bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Understanding the Parameters Controlling the Resistance Spot Welding of DP980 Steel
Authors: Manimaran G. , Lakshminarayanan A.K. , Balaji S.
Published: August 2015

Empirical relationships were developed between the resistance spot welding process parameters (i.e. power, time and electrode force) and quality characteristics (i.e., tensile shear failure load and nugget diameter) of resistance spot welded DP980 steel joints. Further, the process parameters were optimized to get maximum tensile shear failure load and optimum nugget diameter. It is observed that, the electrode force of 4.25 kg/cm2, power of 70 kW and welding time of 3.5 sec yielded a maximum tensile shear failure load of 39 kN with an optimum weld nugget diameter of 4.58 mm.
Improving Wear Resistance of AISI 316LN Austenitic Stainless Steel Using Friction Stir Processing
Authors: Vignesh A. , Vijay Prakaash V.G. , Lakshminarayanan A.K.
Published: August 2015

An attempt is made to modify the surface metallurgically and enhance the wear resistance of AISI 316LN austenitic stainless steel using friction stir processing. Friction stir welding tools made up of tungsten based alloy with pin and pinless configuration was used. Fine equiaxed grains were observed in the friction stir processed zone irrespective of tool configuration used. Dry sliding wear resistance was evaluated using pin-on-disc wear tester and it is found that, the friction stir processed zone showed superior wear resistance compared to the base metal. Microstructure, micro hardness, and worn surfaces were used to correlate the results obtained.
Investigation of Thrust Forces, Torque and Chip Microstructure during Drilling of Ti-6Al-4V Titanium Alloy
Authors: Sushinder K. , Shivaram P.R. , Nivedh Kannaa S.B. , Gupta Nisarg , Sekar K.S. Vijay
Published: August 2015

Titanium Alloys are unique due to their high strength-weight ratio,good fracture and corrosion resistance characteristics.They form a significant metal portion of the aircraft structural and engine components. However, their low thermal conductivity and high reactivity with cutting tools during machining, makes them difficult-to-machine materials. In this work, an investigationof the thrust force, torque and chip morphology in drilling of Ti6Al4V, titanium alloy using tungsten carbide tipped drill has been carried out at varying cutting speeds of 19.4, 27.14, 43.41 and 67.82m/min at a constant feed rate of 0.15mm/rev.The machinability, work hardening and thermal softening effects of titanium alloy, during drilling, has been analysed through the effects of the machining process on the thrust force, torque and chip microstructure.
Experimental Study on the Machinability of Inconel 718 Alloy Using Coated Carbide Tool
Authors: Manohar M. , Jayakumar K. , Cherian Roy M. , George Koshy M.
Published: August 2015

While machining a material, it is essential to understand the characteristics of work material for choosing the favorable condition of the material, appropriate cutting tool, machining parameters to achieve desired optimum output. Accordingly, researchers always devise their studies to improve the machining processes resulting in enhanced product quality and increased production rate simultaneously. Such machining studies on super-alloys attract significance, since they are oriented towards overcoming the difficulties involved in machined out a component. Generation of heat in the cutting zone and high cutting forces on the tool being experienced while machining super-alloys, are due to poor thermal conductivity and work hardening characteristics. Above factors contribute to two basic problems viz. the inability of the tool materials to give long tool life and the metallurgical damage to the machined components due to induced stresses. Among the super-alloys, Inconel 718 is the widely used heat resistant super alloy (HRSA), which withstands stringent operating conditions in high and cryo temperature environments for longer duration. Studies on understanding the behavior and the relationship between work piece material, cutting tool materials, cutting conditions and the process parameters is an essential requirement for establishing and optimizing the machining process and the present work is tailored towards this objective. In this work, Inconel 718 alloy was subjected to turning experiments and the experimental data collected was used for constructing empirical models whose performance was assessed through statistical approach. It is established that the models developed could be used for predicting the output parameters for a set of input of parameters through 2-D (surface) and 3-D (contour) plots.
Dry Sliding Wear Behavior of Ni-Cr/Micro-ZrO2 Coated AISI 410 Grade Steel-Final Revision
Authors: Girisha K.G. , Rakesh R. , Anil K.C. , Sreenivas Rao K.V.
Published: August 2015

The most common industrial needs of coatings are to improve the surface properties such as, wear resistance, corrosion resistance and thermal conductivity/insulation. The use of expensive high strength materials and super alloys can be mitigated by using low grade materials covered with suitable coatings compatible with the media and service. Air plasma spray deposition method is used to achieve dense coating on substrate. The present research work demonstrates the wear properties of Ni-Cr/Micro-ZrO2 coating prepared through air plasma spray deposition (PSD) method. In this process, ZrO2 particulates of average particle size (10-40µm) were sprayed on Ni-Cr coated AISI 410 grade steel substrate. Distribution of ZrO2 particle was found uniform throughout the coating as revealed from SEM microphotographs. Dry sliding wear tests were performed on Pin-On-Disc Tribometer at room temperature with moderate humidity conditions. Significant improvement in wear performance was observed in Ni-Cr/Micro- ZrO2 coating deposited on steel via PSD which was also evident from worn surface morphology.
An Experimental Study on Machinability of Micro Alloyed Steel with K20 Single Layer (TiN) Coated Carbide Insert
Authors: Muniraj S. , Muthukrishnan Nambi
Published: August 2015

This paper presents the experimental study on machinability of micro alloyed steel. Raw material of chemical composition 38MnSiVS5 of diameter 60 mm and length 250 mm was machined using the medium duty lathe of 2 kW spindle power using K20 PVD single coated (TiN) Carbide insert. The investigation (turning) is carried out with three levels of cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cuts. An average surface roughness(Ra) of machined component and power consumption by the main spindle are measured. The optimum machining parameters have been identified. Results show higher cutting speed influence the good surface finish on this steel. In particular, surface finish is directly proportionate to the cutting speed.
Microstructure and Tensile Properties of Friction Stir and Gas Tungsten Arc Welded AZ91D Magnesium Alloy Joints
Authors: Shanmugasundaram A. , Lakshminarayanan A.K. , Annamalai V.E.
Published: August 2015

Influence of a fusion welding process namely gas tungsten (GTAW) and a solid state friction stir welding (FSW) on the microstructural changes and tensile strength variation of cast magnesium alloy joints were investigated and the results are compared. Of the two joints fabricated, FSW joint showed superior tensile properties compared to GTAW joint due to the difference in microstructural gradient across the weld cross section. Wider partially melted zone and heat affected zone was observed in GTAW joint due to the high heat input nature process compared to narrow heat affected zone in FSW joint. Microhardness measurement indicates that, the weld metal is overmatched compared to the base metal irrespective of welding process used.
Processing Techniques of a Silicon Carbide Heat Exchanger and its Capable Properties – A Review
Authors: Pachaiyappan R. , Gopinath R. , Gopalakannan S.
Published: August 2015

Silicon carbides is a composite ceramic material produced from inorganic non-metallic substances, formed from the molten mass which solidifies on cooling and simultaneously matured by the action of heat. It is used in various applications such as grinding wheels, filtration of gases and water, absorption, catalyst supports, concentrated solar powers, thermoelectric conversion etc. The modern usage of silicon carbide is fabricated as a heat exchanger for high temperature applications. Leaving behind steel and aluminium, silicon carbide has an excellent temperature withstanding capability of 1425°C. It is resistant to corrosion and chemical erosion. Modern fusion reactors, Stirling cycle based gas turbines, evaporators in evaporative cooling system for air condition and generator in LiBr/H2O absorption chillers for air conditioning those systems heat transfer rate can be improved by replacing a present heat exchanger with silicon carbide heat exchanger. This review presents a detailed discussion about processing technique of such a silicon carbide. Modern known processing techniques are partial sintering, direct foaming, replica, sacrificial template and bonding techniques. The full potential of these materials can be achieved when properties are directed over specified application. While eyeing over full potential it is highly dependent on processing techniques.
Characterization of Glass Fibre/Carbon Fibre Hybrid Thermoplastics Composite Laminates Fabricated by Film Stacking Method
Authors: Mudhukrishnan M. , Hariharan P. , Malhotra S.K.
Published: August 2015

The Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) composites are extensively used for a wide variety of applications in automobile, aerospace, chemical, biomedical and civil engineering fields due to their excellent properties. Composite materials offer significant advantages in strength-to-weight ratio and corrosion resistance over metallic materials. Initially FRP composites were based mainly on thermoset polymers because of the ease of manufacturing. But, recently FRP composites using thermoplastics matrices are gaining importance because of their advantages over thermoset composites. In the present work, FRP laminates were fabricated using glass fabric and carbon fabric as reinforcements and thermoplastic polymer (polypropylene) as matrix. Fiber Reinforced Thermoplastics (FRTP) laminates of glass fibre /polypropylene (GF/PP), carbon fibre/ polypropylene (CF/PP) and glass-carbon fibre /polypropylene (GF/CF/PP) hybrid composite laminates were fabricated by film stacking method using hot compression molding press under optimum process parameters (pressure, temperature and dwell time). The fabricated FRTP laminates were tested for various mechanical and physical properties viz., tensile strength/modulus, flexural strength/modulus, izod impact strength, moisture absorption, barcol hardness and density as per relevant ASTM standards. The results of the tests carried out on three materials were compared. It was observed that hybrid laminate (GF/CF/PP) is superior in flexural strength/modulus as compared to GF/PP but the little lower mechanical properties compared to CF/PP laminates. But use of hybrid laminates has great cost advantage compared to CF/PP.
Abrasive Assisted Electrochemical Machining of Al-B4C Nanocomposite
Authors: Rajkumar K. , Poovazhgan Lakshmanan , Saravanamuthukumar P. , Javed Syed Ibrahim S. , Santosh S.
Published: August 2015

Aluminium reinforced with SiC, Al2O3 and B4C etc. possesses an attractive combination of properties such as high wear resistance, high strength to weight ratio and high specific stiffness. Among the various reinforced materials used for aluminium, B4C has outperformed all others in terms of hardening effect. Particle size reduction of B4C is found to have positive impact on the material hardness. In the view of physical properties, B4C has less density than that of SiC and Al2O3, which makes it an attractive reinforcement for aluminium and its alloys for light weight applications. In this work, Al nano B4C composite prepared by ultrasonic cavitation method was machined by Abrasive assisted electrochemical machining using cylindrical copper tool electrodes with SiC abrasive medium. In this paper, attempts have been made to model and optimize process parameters in Abrasive assisted Electro-Chemical Machining of Aluminium-Boron carbide nano composite. Optimization of process parameters is based on the statistical techniques using Response Surface Methodology with four independent input parameters such as voltage, current, abrasive concentration and feed rate were used to assess the process performance in terms of material removal rate and surface finish. The obtained results were compared with abrasive assisted electro chemical machining of Aluminium-Boron carbide micro composite and the effect of particle size on the process parameters was analyzed.
Development and Property Evaluation of Fiber Reinforced Hybrid Epoxy Laminate Composite: Jute/E-Glass/Carbon-Fabric-Final Revision
Authors: Adaveesh B. , Anil K.C. , Vishwas M. , Archana R.P.
Published: August 2015

In this investigation, conventional hand layup method was employed to fabricate hybrid epoxy laminate composite. Jute fiber, E-glass fiber and carbon fiber fabrics of 500,200,200 gsm respectively were used as a reinforcements and epoxy with k-6 hardener was used as a matrix material. Tensile, compression and flexural tests were conducted as per the ASTM standards. It is observed that jute/carbon/epoxy laminate of 2mm thickness plate exhibits significant mechanical properties compare to jute/glass/epoxy laminate of 2mm laminate composite.
Preparation and Characterization of Al 64430 Metal Matrix Reinforced with SiC Particles
Authors: Gupta Tushar , Chaudhary Rahul , Jatti Vijaykumar S.
Published: August 2015

With the frequent change in technology and the need of materials with improved mechanical properties like tensile strength and hardness without any substantial increase in density, research in the area of metal matrix plays a key role in fulfillment of such requirements. The Aluminum 64430 is used for manufacturing general engineering items like vehicles, rail, bridges, cranes and other automotive parts. The aim of this study is to synthesize and characterize alloy Al 64430 by reinforcing it with SiC wt% of (0%, 3% and 6%) through liquid metallurgy route in order to achieve improved tensile strength and hardness in comparison to base Al alloy 64430. The optical micrographs disclose the consistent distribution of SiC particles in matrix. The mechanical tests of the composite resulted in increased tensile strength and hardness with the increase in SiC wt% in comparison to base alloy Al 64430.
Effect of Cyclic Loading Frequency on Flexural Modulus of GFRP Laminates with Resin Rich Intermediate Layers
Authors: Loganathan T.G. , Krishna Murthy R. , Kesavan Chandrasekaran
Published: August 2015

The flexural modulus of composite laminates subjected to cyclic loads of varying cycle periods are experimentally investigated in this work. GFRP composite laminate specimen of configuration 0/R/0/0/0, 0/R/30/60/0, 0/R/90/90/0 and 0/R/45/-45/0 are prepared by hand lay-up technique with a uniquely processed resin-rich intermediate layer for the testing. Specimens are exposed to constant amplitude cyclic loading of frequencies 4.6 Hz and 8.6 Hz. A cantilever configuration of specimen with cyclic tip loading is considered to simulate the conditions of a leaf of a laminated automobile leaf spring. The flexural response of the laminate is measured using three point bend test as per ASTM D 790 and damping by hysteresis loop. The observed reduction in flexural modulusand the increase in damping factor after loading are compared with virgin. Minimised flexural modulus deviations between the loading frequencies are favoured by the cushioning of resin rich intermediate layer in the lay-up.
Role of Two Stage Wet Layup Manufacturing Method to Fabricate and Test Chemically Treated Dora Hemp Particulate FRP Composites
Authors: Srinivasababu Nadendla , Avinash Devarakonda
Published: August 2015

Increasing concern about the environmental pollution, clear understanding of uncertainty of petroleum products resulted in the utilization of eco-friendly materials. In the present work dora hemp natural fibre is made into particulate form through chemical treatment. Then it is reinforced at 3.98 wt % into the polyester matrix to fabricate the composite lamina by “Two Stage Wet Layup”. A special focus is made in describing the hand/wet lay-up procedure. The post cured and machined composite specimens as per ASTM procedures are tested to determine the mechanical properties. Dora hemp particulate composites have showed the tensile strength, modulus 12.57 MPa, 197.47 MPa respectively. In the bending load they have showed a flexural strength, modulus of 38.08 MPa, 1.78 GPa respectively. The composites under the impact load had shown impact strength of 1.38 kJ/m2.
Effect of Magnesium Addition on Processing the Al-0.8 Mg-0.7 Si/SiCp Metal Matrix Composites
Authors: Poovazhagan L. , Rajkumar K. , Saravanamuthukumar P. , Javed Syed Ibrahim S. , Santhosh S.
Published: August 2015

Metal matrix composites (MMCs) play a vital role in today’s engineering industries. Stir casting is one of the most inexpensive methods for the production of particulate reinforced metal matrix composites. However there are few problems encountered in stir casting such as the problem of poor wettability of the reinforcement particles in the matrix metal. The reinforcement particles have the tendency to either settle at the bottom of the crucible or they tend to float at the top of molten metal. This is due to the greater surface tension of the molten metal. Various techniques are available to improve the wettability of the ceramic particles in metal matrix which includes Particle treatment, Particle coating and Addition of alloying agent. In this work, Magnesium (Mg) was used as the alloying element to improve the wettability of SiC particles in the Al matrix. Mg is used to reduce the surface tension of molten aluminum (Al) thus promoting proper wetting. To understand the effect of Mg on improving the wettability of SiC in aluminum matrix, different weight percentages of SiC particles reinforced aluminum alloy 6061(AA6061) based MMCs were fabricated in stir casting method by adding Mg as alloying element. The cast specimens were subjected to microstructural analysis, tension tests and hardness tests. Results showed that addition of Mg with SiC in AA6061 matrix significantly improved the wetting between Al and SiC; subsequently MMCs possessed enhanced mechanical properties.
Upshot of Ultrasonic Amplitude on Developing the AA6061/SiC Metal Matrix Nanocomposites
Authors: Poovazhagan L. , Kani Kalaichelvan , Balaji V.R. , Haripriya P. , Amith S.C.
Published: August 2015

In this work, AA6061/1.25 vol. % SiCp metal matrix nanocomposites (MMNCs) were fabricated using the ultrasonic cavitation assisted casting process. To investigate the effect of ultrasonic amplitudes on processing the MMNCs, the MMNC samples were processed with 15 µm, 30 µm and 50 µm of ultrasonic amplitudes. The results indicate that the ultrasonic amplitudes play a significant role in dispersing the SiC nanoparticles uniformly in the AA6061 melt and it also affecting the mechanical properties of the fabricated MMNCs. The AA6061/1.25 vol. % SiCp MMNC sample processed with 30 µm of ultrasonic amplitude possessed the good dispersion of SiCp in the Al melt and hence better mechanical properties compared to the MMNCs processed with 15 µm and 50 µm amplitudes.
Conductivity Studies on Nano ZnO Incorporated PVC-PVdF Gel Electrolytes for Li+ Ion Battery Application
Authors: Ravindran Dhandapani , Vickraman P , Sankarasubramanian N.
Published: August 2015

Polymer electrolytes with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) and poly(vinylidene fluoride)(PVdF) blend as matrix and lithium perchlorate (LiClO4) as dopant salt were prepared by solvent casting technique. Propylene carbonate was used as plasticizer and tetrahydrofuran (THF) as common solvent. Zinc oxide nano particles were synthesized through novel solid-state milling method and incorporated as filler. The content (wt%) of nano filler in the polymer electrolyte was systematically varied to study its influence on the conductivity of the electrolyte membranes. The films were subjected to complex impedance analysis in the frequency range 50 – 100 KHz. The analysis reveals the strong influence of filler particles on the conductivity profile of the electrolytes.
An Investigation of Mechanical Properties on Aluminium 6061 Reinforced with Silicon Carbide - Metal Matrix Composites
Authors: Radha A. , Vijaya Kumar K.R.
Published: August 2015

Composite materials like Aluminium metal matrix composite is playing a very important role in manufacturing industries e.g. automobile and aerospace industries, due to their superior properties such as light weight, low density, high specific modulus, high fatigue strength etc., In this study Aluminium(Al 6061) is reinforced with Silicon Carbide particles and fabricated by Stir Casting Technique (vortex method). The MMC rectangular bars (samples) are prepared with Al6061 and SiC (28 µ size) as the reinforced particles by weight fraction from 0%, 5%, 10%, and 15% of SiC. The microstructure analysis and Mechanical properties like Tensile Strength, Vickers Hardness and Charpy Impact Strength were investigated on prepared specimens. It is observed that the properties are increased with increasing of reinforced specimens by weight fraction.
Studies of Abrasive Water Jet Machining (AWJM) Parameters on Banana/Polyester Composites Using Robust Design Concept
Authors: Kalirasu S. , Rajini N. , Bharath Sagar N. , Mahesh Kumar D. , Gomathi Sankar A.
Published: August 2015

In this present work the banana/polyester was fabricated using hand layup method followed by compression moulding technique. The moulded composite was studied with special references to the Taguchi’s method for optimizing the cutting parameters of AWJM for minimizing the kerf width and kerf taper. An L9 (34) orthogonal array was selected to conduct the experiment with the identified significant parameters such as Feed rate, Pressure, Standoff distance and Abrasive Method. The significance of cutting parameters was analysed with the help of ANOVA. The optimum process parameters were identified with the help of signal to noise ratio (SN). The decreasing value of hardness was observed after the machining of composite using shore-D hardness tester. The influence of abrasive particle was found to be predominant affecting the performance of the output quality measures.
Experimental Analysis and Forecasting of Material Removal Rate and Cutting Force in End Milling on A356 Alloy-SiC Metal Matrix Composites
Authors: Jayakumar K. , Mathew Jose , Joseph M.A.
Published: August 2015

By considering several applications of aluminum based particle reinforced composites especially in automobile, aerospace and electronic industries, in this work, prediction of machinability responses of A356 alloy-SiC particles (5, 10, 15 and 20 vol%) reinforced metal matrix composites is described. Composites were synthesized by vacuum hot pressing (VHP) assisted powder metallurgy (P/M) process. Effect of cutting speed (Vc), feed (f), depth of cut (d) and quantity of SiC (vol %) on machinability of composites in terms of material removal rate (MRR) and resultant cutting forces (FR) during end milling were investigated. Milling experiments were carried in dry condition based on central composite design and KISTLER dynamometer was used to measure cutting forces. Resultant cutting force values were increased from 21 to 105 N with an increase in ‘f’ and ‘d’, but decreased with increase in ‘Vc’. Increase in machining parameters increased the MRR from 2.3 to 8.6 × 103 mm3/min and increase in SiC reduced the MRR. Statistical modeling with cubic response equations were used to predict the results and predicted results were closely matching with experimental values.
Influence of Particle Feeding Methods on Processing the AA6061/SiC Metal Matrix Nanocomposites
Authors: Poovazhgan Lakshmanan , Amith S.C. , Kali Avudaiappan A. , Haripriya P.
Published: August 2015

Aluminum alloy 6061 reinforced with 1.0 weight percentage of Silicon Carbide (SiC) nanoparticles were fabricated using the novel ultrasonic cavitation assisted stir casting approach. Three types of nanoparticle feeding mechanisms were attempted for fabricating the metal matrix nanocomposites. The fabricated nanocomposites were subjected to tension test, hardness test and scanning electron microscopic analysis. From the tested results, it was found that feeding the particles using Al foils followed by ultrasonic cavitation proved as a suitable method for obtaining the better mechanical properties of the fabricated nanocomposites. Scanning electron microscopy analysis confirmed the uniform dispersion SiC in Al matrix by capsule feeding method. Energy dispersive spectroscopy validates the incorporation of SiC in Al matrix.
Performance Evaluation of Tube-in-Tube Heat Exchanger Using Nanofluids
Authors: Naveen Prabhu V. , Suresh M.
Published: August 2015

Nanofluids are fluids containing nanometer-sized particles of metals, oxides, carbides, nitrides, or nanotubes. They exhibit enhanced thermal performance when used in a heat exchanger as heat transfer fluids. Alumina (Al2O3) is the most commonly used nanoparticle due to its enhanced thermal conductivity. The work presented here, deals with numerical simulations performed in a tube-in-tube heat exchanger to study and compare flow characteristics and thermal performance of a tube-in-tube heat exchanger using water and Al2O3/water nanofluid. A local element-by-element analysis utilizing e-NTU method is employed for simulating the heat exchanger. Profiles of hot and cooling fluid temperatures, pressure drop, heat transfer rate along the length of the heat exchanger are studied. Results show that heat exchanger with nanofluid gives improved heat transfer rate when compared with water. However, the pressure drop is more, which puts a limit on the operating conditions.
Experimental Investigation on the Performance and Emission Characteristics of Di-Diesel Engine Using Diesel-Ethanol Blends with Aqueous Cerium Oxide Nanofluid as Additive
Authors: Ravichandra Ganesh P. , Reddy K. Hemachandra
Published: August 2015

The paper presents an experimental investigation, to evaluate the performance and emission characteristics of a direct injection diesel engine using diesel-ethanol blends with aqueous cerium oxide nano fluid (ACN) as additive at different load conditions. The test fuel (D85E15ACN) prepared using ultrasonic sonicator, contains diesel 85%, ethanol 15% (D85+E15) by volume, with 1ml of aqueous cerium oxide nanofluid (ACN) added with the blend. The results show that, when the engine is run with D85E15ACN, there is an increase in brake thermal efficiency and reduction in hydrocarbon (HC), carbon monoxide (CO) and smoke emissions, compared to that of neat diesel.However, nitric oxide (NO) emission are more for D85E15ACN.
Performance and Emission Characteristics of a Di Diesel Engine Fuelled with Cashew Nut Shell Oil (CNSO)-Diesel Blends with Diethyl Ether as Additive
Authors: Kumar Ashok , Rajan K. , Rajaram Naraynan M. , Senthil Kumar K.R.
Published: August 2015

Cashew nut shell oil (CNSO) is potential alternative fuel for diesel engine. Its drawback is incomplete combustion and low brake thermal efficiency (BTE) due to high viscosity. To overcome this problem the CNSO was blended with diethyl ether (DEE) which is less viscous and burns easily. The influence of blends on CO, NOx and smoke emission is investigated by emission tests. The fuel containing 20% CNSO and 80% diesel fuel (B20), 95% B20 and 5% DEE by volume (B20D5), 90% B20 and 10%DEE by volume (B20D10) 85% and B20 and 15% DEE by volume (B20D15) are tested. Initially the experiment was conducted with different blends of CNSO-diesel blends like 10%, 20%, & 30% by volume basis in a diesel engine.The aim for the research of alternative fuel is to replace the sufficient amount of diesel fuel without affecting the existing engine performances. Increasing CNSO diesel blends performances reduces marginally. B10 shows more closer performances to diesel fuel, but replacement of 10% only diesel is not much. Using B30 and higher blends gives poor result. Hence it was decided to be B20. In the second stage B20 as a base fuel and it is blended with DEE 5%, 10% & 15% by volume basis at different load conditions. The result shows that B20D15 has BTE 26.50% which is very close to the base diesel fuel. The B20D15 emits 1200 PPM of NOx while diesel emits 1195 PPM but B20 emits 1450 PPM of Nox. Carbon monoxide (CO) emission also reduces for different blends of DEE. The smoke emission is 3.96, 3.38, 3.15 FSN of B20, B20 D15 and diesel respectively.
Performance and Emission Test of Different Mixtures of Oils with Diesel Using Twin Cylinder Four Stroke Diesel Engine
Authors: Vithya P. , Logesh V.
Published: August 2015

The use of fossil fuel is increasing drastically due to its consumption in all consumer activities. The utility of fossil fuel depleted its existence, degraded the environment and led to reduction in underground carbon resources. Hence the search for alternative fuels is paying attention for making sustainable development, energy conservation, efficiency and environmental preservation. The worldwide reduction of underground carbon resources can be substituted by the bio-fuels. The researchers around the world are finding the alternate fuel that should have the least impact on the environment degradation. This paper aims at finding an alternative for diesel and reducing the pressure on its existing demand. This study aimed at using two types of oil mixtures namely cashew nut shell oil and camphor oil mixed with diesel, turpentine oil mixed with diesel in different proportions as fuel in twin cylinder four stroke diesel engine. Performance and emission analysis have been performed by using exhaust gas analyzer in the oil samples. It was observed that 40% cashew nut shell oil and 10%camphor oil mixed with 50% diesel, 50% turpentine oil mixed with 50% diesel shows the better engine performance and also less emissions.
Effect of Ethanol on the Fuel Consumption of a Two Stroke Unmodified Commercial Petrol Engine
Authors: Kirthivasan A. , Amitesh Jain J. , Ramesh Akhilnandh , Ebenezer D.
Published: August 2015

Alternative fuel source such as ethanol possess great potential to replace conventional fuels such as petrol and diesel. There has been a great increase in the usage of such fuels in the developing world, of late, with many countries having already mandated the usage of ethanol blended petrol. In developing countries, two stroke internal combustion engines continue to be used for powering agricultural implements and auto rickshaws. This paper presents the experimental investigations carried out on the usage of petrol blended with different proportions of ethanol by volume (5%, and 10%) as a fuel for an unmodified and used 100cc two stroke SI engine. The objectives of the experimental investigations are to determine whether ethanol blended petrol can be used as a suitable fuel for the commonly used two stroke internal combustion engine without any modifications. Tests were carried out on the engine, with petrol as the fuel initially and then with ethanol blended petrol with increasing proportion of ethanol. The total fuel consumption rate seemed to increase upon addition of ethanol. However, the brake specific fuel consumption remained fairly constant. The fact that brake specific fuel consumption varies only marginally indicate that ethanol can be used as a substitute for petrol, as a fuel.
Preperation and Characterization Study of Phase Change Materials for Thermal Energy Storage Applications
Authors: Bhagyalakshmi Pasam , Rajan K. , Senthil Kumar K.
Published: August 2015

Thermal Energy Storage using phase change materials (PCM) has become an interesting area of energy research because of its high energy storage density, isothermal nature of storage process and small volume changes. In the present work paraffin wax (PW) and Palmitic acids(PA) are chosen as phase change materials and mixed in different proportions(40-60% PW-PA, 50-50% PW-PA and 60-40% PW-PA) to prepare eutectic PCMs. And also paraffin is combined with Copper oxide nano powder to prepare composite PCM. Differential Scanning Calorimetric (DSC) Tests have been conducted to find the latent heat capacity of the above combination of PCMs. The results showed that 40-60%PW-PA eutectic mixture is effective in increasing the latent heat of fusion compared to the other combinations.
A Review on Microalgae Biodiesel Production and its Usage in Direct Injection Diesel Engines as Alternate Fuel
Authors: Venkatesan V. , Nallusamy N.
Published: August 2015

Biodiesel is one of the promising alternative fuels for automotive engines due to the depletion of fossil fuel resources, increasing energy demands and environmental concerns. The biodiesel can be obtained from various bio energy resources such as edible and non-edible vegetable oils and animal fats. However, the use of biodiesel derived from edible oils such as palm oil, sunflower oil and soybean oil has negative impact on global food market. Biodiesel from microalgae is considered as a third generation biofuel derived from non-edible resources and best suited for internal combustion engines. Microalgae have the potential to provide sufficient fuel for global consumption due to its high oil content and fast growing ability. This paper provides a brief overview of biodiesel production from microalgae biomass and its suitability as alternate fuel in diesel engines. This review highlights the selection of suitable algae species for oil production, fuel properties in comparison with standard diesel and other biodiesel fuels, performance, combustion and emission characteristics when used in engines, and the economical aspects. Further, the research and development aspects of biodiesel from microalgae as fuel for automobile diesel engines are also reviewed.
RETRACTED: Feasibility Study on Wave Energy Conversion by a Modified Oscillating Water Column Device
Authors: Mohandas V.P. , Wilbert R. , Saji S.S. , Lukose Laiju
Published: August 2015

RETRACTED PAPER: Energy conversion from ocean waves has become the need of the hour in view of the renewable energy awakening occurring all over the world. Energy conversion by Oscillating Water Column (OWC) concept has become an established technology in converting mechanical energy of ocean waves to electrical energy. But the limitations of OWC concept calls for further research and developments to make the technology commercially an attractive one. In this context Boccotti, the Italian scientist advanced the double chamber concept and the implications of the concept still remains to be investigated through model studies. This paper presents the details of a generic study carried out in a physical model device under regular waves.
Experimental Study of Exergy Analysis on Flat Plate Solar Photovoltaic Thermal (PV/T) Hybrid System
Authors: Srimanickam B. , Vijayalakshmi M.M. , Natarajan Elumalai
Published: August 2015

The objective of present study is to conduct exergy analysis on flat plate solar photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) hybrid system. The solar insolation, current, voltage, inlet and outlet air temperature of the cooling duct, ambient air temperature, and solar panel surface temperature are the major parameters used to calculate the energy and exergy efficiency. An amended electrical efficiency is used to estimate the electrical output and performance of PV/T hybrid system. Further, an enriched equation for the exergy efficiency of a PV/T hybrid system has been used for exergy analysis. Finally, parametric studies have been carried out. An extensive energy and exergy analysis is carried out to calculate the electrical and thermal parameters. The experimental results are in good agreement with the earlier studies. In addition to that, the electrical efficiency, thermal efficiency, electrical thermal efficiency, overall energy efficiency and exergy efficiency of PV/T hybrid system is found to be about 9.78%, 24.22%, 27.17%, 44.84% and 11.23% respectively.
Bi-Directional Z-Source Inverter for Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage Systems
Authors: Shajith Ali U.
Published: August 2015

Superconducting magnetic energy storage (SMES) is basically a DC current energy storage technology which stores energy in the form of magnetic field. The DC current ﬂowing through a superconducting coil in a large magnet creates the magnetic ﬁeld. Because of its fast response during charging and discharging, ability of injecting/absorbing real or reactive power, high storage efficiency, reliability and availability, the SMES technologies are used in power system transmission control and stabilization, and power quality improvement. Generally, an SMES consists of the superconducting coil, the cryogenic system, and the power conversion system. The power conversion system normally uses a power electronic converter as an interface between the coil and AC output. This converter is needed to act as the boost converter during DC side to AC side power flow since the storage suffered from lower input voltage magnitude. On the other hand, the converter is required to work as buck converter during reverse power flow. So the converter must be having bidirectional power flow capability because the need to charge and discharge the coil. The bi-directional Z-source inverter is a new topology, which provides the circuit with bi-directional power flow capacity. This inverter can overcome the limitations of the basic Z-source inverter and be used as an interface between energy storage and utility. A novel modified space vector pulse width modulation (SVPWM) algorithm for bi-directional Z-source inverter is developed in this work, which improves the voltage gain during the boost mode. In the proposed modified SVPWM, four shoot-through states are assigned to each phase within zero state. So zero voltage time period is diminished for generating a shoot-through time, and active states are unchanged. Using MATLAB, the models of the bi-directional Z-source inverter based SMES is established, and the simulation tests are performed to evaluate the system performance.
Control of Industrial Drives through Multicell Impedance Source Inverter
Authors: Raghavendra Rajan Vijayaraghavan , Ajin Sekhar C.S. , Arun Kumaran B. , Sasikumar M.
Published: August 2015

In this paper, various power quality issues that occur while driving an industrial motor drive such as voltage sag, swell, interruptions are discussed. A solution for such issues is proposed drives during various conditions of power quality issues is discussed in detail and a comparison with traditional Z-source inverter is made. The results are validated for mathematically modelled using Multicell Z-source inverter. By controlling shoot-through duty cycle using various techniques such as Simple boost control, Maximum boost control, constant boost control these issues are addressed. Multicell Z-source inverter has come as a replacement for traditional Z-source inverter due to its less EMI noise; increased voltage level with increase in cell as well as reduced voltage stress makes it more advantages than traditional one. In this paper, control of industrial system of 3 kW induction drive in MATLAB/Simulink environment and the results are summarised.
Design and Experimental Verification of Linear Switched Reluctance Motor with Tapered Poles
Authors: Ganesh Sampath V. , Elavarasan R. , Lenin N.C. , Arumugam R.
Published: August 2015

Linear switched reluctance motors (LSRMs) are considered for numerous applications because of its inherent properties. The force ripple and hence acoustic noise and vibration make this machine failure in compete with the existing linear induction and linear synchronous machines. In this paper a new type of stator structure is proposed and experimented. The proposed structure provides less force ripple and vibration. Parameters like force ripple and vibration are predicted using finite element analysis (FEA). Experimental results are closely correlated with the predicted results.
Black Silicon for Higher Efficiency in Solar Cells
Authors: Raghunathan Digvijay
Published: August 2015

The very low efficiency of solar cells can be attributed to a plethora of reasons. The most important reason being, reflection of sunlight from the solar cell surface. Most of the sunlight incident on the solar cells gets reflected back due to the smooth surface of the silicon wafers. This paper presents a novel method to avoid this by using black silicon solar cells. Black silicon tends to make use of the concept of black body radiation to absorb all the rays incident on it and thereby reducing the reflectivity of the solar cell. The nano-fabrication technique involves usage of special wet-etch techniques to achieve nano-sized pores on the surface of silicon. In case of normal solar cells, usually layers of a suitable anti-reflective coating are given which tend to minimize the amount of reflection. This unfortunately increases the manufacturing cost. The unfavourable conditions of heat and dirt further tend to soil the layer of anti-reflective coating, reducing the gains of anti-reflective coating. Thus, black silicon solar cells provide better efficiency while simultaneously reducing the fabrication cost.
Image Processing Techniques to Analyse a 3D Model
Authors: Gururaj Mirji Sairaj , Arockia Selvakumar A
Published: August 2015

The Image processing technique incorporates human perception and intelligence which makes this field more interesting to the research community. The edge detection process is the most important step in image recognition system. In this paper a simple three dimensional model is created by taking the best edge detected image followed by comparison with various edge detection techniques using Labview software. HereCatia model of spur gear isdrawn by observing and analysing best suited edge detected image in order to make the design more precise in edges and geometry and also to make object recognition simple and further scope is given to design a Catia model using dimensional parameters with the help of vision assistant tool.
Fault Diagnosis of Centrifugal Pump and Vibration Control Using Shape Memory Alloy Based ATDVA
Authors: Senthilkumar Mouleeswaran , Yuvaraja M. , Kok M.
Published: August 2015

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in industry and also domestically. It is commonly used for its robust design and its efficiency. Every machine has to be monitored periodically in order to maintain its efficiency and also to avoid unexpected failure which lead to loss of efficiency. So fault diagnosis is necessary to monitor the pump periodically for finding out the defects in pump and to replace it if necessary. Dismantling and assembling of pumps during fault diagnosis is a tedious process, vibration analysis can be helpful to monitor the performance of the pump system without dismantling. For the experimentation purpose mono-block centrifugal pumps have been used in this work. By using the Lab VIEW program and DAQ card as an interface, amplitude and frequency of vibration is obtained at different axes of the pump with the help of an accelerometer. Then the vibration spectrum is analyzed and defects are pointed out by identifying the frequency at which the amplitude of vibration is above the danger limit. The defects such as unbalance of impeller, bent shaft in pump, misalignment of shaft, hydraulic pulsation, cavitation and bearing defects are diagnosed using vibration data. The frequency at which different defects are occurring has been founded out by means of experimentation in the centrifugal pumps. Thus by diagnosing centrifugal pump using vibration data reduces cost and time for periodical maintenance. Shape memory alloy based ATDVA is used to control the amplitude of vibration due to hydraulic pulsation. Around 60% reduction in amplitude of vibration is evident for the varying excitation frequency between 336 Hz and 340 Hz due to hydraulic pulsation.
Investigation of Biogas Production Using Organic Kitchen Wastes through Anaerobic Digestion
Authors: Thamilselvan D. , Arulkumar K. , Kannan M.
Published: August 2015

The present day’sresearch interests on bioenergy have been expanded rapidly due to oil crisis of 1980s. This bio energy should be available in locally and it’spurer than the fossil fuels. The field of bio energyis important for governments, scientists and business people in worldwide because of its available in nature and renewable resource. Todays the most important renewable energy is Biomass. The biological conversion of biomass to methane has become rapidly increasing in present days. All types of organic wastes can be converted to methane. In this study the installed plant is a sintex floating type biogas plant. The cubic capacity of plant is about 1000 liter. The pH range is maintained in the level of 6.8 to 7.5. The fermentation time of the anaerobic digestion for the efficient usage of gas as a fuel is about 30 days. Our biogas plant is used for all types of anaerobic respirating wastes such as cow dung manure, kitchen wastes etc.The input feed of kitchen waste is about 10 kg per day. The output of the biogas yield is about 0.714 m3/kg. The composition of biogas is 50% to 60% of methane and rather than remaining 30% to 40% CO2 and small amount of water about 2% to 5%. The performance characteristics of biogas plant are studied in this paper. To evaluate the performance of biogas production and pH variation throughout this study.
Radiation Induced Effects on Properties of Semiconducting Nanomaterials
Authors: Tripathi S.K. , Kaur Jagdish , Ridhi R. , Sharma Kriti , Kaur Ramneek
Published: August 2015

The irradiation of nanomaterials with energetic particles has significant effects on the properties of target materials. In addition to the well-known detrimental effects of irradiations, they have also some beneficial effects on the properties of nanomaterials. Irradiation effect can change the morphology of the materials in a controlled manner and tailor their mechanical, structural, optical and electrical properties. Irradiation induced modifications in the properties of nanomaterials can be exploited for many useful applications. With the aim of getting better performance of electronic devices, it is necessary to discuss the irradiation induced changes in the nanomaterials. In order to improve the irradiation hardness of electronic components, it is also crucial to have a fundamental understanding of the impact of the irradiation on the defect states and transport properties of the host material. In the present article, we review some recent advances on the irradiation induced effects on the properties of semiconducting nanomaterials. We have reviewed the effect of different types of irradiations which includes γ-irradiation, electron beam irradiation, laser irradiation, swift heavy ion irradiations, thermal induced, and optical induced irradiations, etc. on the various properties of semiconducting nanomaterials. In addition, the irradiation induced defects are also discussed.