Dehydration Efficiency Research Articles

Enhancing dehydration/desalting efficiency of crude oil emulsions through experimental and computational insights

The formation of unwanted oil emulsions during producing, transporting, and processing crude oils is a major challenging issue, which causes serious technical problems, and subsequently huge financial losses. The present work delves into an optimization study focused on water separation from crude oil emulsions. The separation performance was initially assessed in static conditions through bottle tests, followed by a thorough investigation in dynamic conditions on an electrostatic desalting pilot plant under various conditions of the main operating parameters: temperature, oil space velocity, wash water ratio, and demulsifier concentration. The design of experiments and optimization of the process were performed by Central-Composite-Design of Response-Surface-Methodology (CCD-RSM). The effectiveness of the separation process has been analyzed by evaluating the Water-Removal-Efficiency (WRE) and Salt-Removal-Efficiency (SRE). The obtained results demonstrated that the used demulsifier was found to be extremely efficient and to have the greatest impact on the dehydration efficiency (F-value = 434.56). In addition, the sensitivity analysis indicated that the dehydration/desalting process is also very sensitive to the oil space velocity and wash water ratio while having less sensitivity to changes in the temperature. Furthermore, the process optimization indicated that the highest efficiency of simultaneous removal of water and salt from crude oil (WRE = 94.54 % and SRE = 97.23 %) was observed at optimal conditions of 19.5 ppm demulsifier concentration, 125 °C temperature, 1 1/h oil space velocity, and 6 vol% wash water ratio.

Synergistic mechanism of pH control by CO2 and CaO2 pre-oxidation to enhance algae dehydration

This study investigated the improvement of algal dehydration efficiency through CO2 pH adjustment and moderate pre-oxidation with CaO2 to enhance coagulation. Adjusting the pH of algal water to 6.0–9.5 with CO2 significantly affected zeta potential and photosynthesis, enhancing aluminum hydrolysis product aggregation. At pH 6.5, the composition of algal organic matter closely matched the original water, indicating minimal impact on algae and optimal cell activity. CaO2 pre-oxidation effectively reduced residual aluminum content and DOM release after coagulation. The DOM removal rate reached 44.50 % at pH 6.5, with the highest dehydration efficiency of 44.34 % and the lowest cell rupture rate of 5.55 %. Small molecular aromatic proteins decreased, while humic substances increased significantly. The chemical bonding between the EPS membrane and CaO2 improved system density and elasticity, enhancing dehydration performance. This study provides new insights and guidance for the ongoing study of pH and CaO2 enhanced algal dehydration.

Innovation in Cassava Bagasse Valorization: Efficiency of Convective Drying Enhanced with Ultrasound and Pulsed Electric Fields.

This research proposes an efficient alternative for dehydrating cassava bagasse to address the inherent challenges in the handling, transportation, storage, and preservation of this agro-industrial residue generated in cassava starch production plants. This residue is characterized by high moisture retention, considerable volume, and hydrophilic nature, complicating conventional drying methods. This study evaluates the impact of emerging ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric field (PEF) technologies prior to convective drying to enhance the dehydration efficiency of cassava bagasse, aiming at its valorization and contributing to the sustainability of the cassava starch industry. The findings reveal that pretreatment with ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric fields (PEF) significantly reduces the drying time of cassava bagasse compared to convective drying alone. With probe ultrasound at 26 kHz for 30 min, the drying time is reduced by 72% (3.83 h vs. 14.0 h); with bath ultrasound at 37 kHz for 30 min, it is reduced by 56.0% (6.16 h vs. 14.0 h); and with PEF at 7.5 kV/cm for 30 min, it is reduced by 52.4% (6.66 h vs. 14.0 h). These emerging technologies increased the effective diffusivity and modified the molecular structure of the bagasse, thereby improving mass transfer and drying process efficiency. These results are particularly useful for developing more efficient and sustainable strategies for drying agricultural by-products, with direct implications for the post-industrial treatment of agro-industrial residues with high water content.

Pearl-necklace-structured hollow MOF filled in membrane for molecular separation

Membrane technology is important for saving energy in the semiconductor industry through purifying isopropanol (IPA). The strategic incorporation of efficient molecular transport pathways into mixed matrix membranes (MMMs), known for their exceptional molecular selectivity and minimal diffusion resistance, presents challenges but holds promising potential for enhancing the progress of high-performance membrane production. This study proposes a novel surface coating-assisted etching strategy to synthesize a highly continuous metal-organic framework with a hydrophilic surface and distinct hollow structure (HZIF-8@PPy). When integrated into the polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) matrix, HZIF-8@PPy demonstrates exceptional compatibility at the interface and significantly enhances the membrane's capacity for selective water molecule transport. The pervaporation dehydration efficiency from an IPA aqueous solution shows significant enhancement, with selectivity and permeability reaching 5.9 and 3.7 times higher than those of the pristine PVA membrane, respectively. The effectiveness of HZIF-8@PPy's structure and its separation mechanism was validated by resolving the five types of molecular channels in MMMs during permselective pervaporation. This research holds significant implications for the purification of organic compounds and also presents new opportunities for developing robust and high-performance MMMs with effective fillers, thereby contributing to advancements in membrane technology.

The impacts of structural parameters on performance and energy loss of the supersonic separator: A sensitivity analysis

The supersonic separator uses pressure energy to achieve highly efficient carbon capture and water vapor separation from the natural gas mixture. Structural parameters are crucial in determining both separation performance and pressure energy loss of the supersonic separator. However, a comprehensive understanding of how them influence flow behaviors and performance is hindered by their coupling effects and the limitations of numerical methods. This study introduces Euler-Lagrange-Euler model to predict separation performance and pressure energy loss of supersonic dehydration process with varying structural parameters. The results show that the expansion ratio of the divergent section, length of the convergent section, inlet radius of the inner body, and throat radius of the inner body significantly impact separation performance and pressure energy loss. Especially the first parameter, the swirl strength and centrifugal acceleration decay to 0.044 and 2.41 × 104 m s−2 as it increases. At the same time, the droplet removal rate significantly improves, but the separation performance does not increase indefinitely due to the shock waves. The dehydration efficiency first increases to 95.09 % at Er= 1.5 and then decreases; the dew point depression also expands to 25.28 K and then drops, and the corresponding pressure loss rises to 0.47 and then falls.

Effects of Osmotic Dehydration on Mass Transfer of Tender Coconut Kernel.

Tender coconut water has been very popular as a natural beverage rich in various electrolytes, amino acids, and vitamins, and hence a large amount of tender coconut kernel is left without efficient utilization. To explore the possibility of making infused tender coconut kernel, we investigated the effects of two osmosis methods, including solid-state osmotic dehydration and liquid-state osmotic dehydration, as well as two osmosis agents such as sorbitol and sucrose, on the mass transfer of coconut kernel under solid-state osmotic dehydration conditions. The results showed that under the conditions of solid-state osmosis using sucrose and liquid-state osmosis using sucrose solution, the water diffusion coefficients were 9.0396 h-1/2 and 2.9940 h-1/2, respectively, with corresponding water mass transfer coefficients of 0.3373 and 0.2452, and the equilibrium water loss rates of 49.04% and 17.31%, respectively, indicating that the mass transfer efficiency of solid-state osmotic dehydration of tender coconut kernel was significantly higher than that of liquid-state osmotic dehydration. Under solid osmosis conditions, the water loss rates using sucrose and sorbitol were 38.64% and 41.95%, respectively, with dry basis yield increments of 61.38% and 71.09%, respectively, demonstrating superior dehydration efficiency of sorbitol over sucrose under solid-state osmosis. This study can provide a reference for the theoretical study of the mass transfer of tender coconut kernel through osmotic dehydration, and also provide technical support for the development and utilization of tender coconut kernel.

Effect of combined dialysis method on dewatering of coagulant pretreated sludge

The unique composition and condition of sludge pose significant challenges in water removal. Therefore, it is crucial to investigate a cost-effective and highly efficient approach for dehydrating sludge. In this paper, the domestic sludge was respectively pretreated with ferric chloride, polyaluminum chloride, and cationic polyacrylamide. Then the pretreated sludge was performed on gravity dehydration, centrifugal dehydration, dialysis dehydration and mixed method. The effect mechanism of coagulant and dewatering method on sludge dehydration was analyzed from micro perspective. Finally, the influence range of the dialytic solution was tested by model experiment. The results indicate that the dehydration efficiency of the pretreated sludge with PAC is slightly better than that pretreated with FeCl3 and CPAM, and the optimal dosage of PAC is 8 %. The effect of dialysis dehydration is the best, which can significantly change the final moisture content of sludge (much less than 60 %), effectively achieving the requirements of subsequent processing. The water content of the sludge treated by gravity dehydration, centrifugal dehydration and dialysis dehydration can reach 38 %, which is much smaller than that of the sludge treated by a single dehydration method. The free water, occlusion, coating water, and bounding water are dehydrated by gravity, centrifugal force, and dialysis. The influence range of dialysis dehydration is less than 10 cm. When the distance is more than 10 cm, the difference of sludge moisture content at different relative heights is larger. The study has certain theoretical guidance significance for improving the performance of sludge concentration and dewatering.

Computational fluid dynamics simulation on oxy-fuel combustion performance of a multiple-burner furnace firing coking dry gas

In heat production and power generation utilizing carbon-based fuels, oxy-fuel combustion is regarded as a potential method for carbon capture and sequestration. However, few studies, if any, have been performed on the impacts of exhaust dehydration efficiency and oxygen purity on the parameters of oxy-fuel combustion. In the current study, based on the experimental data, the oxy-fuel combustion characteristics of coking dry gas (CDG) in a gas-fired furnace were investigated using the computational fluid dynamics approach. The simulation results illustrate that the CO2 concentration in the flue gas could rise by nearly 14% as the dehydration efficiency increases from 0.60 to 0.95. The contents of CO2 elevate with the oxygen purity, while H2O and N2 show an opposite trend. Within the scope of the present study, an O2 content of 32% and an excess oxygen ratio of 1.1 are recommended given the combustion performance and economic issue. Due to the impacts of combustion performance, cost of ASU, CO2 enrichment, and so on, the selection of oxygen purity needs to be considered comprehensively. The content of N2 declines with the increase of the dehydration efficiency, which benefits the enrichment of CO2. The present work contributes to the clean and efficient utilization of combustible exhaust gas and provides further knowledge on green and low-carbon development.

Highly Regio- and Stereoselective Dehydration of Allylic Alcohols to Conjugated Dienes via 1,4-syn-Elimination with H2 Evolution.

Dehydration of alcohols is one of the most fundamental transformations in the organic chemistry class and one of the most widely used methods for producing alkenes in synthetic research. Numerous methods and reagents have been developed to control the regio- and stereoselectivity as well as the dehydration efficiency of normal alcohols. Despite these achievements, regio- and stereoselective and predictable dehydration of allylic alcohol has seldom been reported, except for limited substrates with a native preferred elimination position, as a result of the challenges that many potential dienes could be formed via 1,2- or 1,4-syn- or anti-elimination. Here, we report a tBuOK/potassium 2,2-difluoroacetate-mediated 1,4-syn-dehydration of allylic alcohol for the synthesis of regio- and stereodefined conjugated dienes via an in situ generated directing group strategy. This reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope and good functional group compatibility for primary-tertiary alcohols. The simple and scalable (up to 0.6 mol) procedure with readily available and inexpensive reagents makes it a practical method for conjugated diene synthesis. Mechanistic studies reveal that an acetate with tert-butoxide and allyloxide acetal moiety is formed as an intermediate, in which the acetate and the acetal act as the directing group for the base-promoted elimination. An unusual H2 evolution is also involved in the reaction.

A binary catalytic system of sulfonated metal–organic frameworks and deep eutectic solvents towards highly efficient synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural from fructose

The green synthesis of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from biomass feedstocks is a crucial step for the development of sustainable fuels, resins and plastics. Here, a novel binary catalytic system was developed with metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) and deep eutectic solvents (DESs), which synergically exhibited a superior fructose dehydration efficiency with a HMF yield of 98.5% within 40 min. The replacement from terephthalic acid to 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid as the organic ligand in MOFs catalysts altered the coordination microenvironment of metal nodes, resulting in remarkably enhanced fructose conversion rates. The formation of hierarchical porous structures and moderated Brønsted acid sites in sulfonated MOFs further promoted the HMF production. Notably, HMF could be readily separated from the MOFs-DESs system and the MOF catalyst maintained stable performance after six recycles. Theoretical calculations clarified a positive correlation between the hydrogen bond interaction (between fructose and DESs components) energy and reaction efficiency. This study provided a new strategy to couple hierarchical solid acid catalysts with functional solvents binary towards effective and sustainable upgrading of biomass-derived molecules.

Optimization of ammonia and TEOS concentration for the development of Ca(OH)2@SiO2 nanocomposites for optimal energy storage performance

In this study, nanocomposites of Calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2) and Silica (SiO2) were developed using tetraethylorthosilicate precursor, and the impact of ammonia concentration on the reaction kinetics of Ca(OH)2 to CaO conversion were studied. The Ca(OH)2 nanoparticles were synthesized by the sol-gel method. The formation of Ca(OH)2 particles was confirmed through X-ray diffraction. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) provided evidence for the presence of a SiO2 layer on Ca(OH)2. Thermogravimetric analyses were carried out under N2 atmosphere to study the dehydration efficiency of the Ca(OH)2 system in the presence of SiO2. The results were found to be consistent with the findings from XRD and Raman analysis. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) was done to determine the impact of ammonia and silica on the endothermic peak of Ca(OH)2 and CaCO3. TG results were used to determine the weight loss, activation energy (Ea), entropy (ΔS), enthalpy (ΔH), and Gibbs free energy (ΔG).

Doping heteroatoms to form multiple hydrogen bond sites for enhanced interfacial reconstruction and separations

Interfacial challenges in unconventional oil extraction include heavy oil–water–solid multiphase separation and corrosion inhibition. Herein, a novel strategy based on interfacial hydrogen bonding reconstruction is proposed for constructing multifunctional interfacially active materials (MIAMs) to address multi-interfacial separation needs. A simple one-pot method is applied to successfully synthesize four different MIAM varieties, integrating site groups (–NH2, OSO, –COOH, and Si–O–Si) with multiple hydrogen bonds (HBs) into allyl polyether chains. The results indicate that all synthesized MIAMs excel in demulsification, detergency, and corrosion inhibition simultaneously, even at 25 °C. Their dehydration efficiency for different water-in-oil emulsions (even heavy oil emulsion) surpasses 99.9 % even at 16 °C, showing their excellent energy-saving potential for field applications. Furthermore, they demonstrate effective, nondestructive static cleaning (up to 86 %) of adhered oil from solid surfaces at 25 °C and provide corrosion inhibition effects (up to 92.09 %) on mild steel immersed in saturated brine. Mechanistic tests reveal that incorporating multiple HB sites in MIAMs dramatically enhances their effectiveness in interfacial separations. Based on these findings, an HB-dominated noncovalent interaction reconstruction strategy is tentatively proposed to develop advanced materials for low-carbon, efficient interfacial separations.

Influence of Process Parameters on the Efficiency of Pervaporation Pilot ECO-001 Plant for Raw Ethanol Dehydration.

Pervaporation is a membrane-based process used for the separation of liquid mixtures. As this membrane process is governed by the differences in the sorption and diffusivities of separated components, close boiling mixtures and azeotropic mixtures can effectively be separated. The dehydration of ethanol is the most common application of hydrophilic pervaporation. The pilot scale properties of hydrophilic composite poly(vinyl alcohol) PVA membrane (PERVAPTM 2200) in contact with wet raw bioethanol are presented. The wet raw bioethanol was composed of ethanol (82.4-89.6 wt%), water (5.9-8.5 wt%), methanol (2.3-6.9 wt%), cyclohexane (0.2-2.4 wt%), higher alcohols (0.2-1.3 wt%), and acetaldehyde (0.004-0.030 wt%). All experiments were performed using a SULZER ECO-001 plant equipped with a 1.5 m2 membrane module. The efficiency of the dehydration process (i.e., membrane selectivity, permeate flux, degree of dehydration) was discussed as a function of the following parameters: the feed temperature, the feed composition, and the feed flow rate through the module. It was found that the low feed flow rate influenced the dehydration efficiency as the enthalpy of evaporation caused a high temperature drop in the module (around 25 °C at a feed flow rate equal to 5 kg h-1). The separation coefficient during pervaporation was in the range of 600-1200, depending on the feed composition. The increase in temperature augmented the permeation flux and shortened the time needed to reach the assumed level of dehydration. It was revealed that dehydration by pervaporation using ECO-001 pilot plant is an efficient process, allowing also to investigate the influence of various parameters on the process efficiency.

An experimental study on dredged Qinhuai river sediment-based flowable fill treated by flocculation-cementation method

The traditional Portland cement solidification method has low efficiency in treating dredged sediments with high water content. In this study, flowable fill was prepared using dredged sediments by the flocculation-cementation method. By utilizing dredged sediments with high water content, the need for additional water during the flowable fill preparation process is eliminated. The influences of flocculant types and dosages on dehydration efficiency, flowability, and strength were investigated through a series of laboratory tests, including settling column tests, rapid dehydration tests, flowability tests, and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests. The results indicate that the use of flocculants improves the dehydration efficiency. The dehydration efficiency of guar gum is the highest, with a settlement rate reaching 78 mL/min during the settling stage. The inclusion of flocculants clearly impacts the flowability and UCS of flowable fill, and the addition of amphoteric polyacrylamide and guar gum decreases the flowability. Furthermore, the Portland cement dosage also has a significant influence on both the flowability and the UCS. As the cement dosage increases, the flowability decreases while the UCS increases. To study the effectiveness of flocculation-cementation method in treating dredged sediment, four sets of recommended schemes are provided based on the actual transportation and re-excavation methods employed in the project to cater for different requirements. This research holds significant reference value for both the resource utilization of dredged sediments with high water content and the engineering application of flowable fill.

Combination of population balance equation and multi‐layer capacitor theory for modelling of an industrial Dual Polarity® electrostatic treater

AbstractIn the present study, an analytical model is developed to investigate the dehydration efficiency of a NATCO Dual Polarity® electrostatic treater at steady state conditions using population balance equations (PBE). To investigate the effect of frequency on dehydration performance and electric field strength between electrodes, a detailed electrical model is considered. In the developed electrical model, electrodes are virtualized as simple ideal capacitors, with emulsion acting as dielectric. Proving the model's accuracy, gathered industrial data were compared with simulation results. In addition, current frequency as the main electrical parameter besides power supply electrical potential was proved to be effective on the strength of the applied electric field, the electrical potential profile on electrodes, and the outlet water cut in the treated crude oil. The results indicated that increasing the current frequency from 50 to 500 Hz, by enhancing direct current field strength, reduces the water cut by 0.03%. Although high temperatures and frequencies increase the electrical conductivity of the emulsion, electrical power lost during the disconnection of the power supply on electrodes will be retrieved by increasing frequency. Finally, the performance of different electric fields on crude oil dehydration was compared.

Altering Specificity and Enhancing Stability of the Antimicrobial Peptides Nisin and Rombocin through Dehydrated Amino Acid Residue Engineering

Nisin serves as the prototype within the lantibiotic group of antimicrobial peptides, exhibiting a broad-spectrum inhibition against Gram-positive bacteria, including important food-borne pathogens and clinically relevant antibiotic-resistant strains. The gene-encoded nature of nisin allows for gene-based bioengineering, enabling the generation of novel derivatives. It has been demonstrated that nisin mutants can be produced with improved functional properties. Here, we particularly focus on the uncommon amino acid residues dehydroalanine (Dha) and dehydrobutyrin (Dhb), whose functions are not yet fully elucidated. Prior to this study, we developed a new expression system that utilizes the nisin modification machinery NisBTC to advance expression, resulting in enhanced peptide dehydration efficiency. Through this approach, we discovered that the dehydrated amino acid Dhb at position 18 in the peptide rombocin, a short variant of nisin, displayed four times higher activity compared to the non-dehydrated peptide against the strain Lactococcus lactis. Furthermore, we observed that in the peptides nisin and rombocin, the dehydrated amino acid Dha at residue positon 18 exhibited superior activity compared to the dehydrated amino acid Dhb. Upon purifying the wild-type nisin and its variant nisinG18/Dha to homogeneity, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) indicated that the variant exhibited activity similar to that of wild-type nisin in inhibiting the growth of Bacillus cereus but showed twice the MIC values against the other four tested Gram-positive strains. Further stability tests demonstrated that the dehydrated peptide exhibited properties similar to wild-type nisin under different temperatures but displayed higher resistance to proteolytic enzymes compared to wild-type nisin.

Synchronous magnetization to weaken the hindrance of surfactants to droplet coalescence during electric dehydration

Electric dehydration is the most widely used physical technology for separating water from crude oil. However, natural surfactants stabilize the oil–water interface, resulting in low dehydration efficiency and failure of the electric dehydrator due to electric field collapse. To explore the physical methods of weakening the influence of surfactants on electric dehydration, this study synchronously increased magnetization during the electric dehydration. Based on high-speed microscopy experiments, it has been demonstrated that synchronous magnetization weakens the hindrance of surfactants to droplet coalescence during electric dehydration. Within the experimental conditions, the influence of magnetization on the growth coefficient C1 ranges from 2.9% to 26.6%. In addition, based on molecular dynamics simulation, the mechanism of magnetization weakening the influence of surfactants was studied at the molecular level. It was found that water molecules and surfactant molecules undergo significant molecular clusters after magnetization, reducing the influence degree of surfactants on unit area. When the surfactant concentration increases, the decrease in the influence degree is balanced by the increase in the number of molecules, which also explains the law that the improvement rate ΔC1 decreases with the increase in surfactant concentration. The results of this work will be potentially valuable for weakening surfactant barriers to demulsification and oil–water separation.

Моделирование процесса вибрационного обезвоживания угольной мелочи в технологических системах гидромеханизированных шахт

Introduction. The article discusses the issues of modeling various variants of flow line tunneling technologies based on an analysis of the structure of the tunneling cycle. Materials and methods. As research methods, the authors used: analysis of the structures of the tunneling cycle of continuous mining technologies, mathematical modeling of processes and operations, and industrial testing of options for implementing the proposed technological tunneling systems. Results. Obtained during the implementation of a mathematical model of a high-frequency, low-amplitude process of vibration dehydration of mineral raw materials of small fractions, using fine coal (sludge) as an example, made it possible to determine the optimal parameters of the kinematics of the working body in accordance with the parameters of the source material. Innovative solutions have been proposed for the design of vibration dewatering devices with mechanical and hydraulic high-frequency flexibly adjustable drives. Conclusion. The article summarizes the results of research in the field of modeling and optimization of fine coal dewatering parameters in technological systems of mining enterprises. Options for implementing innovative technical devices for high-frequency, low-amplitude effects on the source material are proposed to increase the efficiency of dehydration. Resume. An analysis of existing means and methods for dewatering rock mass has shown that in relation to the technology of hydromechanized coal mining with its underground dewatering and recycling of process water, the most promising is the use of high-frequency vibration dewatering devices with a mechanical or hydraulic drive. The study of the kinematics of movement of the dewatered rock mass made it possible to determine the optimal values of vibration parameters

Numerical study on oxy-fuel combustion characteristics of industrial furnace firing coking dry gas

One of the most promising methods for clean utilization of hydrocarbon fuels and CO2 capture is oxy-fuel combustion. However, report on oxy-fuel burning of industrial gas is still limited. In the study, numerical simulation was conducted to explore the oxy-fuel combustion performance of a coking dry gas fired industrial furnace. A modified weighted sum gray gas (WSGG) model with a four-gray body and fourth-degree temperature polynomial was proposed for both air and oxy-fuel combustion with the introduction of the fourth graybody. The impacts of oxygen content, excess oxygen ratio, oxygen purity, and dehydration efficiency on combustion and heat transfer were mainly investigated. The maximum furnace temperature increases significantly, and the high temperature region inside the furnace shrinks and moves downward as the oxygen content rises. The H2O content increases from ∼20% to ∼37%, and the CO2 content decreases from ∼77% to ∼60%. The furnace temperature is up to 1835 K under air conditions, while the furnace temperature is reduced by 195 K under oxy-fuel condition of 21% O2 content. The composition of flue gas barely changes as the excess oxygen ratio increases from 1.02 to 1.20. Although the CO2 enrichment in flue gas and the improvement of oxy-fuel combustion performance benefit from an increase in oxygen purity, the combustion performance further advances little when it is raised to over 98%. Additionally, when dehydration efficiency grows, radiant heat transfer decreases and the flue gas temperature at the furnace outlet rises. The content of O2 and N2 has little relationship with dehydration efficiency. This study aids in understanding the actual oxy-fuel combustion process of an industrial gas-fired boiler and offers a possible theoretical basis for clean burning of petrochemical combustible gas and carbon capture.

The Effect of Ultrasound and Pulsed Electric Field on the Osmotic Dehydration Process of Strawberries

Currently, the demands of consumers are growing, and they expect safe and natural products of higher quality compared to products processed using thermal methods. Thermal treatment influences the sensory as well as quality and nutritional value of processed plant material. This results in the development of innovative, non-thermal methods of food preservation and processing. Hence, the study was conducted to examine how ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric field (PEF) affect the osmotic dehydration process of strawberries. An US treatment with a power of 400 W and a frequency of 24 kHz for 30 and 90 s and a PEF treatment were used, adopting the appropriate energy consumption of 1 and 2.5 kJ/kg. Then, strawberries after both processes were osmotically dehydrated in 0.5; 1, and 2 h at 30 °C. Dehydration was carried out in a 50% sucrose solution. Research findings have indicated that the pretreatment positively enhanced the efficiency of osmotic dehydration. An improvement in the dry weight gain rate was noted. Strawberries dehydrated with the use of pretreatment had similar or lower color values and the content of bioactive components compared to strawberries subjected to dehydration only. The material treated with the PEF turned out to be the softest. Significant differences in sugar content were noted in fruits after pretreatment. Sucrose levels increased, glucose levels decreased, and fructose remained at a comparable level.