Considerations on nonlinear model predictive control techniques

The nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) is an on-line application based on nonlinear convolution models. It is an appealing control methodology, but it is difficult to implement and its solution is not so performing since it unavoidably means to solve a usually large-scale, constrained, and multidimensional optimization. To increase the difficulty, this optimization problem is subject to computationally heavy differential and algebraic constraints constituting the same convolution model and the least squares nature of the objective function easily leads to narrow valleys and multimodality issues.Beyond a short review of the state-of-the-art, the paper is aimed at highlighting the possibility to exploit at best the intrinsic features of the specific system one is going to control using the NMPC. The idea is to give the NMPC the possibility to automatically select the best combination of algorithms (differential solvers and optimizers) in accordance with the specific problem to be solved. From this perspective, the NMPC could be easily extended to many scientific fields traditionally far from process systems and computer-aided process engineering and the user has not to worry about which specific differential solvers and optimizers are needed to solve his/her problem.     

Impact of biodiesel bulk modulus on injection pressure and injection timing. The effect of residual pressure

As the demand for energy rises fossil fuel reserves are depleted daily, increasing the interest in alternative fuels. Biodiesel is one of the best candidates in this class and its use is expected to expand rapidly throughout the world. Numerous researchers have been investigating how biodiesel affects combustion, pollutant formation and exhaust aftertreatment. There is general agreement that its combustion characteristics are similar to those of standard diesel fuel, except for a shorter ignition delay, a higher ignition temperature, and greater ignition pressure and peak heat release. Engine power output is similar with both fuels. As regards emissions, reductions in particulate matter (PM) and carbon monoxide (CO) and increases in nitrogen oxides (NOx) are described with most biodiesel blends. The latter is referred to as the ‘biodiesel NOx effect’. The vast majority of researchers who explored the effect of biodiesel did so in mechanical injection engines. They found that the primary mechanism by which biodiesel increases NOx emissions is by an inadvertent advance in the start of injection timing, caused by a higher modulus and viscosity. However, more recent studies show that NOx emissions also increase in biodiesel-fuelled common rail engines, and that in some cases they actually decrease in engines with mechanically controlled fuel injection systems. This cannot be explained solely by differences in compressibility and remains an open question. The present study provides a contribution to the discussion in this field by describing a new method to evaluate the injection advance in engines with mechanically controlled pumps. The experimental data show that the advances in the start of injection timing, using biodiesel rather than mineral diesel, are smaller than those calculated with standard methods and may even not occur at all, depending on injection system design. In addition, they demonstrate that, contrary to common belief, injection pressure does not always increase when using biodiesel. These data may help explain why some researchers have found similar or even reduced NOx emission also with mechanical injection systems.     

Advanced testing procedures for high performance coatings

In the first part of this work, an integrated approach incorporating electrochemical (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy), calorimetric (differential scanning calorimetry), mechanical (dynamic mechanical thermal analysis), and infrared spectroscopy (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy) techniques was used to characterize some organic coatings from the automotive industry. Comparison of the results obtained with different techniques allows not only a higher precision in the evaluation of natural or artificial degradation, which is very difficult to obtain using traditional techniques, but also better data interpretation and, therefore, the possibility of understanding the different degradation mechanisms. In the second part, some preliminary results concerning the comparison of salt spray exposure and EIS measurements are discussed. The statistical analysis of the results showed that the degradation mechanism in the two cases is completely different and, therefore, the information which is obtained with the two testing approaches is also different. With EIS measurements obtained in immersion, it is possible to monitor, in particular, the barrier properties of the coatings, which are dominated by the presence of defects. In the case of salt spray (without scratch), the main property to be measured is the loss of adhesion which causes blister formation. Presented at the 77th Annual Meeting of the Federation of Societies for Coatings Technology, on October 18–22, 1999, in Dallas, TX. Dept. of Materials Engineering, Via Mesiano 77, Trento, Italy. e-mail: Flavio.Deflorian@ing.unitn.it; Stefano.Rossi@ing.unitn.it; Bonora@ing.unitn.it. Dept. ICMMPM, Via Eudossiana, Rome, Italy. e-mail: Lorenzo.Fedrizzi@ing.unitn.it.     

19-Azasqualene-2,3-epoxide and its N-oxide: Metabolic fate and inhibitory effect on sterol biosynthesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

19-Azasqualene-2,3-epoxide was more inhibitory than the corresponding N-oxide against 2,3-oxidosqualene cyclase (OSC) solubilized from Saccharomyces cerevisiae (IC₅₀ 7±2 and 25±5 μM, respectively). Both compounds showed a reversible, noncompetitive-type inhibition on solubilized OSC. Different inhibitory properties between the compounds were especially evident when measuring [¹⁴C]acetate incorporation into nonsaponifiable lipids extracted from treated cells. In cells treated with 19-azasqualene-2,3-epoxide at 30 μM, the radioactivity associated with the oxidosqualene fraction, which was negligible in the controls, rose to over 40% of the nonsaponifiable lipids, whereas it remained at a slightly appreciable level in cells treated with the N-oxide derivative under the same conditions. 19-Azasqualene-2,3-epoxide was also more effective than the N-oxide as a cell growth inhibitor (minimal concentration of compound needed to inhibit yeast growth: 45 and >100 μM, respectively). The two inhibitors underwent different metabolic fates in the yeast: while 19-azasqualene-2,3-epoxide did not undergo any transformation, its N-oxide was actively reduced to the corresponding amine in whole and in “ultrasonically stimulated” cells. The N-oxide reductases responsible for this transformation appear to be largely confined within the microsomal fractions and require NADPH for their activity. A possible relationship between the inhibitory properties of the two compounds and their metabolic fates is discussed.     

Internal quality and antioxidants content of cold-stored red sweet peppers as affected by polyethylene bag packaging and hot water treatment

Physical (weight, firmness) and compositional (sugars, organic acids, ascorbic acid, phenolic compounds and carotenoids) changes of red sweet peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) were monitored during 21 days of cold storage (at 7.5 °C); fruits were stored without packaging, packaged in low density polyethylene bags, or after hot water dipping (53 °C for 4 min) and packaging. Packaging prevented water loss, and preserved the firmness of the fresh product. Sugars (fructose and glucose) content was practically constant throughout the whole storage time, for all treatments. A moderate accumulation of citric acid was observed during storage, but no marked effects of packaging and hot water dipping on citric and malic acid content. Ascorbic acid content slightly increased in unpackaged and packaged fruits, but not in treated+packaged peppers. Hydroxycinnamics total content seemed not to be affected by cold storage, packaging or hot water treatment, whereas glycosylated flavonoids showed somewhat lowered levels during storage, particularly in the case of unpackaged and packaged+treated fruits. Regarding carotenoids content, the effect of the considered storage conditions seemed to be much smaller than that due to ripening stage. Provitamin A content showed an increasing trend in unpackaged and packaged fruits; packaged+treated peppers were characterised by a lower retention of provitamin A and a higher level of capsanthin and cucurbitaxanthin A with respect to not treated fruits. On the whole, packaging and hot water treatment did not produce noticeable adverse effects on the majority of the examined compositional quality parameters.     

Onion under Microscope: An in-depth analysis of the Tor Web

World Wide Web - Tor is an open source software that allows accessing various kinds of resources, known as hidden services, while guaranteeing sender and receiver anonymity. Tor relies on a free,...     

Investigations of ultrathin polypyrrole films: Formation and effects of doping/dedoping processes on its optical properties by electrochemical surface plasmon resonance (ESPR)

In the present work an investigation of the effects of the electropolymerization mode on the optical properties associated to the doping/dedoping processes of nanometric films of polypyrrole (PPy) is reported, monitoring in situ and in real time using simultaneously surface plasmon resonance and electrochemical techniques (ESPR). The electropolymerization of pyrrole was performed by potentiostatic, potentiodynamic and galvanostatic methods and the use of the ESPR technique showed that the electropolymerization mode is essential to the stability of polymer and the reversibility of its optical properties during the doping and dedoping processes. Thus, the optical properties of oxidized and reduced film were obtained by nonlinear least square fitting using Fresnel equations for a four-layer system. Then, the values of the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant for PPy fims were correlated with the polymer doping level. Finally, quartz crystal microbalance measurements were also applied to obtain correlation between doping/dedoping processes and the changes in the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric constant of the polypyrrole film, showing that the doping and dedoping processes in the polypyrrole film can act directly on its optical properties while the ESPR technique can give the same information indirectly.