bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Optimal Actuators Locations in Smart Fibre Reinforced Polymer Structures Using Genetic Algorithm
Authors: Chakraborty Debabrata , Rathore Pawan Kumar , Roy Tarapada
Published: October 2011

The present paper describes the development of a genetic algorithm (GA) based methodology for determination of optimal number of actuators and their locations in smart fiber reinforced polymer composite shell structures. Finite element (FE) based state space representation of the system has been used to determine the optimal placement of actuators in order to maximize the controllability. Spillover from residual modes has also been considered while maximizing controllability. Even though the developed methodology needs a large computational time, it will be useful in off-line determination of optimal actuators locations in large structures.
Manufacturing of High Toughness Hydroxyapatite Produced by Wet Chemical Method
Authors: Tolouei Ranna , Ramesh Singh , Tan Chou Yong , Satgunam Meenaloshini , Amiriyan Mahdi
Published: October 2011

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is among the leading ceramic materials for hard tissue replacement implants. Despite the excellent bioactivity of HA, low toughness has limited the application of these materials to non-load bearing areas. The sinterability of nanocrystalline hydroxyapatite (HA) powder via new heating profile for conventional pressureless sintering was studied. The starting nanocrystalline HA powder was synthesized by wet chemical precipitation method. After uniaxial pressing followed by isostatic pressing, HA powder compacts are sintered over the temperature range of 1000°C to 1300°C. Different holding time of 1 minute and 120 minutes was applied as a heating profile of HA samples. The results revealed that new heating profile was effective in producing a HA body with high density of 98% when sintered at 1200°C. Subsequently, mechanical properties such as fracture toughness and hardness, of HA compacts increased with decrease in grain size. HA showed the highest hardness of 9.51 GPa and fracture toughness of 1.41 MPa.m1/2 when sintered at 1100 °C. XRD analysis indicated that decomposition of HA phase during sintering at high temperatures do not occur. Short holding time leads to finer microstructure of HA and subsequently better mechanical properties.
A Study of Basic Aluminized Propellants Characteristics
Authors: Aziz Amir , bin Wan Ali Wan Khairuddin
Published: October 2011

There were very limited number of references published discussing the burning characteristic of aluminized propellant without any additive substance. This paper describes the performance characteristics of basic formulations of aluminized ammonium perchlorate based propellant. Four sets of propellant formulations namely by p60, p66, p74 and p80 had been formulated and manually prepared without adding any additives. The propellant consists of ammonium perchlorate (AP) as an oxidizer, aluminum (Al) as fuel and hydroxy-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) as fuel/binder. For each mixture, HTPB binder composition was fixed at 15% per-weight. By varying AP and Al, the effect of oxidizer-fuel (O/F) ratio on the whole propellant can be determined. The propellant strands were manufactured using press-molding method and burnt in a strand burner over a range of chamber pressure from 6 atm to 31 atm. Based on theoretical evaluation using NASA CEC71 program, p66 has been selected for testing in ballistic evaluation motor (BEM) to ascertain its characteristics performance. The results from burning rate test shows that the increasing of O/F ratio and combustion pressure lead to the increase in burning rate. The highest burning rate achieved was 12mm/sec at combustion pressure of 31atm for propellant p80 which has O/F ratio of 4.0. While for the BEM, the propellant efficiency obtained for p66 was 95.44%.
Study on Photocatalytic Degradation of X-3B by TiO2 Nanotube Arrays
Authors: Rong Fei , Liu Jia , Zhang Zhi Juan , Fu De Gang
Published: October 2011

In the present work, highly ordered TiO2 nanotube array with diameter were fabricated by one-step or two-step anodization of titanium foils. The prepared arrays were characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 nanotube arrays was determined by degradation of X-3B under UV and compared to direct photolysis. The results showed that its photocatalytic activity in degradation of X-3B had been dramatically enhanced as compared to direct photolysis, and the photocatalytic performance of TiO2 nanotube arrays prepared by one-step anodization was better than that made by two-step anodization. Furthermore, adsorption performance analysis suggested that the higher catalytic activity of one-step nanotube array was attributed to its larger apparent maximum number.
A Functional-Based Stack-up Design System for Stamping Dies
Authors: Lin Bor Tsuen , Chang Ming Ren
Published: October 2011

The aim of this paper is to develop a functional-based stack-up design system for stamping dies. By performing function analysis, function decomposition, and geometric analysis, design engineers are able to identify a particular die’s functional features and their main variables, which are used as the basic units for the stack-up design. This stack-up design system includes a die design knowledge base, a functional feature module, and graphic user interfaces. A functional-based stack-up design system has been implemented on a Windows operation system through interfacing Visual Basic codes with commercial software, CATIA and Automation API. To showcase the power of the system, an example of designing a lower of the drawing dies for roof outer panels is provided. Based on the experimental results, the system is an efficient, flexible and accurate stack-up system for designing die structures.
Bending Analysis of SMA Embedded Rectangular Laminated Sandwich Plates with Soft Core Using 3D Finite Element Method
Authors: Khadem M. , Kheirikhah M. M.
Published: October 2011

Nowadays Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are used as actuators in many applications such as aerospace structures. In sandwich structures, the SMA wires or plates are used in the skins for shape control of the structure or vibration damping. In this paper, bending behavior of sandwich plates with embedded SMA wires in their skins is studied. 3D finite element method is used for construction and analysis of the sandwich plate with a flexible core and two stiff skins. Some important points such as continuity conditions of the displacements, satisfaction of interlaminar transverse shear stresses, the conditions of zero transverse shear stresses on the upper and lower surfaces and in-plane and transverse flexibility of soft core are considered for accurate modeling and analysis of sandwich structures. Solution for bending analysis of sandwich plates under various transverse loads are presented and the effect of many parameters such as plate dimensions, loading conditions, material properties of core, skins and SMA wires are studied. Comparison of the present results in special case with those of the three-dimensional theory of elasticity and some plate theories confirms the accuracy of the proposed model.
Improving the Quality of Thermoforming Process Using a Proposed Analysis Algorithm (A Case Study)
Authors: Ibrahim M.Sameh , Mansour M.A.R. , Abed A.M.
Published: October 2011

Industries always face severe crisis by increased scrap rate, so they are continually striving to improve process quality by reducing defective parts and controlling setup procedures for critical processes. This work concentrates on the thermoforming process of a bathtubs factory that consists of four processes: thermoforming, spray, refine and packaging. The main problem in the thermoforming process is the differences in the acrylic sheets thickness. So, this work presents a procedure applied on the thermoforming process to determine the best setup factors such as temperature, time and other independent factors of ovens, which effect on the acrylic sheets thickness. An algorithm was developed called the Best Setup (BS), is used to determine the process setup factors to eliminate the defective parts. BS combines orthogonal experimental design with ANOVA that is a suitable technique for testing the hypothesis about the mean. Also applies an optimization design for variables defined by quality control engineers.
A Study on the Stability of a Mast Structure for Erecting a Large Crane
Authors: Jung Hoon Hyung , Kim Chae Sil
Published: October 2011

This paper describes a finite element structural analysis model and determines analysis methods appropriate for determining the stability of the mast of a crane. This analysis model allows various analysis approaches to be applied to the conditions affecting the construction of a large gantry crane in order to ensure the stability of the mast of the crane. The finite element method is used as a way to construct an analytical model that can help ensure the stability of the mast in two stages. The model is used in a two-stage analytical process that takes into account the conditions of the model. In this way, the model can be used to judge the stability of the mast. By allowing variation in the analysis approach used for the crane mast, the analysis model may be changed if the conditions of the one-girder gantry crane require. Designers may apply this method for the active analysis of the stability of a crane mast.
Anti-Windup Compensation for Embedded Cylindrical-Array Magnetic Actuator
Authors: Tsai Nan Chyuan , Lee Rong Mao
Published: October 2011

An Anti-Windup (AW) compensator is applied to the Embedded Cylindrical-Array Magnetic Actuator (ECAMA) to sustain the performance of spindle position regulation for milling machines under actuator saturation. Since ECAMA is a type of Active Magnetic Bearing (AMB), the maximum supplied coil current and the induced magnetic force are both limited by their extrema. Once the magnetic actuator is saturated, the required control input cannot be realized by the actuator as long as the magnitude of control input exceeds the upper limit of the actuator output. In this work, an AW compensator is therefore proposed and employed to compensate the output of PID controller to prevent saturation of ECAMA. By employing commercial software MATLAB/Simulink and signal processing interface, Module DS1104 by dSPACE, the efficacy of the AW compensation is practically verified by intensive experiments.
Finite Element Study of the Effect of Canal Diameter on the Stress Distributions in Post-Core Restored Endodontically Treated Maxillary Incisor
Authors: Kazemi Amir , Khamesi Vahid , Hajimahamadi Sayad
Published: October 2011

In this study, 3D finite element models were developed to evaluate the effect of canal diameter on the stress distributions of post and dentin in post-core restored endodontically treated maxillary incisor under various static loads. The results show that the posts with large diameters support more of the load, but cause high stress concentrations at the apical portion of the root, which is not desirable.
Multi Objective Optimization of Electro Discharge Machining of Resin Bonded Silicon Carbide
Authors: Venkataraman R.
Published: October 2011

This work is aimed at optimizing the various parameters of the electro discharge machining process in order to Maximize material removal rate (MRR) and Minimize electrode wear rate (EWR) for machining silicon or resin bonded silicon carbide, which is widely used in various applications like high-temperature gas turbines, bearings, seals and linings of industrial furnaces. The five parameters being optimized are intensity supplied by the generator of the EDM machine, open voltage, pulse on time, duty cycle and pressure of flushing fluid. The polynomial models for MRR and EWR proposed by Luis, Puertas and Villa [1] in terms of the five input parameters was used for formation of the objective function. Optimization was carried out using the multi objective genetic algorithm, which is a heuristic search technique that mimics natural selection. A Pareto-optimal front was obtained using this technique, and the points lying on this front represent the set of optimal solutions for the optimization problem. The resultant Pareto– optimal front can be used to select the appropriate operating conditions depending on the specific MRR, EWR or combination requirements.
A Solution about Shifted of the Involute Spline Base on some Mechanical Transmission
Authors: Yan Hong Wei , Sun Li Xue , Liu Juan
Published: October 2011

In mechanical transmission, widely adopted involute spline link, it has self-centering, spline tooth bending strength, high bearing capacity is strong, force is more homogeneous, long service life, components small volume and other characteristics. For involute spline tooth shape through the analysis of the forming and working principle, combining the working practice, will involute spline from zero connected as center of cylindrical gears transmission internal meshing, according to the internal meshing of cylindrical gears deflection is deduced calculation formula of involute spline displacement inside and outside the geometry size calculation is feasible.
Noise Reduction of the Transient Electromagnetic Weak Signal under Strong Noise Based on Power Detection of EMD
Authors: Wang Guo Fu , Deng Peng , Zhang Fa Quan , Ye Jin Cai
Published: October 2011

The method of Transient Electromagnetic(TEM) detection is widely applied to the field of coal mine and oil exploration. But since Transient Electromagnetic signal is a non-stationary , nonlinear , weak signal under the background of heavy noise , traditional method which is based on the signal superposition is only suited to the signal of the superficial layer , it can not fetch the weak signal of the deep layer. noise reduction of the transient electromagnetic weak signal under heavy noise based on power detection of EMD decomposition is presented in this paper. This method does not need prior information. Through the method, the transient electromagnetic weak signal under heavy noise is decomposed to several intrinsic mode functions. Then by power detection, the noise leading component is extracted and reduced .At last the transient electromagnetic weak signal is obtained adaptively. The example of this paper show: when the received TEM signal of deep layer is -30db SNR, This method can reduce the most of noise, obtain the transient electromagnetic weak signal which contains geological information, and improve the depth and accuracy of the TEM detection.
Development of a Variant of Scalar Constitutive Equations Suitable for Description of the near Super-Plastic Regimes of Deforming
Authors: Bhaskaran K. , Jha B.B. , Mishra B.K. , Bylya Olga I. , Sarangi M.K. , Chystyakov P.V. , Muravlev A.V. , Vasin R.A.
Published: October 2011

When deformations are carried out with fine grained microstructure and within a narrow range of strain rates and temperature, metals and ceramics have been shown to exhibit superplastic behavior. Under these conditions the material demonstrates unusually high elongation with a relatively stable microstructure. But when the above mentioned parameters lie beyond a limit, near superplastic behavior is observed. The microstructure changes actively during the process of deformation and the response of the material becomes dependant on the history of loading. A model to describe the dependence on loading history by taking into account the change in microstructure is proposed. The model predicts the general trends observed and also provides possible explanation to some of the effects observed in the experimental data.
Investigation of Process Capability of a Reaming Operation Using Statistical Tools
Authors: Kukreja Astha , Monga Abhishek , Khanna Pradeep
Published: October 2011

In the present industrial scenario, quality control is a crucial factor for the success of an industry or an organization. Process capability is an important statistical quality tool for measuring the capability of an industrial operation. The paper aims at the process capability of a reaming operation in manufacturing of cylinder head in a leading motorcycle company. The process capability of the reaming operation can be reflected by measuring the quality characteristics of its machined component. For this purpose, adequate sampling of the lot has been considered, probability plots and histograms have been prepared and the performance indices have been computed that indicate the capacity of the process to manufacture a component efficiently. Based on the observations made and data analysis, it has been proved that this statistical process control technique not only helps in improving quality and productivity of an industrial operation but also helps in taking important managerial decisions in an organization.
Capability of Advanced Abrasive Waterjet Machining and its Applications
Authors: Kong M.C. , Axinte D.A.
Published: October 2011

Abrasive waterjet machining has been recently considered as a promising, emerging non-conventional technology with an extensive growth in its market share and research activities. In this paper, a Europe’s first 5-axis AWJ system established at the University of Nottingham will be introduced followed by some of the research works explored on the capability of AWJ machining (e.g. AWJ cutting, AWJ drilling, AWJ milling, AWJ turning) on exotic materials such as Ti-based alloys at different niche applications. Thanks to advances in the complementary AWJ technology (e.g. ultra-high pressurized pump) and advanced machine designs (e.g. multi-axis machine movement), it was found that the machining capability of abrasive waterjet (even plain waterjet) can be extended if innovative strategies are applied.
Determination of Stress Distribution around Two Carbon Nonotubes Embedded in Infinite Metal Matrix Using Nonlocal Theory of Elasticity
Authors: Niaki Sina Amini , Naghdabadi Reza
Published: October 2011

Stress distribution in Carbon Nanotube (CNT) reinforced composites is studied using nonlocal theory of elasticity. Two nearby CNTs are modeled as two circular inclusions embedded in an infinite elastic medium, and classical stresses are obtained using the complex stress potential method. Nonlocal stresses are calculated using nonlocal integral elasticity equation. Effects of the distance between CNTs as well as effects of the nonlocal parameters on the stress distribution and stress concentration are studied. For unit normal stress at infinity, stress at the interface of the CNT and matrix increases from 0.1 for classical analysis to 0.85 for nonlocal analysis. Furthermore, when two CNTs approach to each other radial and hoop stresses across the interface increases. It is interesting that, results of the nonlocal and classical elasticity for the hoop stress are different completely.
Symptom Based Analysis for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Assembly Line Workers Using ANOVA with Orthogonal Array
Authors: Kumar Manoj , Beri Rajesh , Arora Ajat Shatru , Kumar Rajesh
Published: October 2011

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), a type of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) is the most commonly work related musculoskeletal disorder (WMSD) that can lead to temporary as well as permanent disabilities. The CTS is marked by pain and paresthesia. Present study has been conducted on the 60 workers comprising of 46 men (mean age of 34.43 ± 8.40 years, range 18-52 years) and 14 women (mean age of 34.78 ± 9.14 years, range 22-50 years) engaged in Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (E.P.D.M.) assembly unit. Symptoms present are nocturnal pain, numbness, tingling and low hand grip strength. The study has been done in actual industrial environment through health surveillance, Phalen’s and Tinel’s Tests, hand grip strength tester, and weighing machine. The aim of this study is to do analysis to check the susceptibility of CTS symptoms amongst men and women on the basis of repetitive and non repetitive work. The F-Test and ANOVA using orthogonal array have been applied for statistical data analysis in order to quantify and evaluate the importance of possible symptoms on CTS risk factor. Analysis shows that the women workers are more susceptible to CTS symptoms than their male counterparts. It also reveals that grip strength below 35 Kg and high tingling prevalence ratio are the most alarming symptoms for CTS occurrence among workers in E.P.D.M assembly unit.
Determination of Ascorbic Acid Based on a Platinum Nanoparticles Modified Au Electrode
Authors: He Jia Hong , Xu Qiang , Song Zhong Rong , Kuang Hai Yan
Published: October 2011

A Platinum nanoparticles modified Au electrode has been successfully fabricated by using an in situ growth method. In this method, the Platinum nanoparticles could be grown on the Au electrode surface via the one-step immersion into the mixture of H2PtCl6 (analytical grade, 1g/L), NaBH4 (analytical grade) and polyvinylpyrrolidone K30 (PVP, analytical grade). A certain amount of PVP was added into the reaction system to prevent the coagulation of the Platinum nanoparticles, which obtained by the chemical redox reaction of H2PtCl6 and NaBH4. The structures and morphologies of the Platinum nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) . The direct electrochemical behavior of ascorbic acid in 0.3 mol/L NaCl medium at the Platinum nanoparticles modified electrode has been investigated in detail. Compared to a bare Au electrode, a substantial decrease in the overvoltage of the ascorbic acid was observed at the Platinum nanoparticles modified electrode with oxidation starting at ca. 0.20 V vs. SCE (saturated KCl). At an applied potential of 0.18V, this modified electrode produced high and reproducible sensitivity to ascorbic acid and linear responses were obtained over a concentration range from 0.600 to 3.267 μmol/L with a detection limit of 1.9 nmol/L(S/N=3). The fabrication method of this sensor, which has highly sensitive, low working potential, and fast amperometric sensing to ascorbic acid, is simple and without using complex equipment. In addition, the sensor has been successfully used to detect ascorbic acid in real sample, thus is promising for the future development of ascorbic acid sensors.
Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Influence of Weld Line Orientation on Formability in Deep Drawing of Tailor-Welded Blanks
Authors: Zaker Bahman , Loh Mousavi Mohsen
Published: October 2011

Application of tailor welded blanks (TWBs) in automobile industry and aircraft manufacturing have been increased during past few years. Efficient material distribution and decreasing weight of the final part are some of the most important advantages of TWBs. Since tailor welded blanks are produced with at least two dissimilar and uniform or non-uniform thickness materials, they show different behavior than uniform materials during deep drawing process. In this research, the effect of weld line orientation on formability in deep drawing of tailor-welded blanks is examined using finite element simulation and experiments. The thinning behavior of the circular TWBs during a deep drawing in a square die is studied for different weld line orientations between two mild-steel blanks with different thicknesses. The numerical and experimental results indicate that the orientation of the weld line direction of the blank sheet has significant influence on the deformation behaviour. It is seen that thinning behavior is similar for two sections of TWB for the same weld line orientation. In addition, the most thinning occurs at 45 degree rotation of weld line, thus appropriate weld line orientation or the tailor blank sheets direction orientation can improve the formability of the tailor-welded blank in a deep-drawing of square cup.
Briquetting of Saw Dust
Authors: Jha Pushpa , Yadav Pramod
Published: October 2011

Briquettes produced from agro-residues are fairly good substitute for coal, lignite and firewood. Briquettes from saw dust have high specific density of 1400 kg/m3 compared to bulk density of 210 kg/m3 (approx.) of loose saw dust. Loading/unloading, transportation and storage costs of agro-residues are drastically reduced if they are converted in the form of briquettes. Formation of briquettes at the very site of its production stops air pollution to a large extent. Hence briquetting of saw dust produces renewable and environment friendly source of energy. In this paper an attempt is made to design and fabricate briquetting machine for saw dust on lab scale to produce briquettes at the rate of 7kg/hr.Effect of moisture content in saw dust and binders used have been studied on briquette density, power consumption/kg of briquette produced and calorific value/kg of briquette. Thermal efficiency of chulha (local stove) using prepared briquette was obtained to be 5%.
Improved Mayr Model of Electrical Arc Furnace to Analyse Harmonic
Authors: Zare Zadeh A.M. , Ghandehari R.
Published: October 2011

Voltage flicker and harmonics are power quality problems which are imposed on power system by electrical arc furnace. To study furnaces and find a solution to remove the negative effects of them, it is needed to have an appropriate electrical arc furnace model. Several methods in time and frequency domain have been presented. One of the time domain methods is Mayr model which has two problems. Firstly, it shows the harmonic components more than the real values. Secondly, it does not involve voltage flicker phenomenon. In this article with the comparison of harmonic components of Mayr model and measured values of arc furnace, an improved Mayr model is introduced. In the presented model, the problems of Mayr model are removed and it shows the real behavior of arc furnace
Effects of Injection Initial Conditions and Length-to-Diameter Ratio on Fuel Propulsive Droplets Sizing in a Duct
Authors: Doustdar Mohammad Mahdi , Mojtahedpoor Mohammad , Wadizadeh Mohammad
Published: October 2011

In this paper an empty cylinder which is as a simulator for a ramjet engine has been studied by a cold flow. The air flow comes into the cylinder from one side and injection operation will be done by four nozzles which are located in the entrance of cylinder. By changing length to diameter ratio and injection angle, we have studied droplet sizing and efficient mass fraction of fuel vapor near and at the exit area. We named the mass of fuel vapor inside the flammability limit as the efficient mass fraction. To fulfill the calculation we used a modified version of KIVA-3V.
ANFIS for Predicting Surface Roughness in Turning Operation Performed on CNC Lathe
Authors: Vinod Kumar M.A.
Published: October 2011

For mass production, mainly automation is used, in which cutting parameters are set to obtain required surface roughness. The parts like IC Engine piston, cylinders require very smooth surface finish. The same is the case of sleeves, collets etc., of machine parts. These are made by automatic machining operations. To get approximate value of required surface roughness, the cutting parameters that are to be set with help of Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) that is designed by using Fuzzy Logic Toolbox. The Fuzzy Logic Toolbox is a collection of functions built on the MATLAB numeric computing environment. It provides tools to create and edit fuzzy inference systems (FIS) within the framework of MATLAB. ANFIS constructs a relation between given parameters (input data and output data), when it is trained with experimentally predetermined values. It consists of different functions, of which bell and triangular membership functions are used for our purpose. The comparison of accuracy of predicted values for both membership functions are performed using testing data. The training and testing data was obtained performing operation on CNC lathe for 50 work pieces of which 40 were used for training ANFIS and the remaining 10 were used for comparing the accuracy of both Bell and Triangular membership functions. The detailed analysis and procedure is presented.
Indian and International Scenario on Research in Thermal Error Minimization in CNC Machine Tool
Authors: Honnungar Sunilkumar S. , Prabhu Raja V. , Thyla P. R. , Thirumalaimuthukumaran M.
Published: October 2011

— High speed machine tool is one of the basic needs in catering to a wide range of machining parameters with tight tolerance band. In high speed machine tool many key factors like geometric, cutting force and thermal errors decides the performance of the machine. However amongst these three, error due to thermal deformation is an important factor in influencing the accuracy level of component produced. A survey amongst Indian machine tool manufacturers reveals that there is a strong need to infuse recent technological developments in thermal error prediction and derive methodologies to minimize the same in high speed machine tool. This paper attempts snapshots of a review relating to the errors causing thermal deformations and the modeling techniques developed by researchers and practitioners globally in present scenario. The conclusions made at the end of this paper may not give the full solutions to the problems relating to thermal error but, gives a broad perspective for the Indian machine tool manufacturers’, practitioners as well researchers in India to look in to the research relating to thermal error modeling, analysis and corrective measures.
A Comparative Performance Study of Soot Formation Models in Methane Elevated Pressure Non-Premixed Flames
Authors: Yunardi Yunardi , Elwina B. , Novi Sylvia , Wusnah D. , Yazid Bindar
Published: October 2011

This paper presents results obtained from the application of a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code Fluent 6.3 to modeling of elevated pressure methane non-premixed sooting flames. The study focuses on comparing the two soot models available in the code for the prediction of the soot level in the flames. A standard k-ε model and Eddy Dissipation model are utilized for the representation of flow field and combustion of the flame being investigated. For performance comparison study, a single step soot model of Khan and Greeves and two-step soot model proposed by Tesner are tested. The results of calculations are compared with experimental data of methane sooting flame taken from literature. The results of the study show that a combination of the standard k-ε turbulence model and eddy dissipation model is capable of producing reasonable predictions of temperature both in axial and radial profiles; although further downstream of the flame over-predicted temperature is evidence. With regard to soot model performance study, it shows that the two-step model clearly performed far better than the single-step model in predicting the soot level in ethylene flame at both axial and radial profiles. With a modification in the constant α of the soot formation equation, the two-step model was capable of producing prediction of soot level closer to experimental data. In contrast, the single-step soot model produced very poor results, leading to a significant under-prediction of soot levels in both flames. Although the Tesner’s soot model is simpler than the current available models, this model is still capable of providing reasonable agreement with experimental data, allowing its application for the purpose of design and operation of an industrial combustion system.
Influence of TiO2 and ZrO2 Nano Particles Addition in Al2O3 Base Coating Using Plasma Spraying
Authors: Dejang Nuchjira , Jiansirisomboon Sukanda
Published: October 2011

The additive (3wt%) nano-particles of anatase-TiO2 and monoclinic-ZrO2 were prepared using ball-milling method to form Al2O3/3wt%TiO2 and Al2O3/3wt%ZrO2 nanocomposite powders. The incorporation of nano-particles can significantly enhance the microstructure and mechanic properties of Al2O3-base coating. The phase of microstructure coating was present mostly of γ-Al2O3 and α-Al2O3 phases, while anatase-TiO2 was transformed to rutile-TiO2 and monoclinic-ZrO2 was changed to tetragonal-ZrO2 due to such high temperature of plasma plume. SEM microstructures of the coatings mainly displayed a lamellar structure of Al2O3 with interlarmellar pores and well dispersed splats of TiO2 and ZrO2 phases. The Al2O3/3wt%ZrO2 presented the lowest value of friction coefficient and sliding wear rate. It was found that the plasma-sprayed composite coating possessed better wear resistance than that of monolithic Al2O3 coating. The addition of nano-particles was found to improve friction coefficient and sliding wear resistance.
Performance Evaluation of PCD 1300 and 1500 Grade Inserts on Turning A356 Alloy with 20% Reinforcement of SiC Particles
Authors: Kaarmuhilan K. , Karthika S. , Muthukrishnan Nambi
Published: October 2011

Aluminum silicon carbide Metal Matrix Composites (Al-MMC) are widely used in aeronautical and automobile industries due to their excellent mechanical and physical properties. However the harder reinforcement particles make machining difficult. Tool wear occurs more quickly and reduces the life of the tool. This paper presents the experimental investigation on turning A356 matrix metal reinforced with 20 % by weight of Silicon carbide (SiC) particles, fabricated in house by stir casting. Fabricated samples were turned on medium duty lathe with Poly crystalline Diamond (PCD) inserts of 1300 and 1500 grade exposed to various cutting conditions. Parameters such as power consumed by main spindle, machined surface roughness and tool wear are studied. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images support the result. It is evident that, surface finish, and power consumed are good for 1500 grade when compared with 1300 grade at higher cutting speed and tool wear is strongly dependent on the abrasive hard reinforcement particles.
Derailment Analysis of High-Speed Railway Vehicle Bogies
Authors: Cheng Yung Chang , Chen Chern Hwa , Yang Che Jung
Published: October 2011

Based on the heuristic nonlinear creep model, the nonlinear coupled differential equations of the motion of a 12 degree-of-freedom (12-DOF) bogie system which takes account of the lateral displacement, vertical displacement, the roll angle and the yaw angle of the each wheelset and the bogie frame, moving on curved tracks are derived. The nonlinear creep forces and moments are constructed via the saturation constant of the nonlinear creep model in completeness. The effect of the suspension parameters of a bogie system on the derailment quotient is investigated. Results obtained in this study show that the derailment quotient of a bogie system increases as the vehicle speed increases. In addition, the derailment quotient of a bogie system is generally decreased with the increasing values of suspension parameters.
Molecular and Electronic Structure of 1-Naphtol : Ab Initio Molecular Orbital and Density Functional Study
Authors: Raja G. , Saravanan K. , Sivakumar S.
Published: October 2011

The molecular vibrations of 1-Naphtol were investigated in polycrystalline sample, at room temperature, by FT- IR and FT-Raman spectroscopy. In parallel, ab initio and various density functional (DFT) methods were used to determine the geometrical, energetic and vibrational characteristics of 1-Naphtol . On the basis of B3LYP/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-311+G** methods and basis set combinations, a xnormal mode analysis was performed to assign the various fundamental frequencies according to the total energy distribution (TED). The vibrational spectra were interpreted, with the aid of normal coordinate analysis based on a scaled quantum mechanical force field. The Infrared and Raman spectra were also predicted from the calculated intensities. Comparison of simulated spectra with the experimental spectra provides important information about the ability of the computational method to describe the vibrational modes. Simulation of Infrared and Raman spectra, utilizing the results of these calculations led to excellent overall agreement with observed spectral patterns. The investigation is performed using quantum chemical calculations conducted by means of the Gaussian 98W and Guassview set of programs. Further, density functional theory (DFT) combined with quantum chemical calculations to determine the first-order hyperpolarizability.
Performance Analysis of Nanoscale Double Gate MOSFETs with High-κ Gate Stack
Authors: Farzana Esmat , Chowdhury Shuvro , Ahmed Rizvi , Rahman Khan M. Ziaur
Published: October 2011

The performance and characteristics of Double Gate MOSFET with high dielectric constant (high-κ) gate stack have been analyzed and compared with those of conventional pure SiO2 gate MOSFET. Quantum Ballistic Transport Model has been used to demonstrate the performance of the device in terms of threshold voltage, drain current in both low and high drain voltage regions and subthreshold swing. The effect of temperature on the threshold voltage and subthreshold characteristics has also been observed. This work reveals that improved performance of this structure can be achieved by scaling the gate length and illustrates its superiority over SiO2 gate MOSFETs in achieving long-term ITRS goals.
A Comparison of Kinetic Modeling of Fermentable Sugar Production from Walnut Green Skin as a Source of Energy
Authors: Nodeh Ali Arasteh
Published: October 2011

The effect of process condition (acid concentration, solid content, temperature, and time) on fermentable sugar production by concentrated acid hydrolysis for green walnut skin pretreatment was studied. Dried WGS with solid to liquid ratio of 5%, 10%, 15% was treated with 20, 40, 60 wt% sulfuric acid at 65, 80,90°C for 2, 3, 4 hours and final solutions were analyzed by HPLC. The process was modeled by three models: first order reaction kinetics, using severity factor and a second order equation. The work indicates that the use of Walnut green skin may be a feasible option as a feed material for the production of glucose for biofuel synthesis.
Productivity Improvement in Plastic Bag Manufacturing through Lean Manufacturing Concepts: A Case Study
Authors: Yesmin Tahera , Masuduzzaman Md. , Zaheer Ahmed
Published: October 2011

In the fiercely competitive market, productivity improvement always plays a key strategic role in determining bottom-line success for an industry. Being a plastic bag manufacturer, which is widely used as packaging material for apparel industry, the manufacturer belongs to a group of backward linkage industry, which is highly competitive. As such, the company has to focus heavily on three strategic issues: reduction in overall cost, improvement in quality with right assurance scheme, and improvement in productivity with right tools and techniques. This research has been conducted in a large FDI-based plastic bag manufacturing company, a techno-economic consortium of Dutch, China and Bangladesh, and located in the suburban area of Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh. This research was aimed to focus on these issues along with future guidelines as to how to approach lean manufacturing as a pursuit to achieve the ultimate goal of “near perfection”. All of these improvement efforts are planned around the concepts of lean manufacturing. This involves application of Value-Stream Mapping (VSM) and 5S program.
Corrosion Problems in Sugar Factories in Mauritius
Authors: Tengur L. , Surnam B.Y.R.
Published: October 2011

In Mauritius, corrosion costs forms a large part of the expenses of sugar cane mills and presently there has not been any study on this issue. The present study was therefore performed at one of the sugar cane mills in Mauritius so as to identify the different modes of corrosion degradation and the corrosivity of commonly used metals with respect to the corrosive fluids (mainly juices) encountered in the juice extraction process. The cost associated with the corrosion degradation was eventually calculated. Electrochemical tests were performed to measure and compare the corrosion rate for the metals in the corrosive fluids. It was observed that the highest and the lowest corrosion rates were recorded for pre-extractor mill juice and syrup respectively. Low carbon steel generally had the fastest corrosion rate while stainless steel 316L corroded the least. Finally, from gathered data, the cost of corrosion was found to be 6.6% of the turnover of the factory.
Development of a Portable Drug Delivery System Using Iontophoresis for Alopecia Treatment
Authors: Wei Qun , Hwang Dae Guen , Ud Din Zia Mohy , Cho Jin Ho
Published: October 2011

This study presents the development of a drug delivery system using iontophoresis for alopecia treatment. A alopecia is a medical description which means loss of hair from the body. To treat this condition, the drugs for alopecia treatment need to be delivered into the scalp. Therefore, iontophoresis was used in a portable drug delivery system to enhance the penetration of the drug delivery. The designed system consisted of a drug container, iontophoresis circuit board and rechargeable battery. According to the results, the iontophoresis circuit board performed well along with the designed drug delivery system.
Weibull and Hargreaves Methods to Determine the Wind and Solar Energy – Case Study
Authors: Syafawati A.N. , Daut I. , Irwanto Muhammad , Shema S.S. , Farhana Z. , Razliana N. , Shatri C. , Arizadayana Z.
Published: October 2011

This paper presents a case study of Weibull and Hargreaves methods used to determine the wind speed characteristic and solar radiation pattern in Perlis the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. These two methods are then used to analyze the data of wind and solar that recorded using Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station. This paper also discusses the correlation of these two methods in determining the wind and solar energy. Through this case study, this paper conclude that these methods is highly recommended to determine and analyze the potential of wind and solar energy.
Maximum Power Point Tracking for Solar PV System
Authors: Gupta Subhash , Kalika S. , Luisito R. Cabigting
Published: October 2011

Solar energy systems have emerged as a viable source of renewable energy over the past two or three decades, and are now widely used for a variety of industrial and domestic applications. This paper shows the potential system benefits of simple tracking solar system using a stepper motor and light sensor. This method is increasing power collection efficiency by developing a device that tracks the sun to keep the panel at a right angle to its rays. Such systems are based on a solar collector, designed to collect the sun’s energy and to convert it into either electrical power or thermal energy The output power produced by high-concentration solar thermal and photovoltaic systems is directly related to the amount of solar energy acquired by the system, and it is therefore necessary to track the sun’s position with a high degree of accuracy. The power developed in such applications depends fundamentally upon the amount of solar energy captured by the collector, and thus the problem of developing tracking schemes capable of following the trajectory of the sun throughout the course of the day on a year-round basis has received significant coverage in the literature. A solar tracking system is designed, implemented and experimentally tested. The design details and the experimental results are incorporated in this paper.
Controlling CO2 Emissions from Power Plants: A Environmental View
Authors: Kotakar Sandeep G. , Navthar Ravindra
Published: October 2011

We are aware of the present scientific concerns regarding greenhouse gas emissions and the role of fossil fuel use for power generation. Although the scientific and policy dialogue on global climate change is far from conclusive, we want to design high efficiency power generation equipment with the most modern technologies to utilize fossil fuels with the lowest possible emissions and technologies to remove and sequester carbon dioxide created in power plants in an environmentally and economically favorable manner. This paper is an overview of activities to study and develop controls for carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from power generation. First, energy efficiency improvements for both new and Existing fossil fuel power plants are briefly reviewed for both coal and natural gas fuels. Greater depth is then given to options for CO2 capture and sequestration. These studies are looking at current and novel power generation technologies.
Using Solar Energy in Building from the Viewpoint of Sustainable Architecture
Authors: Afshari Basir Nafiseh , Reza Afshari Basir Mohammad
Published: October 2011

Population growth, finishing and wasting the energy sources, the contamination from the fossil fuels and finally the corruption in the environment are the factors which are alarming the limits the future of the human beings and also the underlying dangers. Considering the existing limits the only correct way is the right use of energy, optimization in the energy consuming appliances and using new returnable sources of energy in order to control the energy crisis. So using the new sources of energy instead of fossil fuels is obligatory. So the new sources of energy should rely on structural and fundamental changes in which the solar energy is used in them and using this source of energy is a based in this type of construction and sustainable architecture which can solve many of present problems of society in optimizing energy consumption. In this article we have worked on solar energy as a returnable source of energy in buildings and the relevant effects on energy consumption reduction and the effects on architecture stability.
The Effect of H2S on Hydrogen and Carbon Black Production from Sour Natural Gas
Authors: Tazimi Mostafa , Javadi Seyyed Mohammad , Nabavi S. Sobhan
Published: October 2011

Hydrogen and carbon black production via thermal decomposition of natural gas have been achieved using a carbon black furnace. Direct heat transfer from inert hot gases (argon) introduced into sour gas. The carbon black furnace is a small-scale axial flow reactor. There are 3 main chemical reactions through which carbon black is produced. Finally results indicate that the most influencing factor over these chemical reactions and CH4 and H2S conversions is reactor temperature.
On the Characteristics of a Novel Floating Sub-Atmospheric Solar Water Desalination System
Authors: Pour Hooman Mohammad , Ashjaee Mehdi
Published: October 2011

This paper proposes a new floating sub-atmospheric solar water desalination system to provide the water resource for domestic to industrial usage. In addition to conventional solar stills (CSS) which only utilize incident solar radiation, the sub-atmospheric condition of this system greatly increases the productivity of the system. The mathematical model of the system is developed and the performance of the still is evaluated. The overall productivity of the still is shown to be sensitive to evaporator pressure as the most significant parameter of the system. Other parameters affecting the performance include cover transmissivity and input water temperature.
Generating Characteristics of a Cantilever-Type Unimorph Piezoelectric Generator Depending on the Material and Mass
Authors: Park C.H. , Kim J.W. , Jeong S.S. , Kim M.H. , Park T.G. , Chong H.H.
Published: October 2011

Structure of a cantilever-type unimorph piezoelectric generator was proposed and designed so as to allow the generator to resonate at frequencies lower than commercial frequencies. This generator is capable of generating amount of voltage its despite low frequency and simple fabrication that result from its simple structure. In this paper, the resonance characteristics of the generator depending on significant parameters were determined through a modal analysis and the influence of each parameter was analyzed to define each its level of sensitivity on the high output characteristics using ANSYS, a FEM program. The generators resonated at frequencies lower than 60 [Hz], as determined through the FEM results. The generating characteristics were then defined by implementing vibration experiment and comparing the results with those from the analysis. The resonance frequency and output power depending on changes in the mass and material were determined by the analysis.