Prospects for the Improvement of Energy Performance in Agroindustry Using Phase Change Materials

This work was partially supported by the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, UIDB/00066/2020 (CTS – Center of Technology and Systems).The use of Phase Change Materials (PCMs), able to store latent heat, represents an opportunity to improve energy efficiency in the agroindustry by means of thermal energy storage. PCMs provide higher energy density then sensible heat storage mediums, thus paving the way to multiple applications, like supporting the integration of renewables or allowing for new storage architectures, decentralized and directly installed in the chain production equipment, creating e.g. the opportunity to recover and value low-grade operational heat sub-products. Such new and decentralized architecture, not currently applied in agroindustry, is proposed in this work. A chocolate tempering machine using an organic PCM is conceived and analyzed using ANSYS Fluent software for computational fluid dynamics simulations, comparing the main aspects in the storage capacity and discharging process with a conventional sensitive heat storage solution that uses water. PCMs allows improving the stored energy, keeping the chocolate in the working temperature after being tempered for more than four times longer than using only hot water. If the PCMs are charged by renewables, the self-consumption ratio can be improved while providing energy flexibility to the user.authorsversionpublishe

A Case Study for Decentralized Heat Storage Solutions in the Agroindustry Sector Using Phase Change Materials

The development of thermal energy storage solutions (TES) in agroindustry allows reduction of production costs and improvement of operation sustainability. Such solutions require high storage capacity and the ability to adapt to existing equipment. The use of phase change materials (PCMs), which are able to store thermal energy as latent heat, creates new opportunities for heat storage solutions (LHS, latent heat storage) with higher energy density and improved performance when compared to sensible heat storage. New architectures are envisaged where heat storage is distributed throughout the production chain, creating prospects for the integration of renewable generation and recovery of industrial heat waste. This work aims to investigate the benefits of decentralized thermal storage architecture, directly incorporating PCM into the existing equipment of an agroindustry production line. To assess the feasibility and potential gain in the adoption of this TES/LHS distributed solution, a tempering and mixing equipment for food granules is selected as a case study, representing a larger cluster operating under the operation paradigm of water jacket heating. The behavior of the equipment, incorporating an inorganic PCM, is modeled and analyzed in the ANSYS Fluent software. Subsequently, a prototype is instrumented and used in laboratory tests, allowing for data collection and validation of the simulation model. This case study presents a demonstration of the increase in storage capacity and the extension of the discharge process when compared to a conventional solution that uses water for sensible heat storage.publishersversionpublishe

Reintroduction of native cotton (Gossypium Barbadian) on the North coast of Peru: analysis of economic feasibility for small producers

In Peru the agro-export boom has determined a major shift of large farmers from traditional agro-industrial crops (coffee and cotton) to new agribusinesses (asparagus, oranges, avocados, apples). These dynamics have left room for the small farmers to enter the traditional agro-industrial sector, or into new niche markets as in the case of native cotton. On the North coast of Peru the cultivation of the native and naturally coloured cotton (Gossypium Barbadense spp. locally called algod\uf3n El Pa\ueds) is part of the Moche indigenous culture (a local pre-Inca population). Since 1949 the Peruvian legal prohibition to produce native cotton, linked to the risk of genetic contamination of the industrial white cotton cultivations, made the keeping of these traditional varieties very difficult. Nevertheless the situation has totally changed since 2008 due to Regulation n\ub0 29224 declaring native cotton as a genetic, ethnic and cultural heritage of the country. This study analyses the economic feasibility of re-inserting the native cotton as part of the agricultural production of 50 farmers on the North coast of Peru, proposing a farm economic data analysis, scenario analysis and sensitivity analysis based on OFAT (One Factor at A Time) methodology: the results attest that in all the productive scenarios proposed (10%, 25% and 50% of the farm agricultural surface growing native cotton) the average farm incomes are going to increase. Moreover the sensitivity analysis attests that also in the worst conditions of a 10% decrease in the native cotton price, the average farm incomes with native cotton are higher compared to the business as usual scenario in all three productive scenarios proposed

Spatial-Intelligent Decision Support System for Sustainable Downstream Palm Oil Based Agroindustry within the Supply Chain Network: A Systematic Literature Review and Future Research

Oil palm plantations as one of the sexiest commodities; produce a high yield of oil and fat that can be used in various sectors. The prospect of oil palm and its derivative products is good, but there are obstacles and problems faced that are mainly related to sustainability issues in oil palm plantations and its downstream process. Therefore, it is important to study the decision-making process that are needed to develop sustainable palm oil agroindustry. This paper aims at providing a comprehensive literature review for decision support system for sustainable agroindustry. Totally, 186 scientific publication articles from 2005 to 2019 were reviewed and synthesized. The reviewed articles were categorize based on the keywords of palm oil sustainability, geographic information system (GIS), and decision support system (DSS). The research gap and pointers for future research that are identified is the lack of sustainability aspect inclusion on decision-making process. We also identified the lack discussion of integrated spatial and intelligent tools through DSS for better, faster, and smarter decision-making process. In the end part of the paper, a pointer for possible future research was develop in terms of combination through spatial-intelligent system applying business analytics for sustainable agroindustry

Biofuels: From Hopes to Reality

This paper combines the research for biofuels processing development with the vehicle conception to focus on realistic scenarios for biofuels to attend vehicle specifications and future green mobility. Actually, these are two important segments of fuels and biofuels context which should converge to a sustainable and realistic model. Recently, due to the climate changes versus fossil fuels use, and its consequences, the United Nations System addressed to the world a report on green economy indicating large investments properly. In synthesis, it seeks for a new world reality towards a sustainable economy with emphasis on bioresources, mainly on biofuels research and production. Historically, wood biomass has had an important role since the 18th century as a solid fuel used for heating and all types of society purposes. This was an indiscriminate use and it caused forest devastation and unsustainability in the North of Europe. In modern era, biomass assumed a challenging role due to the scientific development that supported the green revolution. In the last decades, agricultural markets were characterized by steady growth production, which induced price falling of agricultural products. After the seventies, world agricultural and land use suffered another challenging pressure to produce biofuels to replace fossil fuels. To support that, the 1961 Nobel Prize, Melvin Calvin made a fundamental scientific contribution to the understanding of the photosynthetic C3 and C4 plant mechanism of light absorption. In 1999, Melis and researchers from National Renewable Energy Laboratory in the USA discovered that the green algae, Chlamydomonas reinhartdtii could be forced to produce biohydrogen under Sulphur-free anaerobic conditions. This discovery is another fundamental step towards sustainable biohydrogen production in the future. Other biological processes are being developed at Duisburg-Essen University, in Germany, as well as, in other countries. In spite of biomass biodiversity and the renewable character of biofuels, they are still gaining space at regional level and impacting land use. However, no one can predict what kind of biofuel will properly succeed fossil fuels at the international market reality. In spite of the achievements in biofuels research and processing, a large proportion of biomass is still used for heating purposes in developing countries, causing devastation and increasing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. Good examples of regional emphasis and hopes are the ethanol production from sugar cane in Brazil and from corn in the USA, as well as, biogas from wastes in Asia. Recently, the German automobile industry pointed out their challenging project to replace the actual inefficient intern combustion motors by batteries or hydrogen fuel cell driven vehicles, towards world green mobility free of CO2 – emissions for small cars. So, biohydrogen produced from renewable feedstocks will assume a strategic position in the next decades. Differently from oil, which has hydrocarbons as its main component, biomass has a large diversity of compounds, like, carbohydrates, fat acids or even lignocellulosic complex materials, available all over the world. However, such chemical biodiversity of compounds and structure bring technical barriers relating to high yields of biomass conversion into biofuels. In this sense, promising sustainable processes for cellulose materials and microalgae are being thermochemically developed to convert these materials into SYNGAS, a convenient intermediate to fuel and chemicals. Due to their high productivity, versatile and simple chemical composition, microalgae can be produced in semi arid regions, unproductive land and any source of water. Moreover, microalgae cultivation could absorb CO2 from thermoelectric power plants increasing synthetic photosynthesis yield and reducing CO2 concentration in the atmosphere. This seems to be a strategic model to convert bioresources into biofuels to attend future automobile requirements, as well as, chemical industry

A survey on colombian agriculture during the 1990s

This survey reviews some of the key developments in Colombian agriculture during the 1990s. While economic reform and macro policy appear to largely determine the evolution of the sector throughout most of the decade, the impact of sectoral policy is not that clear. The long-run significance of changes brought about in the structure of agricultural production, trade balance, and social conditions in rural areas is unclear. Whether they are the product of a transitional period between two macro and sectoral policy perspectives, of a temporarily distorted set of incentives, or a combination of the two is an open question. Hopefully, a set of interrogations may arise that help improve our understanding of Colombian agriculture.

Offshore oil exploitation in the Caribbean Sea: Challenges for Colombia

Colombia began an expansion plan for oil exploration in the Caribbean Sea, this industry is recognized for the high impact it can generate, being necessary to identify mechanisms to improve management. This research presents a review of the experiences in the offshore oil industry, describes the case of oil exploration in the Arctic, a fragile ecosystem; methodologies and indicators used to strengthen the industry in order to achieve sustainability are identified. The results allow to conclude that it is necessary to strengthen the development plan from the institutional and political frameworks using a Strategic Environmental Assessment, also they indicate how this can improve the instruments and achieve improvement in the social, economic and environmental dimensions

The role of lifestyle changes in low-emissions development strategies – The Case of Brazil

This thesis provides insights on how to adequately embark income, consumption and lifestyles trends in energy-economy long-term projections for developing countries. It focuses on income convergence and consumption patterns, often overlooked or misrepresented in scenario exercises. Methodological issues address the reconciliation of data from household surveys, energy balances and national accounts. The appropriate representation of household preferences in a hybrid computable general equilibrium framework is also discussed, followed by an application to the Brazilian case. The research seeks to identify to what extent increased environmental awareness on household consumption can contribute to reducing greenhouse gases emissions up to 2050. Behaviour shifts regarding energy, transport, food and durable goods consumption, as well as waste generation, are simulated. They are contrasted with a reference scenario in which household consumption is defined by current trends and standards. The thesis presents and discusses the impacts of lifestyle changes on economic growth, competitiveness, employment, income distribution, households` purchasing power and consumption levels, among others. The structural shifts that stem from the transition are also worthy of note. This work provides policy recommendations for low-emissions development strategies aiming at articulating climate objectives with other social and economic priorities in Brazil.Esta tese discute como representar tendências relacionadas a renda, consumo e estilos de vida em projeções de longo prazo em países em desenvolvimento. Explora-se a interação entre convergência de renda e padrões de consumo, aspectos frequentemente negligenciados ou mal representados em exercícios de cenários. Questões metodológicas tratam da conciliação entre dados provenientes de pesquisas domiciliares, balanços energéticos e Contas Nacionais. A representação das preferências de consumo das famílias em um modelo de equilíbrio geral computável híbrido é discutida, seguida de uma aplicação para o Brasil. Esta pesquisa busca identificar em que medida uma maior consciência ambiental no consumo das famílias pode contribuir para a redução de emissões de gases de efeito estufa em 2050. Mudanças de comportamento relativas ao uso de energia, mobilidade, alimentação, demanda por bens duráveis e geração de resíduos são simuladas. Elas são contrastadas com um cenário de referência no qual o consumo das famílias é definido a partir de padrões e tendências vigentes. Esta tese apresenta e discute o impacto de mudanças de estilo de vida sobre o crescimento econômico, competitividade, geração de emprego, distribuição de renda, poder de compra e nível de consumo das famílias, entre outros. Mudanças estruturais decorrentes da transição são igualmente dignas de atenção. Este trabalho fornece recomendações para a implementação de estratégias de desenvolvimento de baixo carbono com objetivo de articular a agenda climática e outras prioridades socioeconômicas no Brasil

Marketing Strategies Arabica Coffee with Information Technology in Kintamani District Bangli

Indonesian coffee commodity is a non-oil export commodity contributing to the increase in foreign exchange. The coffee agribusiness development efforts have been made by the government, but there are still many obstacles, especially in terms of marketing. Marketing use of information technology will provide great benefits for the market chain will be shortened.  Information technology can change the way a variety of competing businesses. The main role of information systems in business applications is to provide effective support for the strategy of the company to gain a competitive advantage. The role of information systems strategy involves the use of information technology to develop a range of products, services, and capabilities that give the company a big advantage over the competitive pressures in the global market. This research is the development of the results of previous studies in which information technology is a very potential market strategy to penetrate International markets. The results showed that the Arabica coffee marketing in the district of Kintamani, Bangli regency through information technology has the potential to be developed