bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimization of sustainable buildings envelopes for extensive sheep farming through the use of dynamic energy simulation
Authors: Menconi Maria Elena , Grohmann David
Published: September 2016

Extensive sheep farming can be seen as a marginal market, compared to other livestock and agricultural activities, taking into account only the economic absolute values. But for many rural marginal areas within the European Community member states, in particular for those located in the Mediterranean area on hills or mountains with high landscape value, extensive sheep farming is not only the longest practiced animal farming activity, but also the most interesting considering its adaptability to the territorial morphology and the restrictions that have been established over the years in terms of sustainable rural development practices. At the moment, most of the structures used in this type of farming are built using low cost and sometimes recycled, but often unsuitable, materials. Few specific studies have been carried out on this particular issue assuming, presumably, that the very low profit margins of these activities made impossible any restructuring. Taken this into account, the new Rural Development Plans that will be issued in 2014 will surely contain some measure dedicated to innovations in farming structures and technology towards facilitating the application of the principles of energy optimization. This is the framework in which the present research has developed. The software that has been applied to perform the energy optimization analysis is the dynamic energy simulation engine Energy Plus. A case study farm has been identified in the small village of Ceseggi (PG), situated in Central Italy. For the case study optimum thermo hygrometric conditions have been identified to ensure the welfare of animals and operators and it has been hypothesized the insertion of an ideal HVAC system to achieve them. Afterwards were evaluated the different energy requirements of the building while varying the insulation material used on the vertical surfaces. The greater goal is to verify which could be the best insulation material for vertical surfaces from energy requirement, primary energy and cost points of view and to verify as well if it would be possible to achieve optimum environmental conditions by using only passive solutions.
Influence of low vacuum levels on milking characteristics of sheep, goat and buffalo
Authors: Caria Maria , Boselli Carlo , Murgia Lelia , Rosati Remo , Pazzona Antonio
Published: September 2016

Different settings of the operating parameters (pulsator rate, pulsator ratio and vacuum) are used for milking dairy species in different parts of the world. The level of the operating vacuum in machine milking is one of the principal factors which influence the integrity of the tissues and the milk quality. High vacuum levels (>42 kPa) are often used to facilitate the opening of the teat canal by overcoming the biological closing forces whithin the teat sphincter, but can result in severe machine-induced teat tissue damage. In this study characteristics and performances of mechanical milking at low vacuum levels have been investigated in different dairy species. Milking times and milk productions have been obtained from milk emission curves, recorded by electronic milk-meters (LactoCorder®) during the milking at different vacuum levels of sheep, goats and buffaloes. The results of the comparative experiments clearly indicate that a low vacuum level modifies the kinetics of milk emission, the machine-on time and, thus, the throughput of milking system, in all the dairy species considered. Milk yield was satisfactory at any level tested, showing that low vacuums can be adequate to completely empty the udder. Slight differences were found across species concerning the increase in the milking time per head associated with low levels of milking vacuum Our study represents a contribution to encourage the decrease of the working vacuum during mechanical milking, also for those dairy species generally considered hard to be milked, as buffaloes. Milking should be performed applying the lowest vacuum level, compatible with not excessively prolonging milking time, in line with the animal welfare on dairy husbandry.
Biodegradable films and spray coatings as eco-friendly alternative to petro-chemical derived mulching films
Authors: Vox G. , Santagata G. , Malinconico M. , Immirzi B. , Scarascia Mugnozza G. , Schettini E.
Published: September 2016

The use of plastic mulching films in horticulture causes the serious drawback of huge amount of wastes to be disposed of at the end of their lifetime. Several pre-competitive research products based on raw materials coming from renewable sources were recently developed to be used as biodegradable materials for soil mulching. Biodegradable materials are designed in order both to retain their mechanical and physical properties during their using time and to degrade at the end of their lifetime. These materials can be integrated directly in the soil in order to biodegrade because the bacterial flora transforms them in carbon dioxide or methane, water and biomass. The innovative materials can be obtained using natural polymers, such as starch, cellulose, chitosan, alginate and glucomannan. Biodegradable extruded mulching films were performed by means of thermo-plasticizing process. Spray mulch coatings were realized directly in field, by spraying water solutions based on natural polysaccharides, thus covering the cultivated soil with a protective thin geo-membrane. In this paper an overview on the formulation development, processing understanding, field performance, mechanical and radiometric properties of these innovative materials for soil mulching is presented. In field the biodegradable mulching films showed suitable mechanical properties if compared to the low density polyethylene films. The radiometric properties and their effect on the temperature condition and on weed control in the mulched soil were evaluated too. At the end of their lifetime the biodegradable materials were shattered and buried into the soil together with plants.
Hydrogen and renewable energy sources integrated system for greenhouse heating
Authors: Blanco Ileana , Anifantis Alexandros Sotirios , Pascuzzi Simone , Scarascia Mugnozza Giacomo
Published: September 2016

A research is under development at the Department of Agro- Environmental Sciences of the University of Bari “Aldo Moro” in order to investigate the suitable solutions of a power system based on solar energy (photovoltaic) and hydrogen, integrated with a geothermal heat pump for powering a self sustained heated greenhouse. The electrical energy for heat pump operation is provided by a purpose-built array of solar photovoltaic modules, which supplies also a water electrolyser system controlled by embedded pc; the generated dry hydrogen gas is conserved in suitable pressured storage tank. The hydrogen is used to produce electricity in a fuel cell in order to meet the above mentioned heat pump power demand when the photovoltaic system is inactive during winter night-time or the solar radiation level is insufficient to meet the electrical demand. The present work reports some theoretical and observed data about the electrolyzer operation. Indeed the electrolyzer has required particular attention because during the experimental tests it did not show a stable operation and it was registered a performance not properly consistent with the predicted performance by means of the theoretical study.
Comparison of different estimation procedures for the hydraulic properties of horticultural substrates by One-Step technique
Authors: Bibbiani Carlo , Campiotti Carlo A. , Incrocci Luca , Pardossi Alberto
Published: September 2016

The improved iterative method for the simultaneous determination of the hydraulic properties of growing media from One-Step experiment by Bibbiani, is performed and compared with simplified equations by Valiantzas and Londra. Brooks and Corey equation for water retention, and Kozeny power equation for hydraulic conductivity characterized the hydraulic properties of the porous media. The iterative procedure is applied on pure peat, pumice, and their mixes. The One- Step method has been previously optimized: processing the mean cumulative outflow curves recorded versus time, an estimation of diffusivity, and therefore of the hydraulic functions, is derived. Estimated water retention curve is compared with nine experimental data, and with the estimation of the Van Genuchten model, via the RETC code. Bibbiani’s and Van Genuchten’s models overlap except for the “very wet” range near saturation, whereas the Valiantzas and Londra’s procedure didn’t get satisfactory results. In regard to diffusivity, a good similarity between Bibbiani’s and Van Genuchten-Mualem’s curves can be assessed, while Valiantzas and Londra’s procedure generally results in higher values. Due to the lack of estimation of the water retention curve, Valiantzas and Londra’s procedure fails to estimate the hydraulic conductivity function, whereas Bibbiani’s and Van Genuchten-Mualem’s curves match together in most cases.
Production and reuse of waste in rural area with high density of greenhouse
Authors: Russo Giovanni , Verdiani Giuseppe
Published: September 2016

Agricultural activities cause the production of considerable amounts of waste sometimes dangerous that must be properly handled to avoid negative impacts on rural areas and on agroecosystems. The estimation of qualitative and quantitative characteristics of agricultural waste products and the capacity of rural land of transposing organic matter deriving from the processes of composting, is a key point for the planning and management of the waste integrated cycle. The aims of this study are the evaluation of the quantities of various types of agricultural waste on territorial scale, the amount of compost that can be used in rural areas affected by different cultures and the effectiveness of community composter in the treatment of vegetable agricultural waste for the production of green composted soil. These assessments were carried out in an area of study characterized by a high spatial density of greenhouses. The methodological procedure used is based on the use of agricultural waste production coefficients and maximum application rates of compost for cultivation. The results show the role and potential of the agricultural areas in the waste cycle from production to the potential reuse of recovered material.
Solar radiation inside greenhouses covered with semitransparent photovoltaic film: first experimental results
Authors: Marucci Alvaro , Gusman Adolfo , Pagniello Barbara , Cappuccini Andrea
Published: September 2016

The southern Italian regions are characterized by climatic conditions with high values of solar radiation and air temperature. This has allowed the spread of protected structures both as a defense against critical winter conditions both for growing off-season. The major energy source for these greenhouses is given by solar energy and artificial energy is used rarely. So the problem in the use of greenhouses in these areas, if anything, is opposite to that of the northern areas. In these places you must try to mitigate often the solar radiation inside the greenhouses with suitable measures or abandon for a few months the cultivation inside these structures. The solar radiation intercepted by passive means can be used for other purposes through the uptake and transformation by the photovoltaic panels whose use however is problematic due to complete opacity of the cells. New photosensitive materials partially transparent to solar radiation onto flexible media, allow to glimpse the possibility of using them to greenhouses cover, getting the dual effect of partially screen the greenhouse and use the surplus to generate electricity. The research was carried out to evaluate the possibility of using a flexible photovoltaic film realized by the University of Rome Tor Vergata (research group of ECOFLECS project coordinated by prof. Andrea Reale) for covering greenhouses. Two greenhouses in small scale were built: one covered with photovoltaic film and one covered with EVA film for test. In both greenhouses during the first research period it was grown a variety of dwarf tomato. The research was carried out comparing the solar radiation that enters into greenhouse in the summer (August 2012) and in winter conditions (December 2012) in both greenhouses. The result show that the average ratio between the daily global solar radiation under the photovoltaic film and outside radiation is about 37%, while between the radiation under EVA film and outside radiation is equal to approximately 63%. These result allow us to assert that during the hot season the use of photovoltaic film might be useful to mitigate the excesses of solar radiation into the greenhouse. During the cold season the use of this film not allows to achieve the minimum indoor climate conditions for the cultivation, however, it is possible to think to remove it in the periods of low solar radiation because it is a very flexible film.
Building green covering for a sustainable use of energy
Authors: Campiotti C.A. , Schettini E. , Alonzo G. , Viola C. , Bibbiani C. , Scarascia Mugnozza G. , Blanco I. , Vox G.
Published: September 2016

Nowadays the growth of the cities increased built and paved areas, energy use and heat generation. The phenomenon of urban warming, called urban heat island, influences negatively outdoor comfort conditions, pollutants concentration, energy demand for air conditioning, as well as increases environmental impact due to the demand of energy generation. A sustainable technology for improving the energy efficiency of buildings is the use of green roofs and walls in order to reduce the energy consumption for conditioning in summer and improve the thermal insulation in winter. The use of green roofs and walls can contribute to mitigate the phenomenon of heat island, the emissions of greenhouse gases, and the storm water runoff affecting human thermal comfort, air quality and energy use of the buildings. Recently, a number of municipalities started to adopt regulations and constructive benefits for renovated and new buildings which incorporate green roofs and walls. The aim of this paper is to describe the green roofs and walls plant technology.
Application of Computer Vision for quality control in frozen mixed berries production: colour calibration issues
Authors: Ricauda Aimonino D. , Gay P. , Comba L.
Published: September 2016

Computer vision is becoming increasingly important in quality control of many food processes. The appearance properties of food products (colour, texture, shape and size) are, in fact, correlated with organoleptic characteristics and/or the presence of defects. Quality control based on image processing eliminates the subjectivity of human visual inspection, allowing rapid and non-destructive analysis. However, most food matrices show a wide variability in appearance features, therefore robust and customized image elaboration algorithms have to be implemented for each specific product. For this reason, quality control by visual inspection is still rather diffused in several food processes. The case study inspiring this paper concerns the production of frozen mixed berries. Once frozen, different kinds of berries are mixed together, in different amounts, according to a recipe. The correct quantity of each kind of fruit, within a certain tolerance, has to be ensured by producers. Quality control relies on bringing few samples for each production lot (samples of the same weight) and, manually, counting the amount of each species. This operation is tedious, subject to errors, and time consuming, while a computer vision system (CVS) could determine the amount of each kind of berries in a few seconds. This paper discusses the problem of colour calibration of the CVS used for frozen berries mixture evaluation. Images are acquired by a digital camera coupled with a dome lighting system, which gives a homogeneous illumination on the entire visible surface of the berries, and a flat bed scanner. RBG device dependent data are then mapped onto CIELab colorimetric colour space using different transformation operators. The obtained results show that the proposed calibration procedure leads to colour discrepancies comparable or even below the human eyes sensibility.
An integrated mechanical-enzymatic reverse osmosis treatment of dairy industry wastewater and milk protein recovery as a fat replacer: a closed loop approach
Authors: Sarghini F. , Sorrentino A. , Di Pierro P.
Published: September 2016

The dairy industry can be classified among the most polluting of the food industries in volume in regard to its large water consumption, generating from 0.2 to 10 L of effluent per liter of processed milk. Dairy industry effluents usually include highly dissolved organic matter with varying characteristics, and a correct waste management project is required to handle. In a framework of natural water resource availability and cost increase, wastewater treatment for water reuse can lower the overall water consumption and the global effluent volume of industrial plants. Moreover, correct dismissal of dairy industry wastewater is sometimes neglected by the operators , increasing the environmental impact due to the chemical and biological characteristics of such effluents. On the other hand, in the case of whey effluents, several by-products are still present inside, such as lactose and milk proteins. Membrane technology has some advantages including a high degree of reliability in removing dissolved, colloidal and particulate matter, like the selectivity in size of pollutants to be removed and the possibility of very compact treatment plants. For example, Reverse Osmosis (RO) technology has been successfully applied for the treatment of dairy wastes (1), and as a technology for concentration and fractionation of whey. In this work a membrane treatment approach using reverse osmosis technology is investigated and implemented: the permeate obtained can be reused as clean warm water for cleaning and sanitation of production plants, while concentrated milk proteins are modified by using transglutaminase enzyme obtaining a high temperature resistant fat replacer to be used in different low-fat products like for example mozzarella cheese.
Mild separation system for olive oil: quality evaluation and pilot plant design
Authors: Genovese Francesco , Di Renzo Giovanni Carlo , Altieri Giuseppe , Tauriello Antonella
Published: September 2016

The entire process of olive oil extraction involves the breakage of olive fruits to obtain a paste, the kneading of the paste, a centrifugation, and a further cleaning, performed by a disc stack centrifuge, to separate the residual water. In this research, in order to evaluate the effect of final centrifugal separation on olive oil quality and to both define and design the settings of a innovative separation system, olive oil was separated off from water using an accelerated separation process, tested in comparison with a disc centrifuge. The laboratory plant used for the trials was constituted by a twin cylindrical separator equipped with 4 variable frequency inverters, in order to regulate the fluid flow rates in the plant. Oil samples were collected during the trials to evaluate the influence of the proposed innovative process on oil quality; measuring some parameters as free acidity, peroxides (PV), specific extinction coefficients K232 and K270, chlorophylls , carotenoids, total polyphenols (POL) and turbidity. Results showed statistically significant differences (p-values<0.05) in some parameters as POL, PV, and ultraviolet absorption K232 and K270.
Numerical models of mass transfer during ripening and storage of salami
Authors: Fabbri Angelo , Cevoli Chiara , Tabanelli Giulia , Gardini Fausto , Guarnieri Adriano
Published: September 2016

Ripening, in the dry sausages manufacturing process, has an influence over the main physical, chemical and microbiological transformations that take place inside these products and that define the final organoleptic properties of dry sausages. A number of study about the influence of ripening conditions on the main chemical and microbiological characteristics of dry sausages is available today. All these studies indicate that the final quality and safety standards achieved by the sausage manufacturing process can be considered to be strictly dependent from the specific ripening conditions. The water diffusion inside a seasoned sausage is surely an aspect of primary importance with regard to the quality of final product. As a consequence the aim of this research was to develop two parametric numerical models, concerning the moisture diffusion physics, describing salami ripening and storage. Mass transfer equations inside the sausage volume were numerically solved using a finite element technique. A first model describes diffusion phenomena occurring inside the salami and the exchange phenomena involving the surface of the product and the environment. After the ripening, the salami are stored in waterproof packaging, consequently an additional model able to describe also the evaporation and condensation phenomena occurring between the salami surface and the air in the package, was developed. The moisture equilibrium between salami surface and conservation atmosphere is mainly ruled by the temperature changes during storage. Both models allow to analyze the history of the moisture content inside the salami and are parametrised on product size and maturation/storage conditions. The models were experimentally validated, comparing the numerical outputs of the simulations with experimental data, showing a good agreement.
The RHEA-project robot for tree crops pesticide application
Authors: Vieri Marco , Lisci Riccardo , Rimediotti Marco , Sarri Daniele
Published: September 2016

The sustainable use of pesticide and the need of a renewed integrated system of agricultural knowledge and management, focus the designing of the EU FP7 RHEA Project. The objectives are the design, development, and testing of a new automatic generation of robotic systems to perform field operations for the sustainable crop management. The project affects three case study: chemical, physical, mechanical and thermal effective weed management in maize and wheat cultivations and chemical pesticide management in woody crops. To achieve the goals, a fleet of small and heterogeneous robots, ground and aerial, equipped with advanced sensors, innovative end actuators and decision control algorithms were realized. Present work is related to the third case study considered i.e. the spraying in woody crops specifically in olive trees. The final decision on woody perennial crops treatment device system, was oriented toward a complete double side air blast sprayer with eight separate spraying modules on four vertical bands of the canopy. Rhea air blast sprayer introduces some important innovations in the studies concerning the pesticide variable rate treatment, i.e. the management possibility of air flow in site specific way and in real time in function of the target.
Aerodynamic properties of six organo-mineral fertiliser particles
Authors: Biocca Marcello , Gallo Pietro , Menesatti Paolo
Published: September 2016

Agricultural fertilisers are generally applied by means of centrifugal disk spreaders. The machinery, the working conditions and the physical characteristics of fertilizers (including the aerodynamic characteristics of particles) may affect the behaviour of particles after the discarding from the spreader. We investigated the aerodynamic properties of organo-mineral fertilisers (a class of slow release fertilisers that are less investigated since they are relatively new in the market) using a vertical wind tunnel similar to an elutriator. In the same time, the morphological characteristics of individual fertilizer particles were measured by means of an image analysis procedure. In the study we compare six different fertilisers and we discuss the suitability of the employed methods. The results provide the terminal velocity – Vt – (the velocity value that overcome the gravity force of the particles) of the particles, ranging from 8.60 to 9.55 m s-1, and the relationships between Vt and some physical properties (mass, shape, dimensions) of the fertilizers. Moreover, the results of field distribution trials show the behaviour of the tested fertilizers during practical use. Such data can contribute to enhance the quality of application of these products in field.
Historical road system and farmhouses in Apulia
Authors: Caliandro L.P. , Loisi R.V. , Dal Sasso P.
Published: September 2016

Human settlements often originate from the presence of such natural sustaining water bodies as springs, rivers, or rather from the proximity of relevant infrastructure (roads, harbours, etc.). Rural residential buildings, however, are generally closely linked to the cultivated fields of a farm. A significant example of rural buildings, that particularly identifies some national or regional areas, is that of the Apulian farmhouses known as “masserie”, which are considered as an important cultural heritage in the rural territories of that region. These buildings, featuring relevant architectural and landscape characteristics, encompass several functions within them and often host more than one family living there permanently. Territorial distribution of rural buildings and farmhouses in Apulia is diversified and, in general and as already stated, it can depend on the close relationship between the building and its adjacent agricultural lot. Moreover, in the case of the Apulian farmhouses, owing to their specific role in overseeing the territory and asserting land tenure rights, this distribution may have “genetic” origins influenced by other elements, too. The efforts of the present work regarding this issue are to investigate the existing relationships between the Apulian farmhouses system and the “historical” roads already existing when they were built (XII-XIX centuries). Particularly, the study proved if there are any correlations among the Roman roads, the sheep’s paths (tratturi) crossing the Apulia region and the farmhouses, both from the point of view of the distance from the roads and the importance of the individual farmhouses. Using GIS software and overlay mapping procedures it was possible to quantify the amount of farmhouses and their concentration within the catchment areas of the aforementioned historical roads, while through historical and territorial in-depth analysis those elements characterizing the most interesting farmhouses from the historical and architectural point of view were identified. The research provided interesting information on the existing relations between historical roads and farmhouses, leading to further considerations on the possibility to enhance some of these monuments, located in rural areas, through the promotion of the “integrated” asset represented by the historical road system, with particular reference to the sheep’s paths (tratturi).
The assessment of the visual perception in viewshed analysis for the landscape settings
Authors: Fabrizio Enrico , Garnero Gabriele
Published: September 2016

Visibility studies for rural and forest landscape are well established and conducted by means of standard GIS tools that compute the viewshed (a binary representation of the visibility of a location from a certain viewpoint) and cumulative viewsheds (integer representations of the visibility of a location from more viewpoints obtained with raster algebra). However, in order to go beyond the sole geometric information if a cell is visible or not, some authors have introduced various concepts that are based on the visual magnitude or visual exposure. These concepts also take into account the target magnitude, the atmospheric extinction, the colour difference to the background and the visual acuity. These calculations may be complex, extremely time consuming and not affordable with standard GIS tools, because they require specific programming tools. Besides, depending on the application, the factor that affects the visibility may be the distance, the atmospheric extinction, the contrast, etc. In this work, we concentrate on the problem of the calculation of the landscape sensitivity, which defines the degree to which a given landscape is potentially affected by possible changes by means of viewsheds analyses. An example in rural settings is presented in order to demonstrate the problems that arise in real applications and the possible solutions.
Determining wood chip size: image analysis and clustering methods
Authors: Febbi Paolo , Costa Corrado , Menesatti Paolo , Pari Luigi
Published: September 2016

One of the standard methods for the determination of the size distribution of wood chips is the oscillating screen method (EN 15149- 1:2010). Recent literature demonstrated how image analysis could return highly accurate measure of the dimensions defined for each individual particle, and could promote a new method depending on the geometrical shape to determine the chip size in a more accurate way. A sample of wood chips (8 litres) was sieved through horizontally oscillating sieves, using five different screen hole diameters (3.15, 8, 16, 45, 63 mm); the wood chips were sorted in decreasing size classes and the mass of all fractions was used to determine the size distribution of the particles. Since the chip shape and size influence the sieving results, Wang’s theory, which concerns the geometric forms, was considered. A cluster analysis on the shape descriptors (Fourier descriptors) and size descriptors (area, perimeter, Feret diameters, eccentricity) was applied to observe the chips distribution. The UPGMA algorithm was applied on Euclidean distance. The obtained dendrogram shows a group separation according with the original three sieving fractions. A comparison has been made between the traditional sieve and clustering results. This preliminary result shows how the image analysis-based method has a high potential for the characterization of wood chip size distribution and could be further investigated. Moreover, this method could be implemented in an online detection machine for chips size characterization. An improvement of the results is expected by using supervised multivariate methods that utilize known class memberships. The main objective of the future activities will be to shift the analysis from a 2-dimensional method to a 3- dimensional acquisition process.
Anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of slaughterhouse wastes
Authors: Castellucci Sonia , Cocchi Silvia , Allegrini Elena , Vecchione Luigi
Published: September 2016

The use of renewable energy is becoming increasingly necessary in order to address the global warming problem and, as a consequence, has become an high priority for many countries. Biomass is a clean and renewable energy source with growing potential to replace conventional fossil fuels. Among biomass, residual and waste ones represent a great resource for energy generation since they permit both to eliminate a possible waste and to produce energy. In the present work, the case of slaughterhouse wastes (SHWs) has been investigated. Anaerobic digestion is nowadays considered as one of the most important and sustainable conversion technology exploiting organic matter and biodegradable wastes. Biogas results from this bio-chemical process and mainly consists of methane and carbon dioxide, leading to produce thermal energy and/or electricity. In this paper, the European Regulations on animal by-products (ABPs) are described, and some previous study on anaerobic digestion and co-digestion of ABPs - more precisely SHWs - are considered and compared in order to fix a starting point for future tests on their co-digestion in a micro-scale pilot digester. This is to define optimal feed ratio values which ensure an increasing content of methane in the outgoing biogas.
Biogas yield from Sicilian kitchen waste and cheese whey
Authors: Comparetti Antonio , Febo Pierluigi , Greco Carlo , Orlando Santo , Navickas Kestutis , Nekrosius Arvydas , Venslauskas Kestutis
Published: September 2016

The aim of this study is to determine the chemical composition of kitchen waste and cheese whey, as well as the biogas yield obtained from the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) tests of these two raw materials. Since the separated waste collection is performed in the town of Marineo (Palermo), a sample of kitchen waste, different from food industry one and included in the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW), was collected from the mass stored at the households of this town. Moreover, a sample of cheese whey was collected in a Sicilian mini dairy plant, where sheep milk is processed. This investigation was carried out inside laboratory digesters of Aleksandras Stulginskis University (Lithuania). Total Solids (TS) resulted 15.6% in kitchen waste and 6% in cheese whey, while both the raw materials showed a high content of organic matter, 91.1% and 79.1%, respectively. The biogas yield resulted 104.6 l kg–1 from kitchen waste and 30.6 l kg–1 from cheese whey. The biogas yield from TS resulted 672.6 l kg–1 using kitchen waste and 384.7 l kg–1 using cheese whey. The biogas yield from Volatile Solids (VS) resulted 738.9 l kg–1 using kitchen waste and 410.3 l kg–1 using cheese whey.
Evaluation of herbaceous crops irrigated with treated wastewater for ethanol production
Authors: Barbagallo Salvatore , Barbera Antonio , Cirelli Giuseppe L. , Milani Mirco , Toscano Attilio , Albergo Roberto
Published: September 2016

The competition for freshwater between agricultural, industrial, and civil uses has greatly increased in Mediterranean basin characterized by prolonged dry seasons. The aim of this study was to evaluate biomass production and the potential ethanol production of promising “no-food” herbaceous crops irrigated with low quality water at different ETc restitutions (0%, 50 and 100%). The research was carried out, in 2011 and 2012, in an open field near the full-scale constructed wetland (CW) municipal treatment plant located in the Eastern Sicily (Italy). The CW effluent has been applied in a experimental irrigation field of Vetiveria zizanoides (L.) Nash, Miscanthus x giganteus Greef et Deu. and Arundo donax (L.). Physical, chemical and microbiological analyses were carried out on wastewater samples collected at inlet and outlet of CW and pollutant removal efficiencies were calculated for each parameter. Bio-agronomical analysis on herbaceous species were made with the goal to evaluate the main parameters such as the plant dimension, the growth response and the biomass production. Biomass dry samples were processed with a three-step chemical pretreatment, hydrolysed with a mix of commercial enzymes and next fermented to obtain the yield of ethanol production. Average TSS, COD and TN removal for CW were about 74%, 67% and 68%, respectively. Although the satisfactory Escherichia coli removal, about 3.5 log unit for both beds on average, CW didn’t achieve the restrictive Italian law limits for wastewater reuse. As expected, irrigation was beneficial and the full ET replenishment increase the biomass productivity as compared to the other two treatment. The mean productivity of Vetiveria zizanoides and Myscanthus x giganteus were about 9, 26 and 38 t ha–1 and 3, 7 and 12 t ha–1 respectively in 0%, 50% and 100% ETc restitutions. Arundo donax gave higher values of dry biomass (78 t ha–1 in 100% ETc restitution in 2011 season), and potential ethanol production (about 3,744 kg ha–1). These results suggest the interest in the use of constructed wetland effluents for the irrigation of energy crops to obtain second generation ethanol, particularly in semiarid regions such as the Mediterranean area.
Parametric experimental tests of steam gasification of pine wood in a fluidized bed reactor
Authors: Vecchione L. , Moneti M. , Cocchi S. , Villarini M. , Sisinni M. , Micangeli A.
Published: September 2016

Among Renewable Energy Sources (RES), biomass represent one of the most common and suitable solution in order to contribute to the global energy supply and to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions. The disposal of some residual biomass, as pruning from pine trees, represent a problem for agricultural and agro-industrial sectors. But if the residual biomass are used for energy production can become a resource. The most suitable energy conversion technology for the above-mentioned biomass is gasification process because the high C/N ratio and the low moisture content, obtained from the analysis. In this work a small-pilot bubbling-bed gasification plant has been designed, constructed and used in order to obtain, from the pine trees pruning, a syngas with low tar and char contents and high hydrogen content. The activities showed here are part of the activities carried out in the European 7FP UNIfHY project. In particular the aim of this work is to develop experimental test on a bench scale steam blown fluidized bed biomass gasifier. These tests will be utilized in future works for the simulations of a pilot scale steam fluidized bed gasifier (100 kWth) fed with different biomass feedstock. The results of the tests include produced gas and tar composition as well gas, tar and char yield. Tests on a bench scale reactor (8 cm I.D.) were carried out varying steam to biomass ratio from 0.5, 0.7 and 1 to 830°C.
Sustainability of grape-ethanol energy chain
Authors: Riva G. , Foppa Pedretti E. , Toscano G. , Duca D. , Pizzi A. , Saltari M. , Mengarelli C. , Gardiman M. , Flamini R.
Published: September 2016

The aim of this work is to evaluate the sustainability, in terms of greenhouse gases emission saving, of a new potential bio-ethanol production chain in comparison with the most common ones. The innovation consists of producing bio-ethanol from different types of no-food grapes, while usually bio-ethanol is obtained from matrices taken away from crop for food destination: sugar cane, corn, wheat, sugar beet. In the past, breeding programs were conducted with the aim of improving grapevine characteristics, a large number of hybrid vine varieties were produced and are nowadays present in the CRA-VIT (Viticulture Research Centre) Germplasm Collection. Some of them are potentially interesting for bio-energy production because of their high production of sugar, good resistance to diseases, and ability to grow in marginal lands. LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) of grape ethanol energy chain was performed following two different methods: (i) using the spreadsheet “BioGrace, developed within the “Intelligent Energy Europe” program to support and to ease the RED (Directive 2009/28/EC) implementation; (ii) using a dedicated LCA software. Emissions were expressed in CO2 equivalent (CO2eq). The results showed that the sustainability limits provided by the normative are respected to this day. On the contrary, from 2017 this production will be sustainable only if the transformation processes will be performed using renewable sources of energy. The comparison with other bioenergy chains points out that the production of ethanol using grapes represents an intermediate situation in terms of general emissions among the different production chains.
Industrial hemp for biomass production
Authors: Sausserde R. , Adamovics A.
Published: September 2016

Interest for possibilities of the industrial hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) growing in Latvia is increasing year by year and they are considered as one of the most promising renewable biomass sources to replace nonrenewable natural resources for manufacturing of wide range industrial products. The aim of this research was to evaluate of biomass potential of some industrial hemp varieties to be recommended to grow in Latvia and clarify carbon content. The biometric parameters of ten industrial hemp cultivars – ‘Bialobrzeskie’, ‘Futura 75’, ‘Fedora 17’, ‘Santhica 27’, ‘Beniko’, ‘Ferimon’, ‘Epsilon 68’, ‘Tygra’, ‘Wojko’ and ‘Uso 31’ have been investigated at the Research and Study farm “Peterlauki” of the Latvia University of Agriculture in 2011-2012. The carbon content was determined. The results of investigation show that industrial hemp is promising plant for biomass production in Latvia. Depending on the variety the green over-ground biomass varies from 36 - 54 t ha-1 in 2011 and from 48 - 75 t ha-1 in 2012. The highest green over-ground biomass was obtained cultivar ‘Futura 75’ up to 75 t ha-1. The carbon content in hemp stems was found from 41.62 – 45.38 % and it depend on cultivars. Results of investigation of biomass potential of all ten industrial hemp cultivars are presented.
The risk of musculoskeletal disorders due to repetitive movements of upper limbs for workers employed in hazelnut sorting
Authors: Colantoni Andrea , Cecchini Massimo , Monarca Danilo , Bedini Roberto , Riccioni Simone
Published: September 2016

In the agro-industrial sector there are many activities whose urgent rhythms can cause a considerable exposure to bio-mechanical risk factors. In the hazelnut sorting, the workers are subject to several biomechanical risks, with repetitive movements, and operations that require a remarkable degree of strength. A thorough study of the workers’ exposure to repetitive manual movements has been carried out, with the aim of setting up the necessary measures to reduce the risk factors. The aim of the research is to assess the risk of work-related musculo-skeletal disorders (WMSDs) due to repetitive work, for workers employed to hazelnut shells sorting. The research was carried out in an agricultural cooperative in the Viterbo’s area. For risk assessment authors used a method (Occupational Repetitive Actions “OCRA” index according to ISO 11228- 3:2009, Ergonomics - Manual handling - Part 3: Handling of low loads at high frequency) which keeps into consideration several risk factors (such as repetitiveness, prehension force, posture). The risk was assessed for 16 female workers (in eight workplaces and in two different shifts) through this classification: workers with experience less than 1 year, from 1 to 10 years and more than 10 years. This classification is very important for knowing if the professional experience could be considered a “prevention measure” for the risk reduction. The results show a high risk level for the right and left limb. The factors which more have contributed to reach such risk level are the great number of movements and the lack of recovering time.
Exposure to vibrations in wine growing
Authors: Pessina Domenico , Facchinetti Davide
Published: September 2016

Apart the winter period, the activity in specialized agricultural cultivations (i.e. wine- and fruit-growing) is distributed for a long period of the year. Some tasks, such as pesticide distribution, are repeated several times during the growing season. On the other hand, mechanization is one of the pillars on which is based the modern agriculture management. As a consequence, in wine growing the tractor driver has to be considered a worker potentially subjected to high level of vibrations, due to the poor machinery conditions often encountered, and sometimes to the rough soil surface of the vineyard combined with the high travelling speed adopted in carrying out many operations. About vibrations, the Italian Decree 81/08 basically refers to the European Directive 2002/44/CE, that provides some very strict limits of exposure, both for whole body and hand-arm districts. In Oltrepo pavese, a large hilly area located the south part of the Pavia province (Lombardy - Italy) wine growing is the main agricultural activity; for this reason, a detailed survey on the vibration levels recorded at the tractor driver’s seat was carried out, in order to ascertain the real risk to which the operators are exposed. The activity in wine growing has been classified into 6 groups of similar tasks, as follows: 1. canopy management: pruning, trimming, binding, stripping, etc.; 2. soil management: harrowing, hoeing, subsoiling etc.; 3. inter-row management: chopping of pruning , pinching, grass mowing, etc.; 4. crop protection: pesticides and fungicides distribution, sulfidation, foliar fertilization, etc.; 5. grape harvesting: manual or mechanical; 6. transport: from the vineyard to the cellar. For each group of tasks, the vibration levels on 3 the traditional axes (x, y and z) were recorded, and then an exposure time was calculated for each of them, in order to ascertain the risk level in comparison to what provided by the dedicated standard. Finally, a detailed study was conducted on the most dangerous working conditions, with the goal to offer solutions able to reduce the overall exposure, as improving the comfort level, as to shorten the working time when possible and/or to provide suitable periods of rest.
Noise risk assessment in a bottling line of a modern Sicilian winery
Authors: Vallone Mariangela , Pipitone Felice , Amoroso Salvatore , Catania Pietro
Published: September 2016

In wine industry, bottling is a phase of the production cycle characterized by high levels of noise mostly due to repeated collisions between the bottles. In Italy the Law Decree 81/2008 defined the requirements for assessing and managing noise risk, identifying a number of procedures to be adopted at different noise levels to limit workers exposure. This study aims at evaluating the equivalent and peak noise level inside the bottling plant area of a modern Sicilian winery. In particular, the influence of the working capacity (number of bottles produced per hour) on noise levels was evaluated. We considered three test conditions: T1 with working capacity of 4,000 bottles per hour, T2 with working capacity of 5,000 bottles per hour and T3 with working capacity of 6,000 bottles per hour. Fifteen measurement points were identified inside the bottling area. The instrument used for the measurements is a precision integrating portable sound level meter, class 1, model HD2110L by Delta OHM, Italy. The tests were performed in compliance with ISO 9612 and ISO 9432 regulations. The results show that as bottling plant working capacity increases, noise level increases. The measured sound levels exceed the limits allowed by the regulations in all the test conditions; values exceeding the threshold limit of 80 dB(A) were recorded coming up to a maximum value of 95 dB(A) in test T3. In this case, the operator working along the bottling line is obliged to wear the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.