Ingeniería Revista Académica de la Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán

Design and implementation of an experimental system for the characterization of a vertical axis wind turbine operation.

2025-08-31T20:43:05-06:00

Due to global concern to reduce the consumption of fossil fuels, the use of renewable energy sources to produce electricity has spread in recent years. Amongst the wind technologies available, vertical axis wind turbines have shown great potential to be installed in urban and maritime environments. Although there is much two-dimensional numerical research on these devices, understanding 3D aerodynamics and their operation is crucial to improve the design and performance of vertical wind turbines. This article describes an experimental design capable of analyzing the instantaneous moment generated on the shaft of a rotor during one revolution. To understand the influence of each of the blades on the generation of the momentum on the shaft and define the operational range of tip speed ratio of the wind turbine, 3D simulations are carried out with the CACTUS code. The power curve estimated with CACTUS presents an operating range between 0.5 and 2.5, while experimental tests show an approximate range between 0 and 1.7. Tests were not performed at tip speed ratio values greater than 1.7 due to rigidity limitations of the prototype; however, numerical analysis, as well as experimental analysis, predict similar power coefficient values. The experimental design described here can measure the instantaneous moment generated on the shaft and, therefore, predict the power coefficient of the wind turbine.

Biorefinery proposal for the production of biodiesel from spent coffee solid waste: design and feasibility

2025-08-31T20:43:15-06:00

Biorefineries based on the use of residual biomass from industrial processes or domestic consumption for the production of biofuels are important in the current energy context. In particular, biodiesel is a key biofuel in the transition towards a more sustainable energy economy, less dependent on fossil fuels and more respectful of the environment. Therefore, in this work, the conceptual design of a biorefinery and its technical-economic evaluation are proposed for the transformation of solid waste from spent coffee into biodiesel. The study is carried out through modeling and simulation of industrial processes, proposing a processing route for the production of biodiesel, in which glycerol and fertilizer are obtained (as by-products with added value). Several scenarios with different amounts of spent coffee waste feed are evaluated, and the technical-economic indicators are calculated. The technical feasibility is verified by the product yields obtained: 0.108 kg biodiesel, 0.016 kg glycerol and 0.847 kg fertilizer per kg of dry residue. While the profitability is verified by two economic indicators, time and rate of return on investment. The results show a competent profitability of the biorefinery in a range between 30-65 kg/h of coffee waste feed consumption.

Production of habanero pepper seedlings irrigated with swine wastewater

2025-08-31T20:43:20-06:00

The pig and agricultural industry has increased considerably due to the demand for food. Swine farming has negative impacts on the environment caused by poor waste management. Swine production waste generates a large amount of manure and wastewater, which contains nutrients that can be used by plants during their growth. The objective of the research was to evaluate the effect of swine wastewater on the behavior of habanero pepper seedlings. Seedlings were produced irrigated with swine wastewater and with wastewater dilutions. The treatments were: T1 = control (100% water); T2 = 20% residual water + 80% water; T3 = 60% residual water + 40% water and T4 = 100% residual water. The experiment was established in a completely randomized design with five replications. Morphological variables of the seedlings were evaluated. In the percentage of emergence, treatments T1 (96%) and T2 (92%) were superior to T4 (100% wastewater) which obtained the lowest emergence (68%). Swine wastewater at 100% reduced emergence. In contrast, treatment with 20% wastewater dilution enhanced the morphological growth of seedlings. Swine wastewater allows obtaining quality seedlings similar to the control.

Caracterización física y mecánica de diferentes tipos de roca en Yucatán.

2025-08-31T20:43:25-06:00

In the state of Yucatan, Mexico the most abundant rock is limestone which has been characterized before, however, the data reported are generalized or they are scarce or almost non-existent depending on the type of rock. Given the scarcity of information about the physical and mechanical characteristics of rocks according to their type, the need arises to obtain and correlate data for use in excavations and construction. In this study, physical and mechanical characterizations were carried out on 62 rock samples subdivided into 4 types were identified as "ticul" (18), "crema maya" (10), "toc"(10), and "conchuela"(12), in addition, samples that are a mixture of "conchuela with toc" (12) were tested, to reduce the variability of data that exists today. This work correlates the physical characteristics of these rocks by obtaining the absorption percentage (% Abs), saturated density (gsat), dry density (gd), specific gravity (Ss), void ratio (e), and porosity (n) of each type with their unconfined simple compressive strength (s). The results of these correlations indicate that "crema maya" is the rock that presents the best conditions with a higher quality. The "conchuela", on the other hand, usually presents problems for use in construction, due to its low resistance, however, it could be useful in infrastructure projects where porosity is a relevant factor.

Modelación del comportamiento de la temperatura de la taza de café

2025-08-31T20:43:12-06:00

Differential equations are key tools in engineering for modeling phenomena such as heat transfer. This work uses Newton's Law of Cooling to describe the cooling of a cup of coffee, comparing theoretical results with experimental data. The model states that the rate of change of temperature is proportional to the difference between the temperature of the fluid and its surroundings. Two experiments were conducted, measuring the temperature of the coffee using different types of cups, recording variations over 15 minutes. The results indicate that Newton's model adequately describes the cooling of coffee in different materials, especially over short time intervals.