bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Thalassemia prevention program in Iraq: Will it be cost-effective and applicable?
Authors: Majid Mustafa , Mutar Mohammed
Published: November 2020

Thalassemia is an inherited autosomal recessive hemoglobinopathy which has a prevalence of 35.7/100000 and incidence of 4.5 per 100000 in Iraq. The disease is totally preventable as many countries succeeded in accomplishing this. Many domains included in the prevention program ranging from education, carrier detection, molecular diagnosis, genetic counselling prenatal diagnosis and therapeutic abortion. The last option may find difficulties in its accomplishment in Arabic countries as it finds contradictions to some religious and tradition habits.

 In Iraq it does cause burden on health budget as a report from the federal board of supreme audit in 2016 revealed that the cost of management of each patient is 1428.00-3785.00 US$/month, this include blood transfusion, drugs and other treatment facilities. As this calculated for the life expectancy for thalassemic major patient and number of patients in Iraq, the pattern of Burden will be identified clearly. Comparing this pattern to that of single case prevention calculations may show the cost effectiveness of thalassemia prevention.

The aim of this study is to assess the cost-effectiveness of applying a prevention program and the difference in expenditure between case prevention and management per year and to see the extent of applicability of the prevention program.

 

Key words: Thalassemia, Prevention, Cost, applicability
Sensitivity Analysis of Workspace Conflicts According to Changing Geometric Conditions
Authors: Rohani M. , Shafabakhsh G. , Haddad A. , Asnaashari E.
Published: November 2020

Workspace conflicts and building components can happen in different forms and both permanently and temporarily. These spatial clashes affect the work process and deplete the project process. Geometric clash detection system of 4D simulation tools can identify the number of clashes for construction resources in the worksite to improve workflow planning. In the present research, building components and their corresponding workspaces were simulated, based on the schedule and activities, using a visual simulation tool. First, the total daily volumes of workspace were calculated according to the activities' schedule and compared by the available space in order to determine the critical days for the project. Then, the number of time-based conflicts were examined and analyzed for building components and resources among activities and by different tolerance distances. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity analysis of clash numbers based on the geometrical conditions in different statuses (Inflexible, Semi-flexible and flexible) to assist the planner for detecting real conflicts. The results show that the tolerance distance of 0.2 to 1 meter for the clashes of workspace and the building components and 0.2 to 2 meters for the clashes of workspaces with each other to provide realistic results of actual construction operation conflicts. By the help of this methodology, the project planners are able to identify and prioritize the effective conflicts on the work process in comparison to the clashes resulted from iteration or minor design inaccuracy.
Leakage Reduction in Water Distribution Systems with Efficient Placement and Control of Pressure Reducing Valves Using Soft Computing Techniques
Authors: Gupta A. , Bokde N. , Marathe D. , Kulat K.
Published: November 2020

Reduction of leakages in a water distribution system (WDS) is one of the major concerns of water industries. Leakages depend on pressure, hence installing pressure reducing valves (PRVs) in the water network is a successful techniques for reducing leakages. Determining the number of valves, their locations, and optimal control setting are the challenges faced. This paper presents a new algorithm-based rule for determining the location of valves in a WDS having a variable demand pattern, which results in more favorable optimization of PRV localization than that caused by previous techniques. A multiobjective genetic algorithm (NSGA-II) was used to determine the optimized control value of PRVs and to minimize the leakage rate in the WDS. Minimum required pressure was maintained at all nodes to avoid pressure deficiency at any node. Proposed methodology is applied in a benchmark WDS and after using PRVs, the average leakage rate was reduced by 6.05 l/s (20.64%), which is more favorable than the rate obtained with the existing techniques used for leakage control in the WDS. Compared with earlier studies, a lower number of PRVs was required for optimization, thus the proposed algorithm tends to provide a more cost-effective solution. In conclusion, the proposed algorithm leads to more favorable optimized localization and control of PRV with improved leakage reduction rate.
Design of an IoT Enabled Local Network Based Home Monitoring System with a Priority Scheme
Authors: Tiwari V. , Keskar A. , Shivaprakash N. C.
Published: November 2020

Internet of things (IoT) is a concept where all devices get connected to the internet to exchange information. IoT can be utilized in order to make a home environment interactive and smart. The required connectivity can be provided by either making all the devices Wi-Fi capable, which is costly, or by setting a local wireless sensor network (WSN) which later connects to internet. In this work various devices and sensors are designed and connected in a wireless sensor network within a home environment which generates a sensor dependent data packet. These data packets are then sent to the cloud through a master node. The master sends the data using a proposed priority scheme so that the critical information can be sent early. Simulations were performed to show that under the proposed scheme the loss of critical sensors information is reduced by around 75%.
Finite Element Based Response Surface Methodology to Optimize Segmental Tunnel Lining
Authors: Rastbood A. , Gholipour Y. , Majdi A.
Published: November 2020

The main objective of this paper is to optimize the geometrical and engineering characteristics of concrete segments of tunnel lining using Finite Element (FE) based Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Input data for RSM statistical analysis were obtained using FEM. In RSM analysis, thickness (t) and elasticity modulus of concrete segments (E), tunnel height (H), horizontal to vertical stress ratio (K) and position of key segment in tunnel lining ring (θ) were considered as input independent variables. Maximum values of Mises and Tresca stresses and tunnel ring displacement (UMAX) were set as responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was carried out to investigate the influence of each input variable on the responses. Second-order polynomial equations in terms of influencing input variables were obtained for each response. It was found that elasticity modulus and key segment position variables were not included in yield stresses and ring displacement equations, and only tunnel height and stress ratio variables were included in ring displacement equation. Finally optimization analysis of tunnel lining ring was performed. Due to absence of elasticity modulus and key segment position variables in equations, their values were kept to average level and other variables were floated in related ranges. Response parameters were set to minimum. It was concluded that to obtain optimum values for responses, ring thickness and tunnel height must be near to their maximum and minimum values, respectively and ground state must be similar to hydrostatic conditions.
Simulation of Thermal Stratification and Salinity Using the Ce-Qual-W2 Model (Case Study: Mamloo Dam)
Authors: Sabeti R. , Jamali S. , Jamali H. H.
Published: November 2020

Due to the shortage of fresh water, the quality of stored water in reservoirs has become increasingly important. Thermal regime and salinity are factors that affect the quality of water reservoirs. These two parameters were studied in Mamloo Dam in Tehran province. This dam has recently started to be uses as a source of drinking water for Tehran and thus its water quality is of increased importance. In this regard, the hydrodynamic model for 2014 to 2015 was built and calibrated by the CE-QUAL-W2 model and the model was used to simulate the thermal regime and salinity up to 2020. Two main scenarios were studied in this period, the continuation of the current situation or a 2.5% increase in water requirements and 5% decrease in discharge. The results show that the reservoir will experience thermal stratification in the summer and vertical mixing in the winter. Dased on these results Mamloo reservoir is in branch of warm Monomictic lake. Also results showed that thermal stratification and ssalinity stratification dominates simultaneity. Besides this issue with 2.5% increase in water requirements and 5% decrease in discharge, duration of summer thermal stratification will decrease although intensity of thermal stratification will increase.
Modeling and Analysis of a Cascaded Battery-Boost Multilevel Inverter Using Different Switching Angle Arrangement Techniques
Authors: Tayab U. B. , Al Humayun M. A.
Published: November 2020

Multilevel inverters have the capability to produce an AC staircase output waveform without using a bulky passive filter. Therefore, the multilevel inverters are gaining more and more popularity, among the different types of inverters, for photovoltaic applications in the modern era of technology. However, if the switching angle arrangement technique is not selected appropriately then the total harmonic distortion of the voltage output waveform may become undesirable. In this paper, Half-Equal-Phase, Feed-Forward and Selective Harmonics Elimination Pulse Width Modulation switching angle arrangement techniques at different power factors (i.e., 1.0, 0.75 and 0.50) are applied to a cascaded battery-boost inverter. PSIM software is used to evaluate and compare the performance of a 9-level cascaded battery-boost inverter with three switching angle arrangement techniques at power factors of 1.0, 0.75, and 0.50, respectively. Simulation results show that the Selective Harmonics Elimination Pulse Width Modulation technique can produce an output voltage and current waveform with the lowest total harmonic distortion. On the other hand, the output current waveform produced by power factor 0.50 had the lowest total harmonic distortion.
A 4-4.8GHz Adaptive Bandwidth, Adaptive Jitter Phase Locked Loop
Authors: Taheri H. E.
Published: November 2020

A low power, low phase noise adaptive bandwidth phase locked loop is presented in this paper. The proposed structure benefits from a novel lock status monitor unit (LSMU) that determines loop operation and loop bandwidth. The loop filter resistance and charge pump current are inversely proportional and bandwidth to reference frequency is maintained fixed. This structure is simulated in 0.18 μm CMOS technology and simulation results are presented.
Auditor Tenure and Accounting Conservatism: Testing Moderating Effect of Owner’s Importance
Authors: Arabloo M. D.
Published: November 2020

Conservatism is one of the salient features of financial reporting that has attracted more attention in recent years because of financial scandals. Several recent studies have focused specifically on conservatism. This research tries to investigate the effect of auditor tenure and the importance of the client's accounting conservatism by using panel data model, multivariate regression, and data of 114 companies listed in Tehran Stock Exchange during the years 2011 to 2015. The results showed that there is an inverse relationship between auditor tenure and conservatism of auditees; moreover, the client’s importance has an additive effect on the inverse relationship between auditor tenure and conservatism of client.
Detection of Spam Email by Combining Harmony Search Algorithm and Decision Tree
Authors: Gashti M. Z.
Published: November 2020

Spam emails is probable the main problem faced by most e-mail users. There are many features in spam email detection and some of these features have little effect on detection and cause skew detection and classification of spam email. Thus, Feature Selection (FS) is one of the key topics in spam email detection systems. With choosing the important and effective features in classification, its performance can be optimized. Selector features has the task of finding a subset of features to improve the accuracy of its predictions. In this paper, a hybrid of Harmony Search Algorithm (HSA) and decision tree is used for selecting the best features and classification. The obtained results on Spam-base dataset show that the rate of recognition accuracy in the proposed model is 95.25% which is high in comparison with models such as SVM, NB, J48 and MLP. Also, the accuracy of the proposed model on the datasets of Ling-spam and PU1 is high in comparison with models such as NB, SVM and LR.
Effect of the Improved Pall Friction Damper on the Seismic Response of Steel Frames
Authors: Sarjou P. H. , Shabakhty N.
Published: November 2020

Energy-absorbing dampers are used to reinforce structures which are vulnerable to earthquakes. This study evaluates the performance of Improved Pall Frictional Dampers (IPFD) which is a type of Pall Frictional Damper (PFD). For this purpose, this study compares the performances of steel frames with concentric steel bracing reinforced by IPFD and steel frames with concentric steel bracing with no damper. Frames with different stories and pans were modelled in sap2000 and exposed to accelerograms of earthquakes for non-linear time history analysis. Results of analysis were studied; parameters such as story displacement, base shear and absorbed energy were compared in steel frames with damper and without damper.
Incorporating Open/Free GIS and GPS Software in Power Transmission Line Routine Work: The Case of Crete and Rhodes
Authors: Pylarinos D. , Pellas I.
Published: November 2020

Geographical Information System (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS) software are widely gaining attention in power system planning and operation. Although commercial systems are increasingly being incorporated in power systems applications, they are yet to be fully incorporated in the routine work of utilities (and especially in the work of crews), due to several reasons such as cost, portability, connectivity, performance/speed, infrastructure etc. This paper focuses on incorporating certain open/free GIS and GPS software in routine transmission line work. The case study is the 150kV transmission systems of the Greek islands of Crete and Rhodes which show increased complexity due to certain localized factors such as Greek legislation, the diverse terrain/routes, the segmented design due to the network’s growth over the years (regarding both voltage levels and routes) and the use of different Coordinate Reference Systems (or Geodetic Systems) from the Greek state. The main goals of this work was to incorporate open/free software that provided limitless online access points, offline navigation and a user friendly design that wouldn’t require any additional training, programming etc. The basic scheme described in this paper can be followed to provide similar results in other applications.
Analysis and Fabrication of an Active Cooling System for Reducing Photovoltaic Module Temperature
Authors: Jakhrani A. Q. , Jatoi A. R. , Jakhrani S. H.
Published: November 2020

The purpose of this study is to fabricate and analyze an active cooling system for reducing photovoltaic (PV) module temperature and increasing its efficiency. An active cooling system was devised to cool the PV module. Two modules of same specifications were used for this study. One module was cooled, and other was left un-cooled for performance comparison. Solar radiations, wind speed, ambient temperature and temperatures at different points of the fabricated system were measured. The modules were mounted on a frame facing true south at the inclination of the latitude of the location. The measurements were taken during daytime with one hour intervals for two weeks. The temperatures at various points on cooled and un-cooled photovoltaic modules were noted using two different flow rates with 1 lit/min and 2 lit/min. It was discovered that the efficiency of PV module was enhanced from 6% to 7% during study period. The flow rate of 1lit/min was found more feasible for heat extraction as compared to the flow rate of 2lit/min. The wind speed was found to be more helpful for heat extraction from the modules as compared to other climatic parameters.
A Novel Three Phase to Seven Phase Conversion Technique Using Transformer Winding Connections
Authors: Tabrez M. , Sadhu P. K. , Iqbal A.
Published: November 2020

This paper proposes a novel multiphase transformer connection scheme which converts three phase balanced AC input to seven phase balanced AC output. Generalized theory to convert a three phase utility supply into any number of phases is presented. Based on the proposed generalized principle, a three phase to seven phase power converting transformer design is presented with connection scheme, analysis and simulation and experimental results of the proposed three phase to seven phase conversion transformer. The proposed transformer in this paper is analyzed and compared with the connection scheme for seven phase available in the literature. The connection scheme is found to have higher power density, lower core area and lower core requirement as compared to the available connection scheme of the same rating. Impedance mismatching between different phases of the transformer is observed in the three phase to seven phase transformer available in the literature. As this mismatching introduces error in study of per phase equivalent circuit diagrams as well as imbalance in voltage and currents. The present design also addresses the impedance mismatching issue and reduces mismatching in the proposed transformer design. A prototype of the proposed system is developed and waveforms are presented. The proposed design is verified using simulation and validated using experimental approach.
A New Power System Restoration Technique based on WAMS Partitioning
Authors: Phanendra Babu N. V. , Suresh Babu P. , Siva Sarma D. V. S. S.
Published: November 2020

An important feature of a Wide-Area Measurement System (WAMS) is the ability to recover data during a communication failure. This paper presents a novel scheme of partitioning a PMU installed power network into a number of WAMS regions in order to make the power system restoration process simpler. This algorithm also proposes the optimal placement of Phasor Data Concentrators (PDCs) in each region to record the data from PMUs. This paper considers the restoration constraints like transformer equivalent bus, generation-load balance and the observability of region for the partitioning of power system. The proposed scheme is demonstrated with an IEEE-30 bus system. It is then applied on IEEE-39, IEEE-118 bus systems and on a Northern Regional Grid of the Indian Power Grid.
EgoSENSE: A Framework for Context-Aware Mobile Applications Development
Authors: Milic E. M. , Stojanovic D.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a context-aware mobile framework (or middleware), intended to support the implementation of context-aware mobile services. The overview of basic concepts, architecture and components of context-aware mobile framework is given. The mobile framework provide acquisition and management of context, where raw data sensed from physical (hardware) sensors and virtual (software) sensors are combined, processed and analyzed to provide high-level context and situation of the user to the mobile context-aware applications in near real-time. Using demo mobile health application, its most important components and functions, such as these supposed to detect urgent or alarming health conditions of a mobile user and to initiate appropriate actions demonstrated.
Experimental Study of an Air Lift Pump
Authors: Abou Taleb F. S. , Al-jarrah J. A.
Published: November 2020

In this investigation the effect of submergence ratio and air jacket on the performance of the air lift pump has been studied. Three types of air jackets in addition to five levels of submergence ratios were used. Each air jacket has a number of drilled holes distributed uniformly at the perimeter of the inside pipe, where the total area of drilled holes was kept constant. It has been found that the water flux increases as the submergence ratio increased. Also it was found that the minimum air flux required to start discharging water from the pump decreases as the submergence ratio increases. Air jacket with a hole of 4 mm diameter, resulted the highest performance for the air lift pump.
A Compact Tri-Band Bandpass Filter with High Out-of-Band Rejection
Authors: Abdul-Niby M. , Farhat M. , Nahas M. , Alomari Μ. Μ.
Published: November 2020

This paper presents a planar tri-band bandpass filter with high out-of-band rejection over a wide band. The filter is based on two pairs of λ/4 resonators embedded inside an open loop ring resonator without any size increase, where each pair of resonators are electromagnetically coupled to each other and the feedlines. This results in the excitations of passbands, where the first passband is generated by the open loop resonators. The second and the third passbands are excited by λ/4 resonators. The proposed technique provides sufficient degrees of freedom to control the center frequency and bandwidth of the three passbands independently. In addition, the six transmission zeros created around the passbands results in a tri-band filter with high selectivity, sharp 3 dB cut-off frequency, high isolation, low passband insertion-loss and high out-of-band harmonic rejection across an ultra-broadband frequency range up to 17 GHz. The proposed technique has the ability to switch from triple to dual band by removing one pair of the inner resonators. Design methodology and simulation results of the filter are provided.
Application of Minimum-time Optimal Control System in Buck-Boost Bi-linear Converters
Authors: Shariatmadar S. M. M. , Jafarian S. M. J.
Published: November 2020

In this study, the theory of minimum-time optimal control system in buck-boost bi-linear converters is described, so that output voltage regulation is carried out within minimum time. For this purpose, the Pontryagin's Minimum Principle is applied to find optimal switching level applying minimum-time optimal control rules. The results revealed that by utilizing an optimal switching level instead of classical switching patterns, output voltage regulation will be carried out within minimum time. However, transient energy index of increased overvoltage significantly reduces in order to attain minimum time optimal control in reduced output load. The laboratory results were used in order to verify numerical simulations.
A Survey and Analysis of the Relationship between Human Resources Management and Organizational Performance
Authors: Hashemi S. A. , Dehghanian F.
Published: November 2020

This study aims to evaluate the relationship between human resources management and organizational performance with emphasis on the mediating role of organizational innovation. The study methodology is descriptive-correlation and structural equations modeling. The study population is employees of the electricity distribution company of Tehran city. The reliability and validity of measures were evaluated using Cronbach’s alpha and confirmatory analysis and the results showed the acceptable reliability and validity of measures. For data analysis, Pearson Correlation coefficient and structural equations method with Lisrel software were used. The results showed that the effect of organizational innovation mediating variable was indirectly 0.17 meaning that if human resources management is increased as 1%, the organization performance with the mediating role of organizational innovation is increased as 16%. This study evaluates the relationship between human resources management and organizational performance with emphasis on the mediating role of organizational innovation.
Buckling of Hybrid Composite Carbon/Epoxy/Aluminum Plates with Cutouts
Authors: Achour B. , Ouinas D. , Touahmia M. , Boukendakdji M.
Published: November 2020

Structural instability becomes an important concern in the composite plate safe and reliable design. In this research, a resistance analysis is carried out on plates made of hybrid composite material with and without elliptical cutouts using the finite element method. The carbon/epoxy/aluminum laminated plates are arranged in the following ordered manner [Al/(θ/-θ)/Al]. The hybrid plate resistance to buckling submitted to uniaxial compression is highlighted. Results indicate that given a structural geometry, boundary and loading condition and stacking sequence, the buckling resistance of such plates is strongly influenced by the ply orientation, the anisotropy ratio, and the cutout presence, position and size. The critical load reduction is found to decrease linearly with the decrease of the geometric ratio a/b. When b=8a, the reduction factor N* increased from 1.8% to 7% when φ=90ο and φ=0ο respectively regardless of the ply orientation. Maximum reduction of the buckling critical load is important when the elliptical cutout is located in the middle of the plate. Regardless of the declination of the elliptical cutout, maximum reduction of the critical buckling stress is obtained when the ratio E2/E1=1.
Machining and Surface Characteristics of AISI 304L After Electric Discharge Machining for Copper and Graphite Electrodes in Different Dielectric Liquids
Authors: Anjum S. , Shah M. , Anjum N. A. , Mehmood S. , Anwar W.
Published: November 2020

In Electric Discharge Machining (EDM), the thermal energy used for material erosion depends on the intensity of electric sparks, the thermal conductivities of electrode material and the dielectric liquid. In this paper, the effect of EDM on AISI 304L steel is studied using copper and graphite electrodes and distilled water and kerosene oil as dielectric liquids. Material Removal Rates (MRR), Tool Wear Rates (TWR) and surface conditions are calculated for four different combinations with the two electrode materials and the two dielectric liquids. These investigations are carried out at different pulse currents. Machined surfaces are evaluated by morphological studies, energy dispersive spectrographs (EDS) and white layer thickness using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). It is found that a transfer of carbon takes place from the kerosene oil and the graphite electrodes into the machined surface which alters the metallurgical characteristics, depending on the electrical and thermal conductivities of the electrode material and the dielectric liquid.
A Study of the Effective Lifetime of Aluminum Buckets Used in Blood Bank Centrifuges
Authors: Tafti M. F. , Golestani R. , Salari M.
Published: November 2020

Rotating parts of blood bank centrifuges are under heavy mechanical cyclic stresses due to their centrifugal loading conditions. Estimating the effective lifetime for these parts is very important for their application. Providing safety requirements for these components is mandatory in blood transfusion centers (BTC). Failure occurs in the engineering parts for both loading conditions of steady and cyclic. The fatigue phenomenon is the main reason for mechanical failures at least in 90 % of fractures during operation. In this paper, the effects of fatigue caused by centrifugal loadings on aluminum buckets produced by the Iranian Sina Ebtekar Company (ISECo) are investigated experimentally. In this study, 48 aluminum buckets are chosen from a set of 500 buckets. The numbers of service of the samples are accounted for a period of 7 months. Finite element analysis, FEM, is done for an aluminum bucket and the relevant maximum stresses due to the rotating loads of centrifugation are determined. Analyzing the numerical results and using the fatigue, lifetime diagrams according to the number of operating cycles is presented for the samples. A good consistency is observed between the experimental and numerical results. Based on the results, a new correlation is presented for estimating the aluminum bucket’s lifetime made by ISECO.
Simulation and Modeling of a Five -Level (NPC) Inverter Fed by a Photovoltaic Generator and Integrated in a Hybrid Wind-PV Power System
Authors: Rezki M. , Griche I.
Published: November 2020

A distributed hybrid coordinated wind photovoltaic (PV) power system was proposed in this paper. As oil and coal reserves are being depleted whilst at the same time the energy demand is growing, it is important to consider alternative energy generating techniques. Today, the five-level (NPC) inverter represents a good alternative for several industrial applications. To take advantage of the five-level inverter topology and the benefits of renewable energy represented by a photovoltaic generator, a new scheme of these controllers is proposed in this work. This paper outlines the design of a hybrid power system consisting of a solar photovoltaic (PV) and a wind power system. The system is modeled in Matlab Simulink and tested for various conditions. The model and results are discussed in this paper.
Numerical Analysis of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) Shear Walls and Steel Strips under Cyclic Loads Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Askarizadeh N. , Mohammadizadeh M. R.
Published: November 2020

Reinforced concrete shear walls are the main elements of resistance against lateral loads in reinforced concrete structures. These walls should not only provide sufficient resistance but also provide sufficient ductility in order to avoid brittle fracture, particularly under strong seismic loads. However, many reinforced concrete shear walls need to be stabilized and reinforced due to various reasons such as changes in requirements of seismic regulations, weaknesses in design and execution, passage of time, damaging environmental factors, patch of rebar in plastic hinges and in some cases failures and weaknesses caused by previous earthquakes or explosion loads. Recently, Fiber Reinforced Polymer (FRP) components have been extensively and successfully used in seismic improvement. This study reinforces FRP reinforced concrete shear walls and steel strips. CFRP and steel strips are evaluated by different yield and ultimate strength. Numerical and experimental studies are done on walls with scale 1/2. These walls are exposed to cyclic loading. Hysteresis curves of force, drift and strain of FRP strips are reviewed in order to compare results of numerical work and laboratory results. Both numerical and laboratory results show that CFRP and steel strips increase resistance, capacity and ductility of the structure.
An Investigation of the Effect of Different Nanofluids in a Solar Collector
Authors: Fakhim H. A.
Published: November 2020

In this article, we examine the use of different nanofluids in a solar collector in a parabolic form. Temperature, thermal efficiency and outlet average temperature for a conventional parabolic collector and a collector with nanofluid are compared. The effect of various parameters (concentration ratio, volume fraction of nanoparticles, absorption and fluid velocity) are studied. Results are discussed and it is shown that nano fluid increases the efficiency of the collector.
An Investigation of the Effect of Ventilation Inlet and Outlet Arrangement on Heat Concentration in a Ship Engine Room
Authors: Alizadeh E. , Maleki A. , Mohamadi Α.
Published: November 2020

Τhe ventilation in the ship engine rooms is an essential issue concerning finest performance of engines and diesel generators as well as electric motors. The present study has aimed at the analysis of temperature distribution inside the ship main engine room. In the same way, attempts have been made to identify those points with considerable thermal concentration in main engine room space, so that proper ventilation systems could be engineered and utilized and favorable thermal conditions could be realized. The CFD approach has been utilized in order to analyze impact of the designed ventilation system on the temperature distribution pattern. The Inlet layout and area have been analyzed under a variety of scenarios in order to decrease the average temperature and eliminate the heat concentrations in various points of the engine room. The temperature distribution and location and area of ventilation air inlet have been studied in different modes resulted in temperature distribution pattern, heat concentration outline and average volumetric temperature level in each mode. The results indicated that considerable circulating air volume is required compared to those levels suggested by common practices, calculations and standards in order to eliminate the heat concentration.
Gas Turbine Engine Starting Applicated on TV2-117 Turboshaft
Authors: Catana R. M. , Cican G. , Dediu G.
Published: November 2020

The paper presents the examination of two different types of engine starting configurations, applicated on TV2-117A turboshaft, running into the test bench. The first type of starting configuration is a normal starting, with the engine connected to the dynamometer which controls the free turbine speed by the dynamometer load. The second type of starting is a different one, the engine is not connected with the dynamometer, therefore it results that there is no control of the free turbine speed from the dynamometer, only from the engine but in particular conditions. To achieve the starting phase an instrumentation scheme is created, to control and monitor the engine, and a starting sequence with all the parameters, confirmations and commands that are involved into the starting phase. The engine starting is performed by the test bench operating system, composed of an acquisition system and a programmable controller, wherewith is running the starting sequence.
Optimal Resources Planning of Residential Complex Energy System in a Day-ahead Market Based on Invasive Weed Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Ahmadi P. , Nazari M. H. , Hosseinian S. H.
Published: November 2020

This paper deals with optimal resources planning in a residential complex energy system, including FC (fuel cell), PV (Photovoltaic) panels and the battery. A day-ahead energy management system (EMS) based on invasive weed optimization (IWO) algorithm is defined for managing different resources to determine an optimal operation schedule for the energy resources at each time interval to minimize the operation cost of a smart residential complex energy system. Moreover, in this paper the impacts of the sell to grid and purchase from grid are also considered. All practical constraints of the each energy resources and utility policies are taken into account. Moreover, sensitivity analysis are conducted on electricity prices and sell to grid factor (SGF), in order to improve understanding the impact of key parameters on residential CHP systems economy. It is shown that proposed system can meet all electrical and thermal demands with economic point of view. Also enhancement of electricity price leads to substantial growth in utilization of proposed CHP system.
Rail-Route Planning Using a Geographical Information System (GIS)
Authors: Panchal S. , Debbarma A.
Published: November 2020

The aim of this study is to analyse the potential of geographical information system (GIS) in decision making in rail route planning process. The various parameters affecting the alignment of rail route are considered in this study and a feasibility map is prepared considering the cumulative effect of these factors. The factors considered in this study are road network, slope, topographical characteristics and drainage characteristics of study area. Each parameter is given weights according to analytic hierarchy process (AHP) in GIS environment. The layers of parameters affecting the feasibility of route are overlaid in GIS environment to find a feasibility map. Feasibility map is divided into five categories i.e. very low, low, moderate, high and extremely feasible on the basis of feasibility index.
Study and Simulation of the Density of the Incident Solar Flux on the Walls of a Building in Adrar, Algeria
Authors: Oudrane A. , Aour B. , Zeghmati B. , Chesneau X. , Massaoud H.
Published: November 2020

In this work, we studied the effect of external climatic conditions on the evolution of the daily solar flux incident on the walls of a building located at Adrar region in the South of Algeria. This building is designed for heating or air conditioning applications. Numerical simulations allowed to compare the variation of the incident solar flux over a full day on the south, east, north and west walls of the building to the values of the solar flux on a horizontal wall (the outer ceiling). The horizontal global solar flux is calculated using a Gaussian sinusoidal function. The simulations were carried out in the case of a building located in a desert zone. The results of the numerical simulation showed the effect of the orientation of the building on the evolution of the incident daily solar flux.
FMFinder: A Functional Module Detector for PPI Networks
Authors: Modi M. , Jadeja N. G. , Zala K.
Published: November 2020

Bioinformatics is an integrated area of data mining, statistics and computational biology. Protein-Protein Interaction (PPI) network is the most important biological process in living beings. In this network a protein module interacts with another module and so on, forming a large network of proteins. The same set of proteins which takes part in the organic courses of biological actions is detected through the Function Module Detection method. Clustering process when applied in PPI networks is made of proteins which are part of a larger communication network. As a result of this, we can define the limits for module detection as well as clarify the construction of a PPI network. For understating the bio-mechanism of various living beings, a detailed study of FMFinder detection by clustering process is called for.
Assessing the Effects of Length, Slope and Distance between Piles on the Bearing Capacity of a Pile Group under Axial Loading in Granular Soil
Authors: Firoozfar A. , Rostami A. , Ghaderi H. , Zamani H. , Rostamkhani A.
Published: November 2020

Piles are usually made of steel, concrete, reinforced concrete or wood, used to enhance the ground’s bearing capacity in order to enable the construction of deep foundations, also called pile foundations. However, the exact effect of the complex interaction between the piles and the surrounding soil has not adequately been investigated yet. Considering the increased application of the technique recently, further analysis is essential for achieving the highest economic and technical capacity. Using fewer piles or shorter piles and allowing greater distances between pile groups, results to reduced construction. However, other restrictions such as high groundwater level, bedrock depth and the limited size of the foundation are also to be considered. The issue of optimal pile layout is further investigated in the current paper employing Plaxis, a finite element software, for modeling purposes and considering axial loadings in granular soils. Results are shown and further discussed.
A New Contribution in Reducing Electric Field Distribution Within/Around Medium Voltage Underground Cable Terminations
Authors: Desouky S. S. , El-Dein A. Z. , Abd El-Aal R. A. , El-Rahman N. A. A.
Published: November 2020

Ιn medium voltage cables, the stress control layers play an important part in controlling the electric field distribution around the medium voltage underground cable terminations. Underground cable accessories, used in medium voltage cable systems, need a stress control tube in order to maintain and control the insulation level which is designed for long life times. The term “electrical stress control” refers to the cable termination analysis of optimizing the electrical stress in the area of insulation shield cutback to reduce the electrical field concentration at this point in order to reduce breakdown in the cable insulation. This paper presents the effect of some materials of different relative permittivities and geometrical regulation with the curved shape stress relief cones on the electric field distribution of cable termination. The optimization was done by comparing the results of eight materials used. Also, the effect of the change in the thickness of the stress control tube is presented. The modeling design is very important for engineers to find the optimal solution of terminator design of medium voltage cables. This paper also describes the evolution of stress control systems and their benefits. A developed program using Finite Element Method (FEM) has calculated a numerical study to the stress control layering electric field distribution.
A Standalone PV System with a Hybrid P&O MPPT Optimization Technique
Authors: Hota S. , Sahu M. K. , Malla J. M. R.
Published: November 2020

In this paper a maximum power point tracking (MPPT) design for a photovoltaic (PV) system using a hybrid optimization technique is proposed. For maximum power transfer, maximum harvestable power from a PV cell in a dynamically changing surrounding should be known. The proposed technique is compared with the conventional Perturb and Observe (P&O) technique. A comparative analysis of power-voltage and current-voltage characteristics of a PV cell with and without the MPPT module when connected to the grid was performed in SIMULINK, to demonstrate the increment in the efficiency of the PV module after using the MPPT module.
Optimum Scheme for Insulation System in HV Generator Based on Electromagnetic Analysis
Authors: Azizi D. , Gholami A.
Published: November 2020

Electrical insulations are one of the basic parts of electrical machinery in any sizes and characteristics. Focusing on insulating, studies on the operation of industrial-electrical machinery came to the fact that the most important part of a machine is the Stator. This fact reveals the requirement for inspection of the electrical machine insulation along with the electromagnetic tensions. Therefore with respect to insulation system improvement of stator, the HV generator can be optimized. Dielectric parameters such as insulation thickness, spacing, material types, geometry of winding and slot are major design consideration. A very powerful method available to analyze electromagnetic performance is Finite Element Method (FEM) which is used in this paper. The analysis of various stator coil and slot configurations are used to design the better dielectric system to reduce electrical stresses in order to increase the power of generator in the same volume of core. These processes of optimization have been done according the proposed algorithm. In this algorithm the technical constraints have been considered. This paper describes the process used to perform classical design and improvement analysis of stator slot’s insulation with respect to objective function and constraints.
Investigating Appropriate Financing Methods in Collaborative Projects of Water and Wastewater with AHP Approach
Authors: Vosoughi V. , Nasserabadi H. D. , Babaei A.
Published: November 2020

A mix of public and private funding is employed worldwide to enable the construction of large public projects and even, in some cases, the work of public services. In this study, the selected methods of financing of participatory projects of water and water wastes were studied and prioritized. Questionnaires and comments of experts were used along with AHP decision-making and Expert Choice software. Different financing methods include: BOT and BOO and its types, the publication of bonds, foreign direct investment, the method of buyback, internal financing, current financing, development banks, Barter transactions, new tax resources and foreign financing. Results are shown and discussed and a final ranking is provided.
A New Learning Control System for Basketball Free Throws Based on Real Time Video Image Processing and Biofeedback
Authors: Sarang R. , Jahed Motlagh M. R. , Tehrani A. A. , Pouladian M.
Published: November 2020

Shooting free throws plays an important role in basketball. The major problem in performing a correct free throw seems to be inappropriate training. Training is performed offline and it is often not that persistent. The aim of this paper is to consciously modify and control the free throw using biofeedback. Elbow and shoulder dynamics are calculated by an image processing technique equipped with a video image acquisition system. The proposed setup in this paper, named learning control system, is able to quantify and provide feedback of the above parameters in real time as audio signals. Therefore, it yielded to performing a correct learning and conscious control of shooting. Experimental results showed improvements in the free throw shooting style including shot pocket and locked position. The mean values of elbow and shoulder angles were controlled approximately on 89o and 26o, for shot pocket and also these angles were tuned approximately on 180o and 47o respectively for the locked position (closed to the desired pattern of the free throw based on valid FIBA references). Not only the mean values enhanced but also the standard deviations of these angles decreased meaningfully, which shows shooting style convergence and uniformity. Also, in training conditions, the average percentage of making successful free throws increased from about 64% to even 87% after using this setup and in competition conditions the average percentage of successful free throws enhanced about 20%, although using the learning control system may not be the only reason for these outcomes. The proposed system is easy to use, inexpensive, portable and real time applicable.
Logit Model of Computer-Based Data-Driven Creative Idea Generation in the Industry and Service Sectors
Authors: Hojjati S. N. , Ghatari A. R. , Alborzi M. , Hassanzadeh G.
Published: November 2020

Organizational creativity and employee idea generation have become important and essential elements of an organization’s success, as creativity results to increased performance. The need of increased creativity is evident in industrial and service companies. The main idea behind this paper is to analyze and demonstrate if accessing various types of data in certain ways and/or situations affects creative idea generation by the people involved in different industrial/service sectors, considering that now most of the employees use digital data. The current paper discusses how seven different factors are related to digital data affect creativity.
A Probabilistic Approach for the Evaluation of Fault Detection Schemes in Microgrids
Authors: Eslami R. , Sadeghi S. H. H. , Askarian Abyaneh H.
Published: November 2020

An important challenge in protection of a microgrid is the process of fault detection, considering the uncertainties in its topologies. Equally important is the evaluation of proposed methods as their incorrect performances could result in unreasonable power outages. In this paper, a new fault detection and characterization method is introduced and evaluated subject to the uncertainties of network topologies. The features of three-phase components together with the positive, negative and zero sequences of current and voltage waveforms are derived to detect the occurrence of a fault, its location, type and the engaged phases. The proposed method is independent of the microgrid topology. To evaluate the performance of the proposed method in various network topologies, a Monte Carlo scheme is developed. This is done by computing the expected energy not-supplied reliability index and the percentage of successful performance of the fault detection. Simulation results show that the proposed method can detect faults in various microgrid topologies with a very high degree of accuracy.