Diel vertical migration (DVM) is the most common behavioral phenomenon in zooplankton, and numerous studies have evaluated DVM under strong seasonality at higher latitudes. Yet, our understanding of the environmental drivers of DVM at low latitudes, where seasonal variation is less pronounced, remains limited. Therefore, we here examined patterns of vertical distribution in copepods in six subtropical Bahamian blue holes with different food web structure and tested the role of several key environmental variables potentially affecting this behavior. Day and night samplings showed that copepods generally performed DVM, characterized by downward migration to deeper depths during the day and upward migration to surface waters at night. Across all blue holes, the daytime vertical depth distribution of calanoid copepods correlated positively with both predation risk and depth of food resources (Chlorophyll a), but was less affected by ultraviolet radiation (UVR). A potential explanation is that since UVR is a continuous threat across seasons, zooplankton have established photoprotective pigmentation making them less vulnerable to this threat. The copepods also showed a size-structured depth segregation, where larger individuals were found at deeper depths during the day, which further strengthens the suggestion that predation is a major driver of DVM in these systems. Hence, in contrast to studies performed at higher latitudes, we show that despite the constant exposure to UVR, predator avoidance and food availability are the most pronounced drivers of copepod DVM at those low latitudes, suggesting that the main driver of DVM may vary among systems, but also systematically by latitude.

Dewatering and air flow in high vacuum suction boxes was examined. The work was mainly numerical and was based on, and compared with, previously published experimental results of vacuum dewatering from laboratory equipment and from a pilot paper machine. A previously published numerical model for wet pressing is used as the basis for this work. The aims of this study were to find new fitting parameters that allows the previous model to be used for vacuum dewatering instead of pressing, and to examine two extensions to the original model. The results indicate that the new vacuum dewatering model for moisture can predict the dewatering behavior for several different experimental data series both from laboratory equipment and a pilot paper machine using the same set of fitting parameters. Two different numerical models for air flow through the paper sheet, during vacuum dewatering, were developed based on postulating that the decrease in moisture permeability is accompanied by a simultaneous increase in air permeability. The models for air flow can also be fitted to experimental data and predict the magnitudes of air flow during vacuum dewatering. The data sets for air flow exhibit a certain degree of operator dependence though, so that one set of fitting parameters is not enough for obtaining good agreement with all data sets.

A multiple regression model was evaluated to predict pulp and handsheet properties including z-directional tensile strength (z-strength) and Scott bond values. One hypothesis that was central for the model evaluation was that the crill content, as measured with ultraviolet and infrared lights, would improve the statistical models. A chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) mill designed with two parallel primary refining lines and a reject refiner was the basis for this study, and all process data and pulp samples were gathered from the specific process. Pulp was extracted from the process for an extended period from a position after the latency chest (primary refined pulp) and from the pulp-stream exiting the mill to the board machine (accept pulp). The crill content was positively correlated to the z-strength of the accept pulp, explaining 55% of the variance with a linear regression model with the drill content as the sole predictor. The estimation model of the z-strength of accept pulp was based on a combination of the crill content, freeness, fibril perimeter for longer fibers, and mean kink angle, and resulted in an R-2 of 0.79. When applying cross-validation to determine the predictive model performance, the highest R-2 obtained was 0.67. This latter model included the crill content, fibril perimeter, and mean kink angle as predictors.

Because some of the critical events during the removal of water before the dryer section on a paper machine happen very rapidly within enclosed spaces – such as wet-press nips – there have been persistent challenges in understanding the governing mechanisms.In principle, a fullerunderstanding of the controlling mechanisms, based on evidence, should permit progress in achieving both higher rates of production of paper and more reliable control of paper attributes. In addition, energy can be saved, reducing environmental impacts. The goal of this article is to review published work dealing both with the concepts involved in water removal and evidence upon which existing and new theories can be based. The scope of this review includes all of the papermaking unit operations between the jet coming from the headbox and the final wet-press nip of an industrial-scale paper machine. Published findings support a hypothesis that dewatering rates can be decreased by densification of surface layers, plugging of drainage channels by fines, sealing effects, flocculation, and rewetting. Ways to overcome such effects are also reviewed.

The addition of nano-and micro-fibrillated cellulose to conventional softwood Kraft pulps can enhance the product performance by increasing the strength properties and enabling the use of less raw material for a given product performance. However, dewatering is a major problem when implementing these materials to conventional paper grades because of their high water retention capacity. This study investigated how vacuum dewatering is affected by different types of additives. The hypothesis was that different types of pulp additions behave differently during a process like vacuum suction, even when the different additions have the same water retention value. One reference pulp and three additives were used in a laboratory-scaled experimental study of high vacuum suction box dewatering. The results suggested that there was a linear relationship between the water retention value and how much water that could be removed with vacuum dewatering. However, the linear relationship was dependent upon the pulp type and the additives. Additions of micro-fibrillated cellulose and dialcohol cellulose to the stock led to dewatering behaviors that suggested their addition in existing full-scale production plants can be accomplished without a major redesign of the wire or high vacuum section.

Frequently sampled process data from a conical disc refiner and infrequently sampled pulp data from a full scale chemi-thermomechanical pulp (CTMP) mill were evaluated to study autocovariance with aspects of potential dynamic modelling applicability. Two trial measurements with an online pulp analyzer at decreased sampling intervals were performed. For variability analysis, time-series containing up to one day of operational data were used. At the chip refiner, the clearest significant autocovariance was identified for the specific electricity consumption, based on the longer sequences. Most of the estimated pulp properties indicated low or non-significant autocovariance, limiting applicability of a specific dynamic model. A mill trial was conducted to investigate the impact from an increase in the conical disc gap on the specific electricity consumption and the resulting freeness. The response time from the gap change in the refiner to measured change in freeness was estimated at 19 min, which was approximately the hydraulic residence time in the latency chest. The relevance of this study lies in applicability of mill-data-driven modelling to capture the dynamics of a specific refining process. Through mill trials the sampling speed of pulp properties was more than doubled to gain insights into short term systematic variations by applying time-series-analysis.

The use of infrared radiation for heating the web in the through air drying process was investigated in lab scale. The hypothesis was that infrared radiation should be a more efficient method to transfer drying energy to the wet web compared to hot air, but that a certain air flow is still required as a transport medium for the evaporated water. A trial program comprising handsheets made of two types of bleached chemical pulps, five grammages (15, 22, 30 and 60 g/m2), and dried with five radiator power levels was performed on a lab scale through air drying equipment. Drying times of the samples were determined from temperature data recorded with an infrared camera. The use of infrared radiation shortened drying times, especially for low grammage samples. The shortening of the drying time ranged between 10 and 45 %. The most substantial shortenings were obtained for the lowest grammages and the highest radiator power level. However, the increase of power did not linearly shorten drying time. After an initial shortening at the lowest power level, the positive effect of the IR heating decreased as the power was further increased. © 2018 Walter de Gruyter GmbH, Berlin/Boston.

Final dewatering in the production of dry creped tissue is performed by Yankee drying, which includes hot pressing followed by simultaneous contact and impingement drying. The present study models Yankee drying and compares simulation results to the data obtained from trials on a pilot tissue machine. It advances models published previously by the representations developed for the transport of heat in the pressing stage and for the heat transfer involved in the dehydration of the cylinder coating spray. The model predicts an average specific drying rate within 4% in the range of the experimental data used.

This investigation used numerical models to describe forming section sheet dewatering at the high vacuum suction boxes. Three different fabric structures were examined with numerical models for single-phase flow of air and for two-phase flow of air and water. This was done to evaluate how forming fabric structure influences sheet dewatering. The numerical models were compared with an experimental study of the same fabrics investigated on a laboratory suction box. The small differences in dewatering rate in the experimental study could be simulated with the models, which confirmed the validity of the models. This implies that these numerical models can be used to describe new fabrics and how they will respond in the papermaking process.