Drying of α-amylase by spray drying and freeze-drying - a comparative study

This study is aimed at comparing two traditional methods of drying of enzymes and at verifying the efficiency of each one and their advantages and disadvantages. The experiments were performed with a laboratory spray dryer and freeze-dryer using α-amylase as the model enzyme. An experimental design in star revealed that spray drying is mainly influenced by the inlet air temperature and feed flow rate, which were considered to be the main factors influencing the enzymatic activity and water activity; the long period of material exposure to high temperatures causes a partial activity loss. In the experiments of freeze drying, three methods of freezing were used (freezer, acetone and dry ice, and liquid nitrogen) and samples subsequently freeze-dried for times ranging between 0-24 hours. The product obtained from the two techniques showed high enzymatic activity and low water activity. For the drying of heat-resistant enzymes, in which the product to be obtained does not have high added value, spray drying may be more economically viable because, in the freeze drying process, the process time can be considered as a limiting factor when choosing a technique313625631FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP99/12379-5; 01/00571-

Productionof poly(L-CO-D,L LacticAcid) porous fibers by electrospinning

The production of porous scaffolds has been widely investigated by the scientific community due to its suitability for tissue engineering. Among techniques that allow the fabrication of porous materials, electrospinning is appealing for being robust and versatile. This research investigated the pore formation in poly (L-co-D,L lactic acid) fibers obtained by conventional electrospinning and the influence of chloroform as a single solvent on fiber morphology. Random and highly porous fibers with a mean diameter of 2.373 ± 0.564 µm were collected. Chloroform affects the fiber morphology, mainly for its fast evaporation and low density of charges. The solvent on the surface evaporates quickly, and the low stretch of the jet does not help the polymer to reorganize over the length of the fiber, forming pores. In conclusion, the low dielectric constant and boiling point of chloroform induce pores formation along the PLDLA fibers.

MODELING AND CONTROL OF AN AUTOREFRIGERATED CSTR POLYMERIZATION REACTOR: IMPACT OF THE NON-CONDENSABLE GASES

The concept of process intensification is applied to a CSTR polymerization reactor, where bulk reactions take place via styrene free-radicals, connected to a semi-flooded horizontal condenser; the aim is to operate the system in a safe and efficient way. The results obtained show that the developed model was able to reproduce the major dynamic characteristics, even with the presence of non-condensable gases. The existence of such gases prevents the reactor from ever reaching a steady-state, as they accumulate in the system, increasing the condenser pressure and the reactor temperature and reducing the contact area and the mass of liquid in the condenser. To overcome this problem, the control strategy of this work proposes a regular purge of the condenser gases in order to avoid a collapse of the system. In this context, different control algorithms were also analyzed and it was concluded that a fast and reliable control of the reactor is only possible when advanced controllers are used

Comparison of growth and lipid accumulation at three different growth regimes with Desmodesmus sp.

The production of third generation biofuel and use of microalgae as feedstock have recently gained increased attention in the research area in search of more sustainable processes. These microorganisms have characteristics that offer great potential to produce either feedstock to other process or even final use products. They have fast growth rates and accumulation of intracellular metabolites, including lipids. There are three basic types of cultures in which microalgae can develop: autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixotrophic. The objective of this work was to study the growth of the microalgae Desmodesmus sp. in these three types of cultivations in order to establish the most effective farming strain for lipids production. It was observed that the strain had higher yields of biomass and lipids in the mixotrophic cultivation with glucose (10 g L−1) as the carbon source, obtaining 54.5 × 106 cells mL−1 with a growth rate of 0.28 (days−1) and 25.1% of lipids in a 6 day cultivation time9421427COORDENAÇÃO DE APERFEIÇOAMENTO DE PESSOAL DE NÍVEL SUPERIOR - CAPESFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESPsem informação2014/10064-9; 2015/19935-

NUEVAS PERSPECTIVAS EN PROCESOS DE SEPARACIÓN: SIMULACIÓN COLUMNA DE DESTILACIÓN CON INTEGRACIÓN INTERNA DE CALOR (CDIIC)

RESUMEN Las columnas con integración interna de calor CDIIC se caracterizan por la diferencia de presión entre las secciones de rectificación y agotamiento ubicadas en forma concéntrica. Básicamente, la nueva configuración consta de una sección de rectificación que trabaja a mayor presión y temperatura, la cual transfiere calor a la sección de agotamiento disminuyendo el consumo energético con respecto a la destilación convencional. El presente trabajo estudia el concepto de columna con integración interna de calor para una mezcla binaria benceno-tolueno; el estudio muestra que existe un gran potencial de ahorro energético con respecto a la convencional. La columna CDIIC muestra una amplia perspectiva de trabajo como alternativa para separaciones industriales. Palabras clave: destilación, integración de calor, integración de procesos.   ABSTRACT The Heat Integrated Distillation Column HIDiC is characterized by the pressure difference between the rectification and stripping sections in a concentrical system. Basically, the new configuration consists of a rectifying section that works at higher pressure and temperature, which transfers heat to the stripping section for decreasing energy consumption compared to the conventional distillation. The present study examines the concept of heat integrated column within a binary mixture benzene-toluene and presents great potential for energy savings. HIDiC column shows a broad perspective of work as an alternative for industrial separations. Keywords: distillation, heat integration, process integration

Modelagem e controle avançado não-linear multivariável por lógica nebulosa : aplicação para um processo de copolimerização

A obtenção de um modelo matemático confiável de um dado processo é um pré-requisito fundamental para o projeto de controladores. Contudo, particularmente para sistemas poliméricos que são intrinsecamente caracterizados por dinâmicas complexas, o delineamento de uma aproximação a partir dos primeiros princípios é uma tarefa bastante árdua e, por vezes, não realizável. Logo, representações matemáticas mais simples, porém reprodutivas das principais peculiaridades do sistema, são bem-vindas. Assim sendo, este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento e a implementação de dois esquemas de controle preditivo não-linear multivariável baseado em modelo nebuloso para um processo de copolimerização. Modelos MISO (Multi-Input/Single-Output) lineares e exponenciais são construídos a partir da lógica nebulosa, combinados e aplicados para simulação e predição on-line. Os desempenhos das estruturas de controle propostas foram comparados ao DMC (Dynamic Matrix Control) e a um típico NMPC (Nonlinear Model-based Predictive Control) para o problema servo. Os resultados obtidos comprovaram a eficácia das configurações projetadas

SIMULATION OF THE ALCOHOL-OIL MIXTURE IN A T-SHAPED MICROCHANNEL USING THE DISSIPATIVE PARTICLE DYNAMICS METHOD ON GPU DEVICES

Multiphase fluid motion in microchannnels involves complicated fluid dynamics and is fundamentally important to diverse practical engineering applications. Among several applications, the alcohol-oil mixture is particularly important due to its application for biodiesel production. In this work, the mixture of immiscible fluids alcohol-oil in a square T-shaped microchannel was investigated using the Dissipative Particle Dynamics (DPD) method available in the HOOMD simulator, which runs on a single graphic processing unit (GPU). The immiscible fluids were achieved by increasing the repulsive force between species. The fluid properties and hydrodynamic behavior were discussed in function of model parameters. The simulation results agree with data published in the literature showing that the DPD is appropriate for simulation of mass transport on complex geometries in microscale on a single GPU

Base genética das cultivares brasileiras de feijão-caupi.

Numerosos estudos têm sido realizados para estimar a base genética das principais espécies cultivadas, tais como a soja, o trigo e o arroz. Esses estudos mostraram que a base genética das cultivares modernas é considerada muito estreita. Recomendou-se a sua ampliação para diminuir os riscos de vulnerabilidade genética e evitar os patamares de produtividade. O objetivo do trabalho foi avaliar a base genética das cultivares de feijão-caupi [Viqna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] no Brasil, mediante estudo das genealogias de 41 cultivares recomendadas entre 1969 e 2005. Apenas sete desses ancestrais contribuíram com 51% dos genes do germoplasma em uso. Esses são: TVu1190, Pitiuba, Bengala, Quebra-cadeira, CNC0434, TVu59 e TVu410. Um grupo de 17 ancestrais acumulou aproximadamente 81% dos genes em uso, revelando que a base genética do feijão-caupi brasileiro , apesar de estreita, é mais ampla que a do arroz, na qual, 11 ancestrais contribuíram com 81% dos genes. Entre os mais importantes ancestrais do feijão-caupi no Brasil, nove têm origem na Nigéria, seis no Brasil, um na Costa Rica e um nos Estados Unidos

Multivariable nonlinear advanced control of copolymerization processes

A reliable multivariable model of a process is a fundamental prerequisite for the design of an efficient control strategy. Though, such a model is often very hard to obtain via a first-principles approach. The development of two fuzzy model-based multivariable nonlinear predictive control schemes and their implementation on a copolymerization process are described in this paper. Multi-input/single-output models are developed using fuzzy logic and combined to form a parallel system model for simulation and online prediction. The behavior of the outlined controllers were compared to the dynamic matrix control (DMC) and to a typical nonlinear model-based predictive control (NMPC) for regulatory problem and the obtained results showed the effectiveness of the proposed structures

Continuous and semicontinuous reaction systems for high-solids enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosics

An attractive operation strategy for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosics results from dividing the process into three stages with complementary goals: continuous enzyme adsorption at low-solids loading (5% w/w) with recycling of the liquid phase; continuous liquefaction at high-solids content (up to 20% w/w); and, finally, continuous or semicontinuous hydrolysis with supplementation of fresh enzymes. This paper presents a detailed modeling and simulation framework for the aforementioned operation strategies. The limiting micromixing situations of macrofluid and microfluid are used to predict conversions. The adsorption and liquefaction stages are modeled as a continuous stirred tank and a plug flow reactor, respectively. Two alternatives for the third stage are studied: a train of five cascading stirred tanks and a battery of batch reactors in parallel. Simulation results show that glucose concentrations greater than 100 g L-1 could be reached with both of the alternatives for the third stage324805819sem informaçãosem informaçã