To minimize losses between harvest and retail display, a system is needed to track temperature and RH exposure of fresh produce and predict its quality at each step of the distribution chain. With accurate models, suc...To minimize losses between harvest and retail display, a system is needed to track temperature and RH exposure of fresh produce and predict its quality at each step of the distribution chain. With accurate models, such system could （1） identify problematic situations before losses occur; （2） become a management tool for decision makers; and （3） help quantify the real impact of individual inappropriate conditions. A project was initiated to develop models required for such a decision system. Because the data required to develop models were not available for most fruit and vegetables, a series of storage trials was planned for measuring changes in physiological and microbial quality, and development of physiological disorders and/or diseases, as a function of time, temperature and RH. To meet this objective, controlled environment mini-chambers were designed, built and instrumented for measuring the effect of traceable environmental conditions encountered during storage and transportation of fresh horticultural produce of similar size and shape as tomato. Detailed design and performance evaluation of these mini-chambers are presented.展开更多
Tidal currents are a resource of great potentiality and not yet fully explored. Several efforts have been made to exploit these resources, but the costs associated to the deployment of tidal plants in marine environme...Tidal currents are a resource of great potentiality and not yet fully explored. Several efforts have been made to exploit these resources, but the costs associated to the deployment of tidal plants in marine environments are usually too high. The aim of this work is to present a system able to handle with the above mentioned problems, through the development of a particular hydrokinetic turbine design. In previous works, the authors described a basic turbine configuration achieving interesting performances, although some operational inconveniences were detected. Those problems have been existing so the solution should be optimized and redesigned. As a result, a new design of the turbine is proposed, consisting of a double rotor spinning in opposite directions in order to balance the induced mechanical torque. From preliminary evaluations related to the Messina Strait tidal cycles （Punta Pezzo site, RC, Italy）, a single 12 m diameter turbine can supply a power of about 500 kW with a peak current speed of 3 m/s and deliver up to 450 MWh/year.展开更多
文摘To minimize losses between harvest and retail display, a system is needed to track temperature and RH exposure of fresh produce and predict its quality at each step of the distribution chain. With accurate models, such system could （1） identify problematic situations before losses occur; （2） become a management tool for decision makers; and （3） help quantify the real impact of individual inappropriate conditions. A project was initiated to develop models required for such a decision system. Because the data required to develop models were not available for most fruit and vegetables, a series of storage trials was planned for measuring changes in physiological and microbial quality, and development of physiological disorders and/or diseases, as a function of time, temperature and RH. To meet this objective, controlled environment mini-chambers were designed, built and instrumented for measuring the effect of traceable environmental conditions encountered during storage and transportation of fresh horticultural produce of similar size and shape as tomato. Detailed design and performance evaluation of these mini-chambers are presented.
文摘Tidal currents are a resource of great potentiality and not yet fully explored. Several efforts have been made to exploit these resources, but the costs associated to the deployment of tidal plants in marine environments are usually too high. The aim of this work is to present a system able to handle with the above mentioned problems, through the development of a particular hydrokinetic turbine design. In previous works, the authors described a basic turbine configuration achieving interesting performances, although some operational inconveniences were detected. Those problems have been existing so the solution should be optimized and redesigned. As a result, a new design of the turbine is proposed, consisting of a double rotor spinning in opposite directions in order to balance the induced mechanical torque. From preliminary evaluations related to the Messina Strait tidal cycles （Punta Pezzo site, RC, Italy）, a single 12 m diameter turbine can supply a power of about 500 kW with a peak current speed of 3 m/s and deliver up to 450 MWh/year.
