bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Territorial Connection and Cohesion - The Case of Agrigento Inland Area
Authors: Prestia Gerlandina , Scavone Valeria
Published: June 2014

The Europe 2020 strategy and the Horizon 2020 program can begin a real path about the role that the city will be able play for a new development. Usually, it is in the cities that are intensifying tangible and intangible social relations and, given that they focused almost 70% of the world population, it is clear that the city must begin to start any development scenario: the problems / opportunities related to the management of natural resources, energy to move. The culture is a «primary factor of urban creativity (...), the city's identity that has its roots the program schedule of history and extends its branches in the future» [4], awaiting a new model of development local self-sustainable combining protection, conservation, enhancement of resources and economic recovery. In Sicily, the small cities are located, mostly, in the inland, hilly or mountainous areas, where live, again, abandonment, isolation and fragmentation, unlike the coastal urban area, more dynamic, includes the metropolitan areas and the most important towns. In this context, we examined the case of the region in Agrigento. The present study was conducted on all municipalities but not on those outermost and peripheral areas which are more distant from the pole and longer subject to the problems typical of these areas. The vision proposes a multi-layered and multi-dimensional territory characterized by infrastructure networks, networks of settlement, economic and social formations, set up with a multi-scale approach as required by the paradigm of sustainability, «a regional strategy for the medium-long-term» and, on the small scale, the answer «to ad hoc needs». In the case of the region of Agrigento, it is more appropriate deal in about the mobility and not about the transport, to move from a logic of exclusive government of the offer, a demand, through projects and policies that promote use integrated soil, actions to promote intermodality, projects to improve the construction of circuits safe mobility. To start virtuous dynamics of their cooperation, therefore, the contribution aims to intervene with a reticular approach, with a strong identity value, leading to a free physical and virtual so that, combining protection, exploitation of resources, services and economic development, in such small municipalities be returned liveability and attractiveness.
An Integrated Methodology for the Identification of Agricultural Districts: A Case Study in Calabria
Authors: Marcianò Claudio , Careri Paolo , D'Angelillo Enrico
Published: June 2014

The reorganization processes within the rural areas have generated the most modern networks of relationships among agriculture, industry and service sector. Therefore, in the last decades the analysis of such areas has dealt with theories concerning agglomeration economies. In a new perspective, the protagonist of which is a multifunctional agriculture, there has been an increase in the number of actors present in the processes of planning and implementation of European rural policies. In this way, it has been possible to generate forms of local governance such as the Local Action Groups (LAGs), within the Community Leader Initiative, or other forms of governance according to the several adopted instruments of integrated planning. In Italy, inspired by the pattern of industrial districts, the Legislative Decree 228/2001 has disciplined agricultural districts. The methodology for the identification of the districts in agriculture can follow either a top-down (quantitative) approach or a bottom-up (qualitative) one. The study proposes a quali-quantitative methodology to check the vocationality to agricultural district of a large area in the province of Reggio Calabria. The results of the research show a homogeneous and cohesive area around the agro-food sector, above all in terms of employment.
The Outstanding Universal Value of the Isola Ellenofona
Authors: Meduri Tiziana , Tramontana Carmela
Published: June 2014

This paper is a summary of the research carried out to bring out the distinctive elements of cultural heritage, for the outstanding and universal value, they characterize a well-defined area of Calabria to get UNESCO recognition. This action is part of a broader framework of interventions, aimed at understanding the importance of the actions for the protection, preservation and transmission to future generations of the cultural, natural and intangible heritage in the territory through the establishment an integrated actions to be taken to the economic development and social context.
M.C. Escher and the Calabrian Cultural Landscape of Linguistic Greek Minorities
Authors: Campolo Daniele
Published: June 2014

The Calabrian Region, in the past centuries, has been a refuge land for groups of different culture and religion from various Mediterranean areas. Today in this area it is still possible to identify three major ethnic language minorities related to historical events dating back to times past: the Greek of Calabria minority in the province of Reggio Calabria, the Waldensians one in the province of Cosenza and the Arbëreshë culture in the province of Cosenza, Crotone and Catanzaro. The existence in the same region of three "historical linguistic minorities", protected by the Law no. 482/1999, is unique in the Italian panorama: this territory is characterized by an ancient culture, an historic and architectonic heritage, and it is also inserted in an environment of great natural value, such as to create the conditions for the attempts to inclusion of this areas in the UNESCO heritage sites within the "Cultural Landscape" category. These territories are formed hierarchically by different ecosystems, deeply influenced by various factors such as the geological composition of the soil, the microclimate, the presence of the fiumare (characteristic Calabrian rivers), the geographical setting difficulties for agriculture and the use of terracing techniques to overcome the lack of large flat areas. The different combinations of these micro-ecosystems creates a complex landscape that can be observed at different scales and is determined by the human management of the various natural resources. No wonder that this landscape inspired Maurits Cornelis Escher to spend many months in this region, drawing and sketching.
Identity and Urban Values for Sustainable Design
Authors: Carrà Natalina
Published: June 2014

The urban historical contexts have suffered, over the years, different phenomena related to the processes of transformation, sometimes with positive and tangible effects on the quality and the urban model, sometimes negative and/or inappropriate. The present moment proposes again in all its aspects the need to engage a reflection on the phenomenon of transition of these forms, design expressions as possible answer as well as regards the aspects related to the identity nature of places, better known as what we call cultural sustainability. The concept of identity related to the notion of cultural sustainability, which affirms the non-repeatability of some physical and social forms/structures, is the object of these design expressions.
The Evaluation Culture to Build a Network of Competitive Cities in the Mediterranean
Authors: Aragona Stefano , Calabrò Francesco , Della Spina Lucia
Published: June 2014

The gradual shift of the economic centre of gravity to the east, with the consequent marginalization of the majority parts of Europe, requires an approximation, in a short time, for the Mediterraneans peoples and their cultures to create a common space that will strengthen the interdependencies and complementarities.
The Literary «Ekphrasis» of Castel Nuovo: A Contribution to Value the Cultural Identity of the Ideal City Government, Promoted by Aristocratic Courts and Civil Administrations in the XIV Century
Authors: Cipolla Sara
Published: June 2014

The research work concerns the development in the Italian literature of the French theme of Neuf Preux, and Particularly Took into account a crown of sonnets of nine famous men linked to an alleged cycle of paintings attributed to Giotto's in the palace of Castel Nuovo in Naples. The survey highlighted how in medieval Italian literature, beyond the more or less explicit recovery of the French literary tradition, occupies a prominent place the function that these poems take in the view of the literature of the time. The survey actually shows the two faces of the series of famous heroes, which on one hand is the mouthpiece of the political ideals and civil inspired by the courteous and Roman antiquities, on the other hand appears to be ripe fruit of a didactic poem in which the adherence to the motto of "ut pictura poesis" become as a kind of surface projection of images.
Infrastructural Systems toward the Valorisation of the History of Architecture: The Case of the Metro-Art in Naples
Authors: Castagnaro Alessandro
Published: June 2014

Since the Industrial Revolution, cities have changed their identity and the transport systems have produced a strong impact, rather than on their social-anthropological character, on the morphology of the urban pattern and on the development of the vertical dimension of the architectural volumes.This mutation leads, among other things, to a significant transformations in the transition between the 19th and 20th centuries, according to the transition between the historicist eclecticism of previous centuries and the new deal of the belle époque. Paradigmatic and representative of the century are the underground stations built in Vienna and Paris.The case, related to the contemporary, is Naples where the metro-art stations, unlike what happened before, have the dual characteristic of being different from one another- so to provide an extensive collection of contemporary architecture being part of a culture that includes the evolution of taste and the same behaviour of doing and enjoying art.A system born as transport engineering becomes today “Transit Museum” with the study of urban history from archeology to architecture and figurative art.
The Recovery of the Historic Centres in the Metropolitan Area of Reggio Calabria through the Use of Bergamot
Authors: Campolo Daniele
Published: June 2014

The abuse of land is devastating our country: environmental disasters (landslides, floods, mudslides, etc.) are becoming more frequent because of the abandonment of agricultural lands and an inadequate care of the land, particularly in the inland areas. But Calabria, and the province of Reggio Calabria, in particular, has agricultural vocations that makes it unique in the Italian panorama and there could be development opportunities for the region, not only in the agriculture sector but also in the recovery of the historic centers with an innovative use of waste materials coming from the production of bergamot, or citrus, for the restoration of historic buildings and vernacular architecture. From a metropolitan city point of view, we must put an end to the soil consumption in favor of the recovery and the enhancement of endogenous resources, utilizing innovative techniques and innovative methods we can diversify the use of existing resources to make them more productive.
From Indicators to Composite Indexes: An Application of the Multi-Attribute Value Theory for Assessing Sustainability
Authors: Ferretti Valentina , Bottero Marta , Mondini Giulio
Published: June 2014

The paper investigates the use of indicators in sustainability assessment of projects, plans and programmes and proposes an application of the Multi Attribute Value Theory (MAVT) for the definition of synthetic indexes of evaluation. With the aim of highlighting potentialities and limits of the proposed approach, the methodology is applied to a real case concerning a set of well-being indicators. The results of the study show that MAVT is suitable for dealing with the aggregation of indicators systems.
The Management of Cultural Heritage: The Importance of No Profit Subjects
Authors: Tramontana Carmela
Published: June 2014

This study aims to contribute to the enhancement of cultural and environmental heritage of Calabria, with the objective to identify the optimal management model, able to achieve results effective, efficient and long lasting, as the effects of mismanagement often determine causes of decay and abandonment of heritage: have been used the verification of the comparative financial sustainability, as suggested by the Legislative Decree 42/2004, between two categories of program manager, profit and no profit, starting from the assumption that the real manager public, owner of a large part of cultural heritage, it is not in the best condition to manage because of multiple factors. From the simulation performed on the Geraces Cultural Park of History and Memory, it is clear that the subject no profit is the one best suited, so, with the same objectives, and services to be provided within the tariff, it checks the condition of equilibrium between costs and revenues: specifically, the cost of a no profit entity is considerably lower, making use of voluntary unlike a subject who must supply profit instead of real salaries.
Property Value, Urban Quality and Maintenance Condition: A Hedonic Analysis in the City of Naples, Italy
Authors: del Giudice Vincenzo , Torrieri Francesca , de Paola Pierfrancesco
Published: June 2014

The article examines the relationship between property value and level of conservation of public urban space. While many studies have examined the effect of proximity of open space, parks, and trees on property value, there has been few examination of how projects of urban revitalization and ordinary and extraordinary maintenances of public spaces can influence property values. While intuition can suggest that a low level of quality and maintenance of a public space can negatively affect property value, even if the standard requirement of public spaces and services are meet, this yet to be empirically proven.We proposes the application of a new econometric models for quantitative analysis of the characteristics of real estate property (Generalized Additive Model), to assess the impact of maintenance condition on property values, due to the better prevision that these functions can obtain in a real estate market context.The control of the formal and logical adequacy of the proposed theoretical model is referred to the case study under analysis, in the city of Naples. The results obtained show that a well preserved urban environment influences property price by approximately 6%. The experimental test of the model has provided results that, by reason of their formal consistency with the results obtained in other contexts, can be considered representative of the effectiveness of the methodology proposed.
Governance Assessment of the Leader Approach in Calabria Using an Integrated AHP-Fuzzy TOPSIS Methodology
Authors: Romeo Giuseppa , Marcianò Claudio
Published: June 2014

The paper carries out an evaluation of the performance of the development process of Leader Approach in the Rural Development Programme 2007-2013 in Calabria. An appropriate set of process indicators have been identified and measured in order to evaluate the procedures and actions practiced by Local Action Groups (LAG) in the planning phase of the Local Development Plans. Those indicators have been employed to construct an evaluation tree through which the performance of each LAG is tested and compared to an ideal model of Good Governance through the application of an integrated multicriteria methodology based on Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and fuzzy Technique for Order Performance by Similarity to Ideal Solution (fuzzy-TOPSIS). The results outline a possible model for evaluating the quality of the integrated planning process of the LAGs, pointing out eventual elements of criticism and virtuous behaviours.
Multicriteria Spatial Analysis for Competitive Cultural Heritage in Fringe Areas: The Case of Valle d’Aosta Vastles
Authors: Oppio Alessandra , Bottero Marta , Ferretti Valentina
Published: June 2014

The Alpine territories show a strong potential in reaching the targets set out by the European policies related to smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. The present paper reflects about the role of cultural heritage in supporting local development processes in mountain areas. In particular, Valle d’Aosta castles’ system (Italy) is considered in the study, with particular reference to the analysis of the opportunities and the risks at the regional scale. The results of the work delineate how Multicriteria-Spatial Decision Support Systems (MC-SDSS) can support the definition of enhancement strategies by providing a wide and integrated knowledge of the cultural heritage under investigation. The introduction of MC-SDSS in the field of historical assets’ conservation is quite innovative. Differently from the traditional analysis, the use of such an integrated approach allows decision maker to consider the spatial features of each development option and to evaluate simultaneously their multidimensional impacts.
Illegal Buildings and Local Finance in New Metropolitan Perspectives
Authors: Forte Fabiana
Published: June 2014

Assuming that metropolitan city costs and the available resources for the realization of public facilities and services are scarce, if not minimal, as in the current economic situation, and in the light of a growing problem which is that of illegal buildings, it is no longer possible to continue to ignore financial tools that assume a certain relevance for financing urban regeneration. The issue of illegal buildings is strictly connected to pecuniary sanctions to obtain a “retrospective building permission” (sanatoria) and could represent a significant item of revenue and capital expenditure (or investment) in financing the public city. In this perspective. the article, analyzing the illegal building phenomenon from a local finance perspective, wants to assess the efficiency and effectiveness of revenues deriving from “retrospective building permission” as well as the financial management and urban planning capacity of local authorities. A first exploration, deriving from a departmental research on Terra di Lavoro, concerning the municipality of Casal di Principe in the province of Caserta.
A Correct Valorisation of Farming and Agro-Industrial Waste
Authors: Nesci Francesco Saverio , Iellamo Nicoletta Maria
Published: June 2014

Farming and agro-industrial waste can represent a resource when destined to energy production and they can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emission, to improve energetic efficiency and increase renewable energies. 6 stations are already working in Calabria for agro-zootechnical biomasses and agro-industrial waste transformation, in compliance with 91/676/CEE, Nitrates Directive, then D.L. 152/99 and D.M. 7 April 2006, redefined by D.M. 6-7-2012 It reduced incentives, with the aim of implementing small sized stations powered by recyclable byproducts, which are easier to manage especially in the form of consortium by medium and small sized companies that would otherwise be excluded from the market. An appropriate use of pruning waste would also mean turning a problem into an opportunity if, instead of burning it and producing high levels of CO2 (as forbidden by D.L. “terra dei fuochi”) it could be destined to produce a new kind of power source, biochar, with a carbon negative function. Concerning the market of carbon credits derivable from pruning waste and from the production of more than 130.000 t of biochar (which, differently from the forestry sector, hasn’t been accepted in farming yet), the potential wealth on the regional territory could vary from 5 to 11 million € according to the set price. Establishing a more competitive and sustainable source of energy is one of the most important challenges that our Country has to face today. This sector plays a key role in the economic development of the Country, not only as a distinctive feature of low cost energy production, limited impact on environment and high utilization, but also as an element of growth per se, with a boost in ecologic economy thanks to a predominant use of renewable resources, recycling and curbing domestic or industrial waste, according to Green Economy parameters.
Eco-Energy Analysis in Urban Regeneration Plans: Basic Application in the Eastern Area of Rome
Authors: De Pascali Paolo , Alberti Valentina , De Ioris Daniela , Reginaldi Michele
Published: June 2014

The article places the urban regeneration theme in the evolutionary context of the general concept of sustainability. The consideration of the environment in terms of exhaustible resources (sources & sinks), the conception of the urban environment according to EU policies, the vision of sustainability as "efficiency in the transition", are the cornerstones. Then describes the research in progress on the development of an operational methodology to define explicit and replicable bases of the urban environment concept to be considered in plans for urban renewal. Fields of observation and measurement are comfort and anthropogenic load (pollution). In this regard presents the main results of the ongoing experimental application concerning the eco-energy analysis of the Eastern area of Rome. Finally, gives some general lines for the possible development of research on the topic.
Generic Theoretical and Experimental Development of Micro Aerial Vehicle Using Fundamental Principles
Authors: Djojodihardjo Harijono , Kartidjo Muljo Widodo
Published: June 2014

Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles (FWMAV) and Quad-Rotor Micro Air Vehicles (QRMAV) are strategic for many applications, applications, ranging from control device test bed to perform difficult tasks as well as to perform surveillance mission to unreachable places. While salient features and functional significance of the various components in the flying bio-systems can be synthesized into a simplified and generic and simplified model of a flapping Bi-Wing and Quad-Wing Ornithopter; Quad-Rotor Micro Air Vehicle could be utilized for developing emerging Personal Air Vehicle (PAV) technologies. Theoretical development of Bio-Inspired Bi-Wing and Quad-Wing Flapping Wing Micro Air Vehicles is outlined by considering the motion of a three-dimensional rigid and thin wing in flapping and pitching motion with phase lag. Basic Unsteady Aerodynamic Approach incorporating viscous effect and leading-edge suction is utilized. Theoretical and experimental development of a new variant of Quad-Rotor Micro Air Vehicles is also outlined. The theoretical development of these potential MAVs is carried out using a first principle approach starting from the Euler-Newton equations of motion.
Application of Shape Optimization Method on Steel Wheel Rim
Authors: Ahmad Mohd Nizam , Kamil Awanis Ihsanul , Muhamad Wan Mansor Wan
Published: June 2014

Nowadays, weight reduction is great opportunity for automotive components design due to meet the structural strength without reducing the components safety. A classical try-and-error approach to design the automotive components in industries is inadequate which mean new methods are needed to enhance the design process. An improvement of the component can be achieved by adopting suitable optimization techniques at the early design stage. In this paper, the problem of automotive component design; steel wheel rim design in a view of weight reduction was tackled by means of shape optimization method. Design methodology was proposed to the original design of selected wheel rim and was continued optimized them by various reduction targets. The optimized design together with the datum has been analyzed and the results were compared and discussed. Shape optimization with 15% of reduction target at steel wheel rim was the best optimal design and it was met the design criteria and safety factor. By applying shape optimization, weight of steel wheel also has been reduced by using proper reduction target. The methodology has been proven to be successful in finding innovative and efficient layouts for automotive components design.
A Review on the Self-Energize Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) in Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) System
Authors: Hamdan A. , Mustapha Faizal , Ahmad Kamarul Arifin , Rafie A.S.M. , Sultan Mohamed Thariq Hameed , Ishak M.R.
Published: June 2014

Wind energy is one of the renewable energy sources which the trend is positive and increasing year by year. This technology applied widely in several regions in the world and already has maturity in technology, good infrastructure and relative cost competitiveness. The application of structural health monitoring (SHM) is crucial especially to evaluate the performance of wind turbine in real time assessment. Furthermore, the smart material in SHM can be utilized as micro energy harvester as well. However, the application of SHM and micro energy harvester for wind turbine is still premature especially in SHM embedded or bonded strategy. Several issues are highlighted such as SHM material selection, wind turbine selection and the issue in micro energy harvester. The issues are discussed and compared with the recent finding in this review. Several recommendations are suggested for future study especially on the application of micro energy harverster.
An SHM View of a CFD Model of Lillgrund Wind Farm
Authors: Dervilis Nikolaos , Creech A.C.W. , Maguire A.E. , Antoniadou Ifigeneia , Barthorpe R.J. , Worden Keith
Published: June 2014

Reliability of offshore wind farms is one of the key areas for the successful implementation of these renewable power plants in the energy arena. Failure of the wind turbine (WT) in general could cause massive financial losses but especially for structures that are operating in offshore sites. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) of WTs is essential in order to ensure not only structural safety but also avoidance of overdesign of components that could lead to economic and structural inefficiency.
A preliminary analysis of a machine learning approach in the context of WT SHM is presented here; it is based on results from a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model of Lillgrund Wind farm. The analysis is based on neural network regression and is used to predict the measurement of each WT from the measurements of other WTs in the farm. Regression model error is used as an index of abnormal response.
An Experimental Study of Heat Transfer and Friction Factor Characteristics of Finned Flat Tube Banks with In-Line Tubes Configurations
Authors: Tahseen Tahseen Ahmad , Ishak Mahadzir , Rahman M.M.
Published: June 2014

The experimental study has been made to investigate heat transfer and pressure drop for air flow around finned flat tube banks in-line configurations with laminar forced convection. Measurements were conducted for twelve tubes in the flow direction, four tubes in the row. Four air velocity (0.2, 0.5, 0.8 and 2.0 m/s) identical to the Reynolds number, ReDh based hydraulic diameter was varied between 124 and 1238. The total heat flux supplies in all tubes change four times from 473.2 to 3871.7 W/m2. The study results indicate that the average heat transfer coefficient, and the average Nusselt number, of all tubes has increased 113.6%–150.3% with ReDh numbers varying from 124 to 1238 at the fixed heat flux. Likewise, the friction factor decreases 57.7% with a ReDh number range 124 – 1238.
CFD Analysis of Temperature Imbalance in Full Scale Tangentially Fired Coal Boiler
Authors: Fadhil Siti Sarah Ain , Hasini Hasril , Mohd Jaafar Mohd Nasharuddin
Published: June 2014

Tangentially fired boilers are widely used in generating electricity power due to its advantage of distributing heat evenly to all furnace walls. However, this type of boiler poses common temperature deviation at the upper furnace which may lead to temperature imbalance. This consequently may reduce the performance of the boiler which cannot be simply ignored. This paper investigates the flow and temperature imbalance in a 700 MW coal-fired boiler at full load and reduced load conditions. The effect of loading condition towards the temperature imbalance is investigated. It is observed that temperature imbalance occurs at the reheater plane between left wall and right wall where higher temperature was found near the left wall. Temperature imbalance is influenced by the loading condition, the higher the loading the higher the imbalance.
Effects of Physicochemical Parameters on Colloidal Potentials
Authors: Ujila Masuri Siti , Sellier Mathieu
Published: June 2014

In particle deposition problems, colloidal potentials play an important role in adsorpting the colloidal particles onto the surface of the deposit wall once the colloids arrive in the vicinity of the wall. Therefore it is important to gain understanding of these potentials, in particular, how they are influenced by the problem parameters. With such an understanding, more insights into mitigating the problem can be obtained, and consequently, more effective approaches to tackle the problem can be taken. In this work, we present the effects of particle size, flow temperature and ionic strength of the solution on the colloidal potentials based on numerical analysis. The results support the conclusion that the rate of initial deposition of particles can be reduced if the particle size is smaller, the flow temperature is increased, and the ionic strength is reduced.
Evaluation of Indoor Thermal Environment in a Radiant-Cooled-Floor Office Building in Malaysia
Authors: Kwong Qi Jie , Arsad Mohamad Afri , Adam Nor Mariah
Published: June 2014

This paper presents the findings of a thermal comfort survey conducted in a tropical green office building. The building was installed with a slab-integrated radiant cooling system, which operated concurrently with an integrated variable-air-volume system. Evaluation of indoor thermal environment was made, where both objective and subjective assessments were carried out. The air temperature, air velocity, relative humidity and surface temperatures were measured by using calibrated sensors. Based on the data collected from the field assessment, the thermal comforts indices with expectancy factor were calculated. The results showed that thermal comfort parameters were within the comfort range specified in a local guideline, except for the air velocity profile. Besides, discrepancy between the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) with expectancy factor and Actual Mean Vote (AMV) was found, which showed that the former still overestimated the thermal sensation of occupants although an expectancy factor of 0.5 was used.
Experimental and Simulation Study on the Effects of Twisted Coil Plates on the Performance of Fire Tube Boiler
Authors: Roslim M.K. , Hassan Suhaimi , Izzati K.
Published: June 2014

Influences of twisted coil plate insert on the performance of fire tube boiler using were experimentally investigated. In this study, the twisted coil plate was placed inside the tube to illustrate boiler performance. The performances of boiler were studied in terms of operating time taken, exhaust flue gas temperature, steam temperature and boiler efficiency. The boiler was operated with 50%, 100% and without tube coil plate inserts at low and high fire burner setting. Based on the results obtained, effect of twisted plate insert and without insert were observed. There is an enhancement in boiler performance in terms of boiler efficiency. The ANSYS Fluent simulation showed the effect of width ratio and twist ratio. Therefore, the experimental results indicate that using twisted coil plate in the boiler is one of the best ways to improve boiler performance.
Flame Temperature Distribution from ISO2685 Standard Propane-Air Burner Using CFD
Authors: Bheekhun Nadiir , Abu Talib Abdul Rahim , Hasini Hasril , Hassan Mohd Roshdi
Published: June 2014

This analysis considers the computational simulations of the temperature distribution of a propane-air customary flame combusted from an aeronautical fire-certification set according to the ISO2685standard. The numerical codes have been executed in Computational Fluid Dyanmics using the k-ω SST turbulence model coupled with eddy-dissipation. The resultshowsthat the maximum predicted temperature using the standard flame settings exceeds the required temperature for evaluation of a fire-resistive material. The mole fractions of the by-products, carbon dioxide and water have also been predicted.
Measurement of Indoor Air Quality Parameters in Daycare Centres in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Authors: Cionita Tezara , Adam Nor Mariah , Jalaludin Juliana , Mansor Mariani , Siregar Januar Parlaungan
Published: June 2014

This paper focuses on the monitoring of indoor air quality parameters, namely: indoor temperature, humidity, velocity, particulate matter, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide in day care centres. This study selected 15 day care centres located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. These day care centres were categorized as follows: (1) day care centers near an industrial area, (2) day care centers near a main road, and (3) day care centers in a residential area. The obtained data showed that the values for the indoor air quality parameters in all day care centres were still well below the recommended value according to the Department of Safety and Health, Malaysia. The day care centers near an industrial area had the highest value of carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide as compared to the day care centers near a main road and the day care centers in a residential area. The average concentrations of carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the day care centers near an industrial area were 3.67 ppm and 801.56 ppm respectively. Meanwhile, the carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide in the day care centers near a main road area and the day care centers in a residential area were 3.13 ppm, 768.22 ppm, 2.92 ppm and 733.70 ppm, respectively.
Simulation of Thermal Comfort Conditions of an Air-Conditioned Cafeteria in the Tropics
Authors: Zainuddin A. , Adam Nor Maria , Rusli I.H. , Kwong Qi Jie
Published: June 2014

This paper studies the current thermal comfort condition of an air-conditioned cafeteria based on objective measurements and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Indoor comfort parameters such as temperature and airflow rate were simulated by a CFD tool. The results from field measurements and predicted values were then compared and contrasted. A simulated model that has the same geometrical configuration as the cafeteria was set as a benchmark model. Several additional models with different configuration of cafeteria layouts were proposed to achieve the required air temperature. It was found that the predicted results from the proposed models showed even distributions of airflow characteristics and temperature gradients. To maintain a thermally-acceptable air temperature of 28 °C, it is proposed that an additional air-conditioning unit be retrofitted to the current cafeteria layout.
The Effect of Nozzle Configuration on Characteristics of Fluidic Excited Jets
Authors: Mohabi A. , Hejazi M.
Published: June 2014

Using fluidic self-excited jets increases the rate of fluid mixing and reduces fuel consumption in industry burners (torches) and combustion chambers. The geometry of such jets is an important factor for fluidic jet determination. This study is concerned with investigating the types of fluidic nozzles configuration. The effect of nozzle configuration types was studied on various parameters such as frequency, velocity profile, velocity decay rate, the half angle of jet spread, and entrainment ratio. Maximum frequency and excited oscillation amplitude of fluidic jets were observed in the original geometry configuration. Also, the maximum spread rate and minimum velocity profile were observed in this geometry. Velocity decay rate shows its maximum magnitude in the original geometry configuration. Turbulence intensity reaches its maximum value in this geometry without any internal nozzle, whereas it shows the minimum value at geometry with an additional wall along the internal nozzle. The maximum increase in the half angle of jet spread was seen in the original geometry configuration. In this geometry, entrainment ratio is less than one, while in the geometry to create steady jets, entrainment ratio is more than one.
Heat Exchanger Network Optimization by Differential Evolution Method
Authors: Thuy Ngo Thi Phuong , Pendyala Rajashekhar , Rahmanian Nejat , Marneni Narahari
Published: June 2014

The synthesis of heat exchanger network (HEN) is a comprehensive approach to optimize energy utilization in process industry. Recent developments in HEN synthesis (HENS) present several heuristic methods, such as Simulated Annealing (SA), Genetic Algorithm (GA), and Differential Evolution (DE). In this work, DE method for synthesis and optimization of HEN has been presented. Using DE combined with the concept of super-targeting, the optimization is determined. Then DE algorithm is employed to optimize the global cost function including the constraints, such as heat balance, the temperatures of process streams. A case study has been optimized using DE, generated structure of HEN and compared with networks obtained by other methods such as pinch technology or mathematical programming. Through the result, the proposed method has been illustrated that DE is able to apply in HEN optimization, with 16.7% increase in capital cost and 56.4%, 18.9% decrease in energy, global costs respectively.
A Review of Current Development in Natural Fiber Composites in Automotive Applications
Authors: Norhidayah M.H. , Ariff Arep , bin Yaakob Mohd Yuhazri , Zolkarnain M. , Taufik  , Saifuddin H.Y.
Published: June 2014

Nowadays, natural fiber is an interesting option and it is the most widely applied fiber in composite technology. The natural fibers are used in most of the industries and are increasingly being considered as reinforcements for polymer-matrix composites because they are perceived to have sustainability value. This research paper aims to enlighten the existing development in natural fiber composites in automotive applications. Additionally, this research paper reviews the related papers from the year 2006 until 2013. Finally, a summary of selected products that have been identified by car manufacturers were identified.
Attaining Soot Oxidation Temperature by Inductive Coils Exposed to Electromagnetic Waves
Authors: Jamlus Mohd Hanafiah Mat , Abdul Karim Zainal Ambri
Published: June 2014

This paper presents the findings in attaining soot oxidation temperature by using carbon steel coils exposed to electromagnetic waves. Soot are unburned carbon product in the exhaust gases during the combustion of diesel fuel, which are subjected to stringent emission regulations due to its harmful properties. The unburned carbon can be oxidised by heating as after-treatment strategy but in order for the oxidation to occur, it would require a temperature of not less than 600°C. In the present work, eight heating elements made from various carbon steel coil sizes were exposed to electromagnetic waves in the microwave oven cavity which heats up the coils to the oxidation temperature. Electromagnetic waves heating utilises electromagnetic radiation to induce electric field in a conductive material that causes the material to be heated. The microwave oven used has a power rating of 1000 W, with a microwave range of 2450 Mhz. Measurement of coils temperature and exposure time to electromagnetic waves were recorded and analysed. The results showed that only the coils with bigger coil loop size, i.e. 20 mm and lowest number of turns, i.e. 10 turns attained the threshold temperature of 600°C, while smaller diameter coil would accelerate the rate of heating. The findings from the research work are significant facts in the future development of in-situ exhaust gas after treatment system in reducing soot emissions.
Application of Microwave Heating in Aerospace Composite Processing
Authors: Hassan Mohd Roshdi , Ganjeh Babak
Published: June 2014

Microwave heating technology regarded as a highly time and energy efficient heating technique which recently has acquired attention in aerospace composite manufacturing. Capability of offering exceptional advantages including volumetric and selective heating makes the microwave heating attractive alternative over the conventional highly time and energy consuming autoclave processing. However due to the complexity of interaction mechanism of electromagnetic field and composite materials, applying microwave ovens on an industrial level requires comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation to determine and predict the materials behavior during the curing process. On laboratory scales great potentials of microwave heating in terms of time and energy saving have been proven through several studies, a concise review over these studies is presented in this paper.
Crushing Behavior of Hybrid Composite Fuselage-Shape Tubes
Authors: Mahdi Elsadig , Sebaey Tamer A.
Published: June 2014

Crashworthiness of fiber reinforced polymer composites is classified based on how they deform, fail and dissipate the energy in a controllable manner. Fuselage shapes were manufactured from hybrid glass/epoxy and cotton/epoxy layers. The effects of the test speed and fiber orientation were investigated. The results showed that significant effects of cotton fiber/epoxy layers on the crushing force efficiency of tested fuselage systems. On the other hand, the test speed did not show any significant effects whereas; the fiber orientation did have a significant effect.
Effects of PVA-PEG Binders System on Microstructure and Properties of Sintered Alumina
Authors: Jaafar Chenoraiza , Zainol Ismail , Sulaiman Sreenivasan , Ayub M.I.
Published: June 2014

In this work, the effects of binder compositions on the mechanical properties, density, volume shrinkage and microstructure of sintered alumina were investigated. Three different formulations of alumina samples were prepared by mixing alumina with 3 % of poly (ethylene glycol) (PEG) with 1 to 3 wt% of poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) binders. The degradation temperature of binder was investigated by means of thermogravimetry analysis (TGA). Diametral compressive test was conducted to determine the tensile strength of sintered alumina. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterise the microstructure and fracture surface analysis. It was found that PVA binder plays important roles in sintering of alumina. The relative density and tensile strength increase as the percentages of PVA increase for each sintering temperature but the volume shrinkages are not much affected by binder composition. The results inferred that alumina samples which have 3%wtPVA-3%wtPEG binder sintered at 1600 °C shows the highest tensile strength (129 MPa) compared to other formulations.
Experimental Quasi-Static Axial Crushing of Non-Woven Kenaf Fibre/Epoxy Hexagonal Composite Tubes
Authors: Ikbir Munir Faraj M.A , Sapuan S.M. , Nuraini A.A. , Ishak Mohamad Ridzwan
Published: June 2014

An experimental study was carried out to study the crashworthiness parameters of non-woven kenaffibre/epoxy composite hexagonal tubes. The static crushing behavior of composite hexagonal tubes under constant axial load was investigated experimentally. Three lengths of hexagonal composite tubes were tested 50, 100, and 150 mm with the same hexagonal angle 45°. Load-Displacement curves and deformation histories of typical specimens are presented and discussed. Results exhibited that tube with length 150 mm exhibits high specific energy absorption.
High Velocity Impact Test on Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) Using a Single Stage Gas Gun (SSGG) - An Experimental Based Approach
Authors: Razali N. , Sultan Mohamed Thariq Hameed , Safri S.N.A. , Basri Shahnor , Yidris Noorfaizal , Mustapha Faizal
Published: June 2014

The aim of this work is to study the effect of thickness and type of bullet in impact test on structures made from a composite material. The composite material used in this study was Glass Fibre Reinforced Polymer (GFRP). This material was fabricated to produce laminated plate specimens with dimension of 100 mm × 100 mm and 6, 8, 10, and 12 mm thickness. The impact test was performed using a Single Stage Gas Gun (SSGG) with blunt, hemispherical, and conical types of bullets. The gas gun pressure was set to 5, 10, 15 and 20 bar. In the tests, gas gun pressure, bullet type and specimen thickness were varied to ascertain the influence of these parameters on the materials response. The relation between impact force with gas pressure, type of bullets and specimens thickness are presented and discussed. The best thickness for GFRP was identified according to the impact results. From the impact tests conducted, it was found that at the same amount of pressure, the higher the thickness, the bigger the impact force because as the specimen thickness increases, the amount of impact force absorbed by the specimen is higher.
Impact Damage Analysis for Glass Reinforced Epoxy Laminated Plates Using Single Stage Gas Gun
Authors: Sultan Mohamed Thariq Hameed , Basri Shahnor , Rafie Azmin Shakrine Mohd , Yidris Noorfaizal , Mustapha Faizal , Zahari Rizal , Ajir M.R.
Published: June 2014

The overall purpose of the research is to investigate the effect of thickness on fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminates. In this study, simplified coupon specimens made from Epoxy/C-glass (200 g/m2) and Epoxy/C-glass (600 g/m2) with different thicknesses were used. To perform the high velocity impact tests (250 m/s), an instrumented single stage gas gun was used. The impacted specimens were examined to determine the extent of damages induced around the impacted point. For the projectiles velocity of 250 m/s, it was found that Epoxy/C-glass 200 g/m2 was able to absorb 21.5 J of energy at the thickness of 12 mm, while Epoxy/C-glass 600 g/m2 was able to absorb 96.1 J of energy at 10 mm thickness. Both the fibreglasses compute damage in terms of slight matrix breakage and cracking. A general trend was observed on the overall ballistic test results, which indicated that, as the plate thickness continue to increase, the damage at the lower skin decreases and could not be seen.
Selection of Natural Fibre for Hybrid Laminated Composites Vehicle Spall Liners Using Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Authors: Yahaya Ridwan , Sapuan S.M. , Leman Zulkiflle , Zainudin E.S.
Published: June 2014

Natural fibres with variable properties are found in many engineering applications because of its low cost and biodegradability .The selection of suitable fibres involves the evaluation of a number of alternatives based on certain criteria. The purpose of this study is to suggest the use of analytical hierarchy process (AHP) in the selection of natural fibres for hybrid laminated composites. It was found that the most suitable natural fibre to be used with Kevlar 29 in hybrid laminated composites is kenaf fibre. It is expected that this finding will significantly contribute to the development of hybrid laminated composites for vehicle ballistic protection.
Simulation of Low Velocity Impact on Composite Hemispherical Shell
Authors: Zakikhani Parnia , Zahari R. , Sultan Mohamed Thariq Hameed
Published: June 2014

Impact simulation with finite element analysis is an appropriate manner to reduce the cost and time taken to carry out an experimental testing on a component. In this study, the impact behavior of the composite hemispherical shell induced by low velocity impact is simulated in ABAQUS software with finite element method. To predict the responses of Kevlar fabric/polyester, glass fabric/polyester and carbon fabric/polyester in the form of a hemisphere, once as one layer and then as a three-layered composite under applied force by an anvil. The sequences of layers are changed, to investigate and compare the occurred alternations in the amount of energy absorption, impact force and specific energy absorption (SEA). The comparison of results showed that the highest and the lowest quantity of energy absorption and SEA belong to Carbon/Glass/Kevlar (CGK) and Kevlar/Carbon/Glass (KCG) respectively.