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Process analysis and monitoring during the manufacturing of the dripping pills are essential. However, research on developing sensor‐based technology or process analytical technology (PAT) tools to analyze and monitor the dripping process is minimal. The purpose of this work is to develop a fast and non‐destructive laser detection system for quantitative visualization of droplets, which involves detecting the size of the droplet and calculating the weight of the dripping pills during the dripping process. Several factors influencing the detection performance of the detection system and the detection system capability for quantitation of the pill weight were explored. The laser detection system accurately detects the weight of the dripping pills with the coefficients of determination (R2) higher than 0.99. It was also robust concerning the variation in critical process parameters and critical material attributes. Furthermore, the laser detection system was successfully applied to the production line of Ginkgo biloba leaf dripping pills to monitor the dripping pills weight. The proposed laser detection system can analyze and monitor the dripping process in dripping pill manufacturing with stable performance, high accuracy, and high efficiency.

The wastewater treatment plant of Agnita, Romania was designed with a rotational biological contactor system for a population of approximately 9500, but for environmental protection reasons it must comply with regulations concerning nitrogen and phosphorus designed for larger communities. In order to achieve the prescribed limits for these pollutants, we have used a 40% FeCl3 solution, continuously added to the distributor, without changes in flow or equipment. Its use boosts the removal of ammonia nitrogen, and phosphorus, bringing them within the limits and with reasonable cost. To determine the ferric chloride to be used we considered, aside from the pollutant load, the water temperature, and introduced a new parameter: specific removal power that enabled us to optimize the volume of FeCl3. A major contribution to nitrogen removal was achieved by the denitrification bacteria favored by the presence of ferric ions, which also precipitate phosphorus. The results of this study, performed since September 2021, enable us to continue to use this method and enlarge its application to other plants owned by the local operator.

This study numerically investigates the effect of dripping on the ignitability of a vertically-oriented thermoplastic material subjected to localized radiant heating within a 2D domain. Thermoplastic material is modeled as a phase-change material with the prescribed solidification/melting temperature, and its rate of gasification (pyrolysis) process is described by the Arrhenius law. Molten matter can move downward due to the gravitational force, and accordingly, the gasification (pyrolyzed) surface area vary over time. Time-dependent heat and mass transport processes, including global one-step pyrolysis reaction are solved using FLUENT combined with appropriate user-definition functions (UDFs) developed by the authors. In order to simplify the problem, gas-phase kinetics were not considered, instead, the (expected) ignitability was estimated on the basis of the fuel mass flux evolved from the interface. The viscosity of the molten matter was varied as a numerical parameter in order to modify the degree of time-dependent deformation of the molten matter, and the influence of its dripping on ignitability is discussed. The numerical results clearly indicate that dripping occurs quickly when lower viscosity is imposed, although the trajectory of its mass-center yields a similar trend, irrespective of the viscosity (its moving speed greatly differs, though). As the dripping was pronounced, the thickness of the molten matter in the heated zone became thinner causing it to heat up quickly, at such point immediate gasification occurred, resulting in the ignition delay time becoming shorter. Interestingly, as the dripping was further promoted in a very-low viscosity case, the molten matter quickly flows-off prior to substantial gasification is occurring, resulting in the chance of ignition being inhibited. In this respect, dripping exhibited two competing effects on ignitability, implying that there were optimal conditions for the ignition with the shortest delay time. A simple strategy to mimic such a dripping effect in a conventional numerical model (without developing a dripping model) is also discussed.

Iron carbon agglomerates (ICA) are the composite burden for low-carbon blast furnace (BF) ironmaking. In order to optimize the reactivity of ICA according to the evolution characteristics of ICA in the BF smelting process, the evolution behavior and mechanism of different reactive ICA under simulated BF smelting conditions were studied. The results show that the existence of more sillimanite and aluminosilicate and less active sites of metallic iron will weaken gasification reaction and carburization ability of ICA-1 (containing 10% iron ore). It weakens the promoting effect of ICA-1 on the reduction, softening, and melting of ferrous burdens and the dripping of slag-iron. The aluminosilicate with a high melting point decreases, the low melting point slag phase and Fe–Si alloy increase, and many active sites of metallic iron exist, which strengthen the gasification reaction and carburization ability of ICA-2 (containing 30% iron ore). The promoting effect of ICA-2 on the reduction, softening, and melting of ferrous burdens and the dripping of slag-iron is significantly improved. The gasification reaction capacity of ICA-3 (containing 35% iron ore) is reduced, and the improvement in ICA-3 on the softening–melting performance of mixed burdens is reduced. The appropriate proportion of iron ore in ICA is about 30%.

Sulfuric acid caves are widespread worldwide. In Central Italy, the Fiume-Vento karstic complex represents the most important active hypogenic cave system hosting several interconnected lakes where groundwater moves towards sulfidic springs emerging along the Sentino Stream. Stratification and dilution phenomena between freshwater and sulfidic water occur in many underground lakes, even if they remain still open if these processes are driven by stream-aquifer interaction or dripping water. The speleological knowledge coupled with geochemical surveys can help study groundwater circulation in the karst system’s inner and outer portions. The geochemical analyses on water samples taken along the Sentino Stream, inside the caves (dripping and lakes water) and in sulfidic springs allow establishing the origin of the dilution water in the dripping water. However, stream-aquifer interactions cannot be excluded during flood events. Using the tracer masse balance method (chloride and sodium ions), the discharge of the sulfidic springs ranges between 65 and 11 L/s. The results presented in this study may help understand groundwater circulation and dilution phenomena in other karst systems characterised by sulfuric acid speleogenesis type.

Vanadium-bearing titanomagnetite carbon composite briquette (VTM-CCB) was proposed as an innovative and promising blast furnace burden to realize low-carbon and high-efficiency ironmaking. To optimize the compositions of VTM-CCB based on its softening–melting–dripping characteristics, the evolution behavior and mechanisms of VTM-CCB in cohesive zone and dripping zone were investigated by conducting softening–melting tests under blast furnace conditions. The results show that the structure evolution of VTM-CCB in softening–melting process is correlated to the molten slag, metallic iron, liquid iron, and residual carbon. With the molar ratio of the fixed carbon to the reducible oxygen in iron oxides (FC/O ratio) ranging from 0.8 to 1.0, the VTM-CCB tends to form dense structure and accelerate the softening and melting. With increasing the FC/O ratio to 1.2 and 1.4, the VTM-CCB tends to form concentric circular structure, which could suppress the collapse of packed bed, shift down the location of core cohesive zone, and improve the gas permeability. Although the appropriate increase in FC/O ratio could improve the softening–melting performance of VTM-CCB, a higher FC/O ratio could also promote the precipitation of Ti(C,N), thereby thickening the molten mixtures and deteriorating the dripping behavior. Fully considering the softening–melting–dripping characteristics and permeability, the appropriate FC/O ratio of VTM-CCB should be controlled in the range of 1.0–1.2.

The production of beads by simple extrusion dropwise of an alginate solution in a calcium bath is a simple method. It may be done at room temperature without any toxic compound. However, simple extrusion drop by drop from a needle may result in large capsules and a low flow rate. The solution must be extruded as a jet to get a smaller size and higher flow rate, which breaks into droplets either by vibration or a cutting tool. The present contribution reports jet breakage observations into droplets under vibration by extruding an alginate solution varying some parameters during the study. The droplet formation was observed using a high-speed camera, and images were analyzed. The size, length before breakage, and droplet velocity were obtained by examining 50 droplets, and experiments were repeated three times. The high-speed camera allowed us to observe more precisely the capillary jet breakage. The study showed the importance of selecting a well-designed vibrating system, presented data while varying nozzle size, frequency, and flow rate to get optimum breakage keeping across all the same alginate solution. Further experiments would be interesting, modify the extruded solution concentration and composition, and find a precise criterion to identify optimum conditions.

In this study, high quality monodispersed nanocrystalline cupric oxide (CuO) nanopowder was prepared through novel sol-gel green synthesis method, assisted by sodium alginate (Na-ALG) as the green ionic exchange material. The morphology and structural properties of CuO nanopowders synthesized with and without the incorporation of extrusion dripping, at different Na-ALG solution concentrations and calcination temperatures, were studied using thermalgravimetric analysis (TGA), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and Raman spectroscopy. Optimum synthesis conditions were identified, resulting in high-purity, monodispersed nanocrystalline CuO powder in the range of 9.92 – 12.4 nm, which could have a promising future in various applications.

The rheological properties of liquid and semi-solid systems of slag and hot metal in a blast furnace are extremely important from the perspective of their dripping in the unit. The rheological nature and the values of the dynamic viscosity coefficient of liquid and semi-solid phases - slag and hot metal - determine the permeability of the zones in which those systems exist. The modelling of dripping processes and e.g. static and dynamic holding/retention of liquid in the bed, requires an accurate description of the rheological behaviour of slag and iron systems. Determining the liquid flow through the lump bed of the blast furnace is based on the assumption that liquids in the unit in the whole range of their occurrence are similar to a Newtonian ideal liquid. This study presents an analysis of the findings of high-temperature rheometric measurements of CaO-SiO -Al -MgO systems, liquid, semi-solid slags of the blast furnace type doped with TiO and solids in the form of TiN. The tests were performed within a temperature range of 1310-1490°C. Also measurement results for glycerol solutions with concentrations of 86% and 100% at the ambient temperature, simulating blast furnace slags with various contents of solids - PC, anthracite - are presented.

In the small catchment area of RediuValley has initiated some investigation concern to the possibility of practice drip irrigation for horticultural plants. It is well known that soil from slope lands have high susceptibility to erosion processes. Plants grown on slope land are also predisposed to longer droughts as a result of the partial infiltration of water from snow melting and after high intensity precipitation. The studied Rediu water basin has a length of 8 km and a surface area of the 11 km2. Surface under study is located on the left side of the River Rediu with slopes ranging from 10-25%. The area of Rediu Valley is at the interference of the north-western air masses with the eastern ones, in a temperate continental climate with an average annual temperature of 9.4°C, and annual averages precipitation of 529 mm and uneven distribution over growing season. The land surveys for applying drip irrigation were carried out at a grape vine school, located on a sloping land (cca. 15%), cultivated in ridges covered with a black film. The ridges were oriented along the level curves. The distance between rows is 1.10 m. The soil was diagnosed as slight to moderately eroded haplic Chernozems with evident stagnic properties on the middle part of soil profile. The presence of the reduction mottles is a result of lateral water movement in the soil layer with fine texture. The drip irrigation allows the precise dosing of water content needed in various period of plant growing, a stringent requirement of grape vine schools. Among the conclusions drawn from the study we mention: irrigation by dripping is recommended on the slope lands due to the precise dosing of water content needed in various growing period (i); for a better roots development of cuttings it is required watering at smaller periods between drip irrigations and smaller doses but after root system development the watering is recommended at a higher periods and doses (ii); the maximum water content was recorded soon after watering on ridge, at 6 hours from watering application on the bottom part of ridge and after 72 hours at the middle distance between plants rows (iii); the rows plants along the contour lines and drip irrigation improves the water regime and diminishes soil losses by erosion processes (iv).