bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Software In the Loop Simulation for Robot Manipulators
Authors: Ben Ayed M. , Zouari L. , Abid M.
Published: November 2020

In the last decades, the classical verification of robotic software component is postponed until the code is developed enough to function in real hardware. For this reason, the verification of code at early stages is essential to reduce development costs and necessary time for embedded systems such as robot manipulator. Therefore, Software In the Loop (SIL) simulation may be realized in the early stages of software development. It offers the possibility to execute tests before the hardware is available and thus detect errors. In this paper, we propose a Software In the Loop (SIL) test for robot manipulator driven by a Brushless DC Motor without a target system hardware. Simulation results prove the rapidity and the good performance of the developed code for the controller’s part by the validation of the behavior of robot manipulator software.
Real Time Speed Control of a DC Motor Based on its Integer and Non-Integer Models Using PWM Signal
Authors: Nasir A. W. , Kasireddy I. , Singh A. K.
Published: November 2020

This paper exploits the advantage of non-integer order modeling of a process over integer order, in those cases where the process model is required for control purpose. The present case deals with speed control of a DC motor. Based on the real time open loop response, DC motor is being modeled as integer and non-integer order first order plus delay system. Both these models are then separately used for determining two sets of Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller parameters through Ziegler Nichols (ZN) closed loop tuning method. In addition to this, a model based control technique i.e. Internal Model Control (IMC) is also implemented using both integer and non-integer model respectively. For carrying out the real time speed control of DC motor, LabVIEW platform has been used. After going through the results, it is observed that the controller performance considerably improves, if non-integer order model is used for controller design rather than integer order model.
Transmission Congestion Management using a Wind Integrated Compressed Air Energy Storage System
Authors: Gope S. , Goswami A. K. , Tiwari P. K.
Published: November 2020

Transmission congestion is a vital problem in the power system security and reliability sector. To ensure the stable operation of the system, a congestion free power network is desirable. In this paper, a new Congestion Management (CM) technique, the Wind integrated Compressed Air Energy Storage (WCAES) system is used to alleviate transmission congestion and to minimize congestion mitigation cost. The CM problem has been solved by using the Generator Sensitivity Factor (GSF) and the Bus Sensitivity Factor (BSF). BSF is used for finding the optimal location of WCAES in the system. GSF with a Moth Flame Optimization (MFO) algorithm is used for rescheduling the generators to alleviate congestion and to minimize congestion cost by improving security margin. The impact of the WCAES system is tested with a 39 bus system. To validate this approach, the same problem has been solved with a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm and the obtained results are compared with the ones from the MFO algorithm.
Impact of PSS and STATCOM Devices to the Dynamic Performance of a Multi-Machine Power System
Authors: Shahgholian G. , Mardani E. , Fattollahi A.
Published: November 2020

This paper studies the impact of leveraging both static syn­ch­ron­ous compensator (STATCOM) and power system stabilizer (PSS) on multi-machine power systems. Considering a sta­ndard IEEE 9-bus test power network, classic and intelligent controllers are applied to achieve the desirable system performance. Simulated tests show the usefulness of STATCOM on network power quality in terms of voltage profile. In addition, it is shown that it can significantly improve the damping oscillations of synchronous generator under normal and abnormal network conditions. As shown, the PSS also contributes to improving the synch­ron­o­u­s generator parameters. It is also observed that using intelligent controllers with STATCOM and PSS leads to a better perfor­ma­nc­e relative to the classic controllers.
Temporal Analysis of Temperature and Precipitation Trends in Shaheed Benazir Abad Sindh, Pakistan
Authors: Samo S. R. , Bhatti N. , Saand A. , Keerio M. A. , Bangwar D. K.
Published: November 2020

Temperature and precipitation variations have a huge environmental, social and economic impact. This study aims to analyze the temporal variation of temperature and precipitation in Shaheed Benazir Abad district by using the linear regression method, the trend magnitude, the Mann-Kendall test and the Sen’s estimator of slope. The annual precipitation and monthly temperature data of Shaheed Benazir Abad for the period of 1996-2014 are considered. The result shows that the Diurnal temperature range of all months is decreasing due to the increasing of monthly minimum temperature at a faster rate than the monthly maximum temperature. However, the Diurnal temperature range of extreme events is increasing. The results obtained by using Mann-Kendall test revealed that rainfall exhibits significant positive trend. The trends of rainfall and rainy days show that the amount of rainfall is increasing much more rapidly than that of rainy days which indicates the occurrence of heavy events.
Highly Compact Design of Trimmed Patch with Modified Partial Ground Structure for Extreme-Wideband Systems
Authors: Alsaif H.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a novel highly compact microstrip monopole antenna with adjusted ground plane for ultra-wideband (UWB) applications is proposed. The patch antenna is composed of a trimmed radiator and rectangular ground plane with four slots providing relatively extreme wide operating frequency from 2.8 till 16.2 GHz based on -10 dB criteria. The high matching impedance in the design results in ultra-wide bandwidth that covers the entire BW allocated by FCC for UWB applications. At the same time, the presented antenna is distinguished by significantly miniaturized structure with total size of 13 mm x 10 mm printed on a substrate material of Rogers Duriod RT 5880 LZ with relative permittivity of εr=1.9 and loss tangent δ of 0.0009. The suggested antenna is appropriate for miniature wireless gadgets. The patch has been investigated, and optimized in terms of operating frequency, impedance matching, radiation characteristics, structure size, and fabrication cost.
Numerical Simulation of a Single-Phase Flow Through Fractures with Permeable, Porous and Non-Ductile Walls
Authors: Pour Mahmoud N. , Zabihi A.
Published: November 2020

This paper attempts to study flows within fractures through a set of numerical simulations. In addition, a special care is given to hydraulic features and characteristics of fractures. The research is performed through the application of calculative fluid dynamics and a finite volume discrete schema. The investigated flows are laminar, single-phase and stable flows of water and air through fractures with penetrable walls. The selected fracture geometry is inspired from the tomographic scan of a stone fracture. Water and air are modeled in fractures with permeable walls and different permeability levels. It has been observed that in case of permeable matrixes, the friction coefficient is lower compared to impermeable matrixes. In fact permeability reduced friction. In addition, highest pressure drops were observed in areas with smaller fracture diaphragms. Nonetheless, the surrounding area of the fracture is analyzed with the consideration of Darcy's rule.
NET-COMPUTER: Internet Computer Architecture and its Application in E-Commerce
Authors: Odhiambo M. O. , Umenne P. O.
Published: November 2020

Research in Intelligent Agents has yielded interesting results, some of which have been translated into commer­cial ventures. Intelligent Agents are executable software components that represent the user, perform tasks on behalf of the user and when the task terminates, the Agents send the result to the user. Intelligent Agents are best suited for the Internet: a collection of computers connected together in a world-wide computer network.  Swarm and HYDRA computer architectures for Agents’ execution were developed at the University of Surrey, UK in the 90s. The objective of the research was to develop a software-based computer architecture on which Agents execution could be explored. The combination of Intelligent Agents and HYDRA computer architecture gave rise to a new computer concept: the NET-Computer in which the comput­ing resources reside on the Internet. The Internet computers form the hardware and software resources, and the user is provided with a simple interface to access the Internet and run user tasks. The Agents autonomously roam the Internet (NET-Computer) executing the tasks. A growing segment of the Internet is E-Commerce for online shopping for products and services. The Internet computing resources provide a marketplace for product suppliers and consumers alike. Consumers are looking for suppliers selling products and services, while suppliers are looking for buyers. Searching the vast amount of information available on the Internet causes a great deal of problems for both consumers and suppliers. Intelligent Agents executing on the NET-Computer can surf through the Internet and select specific information of interest to the user. The simulation results show that Intelligent Agents executing HYDRA computer architecture could be applied in E-Commerce.
Anti-Swing Fuzzy Controller Applied in a 3D Crane System
Authors: Antic D. , Jovanovic Z. , Peric S. , Nikolic S. , Milojkovic M. , Milosevic M.
Published: November 2020

It is well known that fuzzy logic can be used in the control of complex systems described by highly nonlinear mathematical models. However, the main difficulty in the design of a fuzzy controller comes with the adjustment of the controller’s parameters that are usually determined by human experts’ knowledge or trial and error methods. In this paper, we describe an implementation of fuzzy logic in order to reduce oscillations during the positioning of a 3D crane system. The fuzzy controller’s structure is quite simple, requiring only two input variables. The proposed fuzzy controller has been applied to an experimental laboratory framework and results show that oscillations are significantly reduced.
FahamecV1:A Low Cost Automated Metaphase Detection System
Authors: Yilmaz H. , Kamil Turan M.
Published: November 2020

In this study, FahamecV1 is introduced and investigated as a low cost and high accuracy solution for metaphase detection. Chromosome analysis is performed at the metaphase stage and high accuracy and automated detection of the metaphase stage plays an active role in decreasing analysis time. FahamecV1 includes an optic microscope, a motorized microscope stage, an electronic control unit, a camera, a computer and a software application. Printing components of the motorized microscope stage (using a 3D printer) is of the main reasons for cost reduction. Operations such as stepper motor calibration, are detection, focusing, scanning, metaphase detection and saving of coordinates into a database are automatically performed. To detect metaphases, a filter named Metafilter is developed and applied. Average scanning time per preparate is 77 sec/cm2. True positive rate is calculated as 95.1%, true negative rate is calculated as 99.0% and accuracy is calculated as 98.8%.
A Comparative Application for Evaluating Composite Fabrics Used in Electromagnetic Shielding
Authors: Kizilcay Abdulla F. G. , Abdulla R.
Published: November 2020

Composite fabrics containing metal filaments are used widely for preventing electromagnetic radiation. Many experiments involving them are carried out continuously. Results are simulated in order to analyze their performance. Coding in Matlab is a popular method to compare the electromagnetic shielding properties of composite fabrics but for different options Matlab codes must be edited each time. Scientists who are not experts in coding have difficulties on editing such codes. To overcome this, an application written in C# in Visual Studio with .Net platform was developed. This application is integrated with Bunifu, which allows the application to be well designed. The proposed interface is user friendly and lets the user choose the available fabric with its stitch length from panel section. By setting options one can get the electromagnetic parameters such as scattering (S) parameters, reflection, transmission and absorption coefficients and total shielding effectiveness (SE) values with one click. As the application is integrated with Matlab codes, output is given as a Matlab graph with desired options. In this way the distinctions between the chosen fabrics can be analyzed easily.
Potential Recovery of Silver (Ag) from X-ray Fixer Waste by Alkaline Treatment
Authors: Galarpe V. R. K. R. , Leopoldo G. D.
Published: November 2020

The study aims to establish a chemical method of silver recovery from x-ray processing fixer waste by alkaline treatment using sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The samples used in the study were collected from selected hospitals and radiology centers in Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines. The NaOH precipitation method was employed by varying the amount of NaOH from 8.00 g to 15.00 g per 600 mL of the fixer waste sample. The recovered crude silver for the two sampling periods ranged from 0.88 g to 2.46 g. The method resulted to optimum recovery at pH 9. The One Way ANOVA indicates that there are significant differences on the amount of silver recovered when varying the amount of NaOH in “sampling A”. The Tukey Test further reveals that there exists an evident rise in the recovered silver using 10.00 g to 15.00 g of NaOH. In “sampling B” the amount of silver recovered does not significantly differ when varying the amount of NaOH used on average basis. The raw data, however, also revealed a significant rise in the amount of silver recovered using 10.00 g to 15.00 g of NaOH where pH was approximately 9.
Improving the Power Quality in Tehran Metro Line-Two Using the Ant Colony Algorithm
Authors: Ehteshami H. , Javadi S. , Shariatmadar S. M.
Published: November 2020

This research aims to survey the improvement of power quality in Tehran metro line 2 using the ant colony algorithm and to investigate all the factors affecting the achievement of this goal. In order to put Tehran on the road of sustainable development, finding a solution for dealing with air pollution is essential. The use of public transportation, especially metro, is one of the ways to achieve this goal. Since the highest share of pollutants in Tehran belongs to cars and mobile sources, relative statistical indicators are estimated through assuming the effect of metro lines development and subsequently reduction of traffic on power quality index.
A Numerical Model for Caprock Analysis for Subsurface Gas Storage Applications
Authors: Rajabi M. , Salari Rad H. , Masoudian M. S.
Published: November 2020

In considering a site for gas storage, it will be important to evaluate the effects of gas storage on the formation, so as to minimize the risk of a breach occurring in the system. Gas injection will result in an increase in formation fluid pressure, especially around the injection source, which in turn results in redistribution of the stress field. The induced deformations within the reservoir can potentially result in a damage zone within the caprock formation. This mechanical failure may involve shear along many of the existing fractures or creation of new fractures that reduce the sealing properties of the caprock system. The main objective of this paper is to develop a model to estimate the growth and extension of cracks in the caprock. In order to achieve this, the smeared crack approach is used to model the process of cracking in the caprock. Smeared cracking is a continuum approach for damage mechanics which is based on the idea that a crack is modeled by modifying the strength and stiffness of the material. The main model presented in this paper has three sub-models, which are the reservoir model, the caprock model and the smeared crack model. The reservoir model is a simplified coupled hydro-mechanical model that numerically simulates the radial fluid flow and analytically estimates the associated stress and strain within the reservoir. The results of the reservoir model are used as boundary conditions for the caprock model that estimates the stress and strain within the sealing caprock due to the deformation of the reservoir. Using the calculated stress and strain, the smeared crack model predicts the growth and extension of cracks within the caprock. The caprock is assumed to be initially crack free and impermeable. The developed model is then used to study the Yort-e-shah aquifer caprock in Iran to predict the growth and extension of cracks.
Design of a Self-Phased Quadrifilar Helix Antenna for Satellite Communication
Authors: Narimani R. , Farhoudi L.
Published: November 2020

The objective of this study is the design and implementation of a Quadrifilar Helix Antenna (QHA) for telemetry, tracking and control of a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite. Because of its cardioid-shaped circularly polarized beam, QHA can satisfy requirements of satellite communications completely. In this paper, a variation of QHA referred to as “self-phased QHA” with a single feeding circuit, has been proposed to reduce implementation complexity. The designed antenna has been analyzed and the experimental results show that the radiation pattern provides good wide-beam in the desired frequency while the antenna’s bandwidth is around 200MHz when VSWR is less than 2.
Biodiesel Production Potential from Native Tehran Oil Crops Using GIS
Authors: Hajinezhad A. , Rahebi S. , Abedi S.
Published: November 2020

One of the main factors in the alternative fuel economy is the primary raw materials. Importing raw materials and preparation conditions for cultivation of non-native species require high expenditure. Therefore, using native species can greatly reduce production costs. Therefore in this paper, this is for the first time a comprehensive study indigenous oil plant of Tehran province and their suitable growth conditions is presented. Then three species non-edible rapeseed, cotton and barley were selected due to their feasibility of producing biodiesel. The purpose of this study is therefore to propel relevant policies in the country towards greater use of domestic raw materials and known potentials. Therefore, the potential for biodiesel production from plant sources, in this region was studied using GIS software. The present paper describes the zoning map and identifies the potential map of producing biodiesel from indigenous plant sources in Tehran province. According to the map, concentration of biodiesel production is in the central and western cities of province. This map shows that 116806.8665 hectare of land with the greatest potential to produce biodiesel. Also the potential of biodiesel production from introduced species, considering the yield per hectare and their oil content, was calculated. The results show that the potential of biodiesel production for the three species of rapeseed, cotton and barley are respectively 98117.77, 58403.43, 83516.91 tons in Tehran province. Non-edible rapeseed with the highest production potential has been introduced as a superior indigenous species for the future investments in biodiesel production in Tehran province.
Identification of Risk Factors Influencing Road Traffic Accidents
Authors: Touahmia M.
Published: November 2020

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are becoming a major problem around the world, incurring enormous losses of human and economic resources. Recent reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) reveal that each year more than 1.25 million people are killed and 50 million are injured in road traffic accidents worldwide. In Saudi Arabia, statistics show that at least one traffic accident occurs every minute, causing up to 7,000 deaths and over 39,000 injuries annually. In this study, the main causes of RATs in the province of Hail are examined. The data was collected through the use of a survey which was developed to evaluate the effect of influencing parameters on RTA rate. The results show that 67% of RTAs result from human factors, 29% from road conditions and 4% from vehicle defects. Excessive speed and violation of traffic rules and regulations were found to be the main causes of RATs. Low rates of compliance with speed limit signs and seat-belt regulations were also observed. These findings highlight the need of strengthening effective traffic law enforcement alongside with improving traffic safety and raising public awareness.
Behavior of Corrosion of a Heat Pipe Cooling Device in a Computer
Authors: Rittidech S. , Rodbumrung A.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study was to perform life testing and to determine the effect of working time on the corrosion of a heat pipe used for cooling in a computer. The heat pipe was made from a copper tube. The heat pipe consists of evaporator and condenser section. It had a specification similar with the use in ordinary computers, the working fluid being distilled water. When the computer starts, the concentration of the copper solution slightly increases. The greater copper concentration was 0.00062 ppm upon 3000-5000 hours of testing. The surface traces of corrosion rises due to the oxidation of the porous material within the working fluid. The test found that oxygen (O) and carbon (C) are component contents.
5G Networks: Challenges and Techniques for Energy Efficiency
Authors: Azhar M. , Shabbir A.
Published: November 2020

The growing importance of energy efficient networks with high data rate requirements is a major concern for network operators. Services provided by the network operators are required to ensure the consumers’ satisfaction. For the providing of high data rates with good signal quality, small cells are deployed. But these cells can increase energy consumption if not equipped with some intelligent power saving or distribution mechanism. In this paper, a previously tested small cell sleeping mode scheme is compared with the new proposed scheme of reducing power in low or normal traffic hours. This scheme provided 13-15% increase in energy efficiency. The new scheme resulted to beneficial simulated outcomes and can be applied to overcome the energy consumption issue.
Laboratory Safety Awareness Among General Physics Undergraduate Students
Authors: Ponferrada C. O. , Daque J. G. , Buadlart D. C. L. , Cabigon E. J. L. , Galarpe V. R. K. R.
Published: November 2020

Safety awareness in the laboratory is essential to reduce occupational risks. This study was conducted to determine the students’ safety awareness in a Physics laboratory. This study determined the student perception towards safety awareness by factors of gender and college from which students are enrolled. A sum of 324 students enrolled in Physics10 (Mechanics and Heat) and Physics11 (Electricity and Magnetism) in the Mindanao University of Science and Technology (MUST) were randomly selected as survey respondents. A modified survey questionnaire was used as research instrument. The results show that the students had positive level of safety awareness and perceived positively on the preventive measures to reduce laboratory risk. Further, regardless of gender students enrolled in Physics 10 were more positively aware towards safety awareness than students enrolled in Physics 11. Similarly, a variation among the students perception towards safety awareness from the College of Engineering and Architecture (CEA) and College of Industrial and Information Technology (CIIT) occurred. Overall, present findings indicate a need to introduce laboratory safety awareness in Physics classes.
An Automated Surveillance System Based on Multi-Processor and GPU Architecture
Authors: Ayed M. B. , Elkosantini S. , Abid M.
Published: November 2020

Video surveillance systems are a powerful tool applied in various systems. Traditional systems based on human vision are to be avoided due to human errors. An automated surveillance system based on suspicious behavior presents a great challenge to developers. Such detection is a rather complex procedure and also a rather time-consuming one. An abnormal behavior could be identified by: actions, faces, route, etc. The definition of the characteristics of an abnormal behavior still present a big problem. This paper proposes a specific architecture for a surveillance system. The aim is to accelerate the system and obtain a reliable and accelerated suspicious behavior recognition. Finally, the experiment section illustrates the results with comparison of some of the most recent approaches.
Weed Detection Using SVMs
Authors: Murawwat S. , Qureshi A. , Ahmad S. , Shahid Y.
Published: November 2020

The major concern in Pakistani agriculture is the reduction of growing weed. This research aims to provide a weed detection tool for future agri-robots. The weed detection tool incorporates the use of machine-learning procedure explicitly implementing Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and blob analysis for the effective classification of crop and weed. Weed revealing is based on characteristic features i.e. red green blue (RGB) components which differentiate soil and plant. Morphological features—centroidand length aid to distinguish shape of crop and weed leaves. Following feature extraction, the positive and negative margins are separated by a hyper-plane. The separating hyper-plane acts as the decision surface. Sample input consists of multiple digital field images of carrot crops. Training samples of seventy two images are taken. Accuracy of the outcomes discloses that SVM and blob analysis attain above 50-95% accuracy.
The Impact of Total Quality Management on the Effectiveness of Educational Programs of Karaj First Grade High Schools
Authors: Shahmohammadi N.
Published: November 2020

This study aimed to explore the role of total quality management (TQM) in educational programs of first grade high schools in Karaj city. The target population included all high school teachers of the academic year 2015-2016. Sample population of 324 persons was selected by random cluster sampling. A questionnaire was used to measure the variables in the study. Content validity of the questionnaire was confirmed by experts. The reliability of the questionnaire was estimated to be 0.89 by Cronbach's alpha coefficient. T-test was used to analyze the data. The results showed that TQM and each of its dimensions affect the effectiveness of training programs and courses in junior high schools in the city of Karaj.
Experimental Implementation of a Low-Cost Single Phase Five-Level Inverter for Autonomous PV System Applications Without Batteries
Authors: Nouaiti A. , Saad A. , Mesbahi A. , Khafallah M.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents the design and the implementation of a low-cost single phase five-level inverter for photovoltaic applications. The proposed multilevel inverter is composed of a simple boost converter, a switched-capacitor converter, and an H-bridge converter. An efficient control method which associates a closed-loop regulation method with a simple maximum power point tracking (MPPT) method is applied in order to allow the proposed multilevel inverter to transfer power energy from solar panels to autonomous load with no storage batteries. An experimental prototype of this inverter is fabricated at the laboratory and tested with a digital control system. Obtained results confirm the simplicity and the performance of the proposed photovoltaic system.
An Elaboration of a Strategic Alignment Model of University Information Systems based on SAM Model
Authors: Ahriz S. , Benmoussa N. , El Yamami A. , Mansouri K. , Qbadou M.
Published: November 2020

Information system is a guarantee of the universities' ability to anticipate the essential functions to their development and durability. The alignment of information system, one of the pillars of IT governance, has become a necessity. In this paper, we consider the problem of strategic alignment model implementation in Moroccan universities. Literature revealed that few studies have examined strategic alignment in the public sector, particularly in higher education institutions. Hence we opted for an exploratory approach that aims to better understanding the strategic alignment and to evaluate the degree of its use within Moroccan universities. The data gained primarily through interviews with top managers and IT managers reveal that the alignment is not formalized and that it would be appropriate to implement an alignment model. It is found that the implementation of our proposed model can help managers to maximize returns of IT investment and to increase their efficiency.
Stochastic Modeling of Rainfall Series in Kelantan Using an Advanced Weather Generator
Authors: Syafrina A. H. , Norzaida A. , Noor Shazwani O.
Published: November 2020

Weather generator is a numerical tool that uses existing meteorological records to generate series of synthetic weather data. The AWE-GEN (Advanced Weather Generator) model has been successful in producing a broad range of temporal scale weather variables, ranging from the high-frequency hourly values to the low-frequency inter-annual variability. In Malaysia, AWE-GEN has produced reliable projections of extreme rainfall events for some parts of Peninsular Malaysia. This study focuses on the use of AWE-GEN model to assess rainfall distribution in Kelantan. Kelantan is situated on the north east of the Peninsular, a region which is highly susceptible to flood. Embedded within the AWE-GEN model is the Neyman Scott process which employs parameters to represent physical rainfall characteristics. The use of correct probability distributions to represent the parameters is imperative to allow reliable results to be produced. This study compares the performance of two probability distributions, Weibull and Gamma to represent rainfall intensity and the better distribution found was used subsequently to simulate hourly scaled rainfall series. Thirty years of hourly scaled meteorological data from two stations in Kelantan were used in model construction. Results indicate that both probability distributions are capable of replicating the rainfall series at both stations very well, however numerical evaluations suggested that Gamma performs better. Despite Gamma not being a heavy tailed distribution, it is able to replicate the key characteristics of rainfall series and particularly extreme values. The overall simulation results showed that the AWE-GEN model is capable of generating tropical rainfall series which could be beneficial in flood preparedness studies in areas vulnerable to flood.
New Modeling and Simulation Platform for Communications Systems:(I) Double Sideband Suppressed Carrier AM Modulator DSB-SC
Authors: Ahmed H. A.
Published: November 2020

The main goal of this paper is to introduce a new platform for the implementation and simulation of communication systems. SCILAB/SCICOS is an open source software for conducting communication system related experiments, aiming to provide an experimentation platform for research on communication theories. Double Sideband Suppressed Carrier (DSB-SC) Modulator is modeled and simulated using this platform.
A Single Sided Edge Marking Method for Detecting Pectoral Muscle in Digital Mammograms
Authors: Toz G. , Erdogmus P.
Published: November 2020

In the computer-assisted diagnosis of breast cancer, the removal of pectoral muscle from mammograms is very important. In this study, a new method, called Single-Sided Edge Marking (SSEM) technique, is proposed for the identification of the pectoral muscle border from mammograms. 60 mammograms from the INbreast database were used to test the proposed method. The results obtained were compared for False Positive Rate, False Negative Rate, and Sensitivity using the ground truth values pre-determined by radiologists for the same images. Accordingly, it has been shown that the proposed method can detect the pectoral muscle border with an average of 95.6% sensitivity.
Numerical Simulation of 1D Unsteady Heat Conduction-Convection in Spherical and Cylindrical Coordinates by Fourth-Order FDM
Authors: Romao E. C. , De Assis L. H. P.
Published: November 2020

This paper aims to apply the Fourth Order Finite Difference Method (FDM) to solve the one-dimensional unsteady conduction-convection equation with energy generation (or sink) in cylindrical and spherical coordinates. Two applications were compared through exact solutions to demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed formulation.
Seismic Performance Evaluation of Concrete Gravity Dams with Penetrated Cracks Considering Fluid–Structure Interaction
Authors: Behshad A. , Shekari M. R.
Published: November 2020

In this paper, a comprehensive study on the seismic behavior of fractured concrete gravity dams during ground shakings is carried out considering dam–reservoir interaction effects. To gain the seismic behavior of the whole system, finite and boundary elements are employed to model the liquid region and the cracked structure, respectively. Formulation and different computational aspects of the suggested staggered hybrid approach are thoroughly argued. A computer code was developed in order to discuss the presented hybrid BE–DE technique and comparisons are made between the obtained results and those reported in the literature. To gain this goal, several problems of seismic excitations in frequency- and time-domains are presented employing the proposed approach, showing that the present results agree well with the results from other numerical procedures. The cracked Koyna Dam is scrutinized, considering the dynamic interaction between dam and reservoir with focus on the nonlinear behavior due to its top profile crack. The developed numerical model is rigorously validated by extensive comparisons with available results in the literature in which the dam–reservoir interaction were simplified by added masses. It can be concluded that there is significant disparity between the overturning and sliding response schemes of the nonlinear analysis and those of added mass technique.
A Refinement of the Square Wave Phase Noise Evaluation
Authors: Lubich L.
Published: November 2020

Oscillators are often followed by square wave forming circuits and frequency dividers. Traditionally, the level of the phase noise, transferred from the oscillator outputs to the square waves obtained is calculated ignoring the correlations in the oscillator phase noise spectrum. In this paper, accurate expressions are derived, taking into account the phase noise mechanisms in the oscillators. The phase noise power spectral densities are calculated in both the traditional way and by using the proposed expressions and they are compared. The situations where the proposed expressions can be useful are identified.
Wear Analysis of a Ti-5Al-3V-2.5Fe Alloy Using a Factorial Design Approach and Fractal Geometry
Authors: El-Morsy A. W.
Published: November 2020

This paper describes the application of the full factorial experimental design technique to confirm the significance of the factors affecting the wear behavior of a recycled Ti-5Al-3V-2.5Fe alloy with a minimum number of experiments. The fractal theory has been used to describe the worn surface state and to investigate the relationship between the fractal dimensions and the surface morphology. The experiments of the sliding wear have been performed under stresses in the range of 1-5 MPa and within sliding velocities range of 0.2–2.0 m/s. Morphology of the worn surfaces investigations has been undertaken using a scanning electron microscope. From the analysis of variance and the nonlinear regression model, the results show that the applied stress has a higher contribution to the wear rate than the sliding velocity.
3D Numerical Modeling of Pile Group Responses to Excavation-Induced Stress Release in Silty Clay
Authors: Soomro M. A. , Brohi A. S. , Soomro M. A. , Bangwar D. K. , Bhatti S. A.
Published: November 2020

Development of underground transportation systems consists of tunnels, basement construction excavations and cut and cover tunnels which may encounter existing pile groups during their construction. Since many previous studies mainly focus on the effects of excavations on single piles, settlement and load transfer mechanism of a pile group subjected to excavation-induced stress release are not well investigated and understood. To address these two issues, three-dimensional coupled-consolidation numerical analysis is conducted by using a hypoplastic model which takes small-strain stiffness into account. A non-linear pile group settlement was induced. This may be attributed to reduction of shaft resistance due to excavation induced stress release, the pile had to settle substantially to further mobilise end-bearing. Compared to the Sp of the pile group, induced settlement of the single pile is larger with similar settlement characteristics. Due to the additional settlement of the pile group, factor of safety for the pile group can be regarded as decreasing from 3.0 to 1.4, based on a displacement-based failure load criterion. Owing to non-uniform stress release, pile group tilted towards the excavation with value of 0.14%. Due to excavation-induced stress release and dragload, head load of rear piles was reduced and transferred to rear piles. This load transfer can increase the axial force in front piles by 94%.
Sensorless Induction Motor Drives Using Adaptive Flux Observer at Low Frequencies
Authors: Zaky M. S. , Maksoud H. A. , Azazi H. Z.
Published: November 2020

Operation at low frequencies of sensorless drives using machine model-based estimation methods is a challenging issue. This paper proposes an adaptive flux observer (AFO) method of speed estimation for sensorless induction motor drives. The observer feedback gains are designed to guarantee accurate speed estimation, especially at low frequencies in the regenerating mode operation. A complete sensorless IM drive with the proposed AFO is executed in the laboratory. Extensive experimental results under different operating conditions are provided to prove the effectiveness of the proposed AFO, particularly under low stator frequencies in both motoring and regenerating modes of operation.
On the Use of a 77 GHz Automotive Radar as a Microwave Rain Gauge
Authors: Bertoldo S. , Lucianaz C. , Allegretti M.
Published: November 2020

The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) defines the frequency band of 77 GHz (W-band) as the one dedicated to automatic cruise control long-range radars. A car can be thought as a moving integrated weather sensor since it can provide meteorological information exploiting the sensors installed on board. This work presents the preliminary analysis of how a 77 GHz mini radar can be used as a short range microwave rain gauge. After the discussion of the Mie scattering formulation applied to a microwave rain gauge working in the W-band, the proposal of a new Z-R equation to be used for correct rain estimation is given. Atmospheric attenuation and absorption are estimated taking into account the ITU-T recommendations. Functional requirements in adapting automatic cruise control long-range radar to a microwave rain gauge are analyzed. The technical specifications are determined in order to meet the functional requirements.
Quality Analysis of Urea Plant Wastewater and its Impact on Surface Water Bodies
Authors: Laghari A. N. , Siyal Z. A. , Soomro M. A. , Bangwar D. K. , Khokhar A. J. , Soni H. L.
Published: November 2020

This study was conducted on the canal water that flows besides an urea manufacturing facility. The study focused to evaluate the impact of facility’s effluents. The canal water quality is being affected drastically due to heavy load of pollutants discharged. Samples were collected by grab sampling method, from various locations. These samples were analyzed regarding physiochemical parameters, i.e. temperature, pH, TDS, TSS, BOD5, COD, heavy metals (Fe, Cu, Cr, Mn) and NH3 content. The canal water quality deteriorates after receiving a substantial load of effluents discharged from urea fertilizer plant. The results compared with WHO and NEQS, showed that the effluent samples had alkaline nature with a high level of ammonia and BOD5 and are not safe for aquatic life and environment. It is therefore recommended that discharge of untreated effluents should be stopped, or allowed within safe limits.
An Operative X-band Mini-radar Network to Monitor Rainfall Events with High Time and Space Resolution
Authors: Bertoldo S. , Lucianaz C. , Allegretti M. , Rorato O. , Prato A. , Perona G.
Published: November 2020

The increasing frequency of extreme and very localized precipitation events have been causing landslides, floods and casualties, especially in Sicily, due to its complex orography, and to the presence of densely inhabited areas just at the mouth of small basins. In order to monitor such phenomena with the needed high resolution in time and space, an experimental network of X-band mini-radars, exclusively devoted to monitor rain, has been installed in some parts of Sicily since November 2010. The network is made up by 4 mini weather radars able to acquire a rain map every minute (or even at shorter intervals) with a radial space resolution better than 100 m within a range of up to 30 km. Their low cost and the easiness of installation make such radars ideal for monitoring small areas or even just limited angular sectors, since it is more convenient to install more than one instrument instead of choosing special site locations or spending for installation support. The raw data are immediately processed in real time by the software installed on each radar unit, Cartesian maps are locally produced, compressed and transmitted via GPRS to a server where ad hoc products for the users are prepared and made available on a web site. A few examples of final products and some comparisons with rain gauges are presented.
Empirical Analysis of Single and Multi Document Summarization using Clustering Algorithms
Authors: Bewoor M. S. , Patil S. H.
Published: November 2020

The availability of various digital sources has created a demand for text mining mechanisms. Effective summary generation mechanisms are needed in order to utilize relevant information from often overwhelming digital data sources. In this view, this paper conducts a survey of various single as well as multi-document text summarization techniques. It also provides analysis of treating a query sentence as a common one, segmented from documents for text summarization. Experimental results show the degree of effectiveness in text summarization over different clustering algorithms.
Design and Analysis of Multi-Phase BLDC Motors for Electric Vehicles
Authors: Boztas G. , Yildirim M. , Aydogmus O.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a design and analysis of multi-phase brushless direct current (BLDC) motor for electric vehicles (EV). In this work, hub-wheels having 110Nm, 900rpm rated values have been designed for the proposed EV. This EV can produce 440 Nm without using transmission, differential and other mechanical components which have very high losses due to the mechanical fraction. The motors to be used in the EV have been designed as 3-, 5- and 7-phase by Infolytica/Motor Solve Software to compare their performances at the same load conditions. The same rotor geometry has been utilized for the motors. However, slot numbers and dimensions of the stator have been determined by considering the motor phase number. Performance curves of phase-currents, output powers, torques, efficiencies and power factors have been presented for these motors at the same operating conditions. It can be possible to use lower power switches in motor drive system thanks to the phase current reduction since the phase currents decrease proportionally to motor phase number. This work shows that the multi-phase BLDC motors are a good alternative in order to obtain lower torque and lower power inverter structure than the 3-phase BLDC motors which are used as standard.
Improving the Bond Strength of Rice Husk Ash Concrete by Incorporating Polymer: A New Approach
Authors: Bangwar D. K. , Soomro M. A. , Laghari N. A. , Soomro M. A. , Buriro A. A.
Published: November 2020

This paper gives an insight of how to improve the bond strength of cement in which concrete is replaced with rice husk ash. A concrete mix was prepared and was used in different types of mixes i.e. Control Mix, 10% cement substituted concrete with rice husk ash and polymer modified concrete by incorporation different dosages of polymer in the 10% cement substituted concrete. A bar of 12mm diameter, 300mm in length was placed in the center of the cylindrical specimens for pull out test. It was observed that the bond strength between concrete and steel decreases with the replacement of cement with ash, conversely the bond strength improves with the addition of polymer dosages.
Assessment of Health, Safety and Environmental Risks of Zahedan City Gasoline Stations
Authors: Far S. Y. , Mirzaei R. , Katrini M. B. , Haghshenas M. , Sayahi Z.
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this study was to assess the risk and determine the health, safety and environmental status of fuel stations in Zahedan. In this study, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA) method was used for risk assessment in accordance with the HSE guidelines, national and international standards and laws. In this cross-sectional study, 2 governmental stations and 6 active private stations were evaluated after the necessary coordination with the relevant units. As a result of risk assessment, 27 health risks, 55 safety risks and 22 environmental risks were identified. From among all the identified risks, 67 risks had a Risk Priority Number (RPN) of less than 91, 31 risks had an RPN ranging between 91 and 201, and 6 risks had an RPN of over 201. The findings of the study indicated that compliance with the HSE requirements was 51.85%, in the area of health, 47.57% in the area of safety and 27.45% in the environmental area. Overall compliance with the HSE requirements was 42.54%. In order to distribute fuel considering health, reducing risk and increasing compliance with the requirements for safety improvement, health and environmental conditions of fuel supplies are essential.
Intertied AC-DC Hybrid System Power Sharing Through Intelligent Droop Controller
Authors: Gupta P. , Swarnkar P.
Published: November 2020

The result of DG clustering is the hybrid power system while further clustering forms the intertied hybrid power system. Interfacing of intertied hybrid power system requires an interlinking converter with a legitimate power administration and control system. In contrast to individual hybrid power system (HPS), power administration of the intertied hybrid system is more complex. Autonomous droop strategy is appropriate for the intertied hybrid system where communication links are not possible. This paper proposes a new topology for control in intertied hybrid system where two hybrid power systems are connected to each other through interlink power converter. Evaluated frequencies in different HPSs can diverse. In order to manage power flow a power management strategy with consideration characteristics of common bus, a PDC-vDC2 method is proposed, and compared with conventional droop, to realize power sharing among HPS. The practicability of the proposed power sharing method is realized in MATLAB/Simulink platform.