Production Capacity Of Plant Research Articles

Response of Different Exogenous Phytohormones to Rice Yield Under Low-Temperature Stress at the Filling Stage

This paper aims to clarify the effects of different exogenous phytohormones on the physiological traits of rice (Oryza sativa L.) at the early stage of irrigation under low-temperature stress. In this study, two types of rice varieties with different temperature sensitivities screened out previously, namely, a cold-tolerant variety (Nan Jing 9108) and a low-temperature-sensitive variety (Hui Liang You 898), were used in pots to simulate the process of low-temperature stress in rice at the early stage of grouting (6–9 days after anthesis) with artificial low-temperature treatments. The experimental treatments were 450 mg L−1 Methyl jasmine acid (MJ), 46 mg L−1 Melatonin (MT), 69 mg L−1 Salicylate (SA), 40 mg L−1 Erythromycin (GA3), 25 mg L−1 Zeatin (Z), 145 mg L−1 Spermidine (SPD), and 5 mg L−1 Abscisic acid (ABA) sprayed on rice before low-temperature stress, while low-temperature treatment without spraying (DK) and conventional planting without spraying (CK) were added as the control. The results showed that compared with the room temperature control (CK, sprayed with deionized water), the low-temperature control (DK, low-temperature treatment, and sprayed with deionized water) all significantly reduced the rice grain yield. Different exogenous hormones sprayed before low-temperature stress could increase rice yield, among which, Z and SPD spraying treatments had a better effect on the yield of Hui Liang You 898, while different exogenous hormone treatments increased the yield of Nan Jing 9108 in an average manner. The Z and SPD treatments increased the yield of Hui Liang You 898 by 24.87% and 26.16% and that of Nan Jing 9108 by 15.87% and 17.80%, respectively. This was mainly attributed to the significant increase in thousand-grain weight and fruiting rate, while there was no significant difference in the number of spikes and number of grains. The different exogenous hormone treatments were able to delay leaf senescence, enhance the photosynthetic production capacity of plants by increasing leaf chlorophyll content, and thus increase the accumulation of photosynthetic assimilation products and population growth rate after flowering. Among them, both Z and SPD treatments resulted in a population growth rate of more than 30% from spike flushing to maturity, which led to a higher dry matter accumulation of the plant at maturity. In addition, in the dry matter distribution of the plant at maturity, the seeds occupied a higher accumulation amount and proportion compared with the respective DK; the SPD treatment resulted in the maximum distribution rate of seeds at maturity of Hui Liang You 898, with an increase of 8.27%, and the Z treatment resulted in the maximum distribution rate of seeds at maturity of Nan Jing 9108, with an increase of 7.34%. At the same time, the Z treatment significantly increased the activities of adenosine diphosphate glucose phosphorylated enzyme (AGP) and starch branching enzyme (SBE) in the grains of both varieties, which resulted in the accumulation of more starch and ultimately increased the rice grain yield. The results verified that different exogenous phytohormones could be used to regulate the insufficiency of grouting caused by low-temperature stress during the grouting and fruiting stages of rice and enriched their agronomic and physiological traits in response at the same time.

Life cycle assessment of electricity from wind, photovoltaic and biogas from maize in combination with area-specific energy yields – a case study for Germany

Abstract Due to the massive expansion of renewable energy-based production capacity, the benefits and drawbacks of wind turbines, ground-mounted photovoltaic (PV) and biogas plants are currently being discussed in Germany and elsewhere. The expansion of renewable energy-based plants is competing with other uses for land area. In addition to area-specific energy yields, the environmental impact of renewables is increasingly gaining awareness. Existing research on the area-specific energy yields and environmental impact for wind, PV and biogas lacks comparability due to factors including time, location, and scale. This study addresses this research gap by combining life cycle assessment (LCA) to compare potential environmental impacts with an area-specific energy yield assessment of wind, ground-mounted PV and biogas from maize in Germany. The LCA includes an assessment of eleven midpoint and three endpoint impact indicators, while the area-specific energy yield is assessed on the basis of both gross and net area-specific energy yield. The LCA results indicate the lowest impact for wind, followed by PV and biogas. This ranking is consistent across all three endpoint and nine out of eleven midpoint categories. The same ranking also applies to the area-specific energy yield, with wind producing the most and biogas the least gross and net energy per area. These results indicate that the current political support in Germany for biogas from maize for electricity generation should be thoroughly re-evaluated in view of the more favourable alternatives, wind and PV. The findings also provide relevant insights for other regions with similar boundary conditions.

Особенности построения и функционирования устройств генерации электроэнергии в южной части Ирака

Objective: the Iraqi electricity sector is in a critical state requiring immediate reforms. The industry and the academic community have expressed concern about the system’s ability to provide stable power supply and overall operational inefficiency. The energy sector is currently experiencing one of the most significant demand increases in the world, and given its capital intensity, it occupies a significant part of Iraq’s government investment program. Moreover, there has been a significant increase in the financial burden on Iraq’s electricity supply due to the high subsidies needed to cover current expenses. These subsidies are considered to be among the highest in the world. Methods: the reasoning presented in the article deals with the complex issue of the production capacities of power plants operating within the geographical boundaries of the central and southern regions of the country of Iraq, with particular attention to the paramount importance of understanding the scale and volume of energy demand existing in these aforementioned regions, as well as the multifaceted complexities associated with the diverse types of consumers who participate in the use of these energy resources. Results: taking into account the above-mentioned difficulties, this article examines these issues in detail and presents a number of proposals aimed directly at improving the overall efficiency of the energy sector. One of the main recommendations provides for a comprehensive reform of the energy sector, with special attention to meeting the growing demand for electricity among the population. The implementation of this proposal is expected to make significant progress in providing reliable and sustainable energy solutions to meet the ever-increasing needs of the population.

How to improve efficiency for prefabricated component production scheduling with worker allocation and order outsourcing?

Prefabricated building is an advanced building mode that is actively promoted in China owing to its high-efficiency, energy-saving and labour-saving characteristics. However, because of the limited production capacity and production resources of the final assembly parts production plant, it is usually impossible for a factory to accept all orders. Therefore, the factory will consider outsourcing part of the orders to reduce delay penalties. In addition, the allocation of workers in the production process will significantly affect the processing time of orders. Regarding those two issues, a production scheduling integrated optimization model, considering worker allocation and order outsourcing, is established to maximize net profit. To address the complexity of problem solving caused by the NP-hard nature of this problem, a hybrid improved genetic–accelerated iterative greedy search algorithm is developed. Finally, a numerical example is delivered to verify that the proposed algorithm has improved solution quality and convergence.

Planning of Production Capacities of Precast Construction Plants under Conditions of Changes in Demand for Products

The main criterion for a feasibility study of the production efficiency of precast construction plants, analysis of internal production reserves and optimal production volume is the production capacity indicator. Thus, the study of various Factors influencing the production capacity indicators is an important task. The results of research of the influence of the number of storeys and the set of block sections in the configuration of industrial residential buildings on changes in the ratio of product types in the range of the production programme of plants are presented in the paper. Fluctuations in the ratio of product types during the construction of different types of houses have been established. Based on the obtained results, the dependence of the production capacity plants on fluctuations in the ratio of product types has been constructed. It has been determined that the main reason for the revealed facts of a decrease in production capacity is the uneven loading of production lines with fluctuations in the ratio of product types in the range of production programs of precast construction plants. Taking into account the known facts of the dependence of production capacity on the concrete capacity of block sections of houses, the results of a comparison of the degree of influence of concrete capacity on the production capacity and the ratio of the main types of products in the range of production programs of plants are presented in the paper. It has been established that a key influence on the indicators of production capacity is exerted by changes in the ratio of product types. On the basis of the conducted research, optimal reserves of production capacity have been determined with a high share of different types of houses in the production programs of the plants. Taking into account the established indicators of production capacity reduction, their optimal reservation is within 20–25 % of the design capacity of the plants, which should serve as a reference point when planning the functioning of the production management system under the conditions of changes in demand for products.

Study of Influence of Product Range on Production Capacity Indicators of Precast Construction Plants

The paper presents the results of research of the influence of product range parameters on the indicators of development of the design capacities of precast construction plants. The quantity and concrete consumption of products in terms of 1 m2 of total area, as well as the circulation of products, have been taken as the analyzed parameters of product range. It is noted that calculations of production capacity and basic technical and economic indicators of production at the stage of technological design are based on the product range of a typical block section of a house series. At the same time, architectural individuality, flexibility of planning and design solutions of prefabricated houses buildings in industrial design require a variety of modifications of block sections, which is inextricably linked with the growth of the range of manufactured products. Expansion of the range of products for modifications of block sections in the production program of plants is an objective regularity that should be taken into account in the technological design of new or reconstruction of existing precast constructions plants and planning production programs for housing construction. Significant fluctuations in the parameters of the product range in the production programs of plants have been recorded. A regression analysis of the parameters of the range products of production programs of precast construction plants has been carried out. The dependence of product range on the share of dotted houses in housing construction programs has been established. The main parameters of houses determining fluctuations in the range of products have been identified, which include the number of storeys and the number of sections in the house configuration. Taking into account the fact of the significant influence of the product range on the production capacity of plants, the dependence of the indicator of compliance of the concrete capacity of products with 1 m2 of total area on the production capacity indicators has been established. The reliability of the obtained mathematical models is confirmed by the results of statistical processing of research results and verification of models in calculations of the current production capacity of plants.

Physiological and Proteomic Analyses of mtn1 Mutant Reveal Key Players in Centipedegrass Tiller Development.

Tillering directly determines the seed production and propagation capacity of clonal plants. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the tiller development of clonal plants are still not fully understood. In this study, we conducted a proteome comparison between the tiller buds and stem node of a multiple-tiller mutant mtn1 (more tillering number 1) and a wild type of centipedegrass. The results showed significant increases of 29.03% and 27.89% in the first and secondary tiller numbers, respectively, in the mtn1 mutant compared to the wild type. The photosynthetic rate increased by 31.44%, while the starch, soluble sugar, and sucrose contents in the tiller buds and stem node showed increases of 13.79%, 39.10%, 97.64%, 37.97%, 55.64%, and 7.68%, respectively, compared to the wild type. Two groups comprising 438 and 589 protein species, respectively, were differentially accumulated in the tiller buds and stem node in the mtn1 mutant. Consistent with the physiological characteristics, sucrose and starch metabolism as well as plant hormone signaling were found to be enriched with differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) in the mtn1 mutant. These results revealed that sugars and plant hormones may play important regulatory roles in the tiller development in centipedegrass. These results expanded our understanding of tiller development in clonal plants.

Assessing the carbon footprint of drinking water supply system in Indonesia: A case study of the Rebana Metropolitan Area

The development of the Rebana Metropolitan Area in the northern region of West Java aims to improve the economy in the area with improved infrastructure, including safe drinking water provision through a sustainable drinking water supply system (SPAM) that aligns with low-carbon development in Indonesia. This study presents a comprehensive assessment of the carbon footprint associated with SPAM. A dynamic system modeling approach was employed to calculate SPAM’s carbon footprint, considering key activities such as drinking water supply through piped networks and wells, bottled water distribution, potable water provision through refillable drinking water depots, and drinking water boiling. The model was calibrated and validated using data from Indramayu Regency, demonstrating its accuracy with an RMSPE value of 0.03% for the population and 4.89% for water treatment plant production capacity. By utilizing data from industrial zones (KPI) Patrol and Losarang, the model simulations revealed that under business as usual (BAU) conditions, the projected carbon footprint of SPAM in 2040 was 332,194 tCO2eq. To explore effective intervention strategies, three scenarios (I, II, and III) were simulated, incorporating different rates of wastewater recycling—10%, 20%, and 30% by 2030, respectively. The results demonstrated that implementing these scenarios would lead to reduced SPAM’s carbon footprints in 2040, with projected values of 283,275 tCO2eq, 246,586 tCO2eq, and 225,184 tCO2eq for scenarios I, II, and III, respectively. Bottled water exhibited the highest carbon footprint per unit volume of 28.847 kgCO2eq/m3.

Blockchain-based smart dairy supply chain: catching the momentum for digital transformation

PurposeThis research attempted to establish the underlying dimensions of supply chain management practices, blockchain technology and supply chain performance in the Indian dairy industry. Additionally, the study proposes a conceptual model that shows the mediating effects of blockchain technology in the relationship between supply chain management practices and supply chain performance.Design/methodology/approachStructural equation modelling (SEM) is incorporated to examine the proposed model using SPSS and AMOS version 24. The study population includes 119 registered Indian dairy processing units operating in Uttar Pradesh and New Delhi (source: Dairy – India). Individual registered dairy processing unit's top four executives, that is Head of the Dairy Processing Plant, Supply Chain head and Marketing Head, and IT head are chosen as the respondents of the study, which renders the sample size of 476. Judgmental sampling based on the organisation's market position and plant production capacity (i.e. one lakh litre per day) has been set as the benchmark for selecting the dairy processing units. The executives are selected as respondents as they are well-versed in the phenomenon of supply chain management practices, blockchain technology and supply chain performance compared to other staff working in the dairy industry. The data was collected from December 2021 to March 2022 through judgmental sampling. The target sample size was 476, but only 286 questionnaires were received in a completed state and were further used for analysis.FindingsManufacturing practices, information sharing, distribution management, inventory management and blockchain technology have a significant and positive impact on supply chain performance in the Indian dairy industry. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that blockchain technology partially mediates the relationship between supply chain management practices and supply chain performance in the context of the Indian dairy industry.Research limitations/implicationsThis research is focused on the Indian dairy industry operating in only two states, namely New Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. More research is needed to determine whether SCM practices and the prospects for blockchain technology among channel members are universally applicable to merchants in non-dairy products. Similar investigations should be carried out on dairy industry operating in various formats and in numerous geographic locations. Further, case studies can be conducted by future researchers to learn how supply chain management methods are deployed, what precisely these practices entail and what costs and time demands are required by these practices in context of small independent retailers across different germane expanse.Originality/valueWhile the available literature on the research area is spread out, the influence of blockchain technology in the Indian dairy industry has not yet been sufficiently analysed. Therefore, the research article focused on exploring underlying dimensions of the constructs of supply chain management practices, blockchain technology adoption and supply chain performance in the context of the Indian dairy industry.

Characterization of NORM‐type scales from the oil industry through spectrometry techniques and multivariate analysis

AbstractThe oil industries have as main problem in their activities of formation of scales containing material of the naturally occurring radioactive material (NORM) type on the internal walls of pipes and in some equipment that make up the process lines plant. This NORM can contribute to the exposure of workers during routine activities, either through external exposure, or internal, through inhalation or ingestion. Considering the concern with occupational exposure, environmental impacts and the plant's production capacity, resulting from the formation of the scales, this work characterized samples of scale by means of techniques of x‐ray fluorescence (XRF), x‐ray diffraction (XRD) and high‐resolution gamma spectrometry. The XRF showed concentrations of P, S, Cl, Ca, Mn, Fe, Sr, and Ba as the main elements of the sample; the XRD showed calcite and barite as predominant composition; in the gamma analysis, the concentrations of the activities varied from 104.6 to 1112.6 Bq kg−1 for 226Ra and from 16.4 to 385.2 Bq kg−1 for 228Ra, within the limits set by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The indices radium equivalent activity, absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose indices varied from 128.4 to 1665.9 Bq kg1; 58.4 to 748.0 nGy h−1 and 0.072 to 0.918 mSv y−1, respectively. Only the effective dose values ​​were within the limits established by United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation, reinforcing the need for continuous monitoring on the platforms and the importance of keeping the radiological protection plan up to date, since the mobilization of NORM increases proportionally with the useful life of the production wells, thus increasing exposure indices.

An Approach to Assess the Water Resources Reliability and Its Management

One of the factors limiting the possibility of the development of urban agglomerations is access to drinking water. Due to progressive climate change, the available water resources are limited. The paper proposes new indicators of limiting the development of agglomerations related to the availability of water resources and the production capacity of water treatment plants, a method for assessing the diversification of water resources (using the Pielou index), and a water loss balance was prepared based on International Water Association (IWA) standards. On the basis of the obtained results, the potential increase in the number of inhabitants indicators (∆PR, ∆PP) and the time for the development of agglomeration indicators (TR, TP), the directions of development of the studied agglomerations in terms of the possibility of water supply were indicated. The main problems were reducing the amount of water losses, appropriate management of the migration policy of the population, and the necessity to look for alternative sources of water.

UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE AND NEW ENERGY CHALLENGES DURING THE TIMES OF GROWING GLOBAL CONFLICT

The article substantiates the relevance of switching approaches to the formation of energy security of countries in the times of growing global conflict. The structure and dynamics of energy production and consumption in the European Union and Ukraine considering traditional and renewable sources until 2020 were analyzed. The structure of the energy balance of Ukraine and its difference from EU countries were described. Despite the growth of energy production from renewable sources, a high level of dependence (more than 50%) of EU countries on imported traditional energy carriers from third countries, especially, the russian federation, was revealed. The negative impact and consequences of EU’s dependence on energy supply from the aggressor country and the need to develop and diversify sources of energy supply in the national context was substantiated. The experience of processing and energy utilization of waste in various European countries was studied, in terms of the biogas production and garbage incineration. The need to expand the practice of using solid household waste as a source of energy to increase the national energy sustainability of countries with strict compliance of environmental legislation was substantiated. European practices of energy production based on household waste incineration were analyzed. It was revealed that despite the implementation of circular economy standards, up to 50% of the total volume of generated household waste is incinerated in the EU countries, thereby covering the cities' need for heat and electricity. Modern technologies of energy utilization of household waste and generalized European practices of slag use, which reduces the cost of energy production, were studied. A comparison of the volumes of energy utilization of household waste in the EU and Ukraine revealed the potential of energy supply of the country's economy. It has been stated that despite the exclusion of waste-to-energy waste incineration from the list of sustainable practices, the process of building waste incineration plants based on advanced waste disposal technologies persists in EU countries. The reasons for the low level of waste energy utilization in Ukraine have been investigated. Circumstances and conditions, the formation of which will allow understanding the energy potential of solid household waste and increase the level of energy independence of Ukraine, were generalized. It was concluded that in the conditions of significant investment costs in the construction of waste incineration plants, the main factors for ensuring the efficiency of their activity are the stability of sources of waste receipt and full loading of the plant's production capacity.

PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF NaI(Tl) AND LaBr3(Ce) PORTABLE RADIOLOGICAL IDENTIFIERS IN THE IDENTIFICATION OF 226-Ra AND 228-Ra IN SCALES FROM THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY

The scales from the oil industry are constantly being studied, due to their formation problem, which reduces the plant's production capacity, and the radioactivity in them, which originates from production wells (NORM), which can lead workers to significant exposures. The extraction process makes these scales radioactive, as the 226-Ra and 228-Ra that are mobilized precipitate with the scales. These are directly responsible for the dose increase to which workers are exposed during routine maintenance. In this study, ten scale samples were analyzed, taken from different parts of an oil production plant, using portable radiological identifiers of NaI(Tl) and LaBr3(Ce) to assess the dose rates and performance of these equipment in detection 226-Ra and 228-Ra. The identification of 226-Ra, was given by its daughter 214-Pb and 214-Bi, energies of 295.222 keV and 351.93 keV; and 609.32 keV, respectively. The identification of 228-Ra, by his daughter 212-Pb and 208-Tl, energies of 238.632 keV; and 583.187 keV and 2614.511 keV, respectively. The energy of 583.187 keV appeared only in the spectra obtained with the PRI of LaBr3(Ce). The energy of 2614.511 keV of 208-Tl was discriminated in all spectra obtained with NaI(Tl). The NaI(Tl) PRI performed better due to its better counting efficiency. The identifiers were able to identify 226-Ra and 228-Ra in inlays containing NORM. It was concluded that the PRIs allow fast analysis even in samples with little mass.

Optimisation of cogeneration system design with extended automated targeting model (ATM)

In this work, a mathematical optimisation technique known as automated targeting model (ATM) was extended for techno-economic evaluation of gas turbine (GT), steam turbine and combined cycle CHP systems. The objective is to introduce a systematic methodology for rigorous targeting of steam and power generation from complex CHP systems. In particular, the non-linear model of GT was linearised and incorporated for use in ATM. The extended ATM was applied to target minimum total annualised cost (TAC) for CHP systems in various scenarios. The extended technique was demonstrated with case studies of glycerine distillation and oleochemical plants. For the glycerine distillation plant, the result showed that combined cycle CHP system is the most cost-effective and environmental friendly scheme for the scenario, with minimum TAC of $ 5,668,000/y and carbon footprint of 69,008 t CO2e/y. In Scenario 1 of the oleochemical plant case study, with constant steam and power demand, the result showed that GT-CHP is the most cost-efficient scheme with minimum TAC and carbon footprint of $ 2,184,000/y and 24,363 t CO2e/y respectively. Meanwhile, for Scenario 2 with fluctuating steam and power demand according to plant production capacity, which is more realistic, its minimum TAC for GT-CHP only increases by 2 %. The new approach allows the identification of the optimum mode of operation at different demand conditions.

The optimal order configuration of turbines in a small hydropower plant: A case study of the Lepenci River in Kosovo

Decentralized electricity production from small hydropower plants used for domestic and ancillary services has been established among the most reliable renewable energy sources for isolated locations. However, many factors impact the energy efficiency and the production capacity of such hydropower plants, one of these factors being the order configuration of the connected turbines. Hence, this research presents a performance evaluation of a small hydropower plant consisting of three francis turbines, and it elicits the optimal order configuration of the connected operating turbines, that yields the highest power output under varying conditions. Three scenarios with different order configurations of turbines are presented and compared in a “run-of-the-river” setting, installed in the Lepenci River, in south-eastern Kosovo. Numerical analyses are used to evaluate the performance of each scenario. The results show that the order configuration of the operating turbines based on their connection order has a significant impact on the electricity production.

Advances in Modelling of the Integrated Production Logistics in Sugarcane Harvest

The sugar-energy sector is extremely important to the Brazilian economy, with several other production chains derived from it, generating some of the main products linked to food and energy sources. This study proposes an integration model for sugarcane harvesting logistics processes, focusing on optimisation of industrial plant production capacity. Dynamic modelling has been applied to study a broad range of the productive phases of the sugar-energy chain. This paper proposes indicators to evaluate the degree of efficiency of the production logistics processes. Preliminary results showed that phase times in the production logistics processes can be significantly reduced in the harvest phase. When analysed as a coordination-oriented flow having chained activities, the production logistics processes optimise the speeds and travel times during the harvest phase. The developed model uses data set of the production and logistics processes phases of a sugarcane industry. A future study will focus on more detailed and complex stakeholder behaviours based on the model proposed.

Advanced Steam Reforming of Bio-Oil with Carbon Capture: A Techno-Economic and CO2 Emissions Analysis

A techno-economic analysis has been used to evaluate three processes for hydrogen production from advanced steam reforming (SR) of bio-oil, as an alternative route to hydrogen with BECCS: conventional steam reforming (C-SR), C-SR with CO2 capture (C-SR-CCS), and sorption-enhanced chemical looping (SE-CLSR). The impacts of feed molar steam to carbon ratio (S/C), temperature, pressure, the use of hydrodesulphurisation pretreatment, and plant production capacity were examined in an economic evaluation and direct CO2 emissions analysis. Bio-oil C-SR-CC or SE-CLSR may be feasible routes to hydrogen production, with potential to provide negative emissions. SE-CLSR can improve process thermal efficiency compared to C-SR-CCS. At the feed molar steam to carbon ratio (S/C) of 2, the levelised cost of hydrogen (USD 3.8 to 4.6 per kg) and cost of carbon avoided are less than those of a C-SR process with amine-based CCS. However, at higher S/C ratios, SE-CLSR does not have a strong economic advantage, and there is a need to better understand the viability of operating SE-CLSR of bio-oil at high temperatures (>850 °C) with a low S/C ratio (e.g., 2), and whether the SE-CLSR cycle can sustain low carbon deposition levels over a long operating period.

Influences of elevated O3 and CO2 on Cd distribution in different Festuca arundinacea tissues

It is necessary to reveal the responses of the biomass production and metal accumulation capacity of different plants to the variations of atmospheric conditions and soil metals, with the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization. In the present study, a series of experiments were designed to study the individual and interactive influences of O3 and CO2 fumigation on the biomass yield, variation in different leaf types, distribution of cadmium (Cd) in various tissues, and phytoremediation efficiency of Festuca arundinacea using open top chambers. The results found that an elevated O3 content of 80 ppb, a potential O3 content predicted for 2050, decreased the total dry mass of F. arundinacea and increased the proportion of falling leaf tissues of the species significantly. Under the same ambient CO2 levels, O3 fumigation increased the Cd concentrations in the roots and the fresh, mature, senescent, and dead leaf tissues by 27.8%, 133.3%, 94.4%, 125.3%, and 48.6%, respectively. An elevated CO2 content (550 ppm) promoted the biomass yield of F. arundinacea, particularly in the falling leaf tissues. The results of the combined O3 and CO2 treatment showed that CO2 fumigation alleviated the negative effects of O3 on plant growth and increased the accumulation capacity in different plant tissues. Significantly more Cd was accumulated in senescent and dead leaves under the synergistic action of CO2 and O3, suggesting that the phytoremediation effect on F. arundinacea using the falling leaves harvesting method could be improved under the future atmospheric environment of high CO2 and O3 levels.

(Re)layout as a Strategy for Implementing Cleaner Production: Proposal for a Furniture Industry Company

This article includes the proposal of a (re)layout project as a strategy to implement Cleaner Production (CP) practices, with a furniture manufacturing company in the Brazilian municipality of Palhoça (Santa Catarina, Brazil) as a case study. This work is characterized as applied research, using a multi-methodological approach, being subdivided into two different steps: literature review and case study. The (re)layout project led to an increase of the administrative area by 25.18%, having had a positive impact on the management areas, aiming towards the integration of Environmental Management, ecodesign, Production Planning and Control sectors. The project led to a decrease of the total stock area of raw materials/storage by 70.01 m2, representing a reduction of 25.59% when compared to the previous area. The project resulted in an increase of the plant production capacity, increasing the production area by 33.33%, thus optimizing areas and sectors, combining those which are inter-related. The byproducts also stood out in the layout mapping, with the areas allocated to byproducts being reduced by 51.69%. Therefore, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) were fulfilled. The removal of physical waste and production losses can be achieved from a (re)layout project integrated with CP by optimizing, areas, sectors, flows and processes.

Improvement of the liquid-jet sulfitators construction to increase the efficiency of sulfitation treatment of sugar production liquids

The article discusses and analyzes the construction of liquid-jet sulfitators used in the beet sugar industry. The importance of sulfitation treatment in the sugar beet processing and raw cane sugar technology is noted and the main advantages of its use at various technological stages are given, namely, preparation of extractant used for diffusion sucrose extraction out of beet cossettes, thin juice processing, thick juice with B- and C-remelts processing, as well as raw cane sugar remelt processing. The advantages and disadvantages of liquid-jet sulfitators in comparison with other constructions are noted and criteria for their improvement are given. It has been noted that the created ejection, which sucks in the sulphitation gas into the contacting chamber, and the fact that the absorption of sulfur dioxide occurs on a larger surface than in other types of structures the main advantages of liquid-jet sulphitators. The main disadvantages are the short length of the contacting chamber, which is insufficient for ensuring complete absorption of sulfur dioxide, as well as instability of the generated ejection when the productivity changes. This determines the criteria given in the article for the improvement of liquid-jet sulfitators. The description of the developed construction of the sulphitator centrifugal-jet nozzle of sugar production liquids is given, which provides: the stability of the sulphitation gas supply in a wide range of plant productivity; stability of the hydroaerodynamic regime of the system «treated liquid – sulphitation gas» inside the sulphitator; sufficient contact time for complete dissolution in the treated liquid of the sulfur anhydride contained in the sulphitation gas. The advantages of the developed centrifugal-jet sulfitators in comparison with typical liquid-jet sulfitators are noted: ensuring the operation range of 50-120% of the nominal capacity (plant production capacity); significant reduction in the technical sulfur consumption for the sulphur anhydride production, which is used as a reagent for the sulfitation treatment of liquids in beet sugar processing; reduction of harmful emissions into the atmosphere due to 100 % sulfur anhydride dissolution in the treated liquid.