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The overall objective of the project is to develop an eco-innovative system for pressing sweet sorghum by the generalised object method specific to the technical creation applied in this field. (Vitalie Belouasov). The representative technical solutions of the companies recognised in this field are known and it is necessary to use a creativity method to analyze the existing solutions, to assess technical and economic characteristics by methods specific to value analysis but also to find new constructive variants and choose the optimal variant that will then be developed by the design-research activity for the realisation of the technical documentation for the execution of an industrial prototype. The generalized object of the technical creation is in the form of a cylindrical morphological matrix, each sector representing a solution (sector represented by a triple assembly BiCjDk, the total number of solutions being: N=i·j·k solutions, some of which are known, others unknown. The incompatible ones must be eliminated, while the others must be analyzed, as they can lead to particularly efficient constructions after their complete solving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global impact of climate change, with the potential to affect agriculture through changes in temperature, rainwater distribution and amount, leads to the need to develop integrated technologies that increase rain use efficiency and support soil and environmental quality, ensuring higher agricultural outputs with lower costs. Soil modeling in interrupted furrows is a very efficient rainwater harvesting system, but has not yet been scientifically assessed for the conditions in Southern Romania as the other soil working systems have been. For this purpose, a soil modeling device consisting of a frame with triangle for coupling to the tractor, wheels for adjusting and limiting the working depth, soil loosening knives, ridge ploughs and furrow compartmenting equipment was compared with the conventional technology for sunflower culture in two localities in Southern Romania: Crânguri in Giurgiu County and Mărculeşti in Calarasi County. The device for soil modeling in interrupted furrows for weeding crops provides a viable option that has positive effects on soil properties and ensures increased crop yields compared to conventional works as well as the opportunity to increase the efficiency of water recovery in agriculture by harvesting rainwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals can accumulate and migrate in soil environments entering the human body mainly through the food chain and respiration and can lead to increased prevalence of chronic diseases. The aim of the study was to identify the transfer levels of heavy metals (Cu, Zn and Pb) from soil to the leaves due to the fact that most studies show that heavy metals ions enter the vegetable tissues mainly through the roots and foliage, of which root uptake being the dominant pathway. Two types of leafy plants were studied in order to identify the levels of minerals absorbed by the plants during vegetal development after planting them in flower soil mixed with heavy metals mixtures (copper, zinc and lead). Four kg of soil was homogenized with 100 mL of heavy metal mixture (Cu + Zn + Pb) with a concentration of 5% and 10%. This contaminated flower soil was introduced into flower pots and three plants of salad and parsley were planted. The blank sample was made by planting three plants of salad and parsley using uncontaminated soil. The physical and chemical properties of the soil (pH, humidity, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, total potassium and conductivity index) were also observed during the experiment. The soil moisture was maintained during the experiments (30 days) by watering the plants weekly with 50 ml of water per plant. After performing the heavy metals analysis of the cultivated plants, a higher absorption was observed in the salad with lead and copper contamination relative to the zinc absorption; salad plants presented a higher absorption compared to parsley plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problem of water resources is aggravating as a result of accelerated urbanization, population growth, industrial and agricultural development. In addition to these factors, climate changes represent a substantial risk because it affects considerably both water resources and crops. Globally, agriculture is the largest consumer of water, accounting for approximately 70% of all freshwater. Farmers in many arid and semiarid areas are forced to find solutions to irrigate their crops, so they often must use treated, untreated or undiluted wastewater which is cheaper than other water sources. Increasing water needs (for drinking, food and irrigation) make the use of effluents (treated wastewater) an effective solution to solve the problem of water scarcity, to save significant quantities of drinking water, to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers (nutrients in the wastewater can replace conventional fertilizers), thereby protecting the environment and improving crop yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creating forest curtains on sandy or highly compacted lands affected by desertification necessitates precise control, given the challenges associated with the soil management in these regions. The mechanisms designed for planting forest seedlings face significant challenges: the working apparatus responsible for handling seedlings during planting can inflict notable damage to the stems, particularly through scratching or crushing. This issue usually arises from the design solution and the shape of the mechanical organ handling the seedlings. Moreover, it is highly important to improve the control over the seedling positioning in the soil, action that often encounters issues such as inadequate planting depth or improper planting angles. The present research evaluates a novel modular planting system, which can have excellent effects for areas with difficult or desertified lands. The objective was to obtain a precise control over seedling planting, by enabling the mechanism to automatically adjust its grip and force according to root dimensions, stem characteristics, and seedling size. This ensures effective protection of the seedlings and enhances the overall planting process. The mechanism demonstrated excellent performance and successful adaptation to challenging sandy terrain conditions. The proposed solution offers several technical advantages, including: the precise adjustment of the clamping force on the sapling during planting, based on the condition and size of the woody stem and a better adjustable spacing between the gripping jaws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In many countries, sustainable management, as well as preventing the accumulation and reducing the quantities of waste have become major political priorities, representing an important contribution to the joint efforts to reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions and to reduce climate changes at global level. Real actions against global warming represent one of the main priorities of the European energy and environment policies. The European Directives regarding the production of renewable energy, the reduction of GHG emissions and sustainable waste management are based on the commitment of member states to implement adequate measures to fulfil them. The production and use of biogas from anaerobic digestion has the potential to satisfy all the three directives simultaneously. The paper presents an innovative integrated technology for obtaining bioenergy by the means of a mixed system of advanced anaerobic digestion simultaneously in two types of digesters through the process of wet, respectively dry fermentation. The two types of digesters are integrated in a modular system designed and built so that is possible to transport it easily form a micro farm to another. The innovative technology for obtaining biogas through advanced anaerobic digestion will be equipped with a real time command and control system of the methanogenesis process, the necessary energy being ensured by using photovoltaic panels. The results obtained through the innovative technology consisting in a modular system with digesters for wet and dry fermentation of agricultural waste allowed to practically fulfil the concept of farmer energetic independence by using renewable energy sources (biogas, photovoltaic panels, agricultural waste, etc.) and to reduce GHG through the controlled neutralization of important quantities of agricultural waste that otherwise would generate important CO2 quantities into the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of growing concerns about groundwater contamination, decreasing availability of land for waste disposal, respectively public health and aesthetic issues related to landfills, incineration represents an alternative method for the treatment of municipal solid waste. The paper presents the theoretical aspects related to waste incineration and its residues, namely gas emissions into the atmosphere, fly ashes and bottom ashes. Also, there are presented some mass balances obtained at the incineration of municipal solid waste and current possibilities for the recovery of bottom ashes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the importance of melissa culture (lemon balm) for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry, in terms of benefits as medicinal plant. The active principles (active substances) contained within medicinal plants are those who give the therapeutic effect. Each plant, in principle, presents an interest for a particular active substance, which may be isolated by various methods. Melisa is an important source of volatile oil, its main component being citral. This paper presents the experimental evaluation of the extraction degree of active principles from melissa. Measurements were performed within INMA using a percolator for obtaining extracts of medicinal and aromatic plants. The results are important for the plant processors and for the producers of phyto-pharmaceutical products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EXTBIO equipment (experimental model) for obtaining organic biofertilizers / bioinsecticides works on the principle of extracting bioactive substances under the action of variable hydrostatic pressure in the extraction vessel, with control of solvent temperature. In order to optimally control the extraction process it is used a microPLC with graphic interface, through which you the working parameters can be programmed. Hydrostatic pressure in the extraction chamber is obtained by means of a pneumatic cylinder supplied with compressed air by a compressor which is part of the integrated extraction system. All components are mounted on a frame consisting of V profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

multidisciplinary researches for developing the technical equipment destined for the optimal application of phytosanitary products have led to an advanced conception for the design, operation and instrumentation based on the concept of precision agriculture. The technical equipment has the purpose of identifying the base crop plants, as well as the area situated between the crop rows, through the means of image recognition algorithms, subsequently calculating the degree of weeds in the area situated between crop rows. After identifying the weed degree, a distribution of phytosanitary treatments is performed, proportional to the degree of weeds in crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the threat of climate change, the need to reduce the emissions of greenhouse gases and with increasing oil prices there is need for increasing the use of biomass in energy production. Pelleting is a promising technology which converts the energy of biomass into a more useful form through densification in order to ease handling, storage and transport. This paper presents some aspects on the types of biomass that care used worlwide for the production of pellets and the current status of pellets production in Romania. Also, there are presented some of the methods used for the measuring of pellets durability and the influence of some factors (such as: particle size, forming temperature, moisture content, bulk density) on the durability of pellets obtained from different types of biomass, since durability is considered a measure of pellet quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering the concept of renewable energy that is implemented nowadays very often in correlation to modern society, we focused our attention on the mechanical pretreatment of organic substrate for anaerobic digestion improvement. This process is used to obtain biogas from different types of substrate like organic fraction of municipal solid waste, aquatic biomass, crop residues, animal manure and energy crops suitable for this process. In this context, the paper reviews the mechanical methods that have been studied for pre-treatment of biomass for conversion to biogas through anaerobic digestion process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anaerobic digestion process is a microbial decomposition of organic matter into methane and carbon dioxide in the absence of oxygen. Lately, current trends in the development of methods for monitoring, modelling and control of microbial growth that characterizes the process of anaerobic digestion and biogas production, are of particular interest. In the same time with experimental research, substantial efforts have been put into the mathematical modelling of anaerobic digestion process used for biogas production. This paper presents a literature review regarding the mathematical models used in anaerobic digestion process optimization for biogas production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the article there are presented models of agricultural production maps made from the data obtained by a monitoring system for grain production MICRO TRAK type mounted on different types of harvesters (combines), used in the locations where the experiments were performed. Thus, in the first part of the article the concept of precision agriculture and its usefulness in the current economic situation is presented. In "Materials and methods" there is a description of the technical equipment used to make further experiments, as well as the choice of locations for their achievement. As a result of the conducted experiments, there were experimental yield map models obtained; their analysis and utility of the used system are presented in the concluding part of the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of biodegradable oils instead of conventional oils, lubricants in agriculture is an important step to protect the environment by reducing noxious emissions of greenhouse gases and soil pollution. To highlight the biodegradability experiments were conducted on the tribological parameters of three kinds of biodegradable oils (experimental models) and two conventional oils, resulting in the high quality of the tribological parameters of biodegradable oils as against the trade classical oils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]