Effect of relative humidity on the migration of benzophenone from paperboard into the food simulant Tenax® and modelling hereof
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of relative humidity on the migration of benzophenone from paperboard into the food simulant Tenax®. Kinetic migration investigations were carried out with three relative humidities in the interval between 39% and >73%. All investigations were carried out at a constant temperature of 34°C. It was found that the migration of benzophenone after more than 30 days was 4.8 times higher at a relative humidity of 64%–71%, and 7.3 times higher at a relative humidity of >73%, compared with that at a relative humidity of 39%–49%. Diffusion and partition coefficients were derived from the results by using a software for modelling migration in multilayer materials. Both the diffusion coefficient and the partition coefficient, between paperboard and Tenax®, decrease with increasing relative humidity. The experimental results were correctly modelled only when the paperboard was regarded as a one-layer system as compared with a two-layer system: where the main part of the paperboard (B1) has a high diffusion rate and a thin part of the paperboard (B2) in contact with the foodstuff has a lower diffusion rate.
A portable gas chromatograph with simultaneous detection by mass spectrometry and electroantennography for the highly sensitive in situ measurement of volatiles
Mating disruption is a sustainable method for the control of insect pests, involving the release of synthetic sex pheromones that disrupt the olfactory localization of females by males. However, the development and refinement of this strategy is hampered because current instruments lack the sensitivity to detect volatile organic chemicals in the field, and portable electroantennograms produce non-comparable relative units and distorted results in the presence of plant volatiles. To address the demand for more sensitive instruments that are suitable for the rapid in situ detection of airborne pheromones, we have developed a portable, automated needle trap device connected to a gas chromatograph, mass spectrometer, and electroantennographic detector (NTD-GC-MS/EAD) suitable for field applications. We tested the instrument by measuring the concentration of the sex pheromone (E,Z)-7,9-dodecadienyl acetate, which is used to disrupt the mating of the European grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Our data confirm that the instrument generates highly reproducible results and is highly sensitive, with a detection threshold of 3 ng/m3 (E,Z)-7,9-dodecadienyl acetate in outside air.
Computer-Aided System of Virtual Testing of Gas Turbine Engines
The article describes the concept of a virtual lab that includes subsystem of gas turbine engine simulation, subsystem of experiment planning, subsystem of measurement errors simulation, subsystem of simulator identification and others. The basis for virtual lab development is the computer-aided system of thermogasdynamic research and analysis “ASTRA”. The features of gas turbine engine transient modes simulator are described. The principal difference between the simulators of transient and stationary modes of gas turbine engines is that the energy balance of the compressor and turbine becomes not applicable. The computer-aided system of virtual gas turbine engine testing was created using the developed transient modes simulator. This system solves the tasks of operational (throttling, speed, climatic, altitude) characteristics calculation, analysis of transient dynamics and selection of optimal control laws. Besides, the system of virtual gas turbine engine testing is a clear demonstration of gas turbine engine working process and the regularities of engine elements collaboration. The interface of the system of virtual gas turbine engine testing is described in the article and some screenshots of the interface elements are provided. The developed system of virtual gas turbine engine testing provides means for reducing the laboriousness of gas turbine engines testing. Besides, the implementation of this system in the learning process allows the diversification of lab works and therefore improve the quality of training.