Proposal of an FTIR Methodology to Monitor Oxidation Level in Used Engine Oils: Effects of Thermal Degradation and Fuel Dilution

This article describes a procedure, based on ASTM standards D7214 and E2412, that has been defined to improve quantification of oil oxidation in used engine oils. Taking into account typical problems that can be found in this type of sample, including thermal oxidation and fuel dilution, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were analyzed also considering the effect of the oil formulation. Two zones were considered inside the typical wave number range for quantification of oxidation, where those problems can be detected and assessed more easily: zone A between 1725 and 1650 cm-1, where the main oxidation products, such as aldehydes, carboxylic acids, and ketones, occur due to thermal degradation of the oil; and zone B between 1770 and 1725 cm-1, where esters due to potential biodiesel dilution problems are detected. Copyright © Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers.The authors are grateful for Spanish Grant TRA2008-06508 (GLAUTO) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion-Direccion General de Investigacion for supporting this work.Macian Martinez, V.; Tormos, B.; Gomez Estrada, YA.; Salavert Fernández, JM. (2012). Proposal of an FTIR Methodology to Monitor Oxidation Level in Used Engine Oils: Effects of Thermal Degradation and Fuel Dilution. Tribology Transactions. 55(6):872-882. https://doi.org/10.1080/10402004.2012.721921S87288255

Potential of atmospheric pressure chemical ionization source in gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry for the screening of urinary exogenous androgenic anabolic steroids

The atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) source for gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis has been evaluated for the screening of 16 exogenous androgenic anabolic steroids (AAS) in urine. The sample treatment is based on the strategy currently applied in doping control laboratories i.e. enzymatic hydrolysis, liquid–liquid extraction (LLE) and derivatization to form the trimethylsilyl ether-trimethylsilyl enol ether (TMS) derivatives. These TMS derivatives are then analyzed by gas chromatography tandem mass spectrometry using a triple quadrupole instrument (GC-QqQ MS/MS) under selected reaction monitoring (SRM) mode. The APCI promotes soft ionization with very little fragmentation resulting, in most cases, in abundant [M + H]+ or [M + H-2TMSOH]+ ions, which can be chosen as precursor ions for the SRM transitions, improving in this way the selectivity and sensitivity of the method. Specificity of the transitions is also of great relevance, as the presence of endogenous compounds can affect the measurements when using the most abundant ions. The method has been qualitatively validated by spiking six different urine samples at two concentration levels each. Precision was generally satisfactory with RSD values below 25 and 15% at the low and high concentration level, respectively. Most the limits of detection (LOD) were below 0.5 ng mL−1. Validation results were compared with the commonly used method based on the electron ionization (EI) source. EI analysis was found to be slightly more repeatable whereas lower LODs were found for APCI. In addition, the applicability of the developed method has been tested in samples collected after the administration of 4-chloromethandienone. The highest sensitivity of the APCI method for this compound, allowed to increase the period in which its administration can be detected.Ministry of Education and Science, Spain, in the project DEP2011-28573-C02-01/02 Generalitat Valenciana (Research Group of Excellence Prometeo II/2014/023; ISIC EnviFood 2012/016

A view on the internal consistency of linear source identification for I.C. engine exhaust noise prediction

[EN] Considerable efforts have been devoted to the development of predictive models that, from a certain set of data related to an engine, and making use of an adequate representation of the effect of the silencing elements, provide an estimate of the exhaust noise emitted. Such models should allow for the consideration of the engine and its interaction with the exhaust system. This is properly achieved by gas-dynamic models, which are becoming the standard, but linear models solved in the frequency domain and representing the engine as a linear time-invariant source may still play a role in exhaust system design, as the engine is treated as a black box. Such a representation is very attractive for engine manufacturers, since it gives the possibility to provide data on the engine without any possibility to trace back to its real characteristics. In order to provide additional criteria for the suitability of the application of a linear time-invariant representation to an engine exhaust, in this paper a multi-load method has been used to extract source characteristics from gas-dynamic simulation results. The details of the method, in which the resulting over-determined system is solved by fitting the values of the source parameters in a least-squares sense, are described, and different approaches are used in order to check the internal consistency of the source representation: the identification of pressure and velocity sources, and the application of the least-squares criterion to the modulus or to the real and imaginary parts separately. In particular, eight different determinations of the source impedance are obtained and, considering the application of the formalism to an engine exhaust, the differences observed provide a suitable criterion for the evaluation of the suitability of the representation and of the particular set of loads chosen.Macian Martinez, V.; Torregrosa Huguet, AJ.; Broatch, A.; Niven, P.; Amphlett, S. (2013). A view on the internal consistency of linear source identification for I.C. engine exhaust noise prediction. Mathematical and Computer Modelling. 57(7-8):1867-1875. doi:10.1016/j.mcm.2011.12.018S18671875577-

Experimental and thermodynamic analysis of a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) of gasoline engine using swash-plate expander

This paper deals with the experimental testing of an Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) integrate in a 2 liter turbocharged gasoline engine using ethanol as working fluid. The main components of the cycle are a boiler, a condenser, a pump and a swash-plate expander. Five engine operating points have been tested, they correspond to a nominal heat input into the boiler of 5, 12, 20, 25 and 30 kW. With the available bill of material based on prototypes, power balances and cycles efficiencies were estimated, obtaining a maximum improvement in the ICE mechanical power and an expander shaft power of 3.7% and 1.83 kW respectively. A total of 28 steady-state operating points were measured to evaluate performance of the swash-plate expander prototype. Operating parameters of the expander, such as expander speed and expansion ratio, were shifted. The objective of the tests is to master the system and understand physical parameters influence. The importance of each parameter was analyzed by fixing all the parameters, changing each time one specific value. In these sensitivity studies, maximum ideal and real Rankine efficiency value of 19% and 6% were obtained respectively.This work is part of a research project called "Evaluation of bottoming cycles in IC engines to recover waste heat energies" funded by a National Project of the Spanish Government with reference TRA2013-46408-R.Galindo, J.; Ruiz Rosales, S.; Dolz Ruiz, V.; Royo Pascual, L.; Haller, R.; Nicolas, B.; Glavatskaya, Y. (2015). Experimental and thermodynamic analysis of a bottoming Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) of gasoline engine using swash-plate expander. Energy Conversion and Management. 103:519-532. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enconman.2015.06.085S51953210

Relationship between olive oil consumption and ankle-brachial pressure index in a population at high cardiovascular risk

The aim of this study was to ascertain the association between the consumption of different categories of edible olive oils (virgin olive oils and olive oil) and olive pomace oil and ankle-brachial pressure index (ABI) in participants in the PREDIMED-Plus study, a trial of lifestyle modification for weight and cardiovascular event reduction in individuals with overweight/obesity harboring the metabolic syndrome. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the PREDIMED-Plus trial. Consumption of any category of olive oil and olive pomace oil was assessed through a validated food-frequency questionnaire. Multivariable linear regression models were fitted to assess associations between olive oil consumption and ABI. Additionally, ABI ≤1 was considered as the outcome in logistic models with different categories of olive oil and olive pomace oil as exposure. Results: Among 4330 participants, the highest quintile of total olive oil consumption (sum of all categories of olive oil and olive pomace oil) was associated with higher mean values of ABI (beta coefficient: 0.014, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.002, 0.027) (p for trend = 0.010). Logistic models comparing the consumption of different categories of olive oils, olive pomace oil and ABI ≤1 values revealed an inverse association between virgin olive oils consumption and the likelihood of a low ABI (odds ratio [OR] 0.73, 95% CI [0.56, 0.97]), while consumption of olive pomace oil was positively associated with a low ABI (OR 1.22 95% CI [1.00, 1.48]). Conclusions: In a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk, total olive oil consumption was associated with a higher mean ABI. These results suggest that olive oil consumption may be beneficial for peripheral artery disease prevention, but longitudinal studies are needed

Model optymalizacji czasu wymiany floty. Analiza porównawcza flot miejskiego transportu publicznego z zastosowaniem symulacji Monte Carlo

W niniejszej pracy przedstawiono analizę kosztów pracy i utrzymania flot transportowych w dwóch krajach: Hiszpanii i Brazylii. Dla celów analizy, zaproponowano model optymalizacji stanowiący połączenie tradycyjnej Analizy Kosztów Cyklu Życia (LCC) oraz modelu symulacji Monte Carlo. wyniki potwierdziły trafność modelu oraz pokazały, że koszty ponoszone w przypadku floty brazylijskiej były niższe. Zaproponowany model może znaleźć zastosowanie zarówno w praktyce jak i w dalszych badaniach.This paper presents a comparative analysis of operation and maintenance costs of the transport fleets in two countries: Spain and Brazil. For this analysis, the research proposed an optimization model which is a combination of the traditional Life Cycle Cost Analysis methodology (LCC) and simulation model Monte Carlo. The results indicated the successful of model and show the lower cost in the Brazilian fleet. The evidences may be useful for other practices and researches

Evaluación de tecnología Regenactiv® en calcetines durante la marcha nórdica

During physical activity might appear injuries or illnesses in specific areas of the body, like feet. Probably, some of these injuries are related to complaints by the interaction of the foot with the shoe / sock, as well as the of the skin hydration status. In this sense, the objective of this study was to determine the ability of the sock «Regenactiv®» in the perception of comfort, and contribution to the hydration level in the foot during physical activity, specifically Nordic walking. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the hydration perceived comfort. For the assessment of hydration, we used a skin hydration meter Hydrosensor (Microcaya, SL). The results showed significant improvements in two of the analyzed comfort variables, comfortable and adaptability (~ 10%), and levels of hydration in the metatarsal heads of the 1st and the 5th finger (~ 9%).Durante la práctica de actividad física es posible que aparezcan lesiones o dolencias en determinadas zonas del cuerpo, como son los pies. Posiblemente, algunas de estas lesiones están relacionadas con molestias por la interacción del pie con el calzado/calcetín, así como por el estado de hidratación de la piel. En este sentido, el objetivo de este estudio ha sido determinar la capacidad del calcetín «Regenactiv®» en la percepción del confort y aportación en el nivel de hidratación en el pie durante una actividad física, concretamente la marcha nórdica. Para valorar el confort percibido se utilizó un cuestionario de preguntas de respuesta única. Para la valoración de la hidratación, se empleó un medidor de hidratación cutánea Hydrosensor (Microcaya, S.L). Los resultados mostraron mejoras significativas en dos de las variables de confort analizadas: comodidad y adaptabilidad (~10%); y en los niveles de hidratación en las cabezas metatarsales del 1.º y del 5.º dedo (~9%)