Behaviour of Palm Olein During Low Temperature Storage and Identification of Palm Olein Cloud

Palm olein, one of the world's most consumable oil, faces problems such as poor low temperature stability and formation of cloud upon storage. In order to study the behaviour of the oil during low temperature storage and identify the components of cloud, the oil was crystallized at 12.5°C over the period of 12 to 24 hours. The behaviour of the triglycerides present in the crystallized oil were monitored by three independent analyses: carbon number analysis (CN) by gas liquid chromatography (GLC) , fatty acid composition and content by fatty acid methyl esters (FAME)-GLC, and glyceride composition and content by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC). At 18 hours of storage, the triglyceride types determined by CN analysis that hadthe maximum concentration (44.49%) was C50 while C52 exhibited the lowest value of 41.10%. In FAME analysis, palmitic acid (C16) had the highest concentration of 41.67% after the oil had been stored for 15 hours while oleic (C18:1) exhibited the lowest value of 41.52%. Triglyceride analysis by HPLC showed that palmitic-oleic-pal mitic (POP) concentration increased to the highest value of 33.53% at 18 hours of storage while palmitic-oleic-oleic (POO) concentration decreased to the lowest value of 23.98% which represent 19.96% increased and 12.77% decreased, respectively. The second aspect studied was the separation of cloud from palm olein and identification of the glyceride that made up the cloud. The cloud from palm olein was separated from the mother (liquid) oil by crystallizing the oil at 10˚C for 4 hours followed by brief centrifugation . Oils from three different sources were used as samples. Isolated clouds were identified by using the three analyses mentioned above. Clouds from all three sample oils were found to comprise of 1,3-dipalmito-glycerol and I-palmito-3-oleo-glycerol. The physical properties of the cloud was determined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses. A polarized optical microscope was employed to observe the crystal morphology. The results indicated that the cloud crystals had a mix structure of B-a and B-b polymorphic forms, a melting point of 70. 3°C, crystallization temperature of 53. 8°C, the heat of fusion and crystallization were 129.84J/g and - 129.24J/g respectively. The most common crystal size ranged from 70f.'m to 80f.'m

An Innovative Take on Filtering Carbon Dioxide Through CryoCapture

Overview (Air Mover): Carbon dioxide plays an important role in the earth's ecosystem; the lives of many organisms are based on the balancing of this gas. Plants and animals need it for survival however, an excess of carbon dioxide can also end the organism’s life. The production of the gas mostly comes from the combustion of fossil fuel, power plants, big industries, vehicles, and processes involving natural gasses. One of the most known issues of carbon dioxide pollution is global warming. The greenhouse gas essentially traps heat in the atmosphere, increasing the global temperature. The methodology provided is an innovative solution towards the creation of an environmentally friendly carbon dioxide filter. Current air filtration systems are restricted to industrial environments limiting the ability to filter the air. Due to the large noise and low range of operation of axial fans the filtration systems need controlled environments for longevity. The paper presents a versatile air mover that can be mounted onto multiple surfaces due to its low profile and bracket mounts. Furthermore, the usage of a diagonal fan inside of a PVC pipe allows for a durable system that can operate at high efficiency and low noise. The main challenge in designing the air mover was figuring out how to quantify the scalability of the device and what parameters could be changed in order to make the device more viable. The designs most prominent feature are the inclusion of a modular enclosure that can be adapted to multiple areas and environments while withstanding harsh conditions due to the PVC piping that can be coated with a diagonal fan for high volumetric flow rates and pressure differential for versatility in environments the device is placed in as well as efficiency. Overview (Carbon Storer): The Civil and Environmental Engineering team is responsible for finding a cost effective and sustainable way to transport, store and recycle the carbon caught in the air from the Carbon Catcher designed by the other engineering teams. In the team’s design, the Carbon Catcher will reduce the harmful emissions in the air by capturing CO2, store it and then utilize it in another industry which will reduce the need to mine for more raw materials which would thus further reduce the pollution emitted into the environment. Our plan is to recycle the carbon emitted from a factory and utilize it in CO2 dry ice. It's the Civil and Environmental Engineers’ job to find a way to connect a sustainable solution with a solution that improves the public’s quality of life. There are many industries that pollute immense amounts from the mining of raw material or the emission of pollutants. The team wants to show industries that the economic solution can also be the sustainable solution. Overview (Membrane) The team’s solution focuses on the use of cryogenic carbon capture, a method in which the selective freezing points of the gaseous components of air are used to separate out carbon dioxide. For this process, the team will be utilizing a 4 step filtration process. First, the flue gas will be run through a particulate filter to catch all macroscopic particles that may be present within the air. Afterwards, the gas is then passed through a dehumidifier where a majority of water content will be extracted. Following this, The gas was then run through a long pipe and progressively cool it down to the freezing point of carbon dioxide. Finally, the filtered gas is extracted, and a bubbler is used to separate the solid carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is then compressed and recycled around the feed pipe to help in the cooling process. Along the process of this design, the team encountered problems finding the optimum materials for temperatures this low. As well, coming up with a way to eliminate heat transfer from the outside posed a huge problem. Through the experience, the team was able to gain a greater view of what benefits and drawbacks must be balanced, along with the economic interest that comes with designing an efficient process. Unlike how most designs are focused, It was understood that using a membrane only provided so much creativity when it came to filtration. As a result, the team researched other successful methods and arrived at utilizing cryogenics to filter. Goal Research to provide a single solution to remove levels of carbon dioxide in the immediate atmosphere, transport it to a storage mechanism, and find a way to recycle it. Powerful research is required to ensure effective methodologies, material usage, and flexible scalability of the overall device. This particular team seeks to find an alternative separation process to membrane filtration, the efficacy of which has not been demonstrated beyond the scale of a laboratory

Storage Tank Overfill Vapor Cloud Explosions – Science, Causes, and Prevention

PresentationThe 2009 Puerto Rico incident reminds us that few events are as devastating as a vapor cloud explosion initiated by a tank overfill. Any company that transfers a flammable liquid into a storage tank is vulnerable to the vapor cloud that is generated by a tank overfill. Because the liquid typically pours out from the top of the tank and falls into the secondary containment, the liquid may be contained but the vapor can easily traverse the secondary containment wall and find an ignition sources where either a vapor cloud explosion or a flash fire (deflagration) that may result. In either case, it is important to understand and prevent this type of incident. Although recent gasoline tank overfill vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) have made the news, much larger crude oil volumes are shipped throughout the world. Therefore, it seems reasonable to investigate how the VCA methodology can be applied to crude oil tank overfills. In this paper we build on the Vapor Cloud Analysis (VCA) proposed by the UK Health Safety Executive as documented in Research Report 908 and the FABIG Technical Note 12. We summarize the latest results but we extend the method so that it is applicable to crude oil tank overfills. In addition, we show how to positively eliminate the potential for these incidents without large investments or complex systems

Storage Tank Overfill Vapor Cloud Explosions – Science, Causes, and Prevention

PresentationThe 2009 Puerto Rico incident reminds us that few events are as devastating as a vapor cloud explosion initiated by a tank overfill. Any company that transfers a flammable liquid into a storage tank is vulnerable to the vapor cloud that is generated by a tank overfill. Because the liquid typically pours out from the top of the tank and falls into the secondary containment, the liquid may be contained but the vapor can easily traverse the secondary containment wall and find an ignition sources where either a vapor cloud explosion or a flash fire (deflagration) that may result. In either case, it is important to understand and prevent this type of incident. Although recent gasoline tank overfill vapor cloud explosions (VCEs) have made the news, much larger crude oil volumes are shipped throughout the world. Therefore, it seems reasonable to investigate how the VCA methodology can be applied to crude oil tank overfills. In this paper we build on the Vapor Cloud Analysis (VCA) proposed by the UK Health Safety Executive as documented in Research Report 908 and the FABIG Technical Note 12. We summarize the latest results but we extend the method so that it is applicable to crude oil tank overfills. In addition, we show how to positively eliminate the potential for these incidents without large investments or complex systems

Feasibility study of launch vehicle ground cloud neutralization

The distribution of hydrogen chloride in the cloud was analyzed as a function of launch pad geometry and rate of rise of the vehicle during the first 24 sec of burn in order to define neutralization requirements. Delivery systems of various types were developed in order to bring the proposed chemical agents in close contact with the hydrogen chloride. Approximately one-third of the total neutralizing agent required can be delivered from a ground installed system at the launch pad; concentrated sodium carbonate solution is the preferred choice of agent for this launch pad system. Two-thirds of the neutralization requirement appears to need delivery by aircraft. Only one chemical agent (ammonia) may be reasonably considered for delivery by aircraft, because weight and bulk of all other agents are too large

Investigation of liquid-liquid demixing and aggregate formation in a membrane-forming system by means of pulse-induced critical scattering (PICS)

Phase separation phenomena in the quasi-ternary system cellulose acetate (CA)/dioxane/water, used as a typical system in the preparation of polymeric membranes for ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis applications, were investigated by means of pulse-induced critical scattering (PICS). Both the cloud point curve and spinodal curve were determined for CA concentrations up to 20% (w/w). The influence of maleic acid (used as an additive in order to improve the membrane performance) on the position of the binodal and spinodal curves and the demixing kinetics were investigated

Risk analysis of LPG tanks at the wildland-urban interface

In areas of wildland-urban interface (WUI), especially residential developments, it is very common to see liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tanks, particularly with a higher ratio of propane, in surface installations serving homes. The most common tanks are between 1 and 5 m3 of capacity, but smaller ones of less than 1 m3 are more frequent. In case of accident, installations may be subject to fires and explosions, especially in those circumstances where legal and normative requirements allow very close exposure to flames from vegetable fuel near LPG tanks. In this project, it is intended to do a comprehensive diagnosis of the problem, addressing the compilation of information on real risk scenarios in historical fires. First, a preliminary presentation of the properties and characteristics of liquefied petroleum gas will be exposed. Its physical and chemical properties, production methodology, pressure and temperature diagrams and important considerations will be defined when using this type of substances in a storage tank of a certain volume. Next, a review of the situation of the existence of LPG tanks in the urban forest interfaces will be exposed. In this case, the main accidents caused by problems with the storage of LPG will be analyzed taking into account the relevance of BLEVE events in this type of incidents. To do this, the main scenarios that could take place in the event of a fire will be presented. Next, the existing legislation on the storage of LPG in these environments in some Mediterranean countries will be studied. In order to develop a comprehensive analysis, the main safety measures and distances will be considered, as well as the awareness of the possibility of vegetation material in the vicinity of LPG storage tanks, which is the main problem that will arise in a possible BLEVE scenario in case of fire. To finalize and facilitate understanding, a comparative table will be included with the aim of visualizing the main advantages and legislative deficiencies between the different countries. Following, the state of the art in terms of modelling LPG accidents at the WUI will be reviewed. Trying to simulate and predict this type of scenarios, it will see the models normally chosen to obtain the tolerable values selected and the answers obtained in each case. Finally, several fire scenarios will be simulated by means of a CFD tool (FDS, Fire Dynamics Simulator). In these simulations, the wind velocity and the distance of the combustible vegetal mass to the tank will be controlled in a WUI fire in which there is a tank of fixed dimensions. The temperature and the heat flow in each of the scenarios will be obtained, and the differences among the location of the sensors and the characteristics of the scenario will be analyzed. As a conclusion, it has been observed that there is a great amount of variables that are not contemplated by the regulatory organisms and that the existing legislation does not guarantee the safety of the population in this type of environment. From the simulations results, variables as temperature should be studied for further characterizations