During testing, the possibility of using hemp biomass for energy purposes was assessed. The criteria assessed were the physical and chemical properties of hemp biomass, as well as the combustion process of straw and briquettes made of it in a low-power boiler. The results were made and compared with currently applicable standards. Technical and chemical properties of hemp biomass are comparable with the best plants used for energy purposes. Studies have also shown the susceptibility of hemp biomass compaction. However, large emissions recorded during the combustion of the tested forms of biofuels from hemp straw in light of applicable standards disqualify this fuel for use in grate-type heating devices with air fed under the grate. It would be advisable to carry out research on the total costs of pellet production and their use in heating devices with a retort burner, while taking into account this biofuel’s ashes’ susceptibility of sintering.
The effectiveness and quality of agricultural spraying largely depends on the technical efficiency of the nozzles installed in agricultural sprayers. The uniform spraying of plants results in a decrease in the amount of pesticides used in agricultural production and affects environmental safety. Both newly developed sprayers and those currently in use need quality control as well as an assessment of the performance of the spraying process, especially its uniformity. However, the models applied presently do not ensure accurate estimates or predictions of the spray liquid coverage uniformity of the treated surface. Generally, the distribution of the atomized liquid quantity is symmetrical and leptokurtic, which means that it does not fit well to the commonly used standard distribution. Therefore, there is a need to develop and design new tools for the evaluation, modeling, and prediction of such a process. The research problem studied in the present work was to find a new model for the distribution of atomized liquid quantity that could provide capabilities better than have been available so far to assess and predict the spraying process results. The research problem was solved through the formulation of a new function for the probability density distribution of sprayed liquid accumulation on the surface of the preset dimension size. The development of the new model was based on the results from a series of water atomization tests with an appropriate measurement device design based on the widely applied flat fan nozzles (AZ-MM type).
The operation of an agricultural biogas plant is associated with the formation of a large amount of digestate. The basic trend in digestate management, after taking into account its physicochemical properties, should be its use as a fertilizer. The possibility of the agricultural use of digestate as a fertilizer was determined. Digestate obtained from the agricultural biogas plant was tested for the content of macronutrients and heavy metals. The content of macronutrients was also determined in soil for winter rape cultivation. The analysis showed an increase in the yield depending on the digestate dose applied. In addition, an increase in the fat and protein content was found in winter rape seeds. The best results of mean values were obtained during the application of the 50,000 L ha−1 dose. The average diameter of the stem base was 1.48 cm. The average height was 36.20 cm. The seed yield was 3.44 t ha−1. The thousand seed weight was—5.34 g. The fat and protein contents were 43.62% and 22.95%, respectively. By applying a digestate dose of 50,000 L ha−1, the highest content of macronutrients, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (31.17%), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) (61.89%) and saturated fatty acids (SFA) (6.87%), was recorded.
The aim of the study was to analyze the influence of bagasse from Moldavian dragonhead (D. moldavica L.) seeds as a source of valuable nutrients on the physicochemical properties of rice milk ice cream. The basic composition of the ice cream was modified with a varied proportion of Moldavian dragonhead bagasse (MDB) (1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0%, 2.5%, and 3.0%). The analysis of fatty acids showed a high proportion of linolenic acid (n-3) in the tested ice cream, especially with 3.0% share of bagasse. The addition of MDB increased dry matter, fat, and protein contents in the ice cream. The increasing share of this additive affected the physical properties of ice cream, increasing hardness, adhesiveness and viscosity, and reducing their melting rate. The study showed a negligible effect of the increasing share of MDB on the thermophysical properties of ice cream. Due to the high nutritional value of the bagasse (with the appropriate refinement of the recipe), it is possible to obtain rice milk ice cream with potential health-promoting properties.
The use of worn-out agricultural nozzles in pesticide application has a negative effect on the efficiency and cost of the application process. It also has an effect on environmental pollution due to an excessive amount of pesticide being applied when spraying with worn-out nozzles. In this paper, the resistance to wear of three different internal design hydraulic nozzles was ascertained. Changes in the flow rate and spray distribution as a result of this wear were also investigated. The wear test was done inside a closed system, and it was accelerated using an abrasive material to generate 100 h of wear. The tested nozzles were the Turbo TeeJet (TT)-twin chambered, Turbo Twinjet (TTj60)-dual outlet, and Drift Guard (DG)-pre-orifice. Wear rate, flow rate, and the virtual coefficient of variation (CVv) were measured at different wear intervals. The results showed that the TTj60 type was the most resistant to wear, followed by the TT type and DG. The latter two types showed an increase in the flow rate only in the first 45 h of wear. Virtual coefficient of variation (CVv) values were less than 10% after finishing the test (after 100 h of wear) for the three types of nozzles, which are acceptable values according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 16122-2, 2015.
One of the goals of adding adjuvants to agricultural spray solutions is to enhance the droplet size characteristics of this spray. Droplet size, in turn, has an influence in the deposited spray quality, in addition to the drift and losses of spray to off-target places. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effect of adding adjuvants to two types of water from different sources on the droplet size characteristics. Two types of adjuvants were employed in the tests: the active substance content of the first adjuvant was a 50% aqueous solution of sodium salt of alkylbenzenesulfonic acid—10% (HY), whereas the second was from rapeseed oil (natural origin)—85% (OL). Both adjuvants were tested in two concentrations: the first was with the concentration recommended by the manufacturer (100%), whereas the second concentration was 50% of the recommended dose. Two types of water from different sources were used in the tests: the first was from a village in the eastern part of Poland (WS), whereas the second was tap water from the city of Lublin, Poland (WUP). Dv0.1, Dv0.5, or volume median diameter (VMD), Dv0.9, Sauter mean diameter (SMD), relative span (RS), and the droplet size distribution were measured and calculated as characteristics of the droplet size. Results showed that the source of water affected the influence of adding adjuvant to the spray solution. Water from the WS source with adjuvant resulted in a numerical decrease in the Dv0.5 values in the percentage of droplet size range below 150 µm, whereas water from the WUP source resulted in an increase in these values (except when adding the HY adjuvant at 50% concentration). Adjuvant concentration significantly (p < 0.05) influenced the features of Dv0.9, SMD, and RS. Adding the OL adjuvant type numerically decreased the percentage of droplet size below 150 µm, and the Dv0.5 values, but only when the WS water source was used.
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