This study had as objective to evaluate the effect of the substrate on the yield of lettuce grown in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. The study was conducted at the Federal University of Grande Dourados, located in Dourados, MS. A randomized complete block design was used, with three treatments and 16 replicates. The cultivation systems were analyzed independently. The substrates analyzed were: coconut shell fiber, phenolic foam and expanded vermiculite. The plants were grown in two systems (aquaponic and hydroponic), using the NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) system. The crop used was lettuce cv. ‘Alcione’. The parameters analyzed were: crop yield and percentage of roots per plant. In addition, macronutrient contents were analyzed in the leaves. The substrate composed of coconut shell fiber was more suitable for lettuce production, since it led to higher yields for both aquaponic (2.88 kg m^-2) and hydroponic (2.58 kg m^-2) systems. The use of phenolic foam as growing substrate led to lower mean crop yields in both production systems analyzed, 1.94 and 2.15 kg m^-2 for aquaponic and hydroponic systems, respectively.

In the aquaponic system, the characteristics of the materials used as substrate directly affect plant development, because besides acting as a support base, they must present a surface to fix microorganisms, responsible for the conversion of nutrients into forms more easily available to plants. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of four growing substrates on the yield of lettuce grown in aquaponic system. The experimental design was randomized blocks with four treatments, which corresponded to the substrates, and six replicates. Plants were grown using the nutrient film technique (NFT) system. The substrates used in the experiment were: coconut shell fiber with crushed stone #3, expanded vermiculite, zeolite and phenolic foam. The treatment with phenolic foam was considered as the least suitable for lettuce cultivation in aquaponic system, because it caused lower yield (20.8 t ha^-1). The treatment using coconut shell fiber with crushed stone #3 was considered as the most adequate, since it led to higher yield (39.9 t ha^-1) compared with the other substrates analyzed.

Grain drying is a common process, due to its need for the maintenance of quality, but it is the activity with the highest energy demand among the postharvest stages. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the effect of different tempering times on the energy efficiency of drying process and maintenance of cell membrane integrity of maize grains harvested with moisture content at 0.34 ± 0.01 d.b. The grains were dried in an experimental fixed-bed dryer with control of temperature and air flow conditions. The experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with five tempering times (0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 hours) and four repetitions, where zero corresponds to continuous drying, while the remaining times correspond to the intermittent dryings. The grains were dried at the temperature of 100 ºC and air flow of 15.4 m3 min-1 t-1 until reaching moisture content of 0.16 ± 0.03 d.b. For intermittent drying, the process was interrupted with 0.22 ± 0.02 d.b. and restarted after the tempering time. The increase of tempering time led to reductions in effective drying time, specific energy consumption, electrical conductivity and damage and increase in the drying rate and overall energy efficiency. Intermittent drying reduced the drying time, being 30.25% more efficient than continuous drying.

In the San Juan basin Fairway, cavitated Fruitland coalbed-methane (CBM) wells have been successfully producing for the past 30 years. However, over the years, coal-fines migration into these cavitated wellbores has resulted in pump issues and coal-fines production, leading to a significant decline in production. To clean out the coal fines and replace the pumps on a continuous basis is a costly workover issue. Hence, a foamed remedial treatment was designed to displace the conductivity-plugging coal fines away from the wellbore and immobilize them with the foam also serving as a diverting agent. This has allowed the production and dewatering process to continue without any interruption. The remedial treatment was chosen because the aqueous tackifier in it can control the fines and help prevent them from plugging the flow path. Also, it dissolves any calcium-carbonate scale in the wellbore and near-wellbore region. In this study, 15 cavitated wells with coal-fine issues were selected for the foamed remedial treatment. In all of these 15 wells, the coal-fines issues were resolved. This allowed production to be uninterrupted and reduced the cost of workover rigs and pumps. As a secondary benefit, production stabilized in 10 wells and increased in 5 of these wells. This study shows the production results from these two groups of wells that were treated. It also discusses the design options for the treatments and lessons learned from the process. This technology can be applied to openhole as well as cased multilayered CBM wells.

Based on mass and energy balance equations and data collected in specialized bibliographies, it was proposed a methodology for modeling of an ice bank for thermal storage of energy at low temperature to be used in milk cooling. The data obtained by the equations arrangement were used in the design and installation of a real system, which was tested to collect data and to compare it with the estimated. The data obtained in terms of prediction of ice formation, temperature of the ice bank, water and capacity of the selected refrigeration system prove the adequacy of the equations arrangement, showing that it can be used as a tool for sizing solid ice bank in smooth pipe coils, with good approximation.

Este trabalho foi realizado na Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Campus Regional de Umuarama, PR, no ano agrícola de 2008/2009, com o objetivo de avaliar o desenvolvimento da cultura e a eficiência de uso da irrigação em produtividades de grãos, óleo e massa seca da cultura do girassol. Nos tratamentos irrigados (L1, L2, L3 e L4) foram adotados coeficientes de cultura (kc) iguais (L2), abaixo (L1) e acima dos propostos pela FAO (L3 e L4). A irrigação favoreceu o desenvolvimento da cultura e as maiores produtividades foram obtidas a partir de valores de kc 100% acima dos propostos pela FAO (L4). As maiores eficiências de uso de irrigação foram obtidas a partir de valores de kc propostos pela FAO (L2). A produtividade de grãos respondeu, de forma linear, à irrigação com 4.788 kg ha-1 em L0 (sem irrigação) e 6.963 kg ha-1 em L4. A irrigação não aumentou o teor de óleo, sendo a produtividade de óleo proporcional à produtividade de grãos.