Hot syngas cleanup for pilot two-stage fluidized bed steam-oxygen biomass gasification plant.

Biomass gasification as a renewable energy technology has been a widely explored research and development area. The efficient and economic removal of harmful components, particularly tars, in raw syngas from the biomass gasifier is still a major challenge. In this study, a novel two-stage fluidized bed pilot-scale gasifier has been developed to enhance the steam-oxygen biomass gasification to generate low-tar syngas; while, a prototype hot syngas cleanup system has been designed, built and tested to further reduce the tar content and purify the syngas from the biomass gasifier for downstream applications.

Solid waste generation prediction model framework using socioeconomic and demographic factors with real-time MSW collection data.

This article proposes a framework for developing predictive models of end-of-life product flows, highlighting the importance of conducting thorough analyses before developing waste management and end-of-life product flow strategies. The framework emphasizes the importance of recognizing the nature and quality of the available data and finding a balance between model development time and detail requirements. It is designed to adapt to source material heterogeneity and address varying data availability scenarios, such as the presence or absence of radio frequency identification chips.

Parametrized regionalization of paper recycling life-cycle assessment.

Recycling is a commonly acknowledged strategy to reduce the environmental impacts linked to primary resource exploitation. Large regional variations can be observed in recycling processes' parameters, like efficiency, energy mix and treatment of rejects. Life-cycle assessment (LCA) is widely used to evaluate the environmental impacts of recycling processes, but existing studies are neither harmonized nor sufficient to provide a comprehensive geographical and technological coverage of recycling processes.

Mixed modeling approach for mechanical sorting processes based on physical properties of municipal solid waste.

Material recovery facilities (MFRs) play an important role in today's waste management systems to maximize recycling efficiency for several waste materials. These facilities face multiple challenges, often due to a poor understanding of the mechanisms occurring within the sorting equipment. Improving modeling techniques of these unit operations appear to be a promising opportunity to mitigates these challenges.

Physical properties of recyclable materials and implications for resource recovery.

Mechanical sorting plays a pivotal role in current municipal solid waste management systems for resource recovery. However, material recovery facilities, generally face several challenges in meeting quality standards for multiple waste fractions. Improving these facilities requires a better understanding of municipal solid waste physical characteristics, since they are directly targeted by mechanical sorting unit operations.

Particle size analysis of municipal solid waste for treatment process modeling.

Several unit operations used in municipal solid waste (MSW) processing facilities are based on physical properties of the waste materials, such as particle size, density and shape. Reliable expressions describing particle size distribution (PSD) of the different waste components present in MSW are not readily available in the context of process modeling. In this study, the characterization data for household wastes and construction and demolition (C&D) wastes were analysed with the purpose of selecting the most representative PSD expression for these waste streams.

Oxidative torrefaction of biomass residues and densification of torrefied sawdust to pellets.

Oxidative torrefaction of sawdust with a carrier gas containing 3-6% O(2) was investigated in a TG and a fluidized bed reactor, with the properties of the torrefied sawdust and pellets compared with traditional torrefaction without any O(2), as well as the dry raw material. It is found that the oxidative torrefaction process produced torrefied sawdust and pellets of similar properties as normally torrefied sawdust and corresponding pellets, especially on the density, energy consumption for pelletization, higher heating value and energy yield. For moisture absorption and hardness of the torrefied pellets, the oxidative torrefaction process showed slightly poor but negligible performance.

Torrefaction of sawdust in a fluidized bed reactor.

In the present work, stable fluidization of sawdust was achieved in a bench fluidized bed with an inclined orifice distributor without inert bed materials. A solids circulation pattern was established in the bed without the presence of slugging and channeling. The effects of treatment severity and weight loss on the solid product properties were identified.

Dysbindin-1 in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of schizophrenia cases is reduced in an isoform-specific manner unrelated to dysbindin-1 mRNA expression.

DTNBP1 (dystrobrevin binding protein 1) remains a top candidate gene in schizophrenia. Reduced expression of this gene and of its encoded protein, dysbindin-1, have been reported in the brains of schizophrenia cases. It has not been established, however, if the protein reductions encompass all dysbindin-1 isoforms or if they are associated with decreased DTNBP1 gene expression.

Parasite age-intensity relationships in red-spotted newts: does immune memory influence salamander disease dynamics?

Acquired immune memory in vertebrates influences transmission and persistence of infections, with consequences for parasite dynamics at both the individual and population levels. The potential impact of acquired immunity is of particular interest for salamanders, whose acquired immune systems are thought to be less effective than those of frogs and other tetrapods. One way to examine the importance of acquired immunity to parasite dynamics at the population level is by examining the relationship between host age and parasite infection intensity.

A Study of the interaction of HEK-293 cells with streamline chelating adsorbent in expanded bed operation.

Expanded bed adsorption (EBA) is an efficient protein purification process reducing time and steps of downstream processing (DSP) since nonclarified culture media can be processed directly without prior treatments such as filtration or centrifugation. However, cells and debris can interact with the adsorbent and affect bed stability as well as purification performance. To optimize EBA operating conditions these biomass/adsorbent interactions have to be understood and characterized.

Analysis of secondary metabolites from eschscholtzia californica by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A rapid and precise analytical HPLC method has been developed for screening the major benzophenanthridine alkaloids produced by cell cultures of Eschscholtzia califomica, namely, sanguinarine, chelirubine, macarpine, chelerythrine and chelilutine. Separation was achieved on a C18, reversed-phase column with gradient elution using acetonitrile and 50 mM phosphoric acid. Detection was performed by both fluorescence (lambda(ex) 330 nm, lambda(em) 570 nm) and photodiode array, leading to good selectivity and precision in determining peak purity.

Pyrene mineralization capacity increases with compost maturity.

Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of composting or simple addition of compost to the mineralization of n-hexadecane, pyrene and benzo(a)pyrene in soil. Soil (contaminated or clean) was composted with maple leaves and alfalfa. Samples from different composting phases were spiked with radiolabeled and cold n-hexadecane, pyrene or benzo(a)pyrene, placed in aerated microcosms at different temperatures, and monitored for mineralization.

Modeling of scale-down effects on the hydrodynamics of expanded bed adsorption columns.

Expanded-bed adsorption (EBA) is a technique for primary recovery of proteins starting from unclarified broths. This process combines centrifugation, concentration, filtration, and initial capturing of the proteins in a single step. An expanded bed (EB) is comparable to a packed bed in terms of separation performance but its hydrodynamics are that of a fluidized bed.