Search results for: variant surface glycoprotein
2010 Mitigating Acid Mine Drainage Pollution: A Case Study In the Witwatersrand Area of South Africa
Authors: Elkington Sibusiso Mnguni
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In South Africa, mining has been a key economic sector since the discovery of gold in 1886 in the Witwatersrand region, where the city of Johannesburg is located. However, some mines have since been decommissioned, and the continuous pumping of acid mine drainage (AMD) also stopped causing the AMD to rise towards the ground surface. This posed a serious environmental risk to the groundwater resources and river systems in the region. This paper documents the development and extent of the environmental damage as well as the measures implemented by the government to alleviate such damage. The study will add to the body of knowledge on the subject of AMD treatment to prevent environmental degradation. The method used to gather and collate relevant data and information was the desktop study. The key findings include the social and environmental impact of the AMD, which include the pollution of water sources for domestic use leading to skin and other health problems and the loss of biodiversity in some areas. It was also found that the technical intervention of constructing a plant to pump and treat the AMD using the high-density sludge technology was the most effective short-term solution available while a long-term solution was being explored. Some successes and challenges experienced during the implementation of the project are also highlighted. The study will be a useful record of the current status of the AMD treatment interventions in the region.Keywords: acid mine drainage, groundwater resources, pollution, river systems, technical intervention, high density sludge
Procedia PDF Downloads 1842009 Effect of Number of Baffles on Pressure Drop and Heat Transfer in a Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger
Authors: A. Falavand Jozaei, A. Ghafouri, M. Mosavi Navaei
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In this paper for a given heat duty, study of number of baffles on pressure drop and heat transfer is considered in a STHX (Shell and Tube Heat Exchanger) with single segmental baffles. The effect of number of baffles from 9 to 52 baffles (baffle spacing variations from 4 to 24 inches) over OHTC (Overall Heat Hransfer Coefficient) to pressure drop ratio (U/Δp ratio). The results show that U/Δp ratio is low when baffle spacing is minimum (4 inches) because pressure drop is high; however, heat transfer coefficient is very significant. Then, with the increase of baffle spacing, pressure drop rapidly decreases and OHTC also decreases, but the decrease of OHTC is lower than pressure drop, so (U/Δp) ratio increases. After increasing baffles more than 12 inches, variation in pressure drop is gradual and approximately constant and OHTC decreases; Consequently, U/Δp ratio decreases again. If baffle spacing reaches to 24 inches, STHX will have minimum pressure drop, but OHTC decreases, so required heat transfer surface increases and U/Δp ratio decreases. After baffle spacing more than 12 inches, variation of shell side pressure drop is negligible. So optimum baffle spacing is suggested between 8 to 12 inches (43 to 63 percent of inside shell diameter) for a sufficient heat duty and low pressure drop.Keywords: shell and tube heat exchanger, single segmental baffle, overall heat transfer coefficient, pressure drop
Procedia PDF Downloads 5402008 Micro- and Nanoparticle Transport and Deposition in Elliptic Obstructed Channels by Lattice Boltzmann Method
Authors: Salman Piri
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In this study, a two-dimensional lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) was considered for the numerical simulation of fluid flow in a channel. Also, the Lagrangian method was used for particle tracking in one-way coupling. Three hundred spherical particles with specific diameters were released in the channel entry and an elliptical object was placed in the channel for flow obstruction. The effect of gravity, the drag force, the Saffman lift and the Brownian forces were evaluated in the particle motion trajectories. Also, the effect of the geometrical parameter, ellipse aspect ratio, and the flow characteristic or Reynolds number was surveyed for the transport and deposition of particles. Moreover, the influence of particle diameter between 0.01 and 10 µm was investigated. Results indicated that in small Reynolds, more inertial and gravitational trapping occurred on the obstacle surface for particles with larger diameters. Whereas, for nano-particles, influenced by Brownian diffusion and vortices behind the obstacle, the inertial and gravitational mechanisms were insignificant and diffusion was the dominant deposition mechanism. In addition, in Reynolds numbers larger than 400, there was no significant difference between the deposition of finer and larger particles. Also, in higher aspect ratios of the ellipse, more inertial trapping occurred for particles of larger diameter (10 micrometers), while in lower cases, interception and gravitational mechanisms were dominant.Keywords: ellipse aspect elito, particle tracking diffusion, lattice boltzman method, larangain particle tracking
Procedia PDF Downloads 782007 Removal of Heavy Metals Pb, Zn and Cu from Sludge Waste of Paper Industries Using Biosurfactant
Authors: Nurul Hidayati
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Increasing public awareness of environmental pollution influences the search and development of technologies that help in clean up of organic and inorganic contaminants such as metals. Sludge waste of paper industries as toxic and hazardous material from specific source contains Pb, Zn, and Cu metal from waste soluble ink. An alternative and eco-friendly method of remediation technology is the use of biosurfactants and biosurfactant-producing microorganisms. Soil washing is among the methods available to remove heavy metal from sediments. The purpose of this research is to study effectiveness of biosurfactant with concentration = CMC for the removal of heavy metals, lead, zinc and copper in batch washing test under four different biosurfactant production by microbial origin. Pseudomonas putida T1(8), Bacillus subtilis 3K, Acinetobacter sp, and Actinobacillus sp was grown on mineral salt medium that had been already added with 2% concentration of molasses that it is a low cost application. The samples were kept in a shaker 120 rpm at room temperature for 3 days. Supernatants and sediments of sludge were separated by using a centrifuge and samples from supernatants were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The highest removal of Pb was up to 14,04% by Acinetobacter sp. Biosurfactant of Pseudomonas putida T1(8) have the highest removal for Zn and Cu up to 6,5% and 2,01% respectively. Biosurfactants have a role for removal process of the metals, including wetting, contact of biosurfactant to the surface of the sediments and detachment of the metals from the sediment. Biosurfactant has proven its ability as a washing agent in heavy metals removal from sediments, but more research is needed to optimize the process of removal heavy metals.Keywords: biosurfactant, removal of heavy metals, sludge waste, paper industries
Procedia PDF Downloads 3302006 Understanding the Nexus between Dengue and Climate Variability
Authors: Edilene Mercedes Mauer Machado, Carolina Hadassa Marques Karoly, Amanda Britz, Claudineia Brazil
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The El Niño phenomenon, characterized by the anomalous warming of surface waters in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean, can influence weather patterns in various parts of the world, including the occurrence of extreme events such as droughts or heavy rainfall. Studies have suggested a relationship between El Niño and an increase in the incidence of dengue in certain areas. During El Niño periods, there can be changes in climatic conditions, such as increased temperatures and reduced rainfall in certain tropical and subtropical regions. These conditions can favor the reproduction of the Aedes aegypti mosquito, the vector for dengue transmission. Research aims to investigate how climate events like El Niño and La Niña can influence the incidence and transmission of dengue. The results have shown that, on average, there was a significant increase in dengue cases during La Niña years compared to years of climatic neutrality, contradicting the findings of Hopp et al. (2015). The study also highlighted that regions affected by El Niño exhibited greater variability in dengue incidence. However, it is important to emphasize that the effects of El Niño on dengue transmission can vary depending on the region and local factors, such as socioeconomic context and implemented control measures, as described by Johansson et al. (2009). Not all areas affected by El Niño will necessarily experience an increase in dengue incidence, and the interaction between climate and disease transmission is complex.Keywords: anomalous warming, climatic patterns, dengue incidence, extreme events
Procedia PDF Downloads 1022005 Improve Heat Pipe Thermal Performance in H-VAC Systems Using CFD Modeling
Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami
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A heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At a hot surface of the heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to the vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to the liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to the evaporator section. In HVAC systems, the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses the heater, humidifier, or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally, heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region, and evaporator. Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In the present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of the heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances its heat transfer capacity.Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, heat pipe limits
Procedia PDF Downloads 4352004 Analysis of High Resolution Seismic Reflection Data to Identify Different Regional Lithologies of the Zaria Batholith Located in the Basement Complex of North Central Nigeria
Authors: Collins C. Chiemeke, A. Onugba, P. Sule
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High resolution seismic reflection has recently been carried out on Zaria batholith, with the aim of characterizing the granitic Zaria batholiths in terms of its lithology. The geology of the area has revealed that the older granite outcrops in the vicinity of Zaria are exposures of a syntectonics to late-tectonic granite batholiths which intruded a crystalline gneissic basement during the Pan-African Orogeny. During the data acquisition the geophone were placed at interval of 1 m, variable offset of 1 and 10 m was used. The common midpoint (CMP) method with 12 fold coverage was employed for the survey. Analysis of the generated 3D surface of the p wave velocities from different profiles for densities and bulk modulus revealed that the rock material is more consolidated in South East part of the batholith and less consolidated in the North Western part. This was in conformity with earlier identified geology of the area, with the South Eastern part majorly of granitic outcrop, while the North Western part is characterized with the exposure of gneisses and thick overburden cover. The difference in lithology was also confirmed by the difference in seismic sections and Arial satellite photograph. Hence two major lithologies were identified, the granitic and gneisses complex which are characterized by gradational boundaries.Keywords: basement complex, batholith, high resolution, lithologies, seismic reflection
Procedia PDF Downloads 2942003 Thermal Conductivity and Optical Absorption of GaAsPN/GaP for Tandem Solar Cells: Effect of Rapid Thermal Annealing
Authors: S. Ilahi, S. Almosni, F. Chouchene, M. Perrin, K. Zelazna, N. Yacoubi, R. Kudraweic, P. Rale, L. Lombez, J. F. Guillemoles, O. Durand, C. Cornet
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Great efforts have been dedicated to obtain high quality of GaAsPN. The properties of GaAsPN have played a great part on the development of solar cells devices based in Si substrate. The incorporation of N in GaAsPN that having a band gap around of 1.7 eV is of special interest in view of growing in Si substrate. In fact, post-growth and rapid thermal annealing (RTA) could be an effective way to improve the quality of the layer. Then, the influence of growth conditions and post-growth annealing on optical and thermal parameters is considered. We have used Photothermal deflection spectroscopy PDS to investigate the impact of rapid thermal annealing on thermal and optical properties of GaAsPN. In fact, the principle of the PDS consists to illuminate the sample by a modulated monochromatic light beam. Then, the absorbed energy is converted into heat through the nonradiative recombination process. The generated thermal wave propagates into the sample and surrounding media creating a refractive-index gradient giving rise to the deflection of a laser probe beam skimming the sample surface. The incident light is assumed to be uniform, and only the sample absorbs the light. In conclusion, the results are promising revealing an improvement in absorption coefficient and thermal conductivity.Keywords: GaAsPN absorber, photothermal defelction technique PDS, photonics on silicon, thermal conductivity
Procedia PDF Downloads 3522002 Role of Vitamin D in Osseointegration of Dental Implant
Authors: Pouya Khaleghi
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Dental implants are a successful treatment modality for restoring both function and aesthetics. Dental implant treatment has predictive results in the replacement of the lost teeth and has a high success rate even in the long term. The most important factor which is responsible for the positive course of implant treatment is the process of osseointegration between the implant structure and the host’s bone tissue. During recent years, many studies have focused on surgical and prosthetic factors, as well as the implant-related factors. However, implant failure still occurs despite the improvements that have led to the increased survival rate of dental implants, which suggests the possible role of some host-related risk factors. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin regulating calcium and phosphorus metabolism in tissues. The role of vitamin D in bone healing has been under investigation for several years. Vitamin D deficiency has also been associated with impaired and delayed callus formation and fractures healing; however, the role of vitamin D has not been clarified. Therefore, it is extremely important to study the phenomenon of a connection formed between bone tissue and the surface of a titanium implant and find correlations between the 25- hydroxycholecalciferol concentration in blood serum and the course of osseointegration. Because the processes of bone remodeling are very dynamic in the period of actual osseointegration, it is necessary to obtain the correct concentration of vitamin D3 metabolites in blood serum. In conclusion, the correct level of 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the day of surgery and vitamin D deficiency treatment have a significant influence on the increase in the bone level at the implant site during the process of osseointegration assessed radiologically.Keywords: implant, osseointegration, vitamin d, dental
Procedia PDF Downloads 1702001 Multi-Temporal Cloud Detection and Removal in Satellite Imagery for Land Resources Investigation
Authors: Feng Yin
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Clouds are inevitable contaminants in optical satellite imagery, and prevent the satellite imaging systems from acquiring clear view of the earth surface. The presence of clouds in satellite imagery bring negative influences for remote sensing land resources investigation. As a consequence, detecting the locations of clouds in satellite imagery is an essential preprocessing step, and further remove the existing clouds is crucial for the application of imagery. In this paper, a multi-temporal based satellite imagery cloud detection and removal method is proposed, which will be used for large-scale land resource investigation. The proposed method is mainly composed of four steps. First, cloud masks are generated for cloud contaminated images by single temporal cloud detection based on multiple spectral features. Then, a cloud-free reference image of target areas is synthesized by weighted averaging time-series images in which cloud pixels are ignored. Thirdly, the refined cloud detection results are acquired by multi-temporal analysis based on the reference image. Finally, detected clouds are removed via multi-temporal linear regression. The results of a case application in Hubei province indicate that the proposed multi-temporal cloud detection and removal method is effective and promising for large-scale land resource investigation.Keywords: cloud detection, cloud remove, multi-temporal imagery, land resources investigation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2762000 Silver Nanoparticles Loaded Cellulose Nanofibers (Cnf)/mesoporous Bioactive Glass Hydrogels For Periodontitis Treatment
Authors: Anika Pallapothu
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Periodontitis, a severe gum disease, poses a significant threat to the integrity of bone and soft tissues supporting teeth, primarily initiated by bacterial accumulation around the gum line. Conventional treatments like scaling/root planning and plaque removal are widely employed, but integrating modern technologies such as nanotechnology holds promise for innovative therapeutic approaches. This study explores the utilization of silver nanoparticles encapsulated within cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and mesoporous bioactive glass hydrogel matrices for periodontitis management. Silver nanoparticles exhibit potent antimicrobial properties by disrupting microbial cell membranes, inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and interfering with vital cellular processes like ATP production and nucleic acid synthesis. Mesoporous bioactive glass, renowned for its high surface area, osteoconductive, and bioactivity, presents a favorable platform for pharmaceutical applications. Incorporating CNF enhances the properties of the hydrogel due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability, and water absorption capacity. The proposed composite material is anticipated to exert beneficial effects in periodontitis treatment by demonstrating antibacterial and anti-inflammatory activities, offering a promising avenue for future therapeutic interventions.Keywords: periodontitis, cellulose nanofibers, silver nanoparticles, mesoporous bioactive glass, antibacterial activity, anti-inflammatory activity
Procedia PDF Downloads 501999 Modelling and Optimization of Geothermal Energy in the Gulf of Suez
Authors: Amira Abdelhafez, Rufus Brunt
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Geothermal energy in Egypt represents a significant untapped renewable resource that can reduce reliance on conventional power generation. Exploiting these geothermal resources depends on depth, temperature range, and geological characteristics. The intracontinental rift setting of the Gulf of Suez (GoS)-Red Sea rift is a favourable tectonic setting for convection-dominated geothermal plays. The geothermal gradient across the GoS ranges from 24.9 to 86.66 °C/km, with a heat flow of 31-127.2 mW/m². Surface expressions of convective heat loss emerge along the gulf flanks as hot springs (e.g., Hammam Faraun) accompanying deeper geothermal resources. These thermal anomalies are driven mainly by the local tectonic configuration. Characterizing the structural framework of major faults and their control on reservoir properties and subsurface hydrothermal fluid circulation is vital for geothermal applications in the gulf. The geothermal play systems of the GoS depend on structural and lithological properties that contribute to heat storage and vertical transport. Potential geothermal reservoirs include the Nubia sandstones, which, due to their thickness, continuity, and contact with hot basement rocks at a mean depth of 3 km, create an extensive reservoir for geothermal fluids. To develop these geothermal resources for energy production, defining the permeability anisotropy of the reservoir due to faults and facies variation is a crucial step in our study, particularly the evaluation of influence on thermal breakthrough and production rates.Keywords: geothermal, October field, site specific study, reservoir modelling
Procedia PDF Downloads 81998 Segmental Dynamics of Poly(Alkyl Methacrylate) Chain in Ultra-Thin Spin-Cast Films
Authors: Hiroyuki Aoki
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Polymeric materials are often used in a form of thin film such as food wrap and surface coating. In such the applications, polymer films thinner than 100 nm have been often used. The thickness of such the ultra-thin film is less than the unperturbed size of a polymer chain; therefore, the polymer chain in an ultra-thin film is strongly constrained. However, the details on the constrained dynamics of polymer molecules in ultra-thin films are still unclear. In the current study, the segmental dynamics of single polymer chain was directly investigated by fluorescence microscopy. The individual chains of poly(alkyl methacrylate) labeled by a perylenediimide dye molecule were observed by a highly sensitive fluorescence microscope in a defocus condition. The translational and rotational diffusion of the center segment in a single polymer chain was directly analyzed. The segmental motion in a thin film with a thickness of 10 nm was found to be suppressed compared to that in a bulk state. The detailed analysis of the molecular motion revealed that the diffusion rate of the in-plane rotation was similar to the thin film and the bulk; on the other hand, the out-of-plane motion was restricted in a thin film. This result indicates that the spatial restriction in an ultra-thin film thinner than the unperturbed chain dimension alters the dynamics of individual molecules in a polymer system.Keywords: polymer materials, single molecule, molecular motion, fluorescence microscopy, super-resolution techniques
Procedia PDF Downloads 3151997 Racism in Drug Policies: A Report on United States Legislation
Authors: Frederick Monyepao
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Crack cocaine first appeared on the scene in the form of cocaine freebasing in the late 1970s. Stockbrokers, investment bankers, rock stars, Hollywood elites, and a few pro athletes were regular users of the substance. As criminogenic factors associated with substance abuse began to surface, congress passed new legislation. The laws led to the increase of health coverage insurances and the expansion of hospitals. By the mid-1980s, crack use spread into America's inner cities among impoverished African Americans and Latinos. While substance abuse increased among minority communities, legislation pertaining to substance abuse evolved. The prison industry also expanded the number of cells available. A qualitative approach was taken, drawing from a range secondary sources for contextual analysis. This paper traces out the continued marginalisation and racist undertones towards minorities as perpetuated by certain drug policies. It was discovered that the new legislation on crack was instrumental in the largest incarcerations the United States ever faced. Drug offenders increased in prisons eightfold from 1986 to 2000. The paper concludes that American drug control policies are consistently irrational and ineffective when measured by levels of substance use and abuse. On the contrary, these policies have been successful as agents of social control in maintaining the stratification patterns of racial/ethnic minorities and women. To move beyond prohibition, radical law and policy reform may require a change in narratives on substance use.Keywords: crack, drug policy, minorities, racism, substance abuse
Procedia PDF Downloads 2891996 Developing Pavement Structural Deterioration Curves
Authors: Gregory Kelly, Gary Chai, Sittampalam Manoharan, Deborah Delaney
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A Structural Number (SN) can be calculated for a road pavement from the properties and thicknesses of the surface, base course, sub-base, and subgrade. Historically, the cost of collecting structural data has been very high. Data were initially collected using Benkelman Beams and now by Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD). The structural strength of pavements weakens over time due to environmental and traffic loading factors, but due to a lack of data, no structural deterioration curve for pavements has been implemented in a Pavement Management System (PMS). International Roughness Index (IRI) is a measure of the road longitudinal profile and has been used as a proxy for a pavement’s structural integrity. This paper offers two conceptual methods to develop Pavement Structural Deterioration Curves (PSDC). Firstly, structural data are grouped in sets by design Equivalent Standard Axles (ESA). An ‘Initial’ SN (ISN), Intermediate SN’s (SNI) and a Terminal SN (TSN), are used to develop the curves. Using FWD data, the ISN is the SN after the pavement is rehabilitated (Financial Accounting ‘Modern Equivalent’). Intermediate SNIs, are SNs other than the ISN and TSN. The TSN was defined as the SN of the pavement when it was approved for pavement rehabilitation. The second method is to use Traffic Speed Deflectometer data (TSD). The road network already divided into road blocks, is grouped by traffic loading. For each traffic loading group, road blocks that have had a recent pavement rehabilitation, are used to calculate the ISN and those planned for pavement rehabilitation to calculate the TSN. The remaining SNs are used to complete the age-based or if available, historical traffic loading-based SNI’s.Keywords: conceptual, pavement structural number, pavement structural deterioration curve, pavement management system
Procedia PDF Downloads 5401995 Enhanced Water Vapor Flow in Silica Microtubes Explained by Maxwell’s Tangential Momentum Accommodation and Langmuir’s Adsorption
Authors: Wenwen Lei, David R. Mckenzie
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Recent findings of anomalously high gas flow rates in carbon nanotubes show smooth hydrophobic walls can increase specular reflection of molecules and reduce the tangential momentum accommodation coefficient (TMAC). Here we report the first measurements of water vapor flows in microtubes over a wide humidity range and show that for hydrophobic silica there is a range of humidity over which an adsorbed water layer reduces TMAC and accelerates flow. Our results show that this association between hydrophobicity and accelerated moisture flow occurs in readily available materials. We develop a hierarchical theory that unifies Maxwell’s ideas on TMAC with Langmuir’s ideas on adsorption. We fit the TMAC data as a function of humidity with the hierarchical theory based on two stages of Langmuir adsorption and derive total adsorption isotherms for water on hydrophobic silica that agree with direct observations. We propose structures for each stage of the water adsorption, the first reducing TMAC by a passivation of adsorptive patches and a smoothing of the surface, the second resembling bulk water with large TMAC. We find that leak testing of moisture barriers with an ideal gas such as helium may not be accurate enough for critical applications and that direct measurements of the water leak rate should be made.Keywords: water vapor flows, silica microtubes, TMAC, enhanced flow rates
Procedia PDF Downloads 2731994 Microstructure and Properties of Cu-Bearing Hypereutectic High Chromium Cast Iron
Authors: Liqiang Gong, Hanguang Fu
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In order to further improve the wear resistance of Hypereutectic High Chromium Cast iron (HHCCI), the effects of different Cu contents on the microstructure and properties of HHCCI were systematically studied. It was found that with the increase of Cu content, the carbide size was refined, and the increase of Cu content led to the increase of austenite and the decrease of hardness in as-cast HHCCI. After heat treatment at 1050 °C, the hardness of HHCCI increased significantly compared with as-cast. And with the increase of Cu content, the hardness of HHCCI increased first and then decreased, and the hardness was the highest when 0.5 wt.% Cu was added. The increase of copper content promotes the precipitation of secondary carbides and makes the interface between α-Fe and M23C6-type secondary carbides a semi-coherent boundary. With the increase of Cu content, the wear loss of HHCCI decreased after heat treatment at 1050 °C, and the wear resistance improved. When the Cu content increased to 1.0 wt.%, the wear resistance of HHCCI was the best, which was 2.6 times that of copper-free HHCCI. The continued increase of copper content has no obvious effect on the wear resistance of HHCCI. In addition, a small amount of Cu tends to adsorb on the (0001) preferential growth surface of M₇C₃-type carbides, thereby refining the carbides. From the First-principles calculations, the solid solution strengthening effect of Cu on the matrix and the adsorption and refinement of carbides were revealed, and the influence mechanism on the wear resistance of HHCCI was characterized.Keywords: hypereutectic high chromium cast iron, cu alloying, carbides, wear resistance, first-principles calculations
Procedia PDF Downloads 651993 Disaggregation of Coarser Resolution Radiometer Derived Soil Moisture to Finer Scales
Authors: Gurjeet Singh, Rabindra K. Panda
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Soil moisture is a key hydrologic state variable and is intrinsically linked to the Earth's water, climate and carbon cycles. On ecological point of view, the soil moisture is a fundamental natural resource providing the transpirable water for plants. Soil moisture varies both temporally and spatially due to spatiotemporal variation in rainfall, vegetation cover, soil properties and topography. Satellite derived soil moisture provides spatio-temporal extensive data. However, the spatial resolution of a typical satellite (L-band radiometry) is of the order of tens of kilometers, which is not good enough for developing efficient agricultural water management schemes at the field scale. In the present study, the soil moisture from radiometer data has been disaggregated using blending approach to achieve higher resolution soil moisture data. The radiometer estimates of soil moisture at a 40 km resolution have been disaggregated to 10 km, 5 km and 1 km resolutions. The disaggregated soil moisture was compared with the observed data, consisting of continuous sensor based soil moisture profile measurements, at three monitoring sites and extensive spatial near-surface soil moisture measurements, concurrent with satellite monitoring in the 500 km2 study watershed in the Eastern India. The estimated soil moisture status at different spatial scales can help in developing efficient agricultural water management schemes to increase the crop production and water use efficiency.Keywords: disaggregation, eastern India, radiometers, soil moisture, water use efficiency
Procedia PDF Downloads 2751992 Numerical Study of Jet Impingement Heat Transfer
Authors: A. M. Tiara, Sudipto Chakraborty, S. K. Pal
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Impinging jets and their different configurations are important from the viewpoint of the fluid flow characteristics and their influence on heat transfer from metal surfaces due to their complex flow characteristics. Such flow characteristics results in highly variable heat transfer from the surface, resulting in varying cooling rates which affects the mechanical properties including hardness and strength. The overall objective of the current research is to conduct a fundamental investigation of the heat transfer mechanisms for an impinging coolant jet. Numerical simulation of the cooling process gives a detailed analysis of the different parameters involved even though employing Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate the real time process, being a relatively new research area, poses many challenges. The heat transfer mechanism in the current research is actuated by jet cooling. The computational tool used in the ongoing research for simulation of the cooling process is ANSYS Workbench software. The temperature and heat flux distribution along the steel strip with the effect of various flow parameters on the heat transfer rate can be observed in addition to determination of the jet impingement patterns, which is the major aim of the present analysis. Modelling both jet and air atomized cooling techniques using CFD methodology and validating with those obtained experimentally- including trial and error with different models and comparison of cooling rates from both the techniques have been included in this work. Finally some concluding remarks are made that identify some gaps in the available literature that have influenced the path of the current investigation.Keywords: CFD, heat transfer, impinging jets, numerical simulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2341991 Global and Diffuse Solar Radiation Studies over Seven Cities of Sindh, Pakistan for Power Generation
Authors: M. A. Ahmed, Sidra A. Shaik
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Global and diffuse solar radiation on horizontal surface over seven cities of Sindh namely Karachi, Hyderabad, Chore, Padidan, Nawabshah, Rohri and Jacobabad were carried out using sunshine hour data of the area to assess the feasibility of solar energy utilization at Sindh province. The result obtained shows a variation of direct and diffuse component of solar radiation in summer and winter months in southern Sindh (50% direct and 50% diffuse for Karachi, and Hyderabad) where there is a large variation in direct and diffuse component of solar radiation in summer and winter months in northern region (80% direct and 20% diffuse for Rohri and Jacobabad). In southern Sindh, the contribution of diffuse solar radiation is higher during the monsoon months (July and August). The sky remains clear during September to June. In northern Sindh (Rohri and Jacobabad) the contribution of diffuse solar radiation is low even in monsoon months i,e in July and August. The Kt value for northern Sindh indicates a clear sky. In northern part of the Sindh percentage of diffuse radiation does not exceed more than 20%. The appearance of cloud is rare. From the point of view of power generation, the estimated values indicate that northern part of Sindh has high solar potential while the southern part has low solar potential.Keywords: global and diffuse solar radiation, solar potential, Province of Sindh, solar radiation studies for power generation
Procedia PDF Downloads 3161990 Effect of Molybdenum Addition to Aluminum Grain Refined by Titanium Plus Boron on Its Grain Size and Mechanical Characteristics in the Cast and After Pressing by the Equal Channel Angular Pressing Conditions
Authors: A. I. O. Zaid, A. M. Attieh, S. M. A. Al Qawabah
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Aluminum and its alloys solidify in columnar structure with large grain size which tends to reduce their mechanical strength and surface quality. They are, therefore, grain refined by addition of either titanium or titanium plus boron to their melt before solidification. Equal channel angular pressing, ECAP, process is a recent forming method for producing heavy plastic deformation in materials. In this paper, the effect of molybdenum addition to aluminum grain refined by Ti+B on its metallurgical and mechanical characteristics are investigated in the as cast condition and after pressing by the ECAP process. It was found that addition of Mo or Ti+B alone or together to aluminum resulted in grain refining of its microstructure in the as cast condition, as the average grain size was reduced from 139 micron to 46 micron when Mo and Ti+B are added together. Pressing by the ECAP process resulted in further refinement of the microstructure where 32 micron of average grain size was achieved in Al and the Al-Mo microalloy. Regarding the mechanical strength, addition of Mo or Ti+B alone to Al resulted in deterioration of its mechanical behavior but resulted in enhancement of its mechanical behavior when added together, increase of 10% in flow stress was achieved at 20% strain. However, pressing by ECAP addition of Mo or Ti+B alone to Al resulted in enhancement of its mechanical strength but reduced its strength when added together.Keywords: ECAP, aluminum, cast, mechanical characteristics, Mo grain refiner
Procedia PDF Downloads 4711989 Improvement of Heat Pipe Thermal Performance in H-VAC Systems Using CFD Modeling
Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami
Abstract:
Heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to evaporator section. In HVAC systems the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances it’s heat transfer capacity used in the abstract.Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, CFD simulation
Procedia PDF Downloads 4241988 Study of Superconducting Patch Printed on Electric-Magnetic Substrates Materials
Authors: Fortaki Tarek, S. Bedra
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In this paper, the effects of both uniaxial anisotropy in the substrate and high Tc superconducting patch on the resonant frequency, half-power bandwidth, and radiation patterns are investigated using an electric field integral equation and the spectral domain Green’s function. The analysis has been based on a full electromagnetic wave model with London’s equations and the Gorter-Casimir two-fluid model has been improved to investigate the resonant and radiation characteristics of high Tc superconducting rectangular microstrip patch in the case where the patch is printed on electric-magnetic uniaxially anisotropic substrate materials. The stationary phase technique has been used for computing the radiation electric field. The obtained results demonstrate a considerable improvement in the half-power bandwidth, of the rectangular microstrip patch, by using a superconductor patch instead of a perfect conductor one. Further results show that high Tc superconducting rectangular microstrip patch on the uniaxial substrate with properly selected electric and magnetic anisotropy ratios is more advantageous than the one on the isotropic substrate by exhibiting wider bandwidth and radiation characteristic. This behavior agrees with that discovered experimentally for superconducting patches on isotropic substrates. The calculated results have been compared with measured one available in the literature and excellent agreement has been found.Keywords: high Tc superconducting microstrip patch, electric-magnetic anisotropic substrate, Galerkin method, surface complex impedance with boundary conditions, radiation patterns
Procedia PDF Downloads 4441987 Molecular Portraits: The Role of Posttranslational Modification in Cancer Metastasis
Authors: Navkiran Kaur, Apoorva Mathur, Abhishree Agarwal, Sakshi Gupta, Tuhin Rashmi
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Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, and resistance to the current therapeutics, often concurrently, is an increasing clinical challenge. Glycosylation of proteins is one of the most important post-translational modifications. It is widely known that aberrant glycosylation has been implicated in many different diseases due to changes associated with biological function and protein folding. Alterations in cell surface glycosylation, can promote invasive behavior of tumor cells that ultimately lead to the progression of cancer. In breast cancer, there is an increasing evidence pertaining to the role of glycosylation in tumor formation and metastasis. In the present study, an attempt has been made to study the disease associated sialoglycoproteins in breast cancer by using bioinformatics tools. The sequence will be retrieved from UniProt database. A database in the form of a word document was made by a collection of FASTA sequences of breast cancer gene sequence. Glycosylation was studied using yinOyang tool on ExPASy and Differential genes expression and protein analysis was done in context of breast cancer metastasis. The number of residues predicted O-glc NAc threshold containing 50 aberrant glycosylation sites or more was detected and recorded for individual sequence. We found that the there is a significant change in the expression profiling of glycosylation patterns of various proteins associated with breast cancer. Differential aberrant glycosylated proteins in breast cancer cells with respect to non-neoplastic cells are an important factor for the overall progression and development of cancer.Keywords: breast cancer, bioinformatics, cancer, metastasis, glycosylation
Procedia PDF Downloads 2921986 Improvement of Heat Pipes Thermal Performance in H-VAC Systems Using CFD Modeling
Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami
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Heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to evaporator section.In HVAC systems the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances it’s heat transfer capacity used in the abstract.Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, heat pipe limits
Procedia PDF Downloads 3631985 A Spatio-Temporal Analysis and Change Detection of Wetlands in Diamond Harbour, West Bengal, India Using Normalized Difference Water Index
Authors: Lopita Pal, Suresh V. Madha
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Wetlands are areas of marsh, fen, peat land or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. The rapidly expanding human population, large scale changes in land use/land cover, burgeoning development projects and improper use of watersheds all has caused a substantial decline of wetland resources in the world. Major degradations have been impacted from agricultural, industrial and urban developments leading to various types of pollutions and hydrological perturbations. Regular fishing activities and unsustainable grazing of animals are degrading the wetlands in a slow pace. The paper focuses on the spatio-temporal change detection of the area of the water body and the main cause of this depletion. The total area under study (22°19’87’’ N, 88°20’23’’ E) is a wetland region in West Bengal of 213 sq.km. The procedure used is the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI) from multi-spectral imagery and Landsat to detect the presence of surface water, and the datasets have been compared of the years 2016, 2006 and 1996. The result shows a sharp decline in the area of water body due to a rapid increase in the agricultural practices and the growing urbanization.Keywords: spatio-temporal change, NDWI, urbanization, wetland
Procedia PDF Downloads 2811984 ORR Electrocatalyst for Batteries and Fuel Cells Development with SiO2/Carbon Black Based Composite Nanomaterials
Authors: Maryam Kiani
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This study focuses on the development of composite nanomaterials based on SiO2 and carbon black for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) electrocatalysts in batteries and fuel cells. The aim was to explore the potential of these composite materials as efficient catalysts for ORR, which is a critical process in energy conversion devices. The SiO2/carbon black composite nanomaterials were synthesized using a facile and scalable method. The morphology, structure, and electrochemical properties of the materials were characterized using various techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and electrochemical measurements. The results demonstrated that the incorporation of SiO2 into the carbon black matrix enhanced the ORR performance of the composite material. The composite nanomaterials exhibited improved electrocatalytic activity, enhanced stability, and increased durability compared to pure carbon black. The presence of SiO2 facilitated the formation of active sites, improved electron transfer, and increased the surface area available for ORR. This study contributes to the advancement of battery and fuel cell technology by offering a promising approach for the development of high-performance ORR electrocatalysts. The SiO2/carbon black composite nanomaterials show great potential for improving the efficiency and durability of energy conversion devices, leading to more sustainable and efficient energy solutions.Keywords: oxygen reduction reaction, batteries, fuel cells, electrrocatalyst
Procedia PDF Downloads 1141983 Physical and Chemical Parameters of Lower Ogun River, Ogun State, Nigeria
Authors: F.I. Adeosun, A.A. Idowu, D.O. Odulate,
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The aims of carrying out this experiment were to determine the water quality and to investigate if the various human and ecological activities around the river have any effect on the physico-chemical parameters of the river’s resources with a view to effectively utilizing these resources. Water samples were collected from two stations on the surface water of Lower Ogun River Akomoje biweekly for a period of 5 months (January to May, 2011). Results showed that temperature ranged between 24.0-30.7oC, transparency (0.53-1.00 m), depth (1.0-3.88 m), alkalinity (4.5-14.5 mg/l), nitrates (0.235-5.445 mg/l), electrical conductivity (140-190µS/cm), dissolved oxygen (4.12-5.32 mg/l), phosphates (0.02 mg/l-0.7 5 mg/l) and total dissolved solids (70-95).The parameters at the deep end (station A) accounted for the bulk of the highest values; there was however no significant differences between the stations at P˂0.05 with the exception of transparency, depth, total dissolved solids and electrical conductivity. The phosphate value was relatively low which accounted for the low productivity and high transparency. The results obtained from the physico-chemical parameters agreed with the limits set by both national and international bodies for drinking and fish growth. It was however observed that during the period of data collection, catch was low and this could be attributed to low level of primary productivity due to the quality of physico-chemical parameters of the water. It is recommended that the agencies involved in the management of the river should put the right policies in place that will effectively enhance proper exploitation of the water resources. More research should also be carried out on the physico-chemical parameters since this work only studied the water for five months.Keywords: physical, chemical, parameters, water quality, Ogunriver
Procedia PDF Downloads 6791982 Effect of Fill Material Density under Structures on Ground Motion Characteristics Due to Earthquake
Authors: Ahmed T. Farid, Khaled Z. Soliman
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Due to limited areas and excessive cost of land for projects, backfilling process has become necessary. Also, backfilling will be done to overcome the un-leveling depths or raising levels of site construction, especially near the sea region. Therefore, backfilling soil materials used under the foundation of structures should be investigated regarding its effect on ground motion characteristics, especially at regions subjected to earthquakes. In this research, 60-meter thickness of sandy fill material was used above a fixed 240-meter of natural clayey soil underlying by rock formation to predict the modified ground motion characteristics effect at the foundation level. Comparison between the effect of using three different situations of fill material compaction on the recorded earthquake is studied, i.e. peak ground acceleration, time history, and spectra acceleration values. The three different densities of the compacted fill material used in the study were very loose, medium dense and very dense sand deposits, respectively. Shake computer program was used to perform this study. Strong earthquake records, with Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) of 0.35 g, were used in the analysis. It was found that, higher compaction of fill material thickness has a significant effect on eliminating the earthquake ground motion properties at surface layer of fill material, near foundation level. It is recommended to consider the fill material characteristics in the design of foundations subjected to seismic motions. Future studies should be analyzed for different fill and natural soil deposits for different seismic conditions.Keywords: acceleration, backfill, earthquake, soil, PGA
Procedia PDF Downloads 3781981 Characterization the Internal Corrosion Behavior by Using Natural Inhibitor in Crude Oil of Low Carbon Steel Pipeline
Authors: Iman Adnan Annon, Kadhim F. Alsultan
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This study investigate the internal corrosion of low carbon steel pipelines in the crude oil, as well as prepare and use natural and locally available plant as a natural corrosion inhibiter, the nature extraction achieved by two types of solvents in order to show the solvent effect on inhibition process, the first being distilled water and the second is diethyl ether. FT-IR spectra and using a chemical reagents achieved to detection the presence of many active groups and the presence of tannins, phenols, and alkaloids in the natural extraction. Some experiments were achieved to estimate the performance of a new inhibitor, one of these tests include corrosion measurement by simple immersion in crude oil within and without inhibitors which added in different amounts 30,40,50and 60 ppm at tow temperature 300 and 323k, where the best inhibition efficiencies which get when added the inhibitors in a critical amounts or closest to it, since for the aqueous extract (EB-A) the inhibition efficiency reached (94.4) and (86.71)% at 300 and 323k respectively, and for diethyl ether extract (EB-D) reached (82.87) and (84.6)% at 300 and 323k respectively. Optical microscopy examination have been conducted to evaluate the corrosion nature where it show a clear difference in the topography of the immersed samples surface after add the inhibitors at two temperatures. The results show that the new corrosion inhibitor is not only equivalent to a chemical inhibitor but has greatly improvement properties such as: high efficiency, low cost, non-toxic, easily to produce, and nonpolluting as compared with chemical inhibitor.Keywords: corrosion in pipeline, inhibitors, crude oil, carbon steel, types of solvent
Procedia PDF Downloads 137