Investigación sobre la composición química, minerales y ácidos grasos de dos cultivares de almendra cultivados como orgánico y convencional en el sudeste de Turquía

Organic farming is a human and environment friendly production system that is based on soil fertility and food safety without using chemical fertilizers and pesticides in production, aiming to re-establish the deteriorated ecological balance as a result of harmful production practices. Organic products attract the interest of consumers as they are strongly perceived as healthier products compared to conventional food. This study aimed to determine the differences in chemical, mineral, and fatty acid characteristics between conventionally and organically cultivated Ferragnes and Ferraduel almond cultivars. When conventional and organic almonds were evaluated in terms of fatty acids, proximate compositions, and minerals, crude oil and Mg were statistically insignificant, while Cu was significant (P < 0.05) and all others were quite significant (P < 0.001). Total sugar was higher in organic samples compared to conventional samples in both cultivars. The crude oil and linoleic acid (12.93% for Ferragnes and 14.99% for Ferraduel) were higher in conventional samples but oleic acid (78.9% for Ferragnes and 81.08% for Ferraduel) was higher in organic samples. In addition, organic samples contained higher Mg and Fe but lower P, K, Ca, Na, Zn, Mn and Cu when compared with conventional samples. The results indicate that conventionally cultivated almonds present higher mineral content and lower fatty acid value compared to organically cultivated almonds.La agricultura orgánica es un sistema de producción amigable con el ser humano y el medio ambiente, basado en la fertilidad del suelo y la seguridad alimentaria. Este sistema suele prescindir del uso de fertilizantes químicos y pesticidas en la producción, con el objetivo de prefijar el equilibrio ecológico previamente destruido como resultado natural de prácticas de producción incorrectas. Los productos orgánicos están atrayendo cada vez más el interés de los consumidores ya que se perciben como productos más saludables en comparación con los alimentos convencionales. Este estudio tenía como objetivo determinar las diferencias en las características químicas, minerales y ácidos grasos existentes entre los cultivares de almendra de Ferragnes y de Ferraduel, cultivados tanto convencionalmente como orgánicamente. Cuando se evaluaron las almendras convencionales y las orgánicas en términos de ácidos grasos, composiciones proximal y minerales, el aceite crudo y el Mg fueron estadísticamente insignificantes, mientras que los valores de Cu fue significativo (P < 0.05) y todos los demás fueron bastante significativos (P < 0.001). El azúcar total fue mayor en muestras orgánicas en comparación con muestras convencionales en ambos cultivares. El aceite crudo y el ácido linoleico (12.93% para Ferragnes y 14.99% para Ferraduel) fue mayor en muestras convencionales, pero el ácido oleico (78.9% para Ferragnes y 81.08% para Ferraduel) fue mayor en muestras orgánicas. Además, las muestras orgánicas contenían mayor Mg y Fe pero menor P, K, Ca, Na, Zn, Mn y Cu cuando se compararon con las muestras convencionales. Los resultados indican que las almendras convencionales presentan mayor contenido mineral y menor valor de ácidos grasos en comparación con las cultivadas orgánicamente

In-situ instrumentation of cells and power line communication data acquisition towards smart cell development

The internal core temperature of cells is required to create accurate cell models and understand cell performance within a module. Pack cooling concepts often trade off temperature uniformity, vs cost/weight and complexity. Poor thermal management systems can lead to accelerated cell degradation, and unbalanced ageing. To provide core temperature an internal array of 7 thermistors was constructed; these in conjunction with cell current, via bus bar mounted sensors, and voltage sensor measurements, we have developed instrumented cells. These cells are also equipped with power line communication (PLC) circuitry, forming smart cells. We report upon data from these miniature sensors during cell cycling, demonstrating successful operation of the PLC system (zero errors compared to a reference wired connection) during typical cell cycling (C/2 discharge, C/3 charge) and the application of automotive drive cycle, providing a transient current test profile. Temperature variation within the cell of approximately 1.2 °C gradients, and variation of >2.8 °C during just 30 min of 2C discharging demonstrate the need for internal sensing and monitoring throughout the lifetime of a cell. Our cycling experimental data, along with thorough cell performance tracking, where typically <0.5% degradation was found following instrumentation process, demonstrate the success of our novel prototype smart cells

Development of an in-vehicle power line communication network with in-situ instrumented smart cells

Instrumented cells, equipped with miniature sensors, are proposed to aid the next stage of electrification in the automotive and aerospace industries. To optimize the energy density available within a lithium ion (li-ion) pack we demonstrate how a power line communication (PLC) network can be formed at an individual cell level. This reduces the need for complex communication cables within a vehicle wiring loom. Here we show a unique prototype smart cell (instrumented cell equipped with interface circuitry and processing capability) can be connected via a PLC network, to enable monitoring of vital parameters (temperature, voltage, current), regardless of cell state of charge (2.5 V to 4.2 V DC operating voltage). In this proof-of-concept study, we show the reliable system (0 errors detected over ∼24 hr experiment, acquired data (logged at 10 Hz) from cells (in a parallel configuration), and comparative data for cell internal and external temperature was recorded. During a prolonged discharge (1C, 5A discharge) a peak core temperature >3 °C hotter than surface temperature was observed, highlighting the need to understand cell operation in cooling system design

In-situ measurement of internal gas pressure within cylindrical lithium-ion cells

Internal gas pressure is a key parameter that varies depending on cell heating and gas formation over the lifetime of a lithium-ion cell under dynamic load conditions and ageing. In our research, for the first time, we present a methodology to directly measure internal gas pressure during pre-instrumentation, cell operation and ageing via an embedded sensor system. Cylindrical format cells (LG-INR21700M50) are instrumented using our proven instrumentation technique. Our study demonstrates that the performance and degradation of instrumented cells are not adversely affected by the instrumentation process. In this study, the effect of state-of-charge (SOC), degradation and temperature on internal gas pressure is evaluated. Initial results highlight a nonlinear relationship between gas pressure and SOC of the cells during charging and discharging and, gas pressure and temperature when the cells are operated under no-load conditions. Our study further highlights that gas pressure accumulation can be correlated with capacity fade or state-of-health (SOH). Monitoring of internal gas pressure could therefore become a useful additional indicator of SOC and SOH and provide new insights into degradation and the safety of lithium-ion cells

Battery cell temperature sensing towards smart sodium-ion cells for energy storage applications

Battery cell instrumentation (e.g., temperature, voltage and current sensing) is vital to understand performance and to develop/contrast different cell designs and chemistries. Sodiumion batteries (NIBs) are emerging as an alternative solution to lithium-ion (LIB) technology, particularly in the field of grid energy storage. The relative abundancy of sodium (Na) and superior charge/discharge capability, fuel the development effort to match the desirable energy density properties of LIBs. Internal temperature sensing is of particular value during cell development, offering insights into hot spots and manufacturing defects, in-advance of detection via voltage or surface temperature measurement. We developed novel thermistor arrays (7x miniature sensors) inserted into the core of a 21700 format LIB via flexible PCBs. These arrays were protected using a covering tube, and successfully provided temperature measurements throughout an ageing experiment consisting of 100 cycles (1C charge, 0.3C discharge). For the first time, we report on our performance tests prior to this ageing study (capacity, internal resistance) to highlight the instrumented cells show comparable degradation (∼5 %) to an unmodified cell. We extend this study by verifying that our scalable low-cost solution to sensor protection can be migrated to NIBs. The resilience of the protected PCBs to electrolyte was tested via a longer-term test (preliminary results from a 90-day study are reported here) submerged within the solution. The findings offer a promising outlook to lower-cost cell instrumentation and will provide a tool to optimize these novel cell chemistries

Global thermal image of cylindrical 21700 Li-ion batteries with distributed optical fibre sensor

The ability to monitor the thermal behaviour of lithium-ion batteries (LIB) is an essential pre-requisite to optimise performance and ensure safe operation. However, traditional point measurement (thermocouples) faces challenges in accurately characterising LIB behaviour and notably in defining the hotspot and the magnitude and direction of the thermal gradient. To address these issues, an optical-frequency-domain-reflectometer (OFDR) based distributed-optical-fibre-sensor has been employed to quantify the heat generation within a cylindrical 21700 LIB. A 3 mm spatial resolution within the optical sensor is realised. The optical fibre has been wound around the cell surface for over 1300 unique measurement locations; distributed around the circumference and axially along the LIB. Distributed measurements show the maximum thermal difference can reach 8.37 °C during a 1.5C discharge, while the point-like sensors have 4.31 °C thermal difference. While a temperature gradient along the cell axial length is well understood, for the first time, this research quantifies the temperature variations along the circumference of the cell. The global thermal image highlights heat generation is accumulated around the positive current tab, implying that a fundamental knowledge of internal LIB structure is required when defining sensor placement within the traditional characterisation experiments and deployment within the battery management system (BMS)

A compatibility study of protective coatings for temperature sensor integration into sodium-ion battery cells

Instrumented battery cells (i.e. those containing sensors) and smart cells (with integrated control and communication circuitry) are essential for the development of the next-generation battery technologies, such as Sodium-ion Batteries (SIBs). The mapping and monitoring of parameters, for example the quantification of temperature gradients, helps improve cell designs and optimise management systems. Integrated sensors must be protected against the harsh cell electrolytic environment. State-of-the-art coatings include the use of Parylene polymer (our reference case). We applied three new types of coatings (acrylic, polyurethane and epoxy based) to thermistor arrays mounted on flexible printed circuit board (PCBs). We systematically analyse the coatings: (i) PCB submersion within electrolyte vials (8 weeks); (ii) analysis of sample inserted into coin cell; (iii) analysis of sensor and cell performance data for 1Ah pouch SIBs. Sodium-based liquid electrolyte was selected, consisting of a 1 M solution of sodium hexafluorophosphate (NaPF6) dissolved in a mixture of ethylene carbonate and diethylene carbonate in a ratio of 3:7 (v/v%). Our novel experiments revealed that the epoxy based coated sensors offered reliable temperature measurements; superior performance observed compared to the Parylene sensors (erroneous results from one sample were reported, under 5 d submersed in electrolyte). Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy revealed in the case of most coatings tested, formation of additional species occurred during exposure to the different coatings applied to the PCBs. The epoxy-based coating demonstrated resilience to the electrolytic-environment, as well as minimal effect on cell performance (capacity degradation compared to unmodified-reference, within 2% for the coin cell, and within 3.4% for pouch cell). The unique methodology detailed in this work allows sensor coatings to be trialled in a realistic and repeatable cell environment. This study demonstrated for the first time that this epoxy-based coating enables scalable, affordable, and resilient sensors to be integrated towards next-generation Smart SIBs

Determination of phenological and pomological properties and fatty acid contents of some wild almond genotypes (Prunus fenzliana fritsch) grown on the slopes of mount ararat

The species Prunus fenzliana is acknowledged to be the possible ancestor of cultivated almond (Prunus amygdalus L.) and other wild almond species. The objective of this study was to determine phenological and pomological properties and fatty acid composition of the almond species Prunus fenzliana Fritsch, which grows naturally on the slopes of Mount Ararat. The study was conducted in 2016 and 2017. The fruit weight with shell, kernel weight, fruit thickness with shell: kernel ratios of the selected almond genotypes were 0.47–0.89 g, 0.13–0.22 g, 0.87-1.31 mm, and 22.38-37.36%, respectively. Double kernelled fruits were encountered in two genotypes [(PFG-10 (6.67%) and PFG-15 (7.14%)]. In 2016, the first flowering, full flowering, and harvesting time of the genotypes ranged from 20-25 March, 24-31 March and 17-23 August, respectively. In 2017, the first flowering, full bloom, and harvest time were observed between 08-12 April, 13-17 April and 4-9 September, respectively. The oleic acid concentration was much higher than in previous studies. In this context, the oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic and myristic acid concentrations were 69.2-77.9, 15.2-18.5, 4.6-5.3, 1.2-1.6 and 0.7-1.7%, respectively. The results revealed that genotypes under the Prunus fenzliana species could be used as a genetic resource in rootstock breeding programs and could be utilized in chemical and pharmaceutical industry due to its rich fat content. © 2019, Tarbiat Modares University. All rights reserved