Insights into hydrodynamics of spinning fluids reactor

Spinning fluids reactor (SFR) is one of the most efficient gas-liquid contacting system with high potential of application in many fields. The unique solution of SFR is the contacting of two spinning fluids which generated centrifugal force. The aim of this study was to investigate the pressure field distribution on the inner surface of reactors dispersing element. Obtained results confirm the high heterogeneity of the field pressure in the reactor system with a cylindrical wall. This is due to the low tangential force generated by rotating liquid on a cylindrical wall, and pressure drop in the locations of surface irregularities. The change of the sparger element to conical shape element increases the pressure exerted by fluid on the wall. In this case the effects of solid particles and inequality in the fluid flow are negligibly small compared to the measured pressure exerted on the sparger element

The Influence of intensity mixing on the digestion process

The basics of convection, mechanical, hydraulic and bubbling mixing used in methane fermentation technologies are discussed. The impact of the intensity of mechanical mixing on the quality and quantity of biogas as well as the course of the fermentation process was evaluated. The influence of the paddle agitator speed rate on quasi-continuous fermentation was investigated. Fermentation was carried out under mesophilic conditions with a hydraulic retention time of 21 days. A 10% increase in biogas production was observed with the increase of the speed of mixing from 60 to 70 min-1 without a significant change in the composition of biogas and other process parameters

Wetting processes in supported ionic liquid membranes technology

Ionic liquids are widely used in supported ionic liquid membranes technology, especially in gas separation and purification processes. This work characterizes the ability of ionic liquids to wet commercially available porous supports used for such purposes. Characterization of supports and membrane phases was carried out in order to determine factors influencing wetting process. Experimental method based on capillary rise is widely used for porous media characterization (i.e. pore radius, contact angle). Measurements of penetration distance or liquid mass are two main experimental methods, in which the Washburn equation is a basic instrument to analyze the obtained results. However, polymeric porous supports do not meet Washburn assumptions and the method is loaded with human errors, so the sessile drop method was used. The rate of wetting influences swelling effects and therefore changes in permeation path during gas separation processes are observed. Influence of ionic liquids structure on wetting and swelling of porous supports was investigated. The families of 1-alkyl-3-methylimidazolium (Cnmim), ammonium (Nnnnn), 1-alkyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium (CnPyrr) and 1-alkylpyridinium (CnPy) compounds with variable alkyl chain lengths in cation structures and changeable anions were taken into account in wetting and swelling experiments

Separation of CO2 from flue gas in air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH) reactor

Laboratory results of an initial study on CO2 removal from gas mixture by means of the air-sparged hydrocyclone (ASH) technology are reported. The CO2 absorption rate into sodium hydroxide aqueous solution was studied on a laboratory and pilot scale. The air flow rate was 900 dm³/min and the alkaline solution flow rate was 15 dm³/min in the case of pilot scale. The influence of CO2 concentration, pH of the liquid phase, the gas flow rate, and the alkaline solution flow rate on the efficiency of the process was investigated. An increase in the alkaline concentration significantly enhanced the CO2 absorption. A very low distribution of bubble sizes enhanced the carbon dioxide absorption, too

Wetting of surfaces with ionic liquids

The paper focuses on assessing wettability of surfaces modified with ionic liquid solutions. Dialkylimidazolium chlorides have been selected as the test group, because of their immediate availabil-ity and limited previous research. Contact angle of selected ionic liquid solutions have been measured with two methods: capillary rise test and simplified sitting droplet analysis, performed by means of digital camera. During tests the extremely high viscosity of dialkylimidazolium chlorides has been observed to drop rapidly with prolonged exposition to atmospheric moisture and measured experimentally with Karl-Fischer titration and viscosity measurements. Contact angles of selected ionic liquids have been presented

Preparation and physicochemical characterisation of ceramic supports for suported liquid membranes

Supported liquids membranes are very promising products. They have been intensively inves-tigated in last two decades and widely used in many technologies especially in gas separation and purifi-cation processes. A key aspect in obtaining satisfying effectiveness and long membrane lifetime is a proper choice of ionic liquid and polymeric or ceramic support. Properties of both affect the processes of obtaining useful supported ionic liquid membranes. In comparison to polymeric membranes, ceramic ones are slightly thicker, however they are thermally and mechanically more stable. Our research was aimed at sintering fine glass particles of 500 to 45 μm in size in order to prepare porous membranes which can be used as supports for liquid membranes. Dextrin and borax were used as pore-making agents. The membranes, as disks 35 mm in diameter and 3 mm of thickness, were prepared. The porosity was determined using absorption method. It was found, that the porosity could be controlled by changing the applied pressure from 1 to 5 MPa, particle size distribution, sintering temperature, type and amount of pore-enhancing agents

Knowledge and Consumption of Organic and Biodynamic Wines

Food and wine are a major tourist attraction for Italy as a tourism destination. In fact, two thirds of international tourists consider culture and food as the main motive to travel to Italy. Also the domestic market is pulled by the enogastronomic offer of the country, with 78% of Italian tourists being motivated by activities related to regional food and wine products when choosing the destination for their holidays (Coldiretti, 2015). Typical food and wines are not only tasted and enjoyed during the vacation; 28% of Italian tourists buy typical food delicatessen from the place visited to be eaten at home or to give away as presents and souvenirs (Coldiretti, 2015). Following the growing interest of both domestic and international tourists in the enogastronomic peculiarities of the country, many Italian destinations have started offering food and wine related activities, with wine marking a competitive advantage in regard to other European destinations. The Italian territory is characterized by 332 DOC (designation of origin) and 73 DOCG (controlled and guaranteed denomination of origin) wines (Coldiretti, 2017) and since decades it hosts wine-related business and entertainment events of international appeal (see for example Vinitaly in Verona, and \u201cCantine Aperte\u201d across the country). In the academic literature, wine tourism has been defined as a niche, however, within this niche, sub-niches are being created, catering for specialised segments of the market. Within this paper, we are going to concentrate on the sub-niche of organic wine tourism. In recent years, despite the widespread economic crisis, worldwide an increase in the consumer preference for organic products has been recorded. Demand for sustainable and healthier products is affecting consumers in their preferences and ultimately in their buying behaviours relative to a number of food and beverage products, including wine. In 2015 there were 50.9 million hectares of organic agricultural land, with Oceania holding 45% of if it, followed by Europe (25%), Latin America (13%), Asia (8%) and Africa (3%) (Willer and Lernoud, 2017). From a market perspective, in 2015, global retail sales of organic products (food and drinks) reached 81.6 billion US dollars, recording an increase of about 10% from 2014 (Willer and Lernoud, 2017). The United States (47% of the global sales) and the European Union (35%) generate the highest product sales, however, their share is decreasing with an increasing request contribution by new emerging markets like Asia and Latina America (Willer and Lernoud, 2017). Italian wine production ranks among the top in the world in terms of cultivated surface, export of quality wines, turnover and export value. In the latestrecent decades, Italian wine producers have shifted from quantity to quality and production has increasingly shifted towards organic and biodynamic cultivation (Fortis and Sartori, 2016). Organic wines are therefore becoming and interesting product for wine tourists and wine event attendees. It follows that a niche within the wine tourism field can be identified. Nonetheless, lack of knowledge on the actual and the potential target market could jeopardize managerial strategies to develop this segment. The purpose of this study is to profile organic and biodynamic wine consumers in order to provide wine destinations, wine event organisers and wine cellars with useful information for market strategies to target this ever growing sub-niche. In specific, this work aims to determine the knowledge and consumption of organic/biodynamic wines by event attendees, i.e. consumers with a relative higher involvement in wine. Results of this study will provide managerial implications for both wine routes and wine event organisers and cellars on how to approach this segment within the wine tourism market