination drawing methods more efficient by controlling tool microroughness

Results are presented from extensive comparison studies of drawing operations performed with the use of drawplates whose working surfaces have an irregular or regular microroughness. Regularizing the microroughness of the working part of the drawplate makes it possible to control the dimensional accuracy of the resulting products within broad ranges of values.     

Calcium and phosphorus levels as indices of textured milk proteins being substituted for meat proteins

Textured milk proteins were tested in a meat model system with an exchange level of 34-87% of the meat proteins. The correlation between the substitution index and the calcium and phosphorus content was statistically significant.     

Modeling phosphorus in the upper Etowah River basin: identifying sources under uncertainty.

The Uniform Covering by Probabilistic Rejection (UCPR) algorithm was used, in conjunction with the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model, to identify P loads from point source and nonpoint source polluters in the upper Etowah River basin (UERB) in Georgia. The key findings of the research are as follows. The mean absolute error was preferred over the root mean square error as a search criterion for the UCPR algorithm when water quality observations are scarce. The undocumented P load from point sources in the UERB was consistently estimated as about 43 kg/d by the proposed method; but the method was not able to identify the broiler litter application rate to the poultry/beef operation pastures. Point sources (both documented and undocumented), poultry/beef operation pastures, and forests are the three major contributors of P. During 1992-1996, on average they accounted for 36.4, 31.7, and 17.2% of P load from the UERB, respectively.