RESEARCH CONCERNING THE ACHIEVEMENT OF SOME APPLES SORTING EQUIPMENTS

According to the present interest of the government to encourage the fruitconsumption by the scholars, especially the apple consumption, two functional model of technical equipment for sorting apples have been designed, manufactured and tested in INMA Bucharest. These equipments can be used for sorting also others fruits with spherical shape such as oranges, peaches, grapefruits etc. The mechanized sorting process conducts to valorisation of the farmer’s production and to increase their turnover, thus is necessary to analyse and improve this process, by optimizing the working parameters

Kinetostatic analysis of a scissor jack mechanism powered by a tetrad RRR-Ta-RRR

In a paper previously published by the authors, kinematic analysis of a jack mechanism driven by a motor tetrad was done. For the actual design of the mechanism, the forces and moments acting on the kinematic elements that are part of it must be determined. Also, the driving force in the hydraulic cylinder must be determined, so that the mechanism works in good conditions, for a certain technological task imposed by the design theme. The present paper makes the kinetostatic analysis of the mechanism studied, from the kinematic point of view. Therefore, the reactions in the kinematic couplings of the mechanism, as well as the driving force of the hydraulic cylinder, are determined. In order to determine the reactions of the kinematic couplings, as well as the driving force of the hydraulic cylinder, the masses of the elements, the moments of mechanical inertia, as well as the load force acting on the jack were considered. The results of the calculations were graphically represented, in reaction patterns. In order to verify the correctness of the calculations, the balance force (the hydraulic cylinder motor force) was determined by both the kinetic and the virtual power method, and the results are the same

Structural, kinematic and kinetostatic analysis of a manure spreader equipped by a mobile platform with articulated elements

Organic fertilization involves working with machines by a special construction, suitable for the material to be spread, machines that have, in most cases, chain conveyors with scrapers attached to the chains. In some cases, the conveyor chain may break, due to the jams, and the need for manual unloading of the bunker (bucket) appears, which requires a great physical effort, the unloading being made by the operator, using a shovel. The construction of the platform using mobile, articulated elements would greatly facilitate the unloading at the bottom of the bunker and would eliminate the physical effort of the operator. This article presents the structural, kinematic and kinetostatic analysis of a mechanism designed for actuating a mobile platform, which is part of a manure spreader, composed of articulated elements driven by hydraulic cylinders. For the kinematic analysis of the mobile element platform’s mechanism, calculation procedures written in the Matlab syntax are used. After the kinematic analysis of the mechanism, the kinetostatic analysis is performed, i.e. the determination of the reactions from the kinematic couplings, as well as the hydraulic force from the hydraulic cylinder. The results can be used for dimensional verification of the mechanism components, thus contributing to the optimization of the mechanism

STUDIES ON THE EVOLUTION OF APPLE FRUITS QUALITY DURING THE PRESERVATION PERIOD IN COLD STORAGE FACILITIES

The apple fruits harvest maturity is very brief and does not coincide with the consumption maturity. The process of ripening continues after fruit harvesting, and the consumption maturity is achieved earlier or later in the storage period. Present paper highlights the evolution of some apples characteristics (penetration resistance, chlorophyll fluorescence), in the storage period,the characteristics that define the quality fruits consumption. The study was carried out at the Research Institute for Fruit Growing Pitesti-Maracineni where the fruits of two apples varieties ('Dalinred', and 'Goldrush') that have been harvested in October and stored in cold storage. After four months of storage (January) and after five months of storage (February), determinations of penetration resistance and chlorophyll fluorescence were carried out. The results obtained have shown that penetration resistance of the 'Goldrush' fruits variety in January had higher values than penetration resistance of the 'Dalinred' fruits variety and the values of resistance decrease with increasing storage period. Regarding chlorophyll fluorescence, the values have the same tendency as well as those of penetration resistance, a small decreasing of values, with the increasing storage period. Both, the penetration resistance values as well as the chlorophyll fluorescence values, proved a good duration for maintaining fruit quality, and the decreasing values in the two periods of determination (January and February), was insignificant

Microcoil embolisation for ablation of septal hypertrophy in hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy

Background and aim: Percutaneous transcatheter occlusion with ethanol injection of septal arteries is an efficient treatment procedure of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM). The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility and efficiency of septal artery embolisation with microcoils.Methods: Microcoils were delivered through the guide-wire lumen of a 2mm-diameter coaxial balloon positioned inside the target vessel as distally as possible. One or more 0.018"-straight microcoils (Hilal straight coils, Cook, USA) were used for each target vessel until complete flow obstruction was achieved. The intraventricular pressure gradient was measured before, during and after the procedure. Septal branch occlusion was finally documented by coronary angiography.Results: We treated 7 patients (5 males; mean age: 48±10 years). All patients were symptomatic (NYHA class III or IV). The target vessels were successfully occluded in all patients without complications. Moderate pain was recorded during and after the procedure and the CK level increased five- to ten-fold. The pressure gradient diminished during the procedure from 72±21 mmHg to 30±15 mmHg. The number of coils delivered ranged from 3 to 7 per patient. The embolised septal branches included 1 vessel in 5 patients, 2 vessels in 1 patient and 3 vessels in 1 case. After the procedure, the pressure gradient, evaluated by transthoracic echocardiography, was 34±16 mmHg and 42±12 mmH at 3 month-follow-up. Clinical improvement was recorded in all patients after the procedure (NYHA class I or II). Temporary pacing was necessary in 3 patients during and immediately after the procedure but no patient needed permanent pacing.Conclusions: Microcoil embolisation is an efficient and safe approach for transcatheter ablation of septal hypertrophy in HOCM. This technique induced myocardial necrosis without the toxic effects of alcohol, reducing the risk of complications such as permanent pacemaker implantation or ethanol flow to other myocardial regions