Lack of data on the engineering properties of sweet lime fruits leads to substantial waste during postharvest processes. This study analyzed the engineering properties of sweet lime fruit, including physical, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties, and developed mass models to minimize postharvest losses. The average values of the sweet lime’s major axis (LA), intermediate axis (IA), and transverse axis (TA), as well as the arithmetic, geometric, and equivalent mean diameters, were 78.71, 77.07, 74.96, 76.92, 76.89, and 76.9 mm, respectively. The mean values of PLA, PIA, PTA, CPA, and Sa were 4663.01, 4567.45, 4444.17, 4558.21, and 18694.41 mm², respectively. Sweet lime volumes were measured by Vellip, Vpro, and Vosp, with average values of 242.95, 254.97, and 249.79 cm³. The sphericity was 0.95, suggesting that the sweet lime has a spherical shape. The average bulk density and true density were 449.75 and 931.41 kg/m³. Stainless steel exhibited the minimum static friction. The average peak values of penetration, compression, and cutting forces were 9.44, 311.08, and 148.68 N, respectively. Sweet lime had average L*, a*, and b* values of 58.07, -13.15, and 51.38. Models such as S-curve, power, and quadratic were used to predict the sweet lime mass. The linear and quadratic models exhibited the highest R² values for the inter-mediate axis, geometric mean diameter, and ellipsoidal volume, with 0.93, 0.95, and 0.93, respectively. The quadratic model, based on geometric mean diameter, is recommended for accurately estimating sweet lime mass. The results of this study showed a statistically significant relationship (ρ < 0.01) for all properties and models. By analyzing the acquired data, postharvest operations for sweet lime fruit processing can be designed, improved, and developed, leading to increased efficiency and productivity.
The hopper is an important piece of basic equipment used for storing and transporting materials in the agricultural, grain, chemical engineering, coal mine and pharmaceutical industries. The discharging performance of hoppers is mainly affected by material properties and hopper structure. In this work, the flow capacity of cylindrical pellets in the hopper with the unloading paddle is studied. A series of numerical simulation analyses with the aid of the discrete element method (DEM) platform are carried out. Then, the discharging process is illustrated, and the flow capacity of pellets in the hopper is analyzed by the mass flow index (MFI), the dynamic discharging angle (DDA) formed in the discharging process and porosity among pellets. Furthermore, the effect of parameters such as hopper half angle, rotation speed of the unloading paddle and outlet diameter of the hopper is investigated. The results show that MFI increases with an increase in hopper half angle or outlet diameter and a decrease in rotation speed. Meanwhile, DDA and porosity decrease with the increase in the hopper half angle or outlet diameter and the decrease in the rotation speed. Finally, the MFI ~0.24 is identified as the criterion to distinguish the mass flow from the funnel flow for the hopper with an unloading paddle, and the optimization results are decided as follows: hopper half angle greater than 60°, outlet diameter greater than 60 mm and rotation speed between 45 rpm and 60 rpm. These results should be useful for providing a theoretical reference for the optimization design of feeding devices for swine feeders.
In recent studies, sodium alginate (SA) has mainly been a plant growth promoter for many plants and crops as a novel bio stimulating materials for increasing plant growth under various conditions. Pot testing was done to examine the impacts of various levels of SA (25, 50 and 100 ppm) on the growth and physiological activities of Corchorus olitorius (molokhya), Vicia faba (faba bean) and Zea mays (corn) plants in two vegetative stages after 10 and 40 days from sowing. Treatment with different SA concentrations improved significantly the physiological characters of the used plants. The data indicated that the used SA concentrations increased photosynthetic pigments, carbohydrate contents, nitrogen contents, antioxidant enzymes and overall protein significantly as compared to control values.
Abstract Mercury ions represent hazardous contaminants with significant adverse effects on human health, wildlife, and vegetation. Therefore, it is crucial to create a sensitive and trustworthy technique for identifying mercury ions. In this study, nitrogen and boron co-doped carbon dots (N,B-CDs) were created via a one-step hydrothermal approach, employing citric acid, polyethyleneimine, and boric as precursors. The resulting N,B-CDs exhibited spherical morphology with an average diameter of 2.60 nm and emitted blue fluorescence with peak emissions at 442 nm ( λ em ) upon excitation at 360 nm ( λ ex ), yielding a fluorescence quantum yield of 27.34%. Remarkably, N,B-CDs, without any surface modifications, functioned as a direct “turn-off” probe, enabling swift, highly selective Hg 2+ detection. The N,B-CDs probe could measure Hg 2+ in the linear ranges of 0.40–22 μM and 22–208 μM , with a detection limit of 0.12 μM. The detection mechanism was attributed to dynamic quenching interactions between N,B-CDs, and Hg 2+ . Additionally, the probe was used to detect Hg 2+ in both tap and river water, and the recovery rates ranged from 87.20 to 108.20% (RSD <4.89%). These findings highlighted the method’s considerable practical potential for detecting Hg 2+ in environmental water.
The design of deep submersible pressure hull's structural is one of the core technologies of submersible development of human history. Submersible pressure hulls with fiber-reinforced multilayer constructions have been developed in the recent years as substitutes for classical metallic ring-stiffened pressure hulls; strength and stability are its top priority. This paper investigates the optimum design of a composite elliptical deep-submerged pressure hull under hydrostatic pressure to minimize the buoyancy factor of the submersible pressure hull under constraints on the failure criteria and the buckling strength of the hulls to reach the maximum operating depth. The thickness and the fiber orientation angles in each layer, the radii of the ellipse, and stringers dimensions were taken as design variables and determined in the design process. The optimization procedures are performed using commercial finite element analysis software ANSYS. Additionally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to study the influence of the design variables on the structural optimum design. Results of this study provide a valuable reference for designers of underwater vehicles.
The dynamic response of a floating structure subjected to underwater explosion is greatly complicated by the explosion of a high explosive, propagation of shock wave, complex fluid–structure interaction phenomena, and the dynamic behavior of the floating structures. A numerical investigation has been carried out to examine the behavior of stiffened steel plates subjected to shock loads resulting from an Underwater Explosion (UNDEX). The aim of this work is to obtain the optimal configuration to resist underwater shock loading. A non-linear dynamic numerical analysis of the underwater explosion phenomena associated with different geometrical stiffened steel plates is performed using the ABAQUS/Explicit finite element program. Special emphasis is focused on the evolution of mid-point displacements. Further investigations have been performed to study the effect of including material damping and the rate-dependant material properties at different shock loads. The results indicate that stiffener configurations and shock loads affect greatly the overall performance of steel plates and sensitive to the material data.
Chitosan coating (B/CH) in addition with nano-material films as silicon (B/CH/Nano-SiO2) and titanium (B/CH/Nano-TiO2) dioxides were developed and applied to detect potential changes on fresh blueberry fruits in commercial storage temperature. Physical, mechanical parameters (weight loss, decay rate, colour index and firmness), phytochemical contents (ascorbic acid, acidity, soluble solids concentration, titratable acidity, and repining index), phenolic enzymes (peroxidase and polyphenoloxidase), pigments (anthocyanin) and microbiological analysis (mesophilic aerobic, yeasts and molds populations) were detected every other day until the end of the experiment. Nano-coating based on (Nano-TiO2) established the most suitable values for weight loss (2.22%), titratable acidity (0.45% citric acid), and repining index. (B/CH/Nano-TiO2) reported a gradual increase in polyphenoloxidase and peroxidase enzyme activities (659.45 U/min g) and (20.39 U/min g), respectively. While, (B/CH/Nano-SiO2) established the slightest change in acidity (2.61), anthocyanin (105.19 cyanidin-3-O-glucoside mg/100 g FW) and minimized the growth of mesophilic aerobic, yeasts, and molds populations (3.73-3.98 log CFU/g), respectively. (B/CH) films maintained lightness (6.80% loss) and recorded the highest ascorbic acid content (7.34 g/100 g FW). Therefore, chitosan nano-material films can maintain nutrients and control the microbial growth for extending the shelf life of fresh blueberry fruits.
The pertinence of bio-control agents applied with plant-based materials is a highly efficient and reliable sustainable management practices in agriculture. The present study dealt with the repercussion of various bio-control agents and oil seed cakes viz ., Trichoderma viride , neem cake, T. viride +neem cake, Paecilomyces lilacinus , Beauveria bassiana, T. harzianum , soybean cake and castor cake were used against root knot nematode ( Meloidogyne incognita ) in okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus (L.) Moench) crop. The results showed, all of the bio-control agents and oil seed cakes, either used alone or in combination, suppressed the galls of the root knot nematode. Significant growth parameters and yield of the fruits were perceived in plants treated with combination of T. viride +neem cake followed by P. lilacinus , T. viride , T. harzianum , neem cake, B. bassiana , soybean cake and castor cake respectively. Merest root galls were found in a T. viride +neem cake combination. T. viride was the most effective bioagent and in case of oil seed cakes, neem cake was the most effective in improving growth parameters and reducing root galls caused by M. incognita in the okra crop.
The need for building protection against blast loads is a crucial issue nowadays due to the escalating threat of terrorist attacks, which affect people’s lives and critical structures. Consequently, design of protective panels to segregate building façades from the effect of a nearby explosion is required. Such design mainly depends on the ability of protective panels to mitigate and diffract the blast wave before reaching building façades. Five protective panel models with different designs, referred to as the Combined Protection System (CPS), are introduced in this paper. The main objective of this research was to achieve a design that could sustain a blast load with minimum plastic deformations. The introduced CPS designs included two steel plates linked by connector plates. The CPS dimensions were 3 m × 3 m × 0.35 m, representing length, width, and height, respectively. After that, the successful panel design was supported by placing these panels onto a masonry wall in different configurations. The protective panels were tested against 50 kg of trinitrotoluene (TNT) with a standoff distance of one meter. The final run of the optimum model was carried out using a blast load equivalent to 500 kg of TNT. The air–structure interactions were simulated using finite element analysis software called “ANSYS AUTODYN”, where the deformation of the panel was the governing parameter to evaluate the behavior of different designs. The analysis showed minimum deformation of the CPS design with vertical and horizontal connecting plates in a masonry wall distanced at 500 mm from the panel. However, the other designs showed promising results, which could make them suitable for critical structural protection on different scales.