Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão
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Browsing Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestão by Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) "13:Ação Climática"
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- Adsorption Behavior and Mechanism of Oxytetracycline on Rice Husk Ash: Kinetics, Equilibrium, and Thermodynamics of the ProcessPublication . Andrade, Christhel A.; Zambrano-Intriago, Luis Angel; Oliveira, Nelson S.; Vieira, Judite S.; Quiroz-Fernández, Luis Santiago; Rodríguez-Díaz, Joan ManuelThe main objective of the present study is to determine the kinetics, thermodynamics, and adsorption mechanism of the oxytetracycline (OTC) on rice husk ash (RHA). The adsorbent was characterized by scanning electronic microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and nitrogen physisorption. Batch studies were carried out to evaluate the influence of the adsorbent dose, initial concentration, contact time, temperature, and initial pH. RHA was characterized as having heterogeneous, fibrous, and porous particles, consisting predominantly of silica. The removal of OTC depends on the pH of the medium, which is favored at acid pH values. The kinetic data followed the Bangham model, which indicated an OTC diffusion in the pores of RHA, although this was not the only process, as demonstrated through the use of the Weber-Morris model (IPD model). The Sips isotherm best represents the experimental results of the equilibrium study. It was found that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. The highest adsorption capacity was found at a pH in the range of 4–6, when the OTC is in its zwitterion form and the surface of the RHA is positively charged, thus permitting electrostatic interactions and the formation of hydrogen bonds between the adsorbent and adsorbate molecules. These findings demonstrate the potential of rice husk ash to remove oxytetracycline from water.
- Biofuel for the energy efficiency on a building with small CCHPPublication . Galvão, João; Leitão, S.; Malheiro, S.; Gaio, T.This document reports the development of a technical and economical study related to the use of a renewable energy source - biomass for electricity and heat production. It is a hybrid and autonomous system with solar PV panels and environment friendly process aiming the reduction of energy demand, costs and emissions. This energy model is a new sustainable standard about efficiency consumption energy (electrical and thermal demands) of a small hotel building, with the biomass gasification cogeneration technology. This system is one relevant contribute to certify the building agree to the new national legislation of building thermal behaviour.
- Degradation of Oxytetracycline in Aqueous Solutions: Application of Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Advanced Oxidative ProcessesPublication . Giler-Molina, José Miguel; Zambrano-Intriago, Luis Angel; Quiroz-Fernández, Luis Santiago; Napoleão, Daniella Carla; Vieira, Judite dos Santos; Oliveira, Nelson Simões; Rodríguez-Díaz, Joan ManuelOxytetracycline is one of the antibiotics most frequently used in the Shrimp Industry during the control of bacterial diseases. These emerging pollutants, which appear in low concentrations, are persistent and alternative treatments and are required for their elimination. The degradation of oxytetracycline was evaluated in an aqueous solution by applying homogeneous (UV/H2O2 and photo-Fenton) and heterogeneous (UV/TiO2 /H2O2) advanced oxidative processes (AOPs). The studies were carried out using a bench reactor with short-wave ultraviolet lamps (UV-C). We quantified the extent to which the degradation of the drug had been efficient by employing highly efficient liquid chromatography (HPLC) and a PDA detector with a wavelength of 354 nm and a C18 column. The best results were obtained when applying the UV/H2O2 treatment, which attained a degradation of 97% under the initial conditions of a dose of 8 µL of H2O2 and 120 min of radiation. The pseudo-first order kinetic model proposed by Chan and Chu showed that the experimental results had an adequate fit, with values greater than R2 ≥ 0.95. Toxicity tests were applied to verify the effect of AOPs employed, when the drug was present in low concentrations. The test results demonstrated a decrease in the root growth of the species Lactuca sativa and Daucus carota.
- Development of a distributed electronic system for low-cost heavy-duty engine test benchPublication . Rodrigues Gouveia, Olivier; Borges, Alexandre; Costa, Diogo; Coelho, Diogo; Lopes, Paulo; Perpétua, Hugo; Serrano, Luis; Ferreira, CarlosTest benches are important tools for the optimization and diagnosis of internal combustion engines. This paper presents the work done to develop a low-cost tech bench for heavy-duty engines, which uses an electromagnetic brake, to apply load to the engine, and a distributed electronic system for control and data acquisition. Signal noise contamination in test benches represents a problematic aspect of the engine testing. Moreover, a distributed control and monitoring electronic systems, allied with a Controller Area Network (CAN) communication bus for signal transmission, was used to mitigate and ultimately immunize signals from noise sources such as electric or electromagnetic fields. Overall, a heavy-duty test bench aiming the engines diagnostics was obtained, where all control and data acquisition is performed via an USB serial port, interfacing with two CAN bus networks, in a complete distributed control system.
- The Effect of a Naturally Ventilated Roof on the Thermal Behaviour of a Building under Mediterranean Summer ConditionsPublication . Ramos, João; Aires, LuisWith the increasing cost associated with energy consumption, climate change and the greater awareness of the population to issues related to energy and environmental efficiency, energy conservation in buildings has been encouraged, along with the development of several solutions based on a more sustainable construction. Building cooling is the most challenging issue in the Mediterranean climate. The roof is one of the main elements of the building’s opaque envelope, where the choice of materials and the implementation of appropriate passive technologies determine the thermal performance of a building. The present work aims to assess the impact of natural ventilation of a roof cavity on the thermal environment of a dwelling house under Mediterranean summer conditions. An experimental study was developed in a small-scale prototype of a typical dwelling house, comprising a ceramic tile roof with vented eaves and insulated sub-tile panels according to the construction solution of the Humbelino Monteiro SA company. The thermal performance of this roof solution was assessed under real climatic conditions based on continuous measurements of the air velocity inside the air gap, the temperature of the air and the surface temperature of all roof layers. Weather conditions were also monitored continuously. Connected with the heat transfer mechanisms, the obtained temperature and air velocity profiles data were analysed and discussed.
- Metal alginates for polyphenol delivery systems: Studies on crosslinking ions and easy-to-use patches for release of protective flavonoids in skinPublication . Silva, João; Vanat, Pavlo; Marques da Silva, Dorinda; Rodrigues, Joaquim Rui; Lagoa, RicardoIncorporation of bioactive natural compounds like polyphenols is an attractive approach for enhanced functionalities of biomaterials. In particular flavonoids have important pharmacological activities, and controlled release systems may be instrumental to realize the full potential of these phytochemicals. Alginate presents interesting attributes for dermal and other biomaterial applications, and studies were carried here to support the development of polyphenol-loaded alginate systems. Studies of capillary viscosity indicated that ionic medium is an effective strategy to modulate the polyelectrolyte effect and viscosity properties of alginates. On gelation, considerable differences were observed between alginate gels produced with Ca2+, Ba2+, Cu2+, Fe2+, Fe3+ and Zn2+ as crosslinkers, especially concerning shrinkage and morphological regularity. Stability assays with different polyphenols in the presence of alginate-gelling cations pointed to the choice of calcium, barium and zinc as safer crosslinkers. Alginate-based films loaded with epicatechin were prepared and the kinetics of release of the flavonoid investigated. The results with calcium, barium and zinc alginate matrices indicated that the release dynamics is dependent on film thicknesses, but also on the crosslinking metal used. On these grounds, an alginate-based system of convenient use was devised, so that flavonoids can be easily loaded at simple point-of-care conditions before dermal application. This epicatechin-loaded patch was tested on an ex-vivo skin model and demonstrated capacity to deliver therapeutically relevant concentrations on skin surface. Moreover, the flavonoid released was not modified and retained full antioxidant bioactivity. The alginate-based system proposed offers a multifunctional approach for flavonoid controllable delivery and protection of skin injured or under risk.
- A methodology to evaluate the performance and consumption of vehicles in comparative on-road testsPublication . Ghodsirad, Mohammadhossein; Teixeira, Joao; Breda, Paulo; Campos, Cristina; Serrano, Luis; Silva, Manuel Gameiro daThe main objective of the reported work was to develop a methodology to assess the fuel consumption and the efficiency of the propulsion system of passenger cars equipped with internal combustion engines in road tests carried out to compare the performance of fuels with different formulations. The examination has been done out in highway travels. A Peugeot 407 HDI station wagon, with a 2,0 liter engine, has been equipped with different measurement systems. The measurement equipment is based upon two vehicle data loggers. A real-time fuel consumption metering system is combined with a GPS logger in order to analyze trip fuel consumption with different conditions in speed and altitude. An OBD II data logger is also mounted and the analog outputs of two pressure sensor are also connected to it. OBD II provides the vehicle and engine information available at the CPU unit, while the pressure sensors are connected to three pressure taps placed on the front of the vehicle to provide information about the relative velocity between the car and the air and the flow angularity. In the test, the impacts of speed, acceleration, road slope and wind disturbance on fuel consumption were analyzed for different fuel formulations. The developed system revealed to be well adapted to the requirements of the research project, allowing an accurate measurement of the fuel consumption and all the relevant parameters related to the vehicle movement. The best compromise in terms of sampling parameters has been achieved with a data acquisition frequency of 10 Hz, being the values decimated to 1 Hz, with the exception of the fuel consumption that is analyzed for 10 s integration intervals.
- A multiresidue approach for the simultaneous quantification of antibiotics in macroalgae by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometryPublication . Leston, Sara; Freitas, Andreia; Rosa, João; Barbosa, Jorge; Lemos, Marco; Pardal, Miguel Ângelo; Ramos, FernandoTogether with fish, algae reared in aquaculture systems have gained importance in the last years, for many purposes. Besides their use as biofilters of effluents, macroalgae’s rich nutritional profiles have increased their inclusion in human diets but also in animal feeds as sources of fatty acids, especially important for the fish industry. Nonetheless, algae are continuously exposed to environmental contaminants including antibiotics and possess the ability for bioaccumulation of such compounds. Therefore, the present paper describes the development and validation of an ultra-high performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC–MS/MS) method for the simultaneous quantification of antibiotics in the green macroalgae Ulva lactuca. This multi-residue method enables the determination of 38 compounds distributed between seven classes and was fully validated according to EU Decision 2002/657/EC.