bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
FPGA Implementation of a Robust MPPT of a Photovoltaic System Using a Fuzzy Logic Controller Based on Incremental and Conductance Algorithm
Authors: Allani M. Y. , Mezghani D. , Tadeo F. , Mami A.
Published: November 2020

Climate dependence requires robust control of the photovoltaic system. The current paper is divided in two main sections: the first part is dedicated to compare and evaluate the behaviors of three different maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques applied to photovoltaic energy systems, which are: incremental and conductance (IC), perturb and observe (P&O) and fuzzy logic controller (FLC) based on incremental and conductance. A model of a photovoltaic generator and DC/DC buck converter with different MPPT techniques is simulated and compared using Matlab/Simulink software. The comparison results show that the fuzzy controller is more effective in terms of response time, power loss and disturbances around the operating point. IC and P&O methods are effective but sensitive to high-frequency noise, less stable and present more oscillations around the PPM. In the second section, the FPGA platform is used to implement the proposed control. The FLC architecture is implemented on an FPGA Spartan 3E using the ISE Design Suite software. Simulation results showed the effectiveness of the proposed fuzzy logic controller.
A Novel Classification of Supply Chain Risks: A Review
Authors: Shahbaz M. S. , Sohu S. , Khaskhelly F. Z. , Bano A. , Soomro M. A.
Published: November 2020

Every organization is a complex supply chain system. If any fragment of this supply chain is disturbed, it will directly affect the entire structure. Numerous studies have been conducted to categorize the supply chain risk sources, but very few available cover all types of risks. This study did an extensive literature review and content analysis on the subject. A supply chain is the flow of information, material, and money starting from suppliers and ending to end-users. To cover all types of risks, risk sources must be based on three perspectives: (i) internal to the firm, (ii) external to the firm but internal to the supply chain, and (iii) external to the supply chain. Risks can be categorized into seven types under these three perspectives. Regarding internal risks, three types of risks come from the supply side, process side, and demand side, while these members of the supply chain are connected with the supply affected by logistic side risks, finance side risks, and collaboration side risks. The external environment also affects the supply chain so the seventh type of risks comes from environmental side risks. This study extends the literature of supply chain risk management by identifying new risk sources. This study will help the managers to understand what kind of risks can affect their supply chain. Future study can be conducted to empirically verify these risks sources.
Spatial Analysis of Soil Salinity in the Indus River Delta, Pakistan
Authors: Solangi G. S. , Siyal A. A. , Babar M. M. , Siyal P.
Published: November 2020

Soil salinization is one of the most damaging environmental problems in coastal areas, including Indus River Delta (IRD). Due to the reduction of flow in the Indus basin, saline water from the Arabian Sea is intruding into the IRD and has degraded the agricultural lands drastically. Focusing on the gravity of the problem, the present study was designed to explore the spatial distribution of soil salinity in the IRD. Physicochemical analysis of 375 soil samples randomly collected from 125 different locations within the study area was used. Analysis revealed that for the top 0-20cm of soil, about 66.4% of the samples had electrical conductivity (EC) values, and 72.8% sodium content (ESP) values higher than the FAO guidelines. Similarly, for soil depth of 20-40cm, 60.8% of the EC values, and 72% of ESP exceeded the safe limits. Finally, for 40-60cm of soil depth, 56.8% of the EC values and 79.2% of the ESP values were higher than the safe limits. Spatial analysis revealed that more than 50% of the IRD samples were affected by soil salinity. Reduced freshwater flow and the entry of saline water into the delta may likely be the causes of soil salinity in the IRD.
An Arduino-Based System for Monitoring and Protecting Overvoltage and Undervoltage
Authors: Tung D. D. , Khoa N. M.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, an experimental system based on Arduino Uno microcontroller board was developed for measuring electrical quantities and protecting overvoltage and undervoltage conditions in a single-phase power supply. The main components are described in detail, including the hardware and software to build the system in which an Arduino Uno platform is implemented as a vital microcontroller to read voltage and current measurement from a voltage sensor (ZMPT101B) and a current sensor (ACS712) respectively. In addition, the Arduino is also used to send all measurement to a PC through a serial port for monitoring the measured data graphically. The proposed method for designing the software uses the root mean square (RMS) method for measuring electrical quantities and then the RMS voltage measurement is compared with the minimum voltage and the maximum voltage to switch on or switch off the load. The monitoring GUI is designed with the use of the free and open-source Telemetry Viewer v0.5 software to monitor RMS voltage, RMS current, active power, and trip signal of the experimental system. The experimental results in this paper demonstrate that the system operated correctly.
Variation of Earthquake Ground Motions with Focus on Site Amplification Factors: A Case Study
Authors: Fukushima Y. , Nagao T.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, an evaluation of the variation of earthquake ground motions with a focus on site amplification factors based on spectral analysis is presented. By using strong motion record obtained at six sites in Japan, probability distributions of site amplification factors were shown. The relations between standard deviations of site amplification factors and distances between the sites were studied. The variations of representative values of earthquake ground motions based on the variations of site amplification factors were discussed by using probabilistic seismic hazard analysis with focus on Fourier amplitude and group delay time. The distributions of peak ground accelerations and peak ground velocities were shown. It is suggested that design earthquake ground motions considering the average site amplification factors may lead the engineering design on the dangerous side.
An Efficient Depth Estimation Technique Using 3-Trait Luminance Profiling
Authors: Usman I.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents an efficient depth estimation technique for depth image-based rendering process in the 3-D television system. It uses three depth cues, namely linear perspective, motion information, and texture characteristics, to estimate the depth of an image. In addition, suitable weights are assigned to different components of the image based on their relative perspective position of either the foreground or the background in the scene. Experimental results on publicly available datasets validate the usefulness of the proposed technique for efficient estimation of depth maps.
Performance of Segmental Post-Τensioned Concrete Beams Exposed to High Fire Temperature
Authors: Hekmet H. M. , Izzet A. F.
Published: November 2020

The present study illustrates observations, record accurate description and discussion about the behavior of twelve tested, simply supported, precast, prestressed, segmental, concrete beams with different segment numbers exposed to high fire temperatures of 300°C, 500°C, and 700°C. The test program included thermal tests by using a furnace manufactured for this purpose to expose to high burning temperature (fire flame) nine beams which were loaded with sustaining dead load throughout the burning process. The beams were divided into three groups depending on the precast segments number. All had an identical total length of 3150mm but each had different segment number (9, 7, and 5 segments), in other words, different segment lengths. To simulate genuine fire disasters, the nine beams were exposed to high-temperature flames for one hour along with the control specimens. The selected temperatures were 300°C (572°F), 500°C (932°F), and 700°C (1292°F) as recommended by the standard fire curve (ASTM–E119). The specimens were cooled gradually at ambient laboratory conditions. The performance of the prestressed segmental concrete beams through the burning process was described with regard to the beams camber, spalling, and occurred deterioration.
Computational Model for the Evaluation of Reinforced Concrete Silos Subjected to Thermal Load
Authors: Khalifa W. M. A. , El-Kashif K. F. O.
Published: November 2020

Silos are special structures subjected to many different unconventional loading conditions like temperature differences which result in unusual failure modes. So, it is necessary for many codes to maintain and study the effect of thermal loads in design. The evaluation of design and construction practices is an essential step in the development of the design code for reinforced concrete (RC) silos, especially in arid zones like Saudi Arabia. This work evaluates the effect of thermal loads on silo wall design in terms of applied forces and stresses. These thermal loads affect the silo walls in two main manners, tangential oriented stresses (circumferential stress) due to thermally induced surcharge pressure during cooling of a filled silo structure and stresses due to differences of temperature across the wall thickness. A computation analytical finite element model (FEM) has been applied in a commercial analyzing program (SAP 2000 version 16). Various code provisions were used with comparison with the FEM results. For hoop forces, EU regulation, German standard, and Polish norm provisions were compared with a linear FEM with two parameters, wall thickness and temperature difference. For oriented stresses in silo wall, the American concrete institute (ACI) provisions were used in comparison with linear and nonlinear FEM with the same two parameters, wall thickness and temperature difference. This work showed that the nonlinear analysis of FEM has good matching with the corresponding values in ACI, leading to the conclusion that nonlinear analysis is more accurate than linear analysis. Moreover, the study results of hoop forces showed a distinct pattern with the temperature difference, silo radii, and insignificant silo wall thickness for each of FEM, EU, and Poland codes. This study is used for the rapid determination of critical areas of concern for critical loading combinations and for varying silo configurations.
LabVIEW Based Implementation of Resistive Temperature Detector Linearization Techniques
Authors: Ghaly S. M. A.
Published: November 2020

Resistance temperature detectors (RTDs) are high-quality temperature sensors used for accurate temperature measurements and ideally suited for industrial applications, but their non-linearity is a serious drawback in temperature monitoring in which precise measurement and control are crucial. In this paper, two linearization techniques are implemented in LabVIEW environment involving voltage divider and feedback compensation circuits. The presented techniques considerably decrease the effects of non-linearity and may accommodate temperature variations).
Implementation of a Broad Range Smart Temperature Measurement System using Auto-Selected Multi-Sensor Core in LabVIEW Environment
Authors: Ghaly S. M. A. , Khan M. O. , El Mehdi S. O. , Al-Awad M. , Asad Ali Μ. , Al-Snaie K. A.
Published: November 2020

A conventional temperature sensing system employs a single transducer to convert temperature into an electrical signal. Such a system suffers from the limitation of the sensing range of the sensing device thereby affecting its accuracy and its capability. Therefore to make an accurate measurement in a typically abrupt temperature varying environment, a broad range high precision sensor is required. In this paper, an attempt is made to implement a wide spectrum temperature measurement system using auto-selected multi-sensor core in LabVIEW. This multi-sensor core can be composed of a set of different sensors having different capabilities to measure different temperatures ranges. These sensors are auto-selected by the program depending on the environment. This concept may be useful for space applications or it can also be useful for the monitoring of temperature and pressure in an oil/gas transportation or supply by means of underground/sea pipeline system or in a refinery plant. Further, this may also be applied for high precision temperature sensing in magnetic resonance imaging system applications.
Experimental Study on the Use of Rice Husk Ash as Partial Cement Replacement in Aerated Concrete
Authors: Saand A. , Ali T. , Keerio M. A. , Bangwar D. K.
Published: November 2020

This paper adopts an experimental approach on the use of rice husk ash as a partial replacement of cement in the production of concrete and the consequent effects on density, compressive strength and split tensile strength of the formulated product. Rice husk ash is used as replacement of cement in different dosages of 0%, 2.5%,5%, 7.5%, 10%, 12.5%, and 15%. Results showed that 10% replacement of cement with rice husk ash is optimum. At 10% replacement of cement with RHA, the density is increased by 5.02%, the compressive strength by 22.22% and the split tensile strength by 20.45% in comparison with control aerated concrete.
Influence Of Casting Temperature On The Structural Behavior Of Concrete
Authors: Panhyar M. A. , Shah S. N. R. , Shaikh F. A. , Jhatial A. A.
Published: November 2020

Concrete is the most preferred construction and building material and its demand is not expected to diminish in the near future. The properties of concrete are affected by various factors, one of them is the temperature at casting. This experimental work was carried out in order to study the effect of high temperature on workability, and compressive and flexural tensile strength of concrete. It was found that higher temperatures caused water content evaporation from the mix during casting, causing reduction in workability, but simultaneously increased the strength compared to concrete cast at controlled temperatures).
Analysis of PM Magnetization Field Effects on the Unbalanced Magnetic Forces due to Rotor Eccentricity in BLDC Motors
Authors: Mahdiuon-Rad S. , Mousavi-Aghdam S. R. , Reza Feyzi M. , Sharifian M. B. B.
Published: November 2020

This paper investigates both static and dynamic eccentricities in single phase brushless DC (BLDC) motors and analyzes the effect of the PM magnetization field on unbalanced magnetic forces acting on the rotor. Three common types of PM magnetization field patterns including radial, parallel and sinusoidal magnetizations are considered. In both static and dynamic eccentricities, harmonic components of the unbalanced magnetic forces on the rotor are extracted and analyzed. Based on simulation results, the magnetization fields that produce the lowest and highest unbalanced magnetic forces are determined in rotor eccentricity conditions.
A Literature Review on Collaborative Caching Techniques in MANETs: Issues and Methods used in Serving Queries
Authors: Elfaki M. A. , Abdellatief M. , Alwan A. A. , Wahaballa A.
Published: November 2020

Collaborative cache management in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks (MANETs) environment is considered as an efficient technique to increase data accessibility and availability, by sharing and coordination among mobile nodes. Due to nodes’ mobility, limited battery power and insufficient bandwidth, researchers addressed these challenges by developing many different collaborative caching schemes. The objective of this paper is to review various collaborative caching techniques in MANETs. Collaborative caching techniques are classified by methods used in serving queries, such as: hop-by-hop discovering, broadcasting messages, flooding, and query service differentiation. This review reveals that techniques utilizing hop-by-hop methods have better performance compared to others, especially techniques using additional strategies.
Adaptive Fuzzy Type-2 Synergetic Control Based on Bat Optimization for Multi-Machine Power System Stabilizers
Authors: Nechadi E.
Published: November 2020

A new, adaptive, fuzzy type-2 fast terminal, synergetic multi-machine power system stabilizer is proposed in this study, based on the Bat algorithm. The time spent to reach the equilibrium point, from any initial state, is guaranteed to be finite. The adaptive fuzzy type-2 design is applied to estimate the unknown functions of a multi-machine power system. The parameters of the fast terminal synergetic control are optimized, using bat metaheuristic method. In order to test the robustness of the proposed stabilizer, three load conditions, of the multi-machine power system are studied. A comparison of the proposed adaptive fuzzy type-2 synergetic power system stabilizer with bat conventional approach is presented, indicating improved performance. The control system stability is assessed by the second theorem of Lyapunov and is proven to be asymptotically stable.
Micrometer and Millimeter Wave P-to-P Links Under Dust Storm Effects in Arid Climates
Authors: Shamsan Z. A. , Alammar M. , Alharthy A. , Aldahmash A. , Al-Snaie K. A. , Al-Hetar A. M.
Published: November 2020

A dust storm is the main attenuation factor that can disturb receiving radio signals in arid climate condition as in Saudi Arabia. This paper presents a study on the effect of dust storms on the received radio frequency power in a homogenous environment in the city of Riyadh. A number of micrometer and millimeter wave links have been considered along with several measured dust storm data to investigate the dust storm effects. The results showed that dust storm can critically influence the communication link and this effect grows up as the physical distance between the transmitter and the receiver increases. The negative effect of the dust storm apparently appears at high-frequency bands allocated for the next communication generation (5G) which imposes finding solutions to mitigate the effects of this phenomenon.
Effect of the Presence of Basements on the Vibration Period and Other Seismic Responses of R.C. Frames
Authors: Alomari J. A.
Published: November 2020

The soil-structure interaction (SSI) of R. C. building frames including basements below ground level has been the subject of extended research, mostly in the form of theoretical dynamic analysis. There are different issues concerned with this type of work, as e.g. the location of the base of the structure. Usually, the base of the structure in dynamic analysis or according to the codes is the level at which the lateral displacement is zero. According to this definition, and with the presence of basement floors and the soil mass below, the ground level may not be the base of the structure. The soil stiffness around basement walls has a great effect on the lateral displacement of the basement floor. Another issue is the effect of the presence of the basement floors on the dynamic behavior of the structure. A third issue is the effect of the soil around the basement walls and the soil mass below the foundation in general, which is known as the SSI. In this paper, 3-dimensional regular building frames subjected to seismic loading are analyzed using SAP2000 software. The first frame is a 5-floor, 3-D frame without including the soil mass below the raft foundation and without a basement floor. The second frame is the same frame with a basement floor and with consideration of the soil mass below the raft foundation and around the walls of the basement floor. The third frame is the same frame with consideration of the soil mass below the raft foundation but without the basement floor. Results of the seismic time history analysis and UBC97 response spectrum analysis are presented and discussed.
Bubbles in Insulating Liquids: A Short Review
Authors: Danikas M.
Published: November 2020

This paper deals with the influence of bubbles in insulating liquids and their role in liquid breakdown. Bubbles play a deleterious role in the dielectric strength of insulating liquids. Depending on their shape and localized electric field, bubbles may significantly lower the dielectric strength of insulating liquids. The present paper offers a short review – albeit incomplete – on the role of bubbles and tries to elucidate their relation to the total breakdown of dielectric liquids. It also proposes some further fields of research.
Experimental Study of the Two-Phase Flow Patterns of Air-Water Mixture at Vertical Bend Inlet and Outlet
Authors: Musa V. A. , Abdulkareem L. A. , Ali O. M.
Published: November 2020

Air-water two-phase flow in pipes introduces a noticeable challenge due to the complexity of the fluids. Thus, to estimate the best design and reasonable financing cost of the transportation pipelines where the bends are presenting a part of their accessories, the investigators should have been able to estimate the flow regime occurring at different directions. An experiment was carried out by using a 90o bend fixed with two pipes where the flow was upstream from a vertical to a horizontal pipe which were representing the bend inlet and outlet respectively. Two wire-mesh sensors were used for obtaining the data of the void fractions (α) at water superficial velocities (Usl) which changed from 0.052 to 0.419m/s, and air superficial velocities (Usg) from 0.05 to 4.7m/s. Furthermore, the characterization of flow regimes of the air-water flow at both bend inlet and outlet were competed accurately by using void fraction analysis of the time series, Power Spectral Density (PSD), tomographic images observed by the sensor program, and the Probability Density Function (PDF) method. The flow regimes of vertical flow lines at the bend inlet were observed as bubbly, cap-bubble, slug, and churn flow, whereas the flow regimes of the horizontal flow line at the bend outlet were characterized as having stratified, stratified wavy, bubbly, plug, slug, wavy annular, and semi-annular flow due to the gravity and bend effects.
A Decision Support System for the Prediction of Wastewater Pumping Station Failures Based on CBR Continuous Learning Model
Authors: Trstenjak B. , Palasek B. , Trstenjak J.
Published: November 2020

Nowadays the communities are facing the problem of waste and wastewater. While wastewater systems have become more complex, the need for development of sustainable solution for wastewater management emerged. Therefore, the development of a Decision Support System (DSS) for wastewater disposal management became necessary. This paper presents a new DSS for predicting the failure of wastewater pumping stations, the system architecture and its implementation. The prediction model is based on the Case Based Reasoning (CBR) classification method. The standard CBR classification technique has been upgraded with an algorithm for continuous learning. The paper describes the system structure, its connection to the wastewater system, the internal processes involved in the prediction process and the implemented algorithm for continuous learning. Furthermore, the features used in the prediction are indicated along with the achieved results and the method of results evaluation. The test and obtained results indicate that the proposed DSS is efficient and capable of providing very good results in the prediction process.
Performance Analysis of Duplicate Record Detection Techniques
Authors: Adil S. H. , Ebrahim M. , Ali S. S. A. , Raza K.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a comprehensive performance analysis of duplicate data detection techniques for relational databases has been performed. The research focuses on traditional SQL based and modern bloom filter techniques to find and eliminate records which already exist in the database while performing bulk insertion operation (i.e. bulk insertion involved in the loading phase of the Extract, Transform, and Load (ETL) process and data synchronization in multisite database synchronization). The comprehensive performance analysis was performed on several data sizes using SQL, bloom filter, and parallel bloom filter. The results show that the parallel bloom filter is highly suitable for duplicate detection in the database.
Influence of Coarse Aggregate Gradation on the Mechnical Properties of Concrete, Part I: No-Fines Concrete
Authors: Tunio Z. A. , Abro F. U. R. , Ali T. , Buller A. S. , Abbasi M. A.
Published: November 2020

It is well-accepted fact that in concrete construction, the self-weight of the structure is a major part of its total load. Reduction in the unit weight of the concrete results in many advantages. The structural lightweight aggregate concrete (LWAC) of adequate strength is now very common in use. In frame structures, the partition walls are free of any loading, where the construction of these non-structural elements with lightweight concrete of low strength would lead to the subsequent reduction of the overall weight of the structure. No-fines concrete is one of the forms of lightweight concrete and it is porous in nature. It can be manufactured similarly as normal concrete but with only coarse aggregates and without the sand. Thus, it has only two main ingredients; the coarse aggregates and the cement. The coarse aggregates are coated with a thin cement paste layer without fine sand. This is a detailed experimental study carried on NFC with fixed cement to the aggregate proportion of 1:6 with w/c 0.40 ratio. In this study, coarse aggregate of  various gradations (7-4.75) mm, (10-4.75) mm, (10-7) mm, (13-4.74) mm, (10-7) mm, (13-4.75) mm, (13-10) mm, (13-7) mm, (20-4.75) mm, (20-7) mm, (20-10) mm, (20-13) mm, are used, where prefix and suffix show the maximum and minimum size of the aggregate. The cube and cylinder specimens of standard sizes are cast to determine the compressive strength and splitting tensile and the specimens are cured in water up to the age of testing (28 days).
Variable Gain PI Controller Design For Speed Control of a Doubly Fed Induction Motor Using State-Space Nonlinear Approach
Authors: Mohammed Chikouche T. , Mezouar A. , Terras T. , Hadjeri S.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a comparison between a variable gain PI controller and a conventional PI  controller used for speed  control with an indirect field orientation control of a Doubly Fed Induction Motor (DFIM), fed by two PWM inverters with a separate DC bus link. By introducing a new approach for decoupling the motor’s currents in a rotating (d-q) frame, based on the state space input-output decoupling method, we obtain the same transfer function (1/s) for all four decoupled currents. Thereafter, and in order to improve control performance, the VGPI controller was used for speed regulation. The results obtained in Matlab/Simulink environment illustrate the effectiveness of the technique employed for the decoupling and for speed regulation.
Behavioral Intention to Use IoT Technology in Healthcare Settings
Authors: Alanazi M. H. , Soh B.
Published: November 2020

Rapid scaling of using the Internet of Things (IoT) technology has been seen recently in numerous applications in healthcare to deliver proper services. This was motivated by the declining size and cost of the employed IoT devices. Developing such technology has been well investigated in the literature; however, few studies have explored the factors influencing its adaptation in the healthcare setting. In this study, we investigate the core factors that influence the acceptance of using IoT for Healthcare Purposes in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Accordingly, a theoretical framework, based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), was developed and tested empirically. The modified model added variables that provide a better explanation of the acceptance of healthcare technology. To ground our conceptual idea, a survey was designed and performed on 407 patients (207 males, 200 females). The Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) technique was applied to analyze the effect of eight hypothesized predicting constructs on the collected data. Results revealed that cost, privacy concerns, and perceived usefulness were the most significant predictors of behavioral intention to use. However, attitude and perceived connectedness were found to be irrelevant in predicting the intention to use IoT. Ultimately, results found that there is no correlation between gender and behavioral intention.
An Integrated Decision Support Model For Enhancing Continuous Improvement Of Academic Programs
Authors: Al-Shargabi M. A.
Published: November 2020

Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) in higher educational institutions is considered an aspect that plays a vital role in maintaining excellence in teaching and learning. It focuses on several critical phases such as designing Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs) assessment plans, collecting data, evaluating the of PLO achievement results, and designing and implementing improvement actions to achieve educational goals. CQI is very critical to assess and improve the educational process. As it appears, academic program decision-makers find difficult to formulate and implement an authentic CQI for their programs without the help of decision support systems (DSSs). Therefore, this paper proposes an integrated decision support model that provides CQI decision support to enhance academic programs. Moreover, it provides authentication of the CQI process by auto-checking the accuracy of the CQI phases (assessment, evaluation, designing, and implementing improvement). After the development and implementation of the proposed model in a bachelor-level academic institution, the results show that the proposed model provides decision support for enhancing academic program’s CQI, and authentication of the CQI accuracy, which will lead to the improvement of the educational process and the achievement of educational goals.
Problems and Barriers Affecting Total Productive Maintenance Implementation
Authors: Munir M. A. , Zaheer M. A. , Haider M. , Rafique M. Z. , Rasool M. A. , Amjad M. S.
Published: November 2020

Total productive maintenance (TPM) is at the forefront of the maintenance strategies which brought about a paradigm shift from repair-maintenance strategy to proactive maintenance. The philosophy of TPM entails the facets of cost reduction and increased productivity. However, it has been observed that many manufacturing enterprises have made unsuccessful attempts at its adoption. In order to detect and overcome a qualitative research methodology has been employed and a survey has been carried out identifying the barriers and categorizing them to strategic, managerial, departmental, financial, and social regimes through rigorous data analysis. It was observed that strategic constraints are primarily detrimental to the success of TPM due to the lack of defined strategies for workers by management. Moreover, the departmental constraints are present due to misalignment between TPM and departmental objectives, in addition to the lack of training for workers in the system for TPM implementation. Moreover, there are managerial and financial constraints due to the lack of information visibility and finances, social constraints due to gap between top management authorization and worker mentality. Finally, a proper strategy has been proposed to address the issues affecting TPM implementation.
Surface and Deep Soil 222Rn Gas Exhalation Comparison: A Case Study in Tawke, Duhok, Northern Iraq
Authors: Kareem I. M. , Abdulkareem L. A. , Al-Barudi H. I.
Published: November 2020

In this study, 13 different surface locations and 20 mud samples were collected during drilling, from one of the oil wells in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The samples were taken at different well depths. RAD7 technique was used for finding the radon concentration. The smallest values in soil and surface were 14.12±8.59 and 16±4.24Bq/m3 and the highest were 93.25+21.72 and 137±8.76Bq/m3 respectively. The difference in the depth and surface formation shows the surface formation over depth ratio. The exhalation rate recorded value of the surface was generally higher than that of the depth formations. The exhalation results were finally compared with the recommended values of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) levels. The data show that it was less than the standards of IAEA.
Design Practices in Harmonic Analysis Studies Applied to Industrial Electrical Power Systems
Authors: Mekhamer S. F. , Abdelaziz A. Y. , Ismael S. M.
Published: November 2020

Power system harmonics may cause several problems, such as malfunctions of electrical equipment, premature equipment failures and plant shutdowns. Accordingly, mitigation of these harmonics is considered an important target especially for industrial applications where any short downtime period may lead to great economic losses. Harmonic analysis studies are necessary to analyze the current and voltage harmonic levels and check if these levels comply with the contractual or international standard limits. If the studies reveal that the preset limits are exceeded, then a suitable harmonic mitigation technique should be installed. Harmonic analysis studies in the industrial electrical systems are discussed in many references. However, a comprehensive procedure for the steps required to perform a harmonic study is rarely found in the literature even though it is strongly needed for design engineers. This paper provides a comprehensive procedure for the steps required to perform a harmonic study in the form of a flowchart, based on industrial research and experience. Hence, this paper may be considered as a helpful guide for design engineers and consultants of the industrial sector.
Contribution of FACTS Devices to the Transient Stability Improvement of a Power System Integrated with a PMSG-based Wind Turbine
Authors: Akpeke N. E. , Muriithi C. M. , Mwaniki C.
Published: November 2020

The increasing penetration of wind energy to the conventional power system due to the rapid growth of energy demand has led to the consideration of different wind turbine generator technologies. In fault conditions, the frequency of the power system decreases and eventually leads to speed differences between the grid and the interconnected wind generator. This can result to power system problems such as transient instability (TS). This paper focuses on enhancing the TS of a permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG)-based power system during 3ph fault conditions using FACTS devices. The power system considered is connected to a large wind farm which is based on PMSG. Critical clearing time (CCT) is used as an index to evaluate the transient state of the system. Under the study of an IEEE-14 bus system using PSAT as a simulation tool, the integrated CCT with PMSG-based wind turbine is improved with three independent FACTS devices. One of the synchronous generators in the test system has been replaced at random with the PMSG-based wind turbine which is meant to generate an equivalent power. Time domain simulations (TDSs) were carried out considering four study cases. Simulation results show that the (CCT) of the system with the FACTS devices is longer than the CCT without them, which is an indication of TS improvement.
Analysis of CO2, CO, NO, NO2, and PM Particulates of a Diesel Engine Exhaust
Authors: Jamali Q. B. , Bhatti M. T. , Qazi Q. A. , Kaurejo B. H. , Qazi I. A. , Solangi S. H. , Jamali A. S.
Published: November 2020

Exhaust emissions of a diesel engine are considered to be a substantial source of environmental pollution. Diesel engines are mainly used in vehicles and power generation. The usage of diesel engines is unavoidable as they give more power and performance, but at the same time, higher usage of diesel engines leads to increased air pollution, sound pollution, and emissions to the environment. Therefore, various attempts have been made to control the harmful emissions of engines. For this reason, different devices have been made such as catalytic convertors to overcome emission problems and purify the harmful gases. In order to meet these ends, a new system was designed that would contribute to controlling the air pollution of the engines. The system is also known as an aqua silencer, and its design is somehow different but still can be used as a silencer. The newly designed emission controller was installed in a test-bed diesel engine and a total of twenty experiments were conducted with and without the new emission controller at constant speed and at constant load. During these experiments, exhaust gases were analyzed with flue gas analyzers measuring CO2, CO, NO2, NO, and PM. The study concluded that the contaminants of diesel engine exhaust gases were) controlled by the developed emission controller.
Optimal Battery Sizing of a Grid-Connected Residential Photovoltaic System for Cost Minimization using PSO Algorithm
Authors: Regis N. , Muriithi C. M. , Ngoo L.
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a new optimization technique that uses Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) in residential grid-connected photovoltaic systems. The optimization technique targets the sizing of the battery storage system. With the liberation of power systems, the residential grid-connected photovoltaic system can supply power to the grid during peak hours or charge the battery during non-peak hours for later domestic use or for selling back to the grid during peak hours. However, this can only be achieved when the battery energy system in the residential photovoltaic system is optimized. The developed PSO algorithm aims at optimizing the battery capacity that will lower the operation cost of the system. The computational efficiency of the developed algorithm is demonstrated using real PV data from Strathmore University. A comparative study of a PV system with and without battery energy storage is carried out and the simulation results demonstrate that PV system with battery is more efficient when optimized with PSO.
Performance Study of Wireless Systems with Switch and Stay Combining Diversity over α-η-μ Fading Channels
Authors: Eyadeh A. A. , Al-Ta'ani M. N.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, we consider a Switch and Stay Combiner (SSC) diversity scheme operating over α−η−μ fading channel. New and closed-form expressions for the average output SNR (ASNR), the moment-generating function (MGF), the outage probability (P_out), and the average symbol error rate (ASER) for M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) signaling are derived. The expressions are obtained in terms of the well-known bivariate Fox’s H-function (BFHF). It is worth pointing out that the BFHF and the bivariate Meijer’s G-function (BMGF) have recently been used extensively in wireless communications literature to study the system's performance. The evaluated results are plotted for channel parameters of interest, and the effect of fading severity on the combiner performance is studied. Moreover, the results are shown to match those previously reported in the literature for other channel models such as η−μ as a special case, which confirms the validity of the obtained expressions. Also, insights on the optimal choice of the switching threshold are provided.
Battery Charging Optimization of Solar Energy based Telecom Sites in India
Authors: Dhaked D. K. , Gopal Y. , Birla D.
Published: November 2020

Telecom sites get the power normally from the grid. At the occurrence of power outages power need to be supplied for telecom sites. The battery bank is a good option for telecom sites to fulfil power demand. This paper discusses a smooth battery bank charging and discharging system with solar power as the input supply source. The system requires a large capital investment, but it provides uninterrupted emergency power when needed. Maintaining battery banks is essential for getting optimum performance. This paper also discusses the power requirements for telecom sites backup and various parameter impacts on battery life. Methods are derived to optimize charging management of batteries in order to get maximum lifespan in addition to better battery performance throughout its useful life.
Evaluating Pollutants of Emerging Concern in Aquatic Media Through E-PRTR Regulation.	A Case Study: Cordoba, Spain, 2009-2018
Authors: Marin Galvin R.
Published: November 2020

The E-PRTR EU Regulation can be followed for the evaluation of the level of pollutants of emerging concern in treated wastewater. This regulation is of regional responsibility in the UE, and establishes for the Andalusian region of Spain the following pollution parameters as mandatory to be controlled periodically in treated wastewater in Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTPs) with more than 100.000 equivalent inhabitants of treatment capacity: COD, N-Kjeldahl, total P, Cl-, F- (conventional pollution); As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Ni, Zn and Pb, as heavy metals; PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons), adsorbed organic halides (AOXs), benzene and chloroform, as organic compounds. This paper shows results obtained in the application of the E-PRTR Regulation to the wastewater of Cordoba during 2009-2018. As shown, average of COD, N-Kjeldahl an total P values, respectively, in urban and treated wastewater were 604 and 89 mg/L, 54.1 and 33.4 mg/L and 3.4 and 1.4 mg/L. With respect to heavy metals, the mean content in treated wastewater was 0.135 mg/L, starting from 0.226 mg/L in raw wastewater. The majority of these are Cu and Zn (0.043 mg/L and 0.107 mg/L, respectively, in raw wastewater). For pollutants of emerging concern, the mean content of PAHs was 13 ng/L in treated water vs 31 ng/L in raw wastewater. Moreover, concentration of AOXs in raw wastewater was of 20 ng/L while in treated wastewater decreased up to 16 ng/L. Also, benzene content in raw wastewater and treated wastewater decreased from 40 ng/L to 11 ng/L. Finally, the major organic compound was chloroform, with a level in raw wastewater of 5.6 ng/L that was reduced along the treatment up to 3.2 ng/L. The provided data indicated a low concentration of the compounds of emerging concern in the wastewater of Cordoba and its minimal impact on the receiving aquatic environment (the Guadalquivir river).
Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of Compressible Flow Through a Converging-Diverging Nozzle using the k-ε Turbulence Model
Authors: Khalid M. W. , Ahsan M.
Published: November 2020

The thrust produced by a rocket motor is mainly dependent upon the expansion of the product gases through a nozzle. The nozzle is used to accelerate the gases produced in the combustion chamber and convert the chemical-potential energy into kinetic energy so that the gases exit the nozzle at very high velocity. It converts the high pressure, high temperature, and low-velocity gas in the combustion chamber into high-velocity gas of lower pressure and low temperature. The design of a nozzle has particular importance in determining the thrust and performance of a rocket. In recent years, it has received considerable attention as it directly impacts the overall performance of the rocket. This paper aims to analyze the variation of flow parameters like pressure, Mach number, and velocity using Finite Volume Method (FVM) solver with the standard k-ε turbulence model in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The simulation of shockwave inside the divergent nozzle section through CFD is also investigated. In this regard, a nozzle has been designed using Design Modeler, and CFD analysis of flow through the nozzle has been carried out using ANSYS Fluent. The model results are compared with theoretically calculated results, and the difference is negligible.
A Review of Shaped Charge Variables for its Optimum Performance
Authors: Naeem K. , Hussain A. , Abbas S.
Published: November 2020

Shaped charge is a device for focusing the chemical energy of explosives to a particular point or line for penetration or cutting purpose respectively. They are used for the penetration or cutting of various types of targets on land, water, underground, underwater, or air. Their shape is either conical or linear and consists of explosive, casing and liner. The liner is bent towards the central axis producing a thin hypervelocity jet by the energy released as a result of the explosive detonation. This jet is utilized against the target. Shaped charges can perforate or penetrate targets like aircrafts, ships, submarines, armored vehicles, battle tanks, and bunkers. This paper presents a detailed review of analytical works, computer simulations, and experimental results related to the liner. Among modern diagnostic techniques flash x-rays, radiography is most used in the experiments performed in the last 40 years. Powder metallurgy, which started in the late twentieth century raised the efficiency of shaped charges to new altitudes. The efficiency of the shaped charge depends on numerous factors such as explosive’s type, liner’s material, geometry and metallurgy, manufacturing technique, and casing thickness. Factors concerning the liner’s material, metallurgical advancements, and geometry are discussed chronologically and in detail.
Performance Optimization of 1-bit Full Adder Cell based on CNTFET Transistor
Authors: Ghabri H. , Ben Issa D. , Samet H.
Published: November 2020

The full adder is a key component for many digital circuits like microprocessors or digital signal processors. Its main utilization is to perform logical and arithmetic operations. This has empowered the designers to continuously optimize this circuit and ameliorate its characteristics like robustness, compactness, efficiency, and scalability. Carbon Nanotube Field Effect Transistor (CNFET) stands out as a substitute for CMOS technology for designing circuits in the present-day technology. The objective of this paper is to present an optimized 1-bit full adder design based on CNTFET transistors inspired by new CMOS full adder design [1] with enhanced performance parameters. For a power supply of 0.9V, the count of transistors is decreased to 10 and the power is almost split in two compared to the best existing CNTFET based adder. This design offers significant improvement when compared to existing designs such as C-CMOS, TFA, TGA, HPSC, 18T-FA adder, etc. Comparative data analysis shows that there is 37%, 50%, and 49% amelioration in terms of area, delay, and power delay product respectively compared to both CNTFET and CMOS based adders in existing designs. The circuit was designed in 32nm technology and simulated with HSPICE tools.
A Survey on the Adaption of CMS in Pakistani Universities
Authors: Hafeez A. , Javed S. , Murtaza A. B. , Aziz A. , Hassan S. M. , Hussain I.
Published: November 2020

The use of Campus Management Systems (CMSs) has increased dramatically in Pakistani universities, a huge amount of money has been invested in its development and deployment. The CMS provides an integrated platform for managing academic activities, controlling process flows and provide online access to related information. It improves the efficiency and effectiveness of the universities and eventually improves the quality of teaching. However, it is very important to consider the attitudes and perceptions of faculty members and students towards the adoption of CMS because they may affect the acceptance of this technology. The aim of this study is to investigate and highlight the user satisfaction level about the CMS quality according to ISO/IEC 9126 standard. This work uses cross-sectional design as a primary research method, and data from 105 students and faculty members were collected from a Pakistani public sector university using a questionnaire survey. The response of the respondents illustrates that the system functionality is good, reliable, usable, and efficient. However, some improvements are necessary in some areas such as understandability, learnability, operability, and attractiveness.