Search results for: venture industry
2322 Data Modeling and Calibration of In-Line Pultrusion and Laser Ablation Machine Processes
Authors: David F. Nettleton, Christian Wasiak, Jonas Dorissen, David Gillen, Alexandr Tretyak, Elodie Bugnicourt, Alejandro Rosales
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In this work, preliminary results are given for the modeling and calibration of two inline processes, pultrusion, and laser ablation, using machine learning techniques. The end product of the processes is the core of a medical guidewire, manufactured to comply with a user specification of diameter and flexibility. An ensemble approach is followed which requires training several models. Two state of the art machine learning algorithms are benchmarked: Kernel Recursive Least Squares (KRLS) and Support Vector Regression (SVR). The final objective is to build a precise digital model of the pultrusion and laser ablation process in order to calibrate the resulting diameter and flexibility of a medical guidewire, which is the end product while taking into account the friction on the forming die. The result is an ensemble of models, whose output is within a strict required tolerance and which covers the required range of diameter and flexibility of the guidewire end product. The modeling and automatic calibration of complex in-line industrial processes is a key aspect of the Industry 4.0 movement for cyber-physical systems.Keywords: calibration, data modeling, industrial processes, machine learning
Procedia PDF Downloads 2992321 A Principal-Agent Model for Sharing Mechanism in Integrated Project Delivery Context
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Integrated project delivery (IPD) is a project delivery method distinguished by a shared risk/rewards mechanism and multiparty agreement. IPD has drawn increasingly attention from construction industry because of its efficiency of solving adversarial problems and reliability to deliver high-performing buildings. However, some evidence showed that some project participants obtained less profit from IPD projects than the typical projects. They attributed it to the unfair IPD sharing mechanism, which resulted in additional time and cost of negotiation on the sharing fractions among project participants. The study is aimed to investigate the reward distribution by constructing a principal-agent model. Based on cooperative game theory, it is examined how to distribute the shared project rewards between client and non-client parties, and identify the sharing fractions among non-client parties. It is found that at least half of the project savings should be allocated to the non-client parties to motivate them to create more project value. Second, the client should raise his sharing fractions when the integration among project participants is efficient. In addition, the client should allocate higher sharing fractions to the non-client party who is more able. This study can help the IPD project participants make fair and motivated sharing mechanisms.Keywords: cooperative game theory, IPD, principal agent model, sharing mechanism
Procedia PDF Downloads 2932320 Wet Extraction of Lutein and Lipids from Microalga by Quantitative Determination of Polarity
Authors: Mengyue Gong, Xinyi Li, Amarjeet Bassi
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Harvesting by-products while recovering biodiesel is considered a potentially valuable approach to increase the market feasibility of microalgae industry. Lutein is a possible by-product from microalgae that promotes eye health. The extraction efficiency and the expensive drying process of wet algae represent the major challenges for the utilization of microalgae biomass as a feedstock for lipids, proteins, and carotenoids. A wet extraction method was developed to extract lipids and lutein from microalga Chlorella vulgaris. To evaluate different solvent (mixtures) for the extraction, a quantitative analysis was established based on the polarity of solvents using Nile Red as the polarity (ETN) indicator. By the choice of binary solvent system then adding proper amount of water to achieve phase separation, lipids and lutein can be extracted simultaneously. Some other parameters for lipids and lutein production were also studied including saponification time, temperature, choice of alkali, and pre-treatment methods. The extraction efficiency with wet algae was compared with dried algae and shown better pigment recovery. The results indicated that the product pattern in each extracted phase was polarity dependent. Lutein and β-carotene were the main carotenoids extracted with ethanol while lipids come out with hexane.Keywords: biodiesel, Chlorella vulgaris, extraction, lutein
Procedia PDF Downloads 3412319 The Economic Value of Mastitis Resistance in Dairy Cattle in Kenya
Authors: Caleb B. Sagwa, Tobias O. Okeno, Alexander K. Kahi
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Dairy cattle production plays an important role in the Kenyan economy. However, high incidences of mastitis is a major setback to the productivity in this industry. The current dairy cattle breeding objective in Kenya does not include mastitis resistance, mainly because the economic value of mastitis resistance has not been determined. Therefore this study aimed at estimating the economic value of mastitis resistance in dairy cattle in Kenya. Initial input parameters were obtained from literature on dairy cattle production systems in the tropics. Selection index methodology was used to derive the economic value of mastitis resistance. Somatic cell count (SCC) was used an indicator trait for mastitis resistance. The economic value was estimated relative to milk yield (MY). Economic values were assigned to SCC in a selection index such that the overall gain in the breeding goal trait was maximized. The option of estimating the economic value for SCC by equating the response in the trait of interest to its index response was considered. The economic value of mastitis resistance was US $23.64 while maximum response to selection for MY was US $66.01. The findings of this study provide vital information that is a pre-requisite for the inclusion of mastitis resistance in the current dairy cattle breeding goal in Kenya.Keywords: somatic cell count, milk quality, payment system, breeding goal
Procedia PDF Downloads 2622318 Cultivation And Production of Insects, Especially Mealworms (Mealworms) and Investigating Its Potential as Food for Animals and Even Humans
Authors: Marzieh Eshaghi Koupaei
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By cultivating mealworm, we reduce greenhouse gases and avoid the use of transgenic products such as soybeans, and we provide food resources rich in protein, amino acids, minerals, etc. for humans and animals, and it has created employment and entrepreneurship. We serve the environment by producing oil from mealworm in the cosmetic industry, using its waste as organic fertilizer and its powder in bodybuilding, and by breaking down plastic by mealworm. The production and breeding of mealworm requires very little infrastructure and does not require much trouble, and requires very little food, and reproduces easily and quickly, and a mealworm production workshop is noiseless, odorless, and pollution-free And the costs are very low. It is possible to use third grade fruits and unsalable fruits of farmers to feed the mealworms, which is completely economical and cost-effective. Mealworms can break down plastic in their intestines and turn it into carbon dioxide. . This process was done in only 16 days, which is a very short time compared to several centuries for plastic to decompose. By producing mealworm, we have helped to preserve the environment and provided the source of protein needed by humans and animals. This industrial insect has the ability and value of commercialization and creates employment and helps the economy of the society.Keywords: breeding, production of insects, mealworms, research, animal feed, human feed
Procedia PDF Downloads 492317 A Study on Multidimensional Locus of Control and the Procrastinating Behavior in Employees
Authors: Richa Mishra, Sonia Munjal
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In this increasingly hectic and competitive climate, employees are expected to manage the resources available to them to perform their work. However, many are wasting the most precious and scarce resource at their disposal, time, by procrastinating on tasks and thereby costing themselves and their organizations. As timely performance is a requirement of most jobs, procrastination is particularly problematic in the workplace. Evidence suggests that procrastination and poor performance go hand-in-hand, as procrastinators miss more deadlines than non-procrastinators and make more errors and work at a slower speed than non-procrastinators when performing timed tasks. This research is hence an effort to add a little in the sparse knowledge base. It is an effort to throw light on the relationship of Levenson’s multi dimensions of locus of control and also an effort to identify if it is one of the causes and of employees procrastination which have not been explored earlier. The study also explores the effect and relationship of multidimensional locus of control and various levels of stress on procrastination. The results of the research have ascertained that there is significant impact of LOC dimensions on the procrastinating behavior of the employees. One of the major findings to emerge from the current research that managers with powerful others as their LOC dimensions were least procrastinating, contradicts the previous research results that external procrastinate more than internals.Keywords: Multidimensional Locus of Control, workplace procrastination, employee behaviour, manufacturing industry
Procedia PDF Downloads 2462316 Analysis and Modeling of Vibratory Signals Based on LMD for Rolling Bearing Fault Diagnosis
Authors: Toufik Bensana, Slimane Mekhilef, Kamel Tadjine
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The use of vibration analysis has been established as the most common and reliable method of analysis in the field of condition monitoring and diagnostics of rotating machinery. Rolling bearings cover a broad range of rotary machines and plays a crucial role in the modern manufacturing industry. Unfortunately, the vibration signals collected from a faulty bearing are generally non-stationary, nonlinear and with strong noise interference, so it is essential to obtain the fault features correctly. In this paper, a novel numerical analysis method based on local mean decomposition (LMD) is proposed. LMD decompose the signal into a series of product functions (PFs), each of which is the product of an envelope signal and a purely frequency modulated FM signal. The envelope of a PF is the instantaneous amplitude (IA) and the derivative of the unwrapped phase of a purely flat frequency demodulated (FM) signal is the IF. After that, the fault characteristic frequency of the roller bearing can be extracted by performing spectrum analysis to the instantaneous amplitude of PF component containing dominant fault information. the results show the effectiveness of the proposed technique in fault detection and diagnosis of rolling element bearing.Keywords: fault diagnosis, local mean decomposition, rolling element bearing, vibration analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 4082315 Exergetic Analysis of Steam Turbine Power Plant Operated in Chemical Industry
Authors: F. Hafdhi, T. Khir, A. Ben Yahia, A. Ben Brahim
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An Energetic and exergetic analysis is conducted on a Steam Turbine Power Plant of an existing Phosphoric Acid Factory. The heat recovery systems used in different parts of the plant are also considered in the analysis. Mass, thermal and exergy balances are established on the main compounds of the factory. A numerical code is established using EES software to perform the calculations required for the thermal and exergy plant analysis. The effects of the key operating parameters such as steam pressure and temperature, mass flow rate as well as seawater temperature, on the cycle performances are investigated. A maximum Exergy Loss Rate of about 72% is obtained for the melters, followed by the condensers, heat exchangers and the pumps. The heat exchangers used in the phosphoric acid unit present exergetic efficiencies around 33% while 60% to 72% are obtained for steam turbines and blower. For the explored ranges of HP steam temperature and pressure, the exergy efficiencies of steam turbine generators STGI and STGII increase of about 2.5% and 5.4% respectively. In the same way, optimum HP steam flow rate values, leading to the maximum exergy efficiencies are defined.Keywords: steam turbine generator, energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, phosphoric acid plant
Procedia PDF Downloads 3102314 Modelling Impacts of Global Financial Crises on Stock Volatility of Nigeria Banks
Authors: Maruf Ariyo Raheem, Patrick Oseloka Ezepue
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This research aimed at determining most appropriate heteroskedastic model to predicting volatility of 10 major Nigerian banks: Access, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Guaranty Trust, Skye, Diamond, Fidelity, Sterling, Union, ETI and Zenith banks using daily closing stock prices of each of the banks from 2004 to 2014. The models employed include ARCH (1), GARCH (1, 1), EGARCH (1, 1) and TARCH (1, 1). The results show that all the banks returns are highly leptokurtic, significantly skewed and thus non-normal across the four periods except for Fidelity bank during financial crises; findings similar to those of other global markets. There is also strong evidence for the presence of heteroscedasticity, and that volatility persistence during crisis is higher than before the crisis across the 10 banks, with that of UBA taking the lead, about 11 times higher during the crisis. Findings further revealed that Asymmetric GARCH models became dominant especially during financial crises and post crises when the second reforms were introduced into the banking industry by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Generally, one could say that Nigerian banks returns are volatility persistent during and after the crises, and characterised by leverage effects of negative and positive shocks during these periodsKeywords: global financial crisis, leverage effect, persistence, volatility clustering
Procedia PDF Downloads 5262313 Fiber-Reinforced Sandwich Structures Based on Selective Laser Sintering: A Technological View
Authors: T. Häfele, J. Kaspar, M. Vielhaber, W. Calles, J. Griebsch
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The demand for an increasing diversification of the product spectrum associated with the current huge customization desire and subsequently the decreasing unit quantities of each production lot is gaining more and more importance within a great variety of industrial branches, e.g. automotive industry. Nevertheless, traditional product development and production processes (molding, extrusion) are already reaching their limits or fail to address these trends of a flexible and digitized production in view of a product variability up to lot size one. Thus, upcoming innovative production concepts like the additive manufacturing technology basically create new opportunities with regard to extensive potentials in product development (constructive optimization) and manufacturing (economic individualization), but mostly suffer from insufficient strength regarding structural components. Therefore, this contribution presents an innovative technological and procedural conception of a hybrid additive manufacturing process (fiber-reinforced sandwich structures based on selective laser sintering technology) to overcome these current structural weaknesses, and consequently support the design of complex lightweight components.Keywords: additive manufacturing, fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP), hybrid design, lightweight design
Procedia PDF Downloads 2972312 Sales-Based Dynamic Investment and Leverage Decisions: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Rihab Belguith, Fathi Abid
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The paper develops a system-based approach to investigate the dynamic adjustment of debt structure and investment policies of the Dow-Jones index. This approach enables the assessment of relations among sales, debt, and investment opportunities by considering the simultaneous effect of the market environmental change and future growth opportunities. We integrate the firm-specific sales variance to capture the industries' conditions in the model. Empirical results were obtained through a panel data set of firms with different sectors. The analysis support that environmental change does not affect equally the different industry since operating leverage differs among industries and so the sensitivity to sales variance. Including adjusted-specific variance, we find that there is no monotonic relation between leverage, sales, and investment. The firm may choose a low debt level in response to high sales variance but high leverage to attenuate the negative relation between sales variance and the current level of investment. We further find that while the overall effect of debt maturity on leverage is unaffected by the level of growth opportunities, the shorter the maturity of debt is, the smaller the direct effect of sales variance on investment.Keywords: dynamic panel, investment, leverage decision, sales uncertainty
Procedia PDF Downloads 2432311 Impact of Marketing towards Behavior Intention
Authors: Sathyamangalam Rangasamy Guru Prasath
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Due to the increasing homogeneity in product offerings, the attendant services provided are emerging as a key differentiator in the mind of the consumers. Services marketing are a sub field of marketing which covers the marketing of both goods and services. Service marketing differs from product marketing due to the face that services are intangible and typically require personal interaction with the customer. Relationships are a key factor when it comes to the marketing of services. The role of interpersonal relationships distinguishes service and product marketing in strategic vision and organizational considerations. This paper explores some of the trends in service marketing as they relate to strategic vision, operational and organizational changes, and marketing tactics. The presence of the customer in the service facility means that capacity management becomes an important driver of the firm’s profitability service marketing is a process from the organization’s point of view, but an experience from the customer’s perspective. The quality of the experience is a function of the careful design of customer service processes, adoption of standardized procedures, rigorous management of service quality, high standards of training and automation. Services marketing helps to ensure that these processes are designed from the customer’s perspective. Services marketing includes customer loyalty, managing relationships, complaint handling, improving service quality and productivity of service operations, and how to become a service leader in your industry.Keywords: customer perspective, product marketing, service marketing, rigorous management
Procedia PDF Downloads 3702310 Embedding Sustainable Design Practices in Architecture Pedagogy: A Study on Ecological Conscious Building Design Techniques
Authors: Pooya Lotfabadi
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As the global community struggles with pressing environmental challenges, the field of architecture finds itself at the forefront of sustainability issues. This study evaluates the effectiveness of "ecological conscious building design" courses in architecture education, promoting ecological awareness among future architects. Using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) as a framework, the study assesses the course’s influence on students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes toward sustainable practices. Through analyzing student feedback, performance assessments, and course outcomes, the research highlights the advantages and limitations of integrating ecological building design into the curriculum. Furthermore, the alignment between the course content and the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED) certification criteria is explored, evaluating its adequacy in preparing students for environmentally responsible architectural practices. This research offers critical insights for academia and the industry, offering guidance for refining pedagogical approaches, improving curriculum design, and fostering young architects committed to environmentally conscious practices. Ultimately, this study seeks to propel the field of architecture toward a more sustainable and ecologically responsible future.Keywords: AHP, architectural education, ecological design, sustainability
Procedia PDF Downloads 302309 Optimizing of the Micro EDM Parameters in Drilling of Titanium Ti-6Al-4V Alloy for Higher Machining Accuracy-Fuzzy Modelling
Authors: Ahmed A. D. Sarhan, Mum Wai Yip, M. Sayuti, Lim Siew Fen
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Ti6Al4V alloy is highly used in the automotive and aerospace industry due to its good machining characteristics. Micro EDM drilling is commonly used to drill micro hole on extremely hard material with very high depth to diameter ratio. In this study, the parameters of micro-electrical discharge machining (EDM) in drilling of Ti6Al4V alloy is optimized for higher machining accuracy with less hole-dilation and hole taper ratio. The micro-EDM machining parameters includes, peak current and pulse on time. Fuzzy analysis was developed to evaluate the machining accuracy. The analysis shows that hole-dilation and hole-taper ratio are increased with the increasing of peak current and pulse on time. However, the surface quality deteriorates as the peak current and pulse on time increase. The combination that gives the optimum result for hole dilation is medium peak current and short pulse on time. Meanwhile, the optimum result for hole taper ratio is low peak current and short pulse on time.Keywords: Micro EDM, Ti-6Al-4V alloy, fuzzy logic based analysis, optimization, machining accuracy
Procedia PDF Downloads 4962308 Effect of Building Construction Sizes on Project Delivery Methods in Nigeria
Authors: Nuruddeen Usman, Mohammad Sani
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The performance of project delivery methods has been an issue of concern to various stakeholders in the construction industry. The contracting system of project delivery is the traditional system used in the delivery of most public projects in Nigeria. The direct labor system is used most times as an alternative to the traditional system. There were so many complain about the performance of contracting system and the suitability of direct labor as an alternative to the delivery of public projects. Therefore, this paper is aimed at investigating the effect of project size on the project delivery methods in the completed public buildings. Questionnaires were self-administered to managerial staff in the study area and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings reveals that contracting system was choosing for large size building construction project delivery with higher frequency (F) of 40 (76.9%) against direct labor with 12 (23.1%). While the small size project, the result revealed a frequency (F) of 26 (50%) for contracting system and direct labor system respectively. Base on the research findings, the contracting system, was recommended for all sizes of building construction project delivery while direct labor system can only use as an alternative for small size building construction projects delivery.Keywords: construction size, contracting system, direct labour, effect
Procedia PDF Downloads 4572307 'Refugee Crisis' and Global Labour Relations: Syrian Labour in Turkish Textile Factories
Authors: Katarzyna Czarnota, Inga Hajdarowicz
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Political mechanisms of legal, social and economic segregation of refugees and migrants have reproduced and deepened existing hierarchies and inequalities in global labour relations. The consequences of these processes strengthened by current, so called, ‘refugee crisis’, tightening of border regimes, militarisation and closing of Balkan Route, will have a significant impact on future integration policies. One of the fields that require further research is limited access to labour rights of migrants and refugees. Although this phenomenon is experienced by a significant proportion of migrant population, these are the poorest who are also exposed to economic racism. The presentation will tackle the influence of current migration policies on increasing social and class inequalities between migrants, refugees, on the example of Syrian labours in Turkish textile factories. The authors will critically analyse examples of integration policies, especially planned changes in labour law as well as examples of violation of labour rights and exploitation of refugees and migrants in textile factories and industry. The presentation will be based on interviews with Syrian workers, conducted in Turkey and Greece in 2016.Keywords: refugee crisis, economic racism, global labour relations, exploatation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3232306 Reliability Enhancement by Parameter Design in Ferrite Magnet Process
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Ferrite magnet is widely used in many automotive components such as motors and alternators. Magnets used inside the components must be in good quality to ensure the high level of performance. The purpose of this study is to design input parameters that optimize the ferrite magnet production process to ensure the quality and reliability of manufactured products. Design of Experiments (DOE) and Statistical Process Control (SPC) are used as mutual supplementations to optimize the process. DOE and SPC are quality tools being used in the industry to monitor and improve the manufacturing process condition. These tools are practically used to maintain the process on target and within the limits of natural variation. A mixed Taguchi method is utilized for optimization purpose as a part of DOE analysis. SPC with proportion data is applied to assess the output parameters to determine the optimal operating conditions. An example of case involving the monitoring and optimization of ferrite magnet process was presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach. Through the utilization of these tools, reliable magnets can be produced by following the step by step procedures of proposed framework. One of the main contributions of this study was producing the crack free magnets by applying the proposed parameter design.Keywords: ferrite magnet, crack, reliability, process optimization, Taguchi method
Procedia PDF Downloads 5172305 Impact of Zn/Cr Ratio on ZnCrOx-SAPO-34 Bifunctional Catalyst for Direct Conversion of Syngas to Light Olefins
Authors: Yuxuan Huang, Weixin Qian, Hongfang Ma, Haitao Zhang, Weiyong Ying
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Light olefins are important building blocks for chemical industry. Direct conversion of syngas to light olefins has been investigated for decades. Meanwhile, the limit for light olefins selectivity described by Anderson-Schulz-Flory (ASF) distribution model is still a great challenge to conventional Fischer-Tropsch synthesis. The emerging strategy called oxide-zeolite concept (OX-ZEO) is a promising way to get rid of this limit. ZnCrOx was prepared by co-precipitation method and (NH4)2CO3 was used as precipitant. SAPO-34 was prepared by hydrothermal synthesis, and Tetraethylammonium hydroxide (TEAOH) was used as template, while silica sol, pseudo-boehmite, and phosphoric acid were Al, Si and P source, respectively. The bifunctional catalyst was prepared by mechanical mixing of ZnCrOx and SAPO-34. Catalytic reactions were carried out under H2/CO=2, 380 ℃, 1 MPa and 6000 mL·gcat-1·h-1 in a fixed-bed reactor with a quartz lining. Catalysts were characterized by XRD, N2 adsorption-desorption, NH3-TPD, H2-TPR, and CO-TPD. The addition of Al as structure promoter enhances CO conversion and selectivity to light olefins. Zn/Cr ratio, which decides the active component content and chemisorption property of the catalyst, influences CO conversion and selectivity to light olefins at the same time. C2-4= distribution of 86% among hydrocarbons at CO conversion of 14% was reached when Zn/Cr=1.5.Keywords: light olefins, OX-ZEO, Syngas, ZnCrOₓ
Procedia PDF Downloads 1812304 Tracking Performance Evaluation of Robust Back-Stepping Control Design for a Nonlinear Electro-Hydraulic Servo System
Authors: Maria Ahmadnezhad, Mohammad Reza Soltanpour
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Electrohydraulic servo systems have been used in industry in a wide number of applications. Its dynamics are highly nonlinear and also have large extent of model uncertainties and external disturbances. In this thesis, a robust back-stepping control (RBSC) scheme is proposed to overcome the problem of disturbances and system uncertainties effectively and to improve the tracking performance of EHS systems. In order to implement the proposed control scheme, the system uncertainties in EHS systems are considered as total leakage coefficient and effective oil volume. In addition, in order to obtain the virtual controls for stabilizing system, the update rule for the system uncertainty term is induced by the Lyapunov control function (LCF). To verify the performance and robustness of the proposed control system, computer simulation of the proposed control system using Matlab/Simulink Software is executed. From the computer simulation, it was found that the RBSC system produces the desired tracking performance and has robustness to the disturbances and system uncertainties of EHS systems.Keywords: electro hydraulic servo system, back-stepping control, robust back-stepping control, Lyapunov redesign
Procedia PDF Downloads 2962303 Gas Lift Optimization Using Smart Gas Lift Valve
Authors: Mohamed A. G. H. Abdalsadig, Amir Nourian, G. G. Nasr, M. Babaie
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Gas lift is one of the most common forms of artificial lift, particularly for offshore wells because of its relative down hole simplicity, flexibility, reliability, and ability to operate over a large range of rates and occupy very little space at the well head. Presently, petroleum industry is investing in exploration and development fields in offshore locations where oil and gas wells are being drilled thousands of feet below the ocean in high pressure and temperature conditions. Therefore, gas-lifted oil wells are capable of failure through gas lift valves which are considered as the heart of the gas lift system for controlling the amount of the gas inside the tubing string. The gas injection rate through gas lift valve must be controlled to be sufficient to obtain and maintain critical flow, also, gas lift valves must be designed not only to allow gas passage through it and prevent oil passage, but also for gas injection into wells to be started and stopped when needed. In this paper, smart gas lift valve has been used to investigate the effect of the valve port size, depth of injection and vertical lift performance on well productivity; all these aspects have been investigated using PROSPER simulator program coupled with experimental data. The results show that by using smart gas lift valve, the gas injection rate can be controlled which leads to improved flow performance.Keywords: Effect of gas lift valve port size, effect water cut, vertical flow performance
Procedia PDF Downloads 2922302 Barriers to Social Sustainability in Afghan Residential Building Construction: An Exploratory Factor Analysis
Authors: Mohammad Qasim Mohammadi, Mohammad Arif Rohman
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Although socially sustainable building is becoming increasingly popular worldwide, past studies indicate that when policymakers support sustainable building development, the social dimension is often given insufficient attention or entirely disregarded. There are not many studies that focus on the problems of socially sustainable buildings in Afghanistan. This research investigates the factors that may hinder social sustainability implementation in residential building construction. The study will gather data from construction professionals by purposive sampling and employ Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Varimax for analysis. The results will undergo rigorous examination and thorough discussion. The expected results in this research will analyze the underlying barrier structure (factors) that hinder social sustainability, and each of these factors will represent a set of observed variables. In addition, the factor loadings show which barriers pose the greatest challenges. The primary goal of this study is to provide valuable insights into the impediment factors of social sustainability within the residential building environment, aiming to inform decision-making in the industry and encourage the adoption of more socially sustainable construction practices.Keywords: social sustainability, residential building, barriers, drivers, afghanistan, factor analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 442301 CFD Analysis of Flow Regimes of Non-Newtonian Liquids in Chemical Reactor
Authors: Nenashev Yaroslav, Russkin Oleg
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The mixing process is one of the most important and critical stages in many industrial sectors, such as chemistry, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry. When designing equipment with mixing impellers, technology developers often encounter working environments with complex physical properties and rheology. In such cases, the use of computational fluid dynamics tools is an excellent solution to mitigate risks and ensure the stable operation of the equipment. The research focuses on one of the designed reactors with mixing impellers intended for polymer synthesis. The study describes an approach to modeling reactors of similar configurations, taking into account the complex properties of the mixed liquids using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. To achieve this goal, a complex 3D model was created, accurately replicating the functionality of chemical equipment. The model allows for the assessment of the hydrodynamic behavior of the reaction mixture inside the reactor, consideration of heat release due to the reaction, and the heat exchange between the reaction mixture and the cooling medium. The results indicate that the choice of the type and size of the mixing device significantly affects the efficiency of the mixing process inside the chemical reactor.Keywords: CFD, mixing, blending, chemical reactor, non-Newton liquids, polymers
Procedia PDF Downloads 362300 Sustainable Conservation and Renewal Strategies for Industrial Heritage Communities from the Perspective of the Spirit of Place
Authors: Liu Yao
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With the acceleration of urbanization and the profound change in industrial structure, a large number of unused and abandoned industrial heritage has emerged in the city, and the industrial communities attached to them have also fallen into a state of decline. This decline is not only reflected in the aging and decay of physical space but also in the rupture and absence of historical and cultural veins. Therefore, in urban renewal, we should not only pay attention to the physical transformation and reconstruction but also think deeply about how to inherit the spiritual core of industrial heritage communities, how to awaken and reconstruct their place memory, and how to promote its organic integration with the process of urban redevelopment. This study takes the Jiangnan Cement Factory industrial heritage community as a typical case and analyzes the challenges and opportunities it faces in the process of renewal, protection and utilization. With the continuation of the spirit of place as the core, we are committed to realizing the sustainable development of the community's industry, space and culture. Based on this, we propose three types of regeneration strategies, including industrial activation, spatial restoration and spiritual continuity, in order to provide useful theoretical references and practical guidance for the future conservation of industrial heritage and the sustainable development of communities.Keywords: spirit of place, industrial heritage communities, urban renewal, sustainable communities
Procedia PDF Downloads 512299 Impact of Corn Gluten Hydrolysate on Seedling Growth
Authors: Jyotika Chopra, Dinesh Goyal
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A study was initiated to examine the effects of corn gluten hydrolysate on seedlings growth and its development. Corn gluten is the byproduct of starch industry rich in proteins was hydrolysed by acid and alkali, and the impact of hydrolysate was studied on seed germination of Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulagris (Fabaceae) and Triticum aestivum and Oryza sativa (Gramineae). For this, the optimum hydrolysis was obtained by 4NHCl and 4M NaOH where insoluble protein in gluten was broken down to glutamic acid, alanine, aspartic acid which was initially confirmed by biuret test, xanthoproteic, solubility and chromatographic tests. The seeds of above families were separately treated with different dilutions of corn gluten hydrolysate ranging from 1-100% to see effects produced by these dilutions on seed germination, plumule, and radical growth. The seedlings were put in the Petri plates and placed in the optimized conditions of temperature (37˚C) and photoperiod of 16:8 hours. The results indicate the plumule of all seeds shows the increase in growth pattern up to 25.75%. Whereas radical shows the increase in growth up to 25.88% till 10% of dilution of corn and wheat gluten hydrolysate with respect to water as blank. Further, there is decrease in growth from 30- 100% of dilutions of both, the hydrolysate indicates the inhibitory effects which unveil about the careful usage of gluten hydrolysate.Keywords: corn gluten, characterization, hydrolysis, seedling growth
Procedia PDF Downloads 1132298 Crack Initiation Assessment during Fracture of Heat Treated Duplex Stainless Steels
Authors: Faraj Ahmed E. Alhegagi, Anagia M. Khamkam Mohamed, Bassam F. Alhajaji
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Duplex stainless steels (DSS) are widely employed in industry for apparatus working with sea water in petroleum, refineries and in chemical plants. Fracture of DSS takes place by cleavage of the ferrite phase and the austenite phase ductile tear off. Pop-in is an important feature takes place during fracture of DSS. The procedure of Pop-ins assessment plays an important role in fracture toughness studies. In present work, Zeron100 DSS specimens were heat treated at different temperatures, cooled and pulled to failure to assess the pop-ins criterion in crack initiation prediction. The outcome results were compared to the British Standard (BS 7448) and the ASTEM standard (E1290) for Crack-Tip Opening Displacement (CTOD) fracture toughness measurement. Pop-in took place during specimens loading specially for those specimens heat treated at higher temperatures. The standard BS7448 was followed to check specimen validity for fractured toughness assessment by direct determination of KIC. In most cases, specimens were invalid for KIC measurement. The two procedures were equivalent only when single pop-ins were assessed. A considerable contrast in fracture toughness value between was observed where multiple pop-ins were assessed.Keywords: fracture toughness, stainless steels, pop ins, crack assessment
Procedia PDF Downloads 1252297 Molecular Characterization of White Spot Syndrome Virus in Some Cultured Penaeid Shrimps of Coastal Regions in Bangladesh
Authors: Md. Baki Billah, Suraiya Parveen, Shuvra Kanti Dey
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Bangladesh is earning a lot of foreign currency by exporting shrimp, but this industry is facing a tremendous problem due to the infection of white spot syndrome virus (WSSV). This study was undermined to develop rapid detection method of WSSV. A total of shrimp samples 240 collected from the 12 shrimp farms of different coastal regions (Satkhira, Khulna, and Bagerhat) were analyzed by conventional PCR using VP28 and VP664 gene-specific primers. In satkhira, Bagerhat and Khulna 39, 41 and 29 samples were found WSSV positive respectively. Real-time PCR using 71-bp amplicon for VP664 gene correlated well with conventional PCR data. The prevalence rates of WSSV among the collected 240 samples were Satkhira 38%, Khulna 47% and Bagerhat 50%. Molecular analysis of the VP28 gene sequences of WSSV revealed that Bangladeshi strains phylogenetically affiliated to the strains belong to India. This work concluded that WSSV infections are widely distributed in the coastal regions cultured shrimp in Bangladesh. Physico-chemical parameters were within the range of fish culture.Keywords: coastal regions of Bangladesh, PCR, shrimp, white spot syndrome virus
Procedia PDF Downloads 1282296 A Witty Relief Ailment Based on the Integration of IoT and Cloud
Authors: Sai Shruthi Sridhar, A. Madhumidha, Kreethika Guru, Priyanka Sekar, Ananthi Malayappan
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Numerous changes in technology and its recent development are structuring long withstanding effect to our world, one among them is the emergence of “Internet of Things” (IoT). Similar to Technology world, one industry stands out in everyday life–healthcare. Attention to “quality of health care” is an increasingly important issue in a global economy and for every individual. As per WHO (World Health Organization) it is estimated to be less than 50% adhere to the medication provided and only about 20% get their medicine on time. Medication adherence is one of the top problems in healthcare which is fixable by use of technology. In recent past, there were minor provisions for elderly and specially-skilled to get motivated and to adhere medicines prescribed. This paper proposes a novel solution that uses IOT based RFID Medication Reminder Solution to provide personal health care services. This employs real time tracking which offer quick counter measures. The proposed solution builds on the recent digital advances in sensor technologies, smart phones and cloud services. This novel solution is easily adoptable and can benefit millions of people with a direct impact on the nation’s health care expenditure with innovative scenarios and pervasive connectivity.Keywords: cloud services, IoT, RFID, sensors
Procedia PDF Downloads 3472295 Assembly Solution for Modular Buildings: Development of a Plug-In Self-Locking Device Designed for Light-Framed Structures
Authors: Laurence Picard, André Bégin-Drolet, Pierre Blanchet
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The prefabricated construction industry has been operating in North America for several years now and differs from traditional construction by its much shorter project timelines, lower costs, and increased build quality. Faced with the global housing crisis, prefabrication should be the first choice for erecting buildings quickly and at a low cost. However, the reality is quite different; manufacturers focus their operations mainly on single-home construction. This is explained by the lack of a suitable and efficient assembly solution for erecting large-scale buildings. Indeed, it is difficult to maintain the coveted advantages of prefabrication with a laborious on-site assembly and a colossal load of additional operations such as the installation of fasteners and the internal finishing. In the desire to maximize the benefits of prefabrication and make it a smart choice even for large buildings, an automated connection solution is developed. The plug-in self-locking device was developed accordingly to the product design phases: on-site observations, the definition of the problem and product requirements, solution generation, prototyping, fabricating and testing.Keywords: assembly solution, automation, construction productivity, modular connection, modular buildings, plug-in device, self-lock mechanism
Procedia PDF Downloads 1682294 Modification of Polyurethane Adhesive for OSB/EPS Panel Production
Authors: Stepan Hysek, Premysl Sedivka, Petra Gajdacova
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Currently, structural composite materials contain cellulose-based particles (wood chips, fibers) bonded with synthetic adhesives containing formaldehyde (urea-formaldehyde, melamine-formaldehyde adhesives and others). Formaldehyde is classified as a volatile substance with provable carcinogenic effects on live organisms, and an emphasis has been put on continual reduction of its content in products. One potential solution could be the development of an agglomerated material which does not contain adhesives releasing formaldehyde. A potential alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives could be polyurethane adhesives containing no formaldehyde. Such adhesives have been increasingly used in applications where a few years ago formaldehyde-based adhesives were the only option. Advantages of polyurethane adhesive in comparison with others in the industry include the high elasticity of the joint, which is able to resist dynamic stress, and resistance to increased humidity and climatic effects. These properties predict polyurethane adhesives to be used in OSB/EPS panel production. The objective of this paper is to develop an adhesive for bonding of sandwich panels made of material based on wood and other materials, e.g. SIP) and optimization of input components in order to obtain an adhesive with required properties suitable for bonding of the given materials without involvement of formaldehyde. It was found that polyurethane recyclate as a filler is suitable modification of polyurethane adhesive and results have clearly revealed that modified adhesive can be used for OSB/EPS panel production.Keywords: adhesive, polyurethane, recyclate, SIP
Procedia PDF Downloads 2752293 Addressing the Water Shortage in Beijing: Increasing Water Use Efficiency in Domestic Sector
Authors: Chenhong Peng
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Beijing, the capital city of China, is running out of water. The water resource per capita in Beijing is only 106 cubic meter, accounts for 5% of the country’s average level and less than 2% of the world average level. The tension between water supply and demand is extremely serious. For one hand, the surface and ground water have been over-exploited during the last decades; for the other hand, water demand keep increasing as the result of population and economic growth. There is a massive gap between water supply and demand. This paper will focus on addressing the water shortage in Beijing city by increasing water use efficiency in domestic sector. First, we will emphasize on the changing structure of water supply and demand in Beijing under the economic development and restructure during the last decade. Second, by analyzing the water use efficiency in agriculture, industry and domestic sectors in Beijing, we identify that the key determinant for addressing the water crisis is to increase the water use efficiency in domestic sector. Third, this article will explore the two primary causes for the water use inefficiency in Beijing: The ineffective water pricing policy and the poor water education and communication policy. Finally, policy recommendation will offered to improve the water use efficiency in domestic sector by making and implementing an effective water pricing policy and people-engaged water education and communication policy.Keywords: Beijing, water use efficiency, domestic sector, water pricing policy, water education policy
Procedia PDF Downloads 542