Stirling engine is the external heated engine that heat is sup-plied externally to the heater part of the engine. Thus, Stirling cycle engine can be employed with various sources of renewable energy such as biomass, biofuel, solar energy, geothermal energy, recovery heat, and waste. The integration of gasifier, burner, and heat engine as a power system offers more fuel choices of each local area with potential resources resulting independent from shortage and cost fluctuation of fossil fuel. This research aims to investigate the integration of the Stirling engine with a wood pellet gasifier for electric power generation. Biomass can be controlled to have continuously combustion with ultra-low toxic emission. Stirling engine, therefore, is a promising alternative in small-scale-electricity production. Even though many biomass-powered Stirling engines were successfully constructed and marketed but these engines and the use of biomass resources as fuel for power generation are quite new concepts in some developing countries. Especially, the capital cost of this engine is high and unaffordable for installation compared to other power systems. Therefore, this research aims to the study attractive and feasibility of the compact Stirling engine with green energy.
เนื่องจากความต้องการพลังงานที่มีมากขึ้น แต่เชื้อเพลิงฟอสซิลซึ่งเป็นแหล่งพลังงานหลักมีอยู่อย่างจำกัดและเป็นสาเหตุหนึ่งของมลพิษและภาวะโลกร้อน ดังนั้นพลังงานทางเลือกจึงเป็นกุญแจสำคัญเพื่อความยั่งยืนด้านพลังงาน ประเทศไทยมีศักยภาพของพลังงานชีวมวลจากเกษตรกรรม ดังนั้นการพัฒนาระบบผลิตไฟฟ้าที่มลพิษต่ำและสามารถใช้ได้กับแหล่งพลังงานทดแทนจึงจำเป็นอย่างยิ่ง โดยเฉพาะเครื่องยนต์สเตอร์ลิงซึ่งมีโครงสร้างชิ้นส่วนไม่ซับซ้อน ปราศจากการสันดาปภายในเครื่องยนต์จึงเป็นเครื่องยนต์ที่มีศักยภาพผลิตไฟฟ้าด้วยพลังงานสะอาดและเป็นมิตรกับสิ่งแวดล้อมและความสำเร็จของโรงไฟฟ้าเครื่องยนต์สเตอร์ลิง ในประเทศไทย เพื่อคนไทย
คณะวิศวกรรมศาสตร์
This study was conducted to develop a prototype cooling cover for transporting raw milk, aiming to provide a solution for maintaining the quality of raw milk during transportation to milk collection centers. The cooling cover is made using Phase Change Material (PCM), produced from water mixed with a gelling agent, in an amount of 5.6 kg, attached around an aluminum milk tank (with a capacity of 25 L). The cover is then covered with a UV-reflective fabric in two types: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The temperature reduction performance of both types of covers was evaluated by measuring water temperatures at various points along the radial and vertical directions of the milk tank at six points, using type-T thermocouples, under three environmental conditions: a constant temperature of 25 °C, 35 °C, and outdoor ambient temperature (average temperature 35.5 °C) for a minimum duration of 180 min. The experimental results revealed that at 120 min., the water in the tank covered with PCM-PVC and PCM-HDPE covers had temperatures lower than the ambient temperature by 12.6 °C and 12.9 °C, respectively, under a constant ambient temperature of 25 °C, and under a constant ambient temperature of 35 °C lower by 16.7 °C and 16.4 °C, respectively, and outdoor conditions. Since the temperature reduction performance of PCM-PVC and PCM-HDPE covers showed no significant difference, the performance of microbial quality preservation of raw milk was assessed only with PCM-PVC cover in comparison to a non-covered case (control), by measuring coliform and Escherichia coli counts using compact dry plates. Results indicated that after 120 min., milk in the tank covered with PCM-PVC had an average coliform count of 1.6 × 10^4 CFU/ml and E. coli count of 2 × 10^3 CFU/ml, which was lower than the non-covered control with an average coliform count of 1.5 × 10^4 CFU/ml and E. coli count of 1.1 × 10^4 CFU/ml. This study concludes that the temperature reduction achieved by the cooling cover can help inhibit coliform growth to levels below raw milk quality standards, demonstrating the potential of the cooling cover in maintaining the quality and safety of raw milk during transport, ultimately contributing to an improved quality of life for Thai dairy farmers.
คณะเทคโนโลยีการเกษตร
This project involves the development of a plant care system for dormitories using IoT (Internet of Things). The system is implemented through programming on an ESP-32 board and controlled via sensors for automated watering. The commands are operated through smartphones, supporting both iOS and Android. It is expected that this project will make plant care in dormitories easier and more convenient.
คณะอุตสาหกรรมอาหาร
Most rice is consumed as cooked, milled rice, but a small portion is also ground into flour or separated into a starch fraction and used by the food industry as a gluten-free ingredient. This study aims to find out if different types of rice flour and starch, such as white and colored rice, could be used in industry. This study employs green modification techniques to slow down the digestion process by combining polyphenols with starch. Our initial study found that the raw colored rice has a lower glycemic index than other types of rice, such as brown or white rice. Another study that looked at how the quality of colored rice flour was changed by different methods also discovered that out of the six green methods (annealing, heat moisture treatment, ultrasound, pregelatinization, wet-microwave, and dry-microwave). It found that ultrasound improved the polyphenol bioaccessibility in the rice flour and reduced the digestion rate. The pregelatinization process led to the flour having high solubility and an estimated glycemic index. Different techniques affected the flour/starch quality in different ways. Therefore, for further industrial application, it could also be easier to select the method for food product based on their required techno-functional quality of flour/starch. In addition to the modification techniques, this study showed that the high bioaccessible polyphenol content and high polyphenol content in rice greatly slowed down the rate of digestion. This study also open for further exploring the possibility of using high polyphenol agricultural waste to modify starch and flour in a sustainable manner.