Search results for: free-surface flow simulation
1953 Molecular Engineering of High-Performance Nanofiltration Membranes from Intrinsically Microporous Poly (Ether-Ether-Ketone)
Authors: Mahmoud A. Abdulhamid
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Poly(ether-ether-ketone) (PEEK) has received increased attention due to its outstanding performance in different membrane applications including gas and liquid separation. However, it suffers from a semi-crystalline morphology, bad solubility and low porosity. To fabricate membranes from PEEK, the usage of harsh acid such as sulfuric acid is essential, regardless its hazardous properties. In this work, we report the molecular design of poly(ether-ether-ketones) (iPEEKs) with intrinsic porosity character, by incorporating kinked units into PEEK backbone such as spirobisindane, Tröger's base, and triptycene. The porous polymers were used to fabricate stable membranes for organic solvent nanofiltration application. To better understand the mechanism, we conducted molecular dynamics simulations to evaluate the possible interactions between the polymers and the solvents. Notable enhancement in separation performance was observed confirming the importance of molecular engineering of high-performance polymers. The iPEEKs demonstrated good solubility in polar aprotic solvents, a high surface area of 205–250 m² g⁻¹, and excellent thermal stability. Mechanically flexible nanofiltration membranes were prepared from N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone dope solution at iPEEK concentrations of 19–35 wt%. The molecular weight cutoff of the membranes was fine-tuned in the range of 450–845 g mol⁻¹ displaying 2–6 fold higher permeance (3.57–11.09 L m⁻² h⁻¹ bar⁻¹) than previous reports. The long-term stabilities were demonstrated by a 7 day continuous cross-flow filtration.Keywords: molecular engineering, polymer synthesis, membrane fabrication, liquid separation
Procedia PDF Downloads 961952 Development and Validation of High-Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for the Determination and Pharmacokinetic Study of Linagliptin in Rat Plasma
Authors: Hoda Mahgoub, Abeer Hanafy
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Linagliptin (LNG) belongs to dipeptidyl-peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor class. DPP-4 inhibitors represent a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults. The aim of this work was to develop and validate an accurate and reproducible HPLC method for the determination of LNG with high sensitivity in rat plasma. The method involved separation of both LNG and pindolol (internal standard) at ambient temperature on a Zorbax Eclipse XDB C18 column and a mobile phase composed of 75% methanol: 25% formic acid 0.1% pH 4.1 at a flow rate of 1.0 mL.min-1. UV detection was performed at 254nm. The method was validated in compliance with ICH guidelines and found to be linear in the range of 5–1000ng.mL-1. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was found to be 5ng.mL-1 based on 100µL of plasma. The variations for intra- and inter-assay precision were less than 10%, and the accuracy values were ranged between 93.3% and 102.5%. The extraction recovery (R%) was more than 83%. The method involved a single extraction step of a very small plasma volume (100µL). The assay was successfully applied to an in-vivo pharmacokinetic study of LNG in rats that were administered a single oral dose of 10mg.kg-1 LNG. The maximum concentration (Cmax) was found to be 927.5 ± 23.9ng.mL-1. The area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC0-72) was 18285.02 ± 605.76h.ng.mL-1. In conclusion, the good accuracy and low LOQ of the bioanalytical HPLC method were suitable for monitoring the full pharmacokinetic profile of LNG in rats. The main advantages of the method were the sensitivity, small sample volume, single-step extraction procedure and the short time of analysis.Keywords: HPLC, linagliptin, pharmacokinetic study, rat plasma
Procedia PDF Downloads 2411951 Performance Evaluation of a Small Microturbine Cogeneration Functional Model
Authors: Jeni A. Popescu, Sorin G. Tomescu, Valeriu A. Vilag
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The paper focuses on the potential methods of increasing the performance of a microturbine by combining additional elements available for utilization in a cogeneration plant. The activity is carried out within the framework of a project aiming to develop, manufacture and test a microturbine functional model with high potential in energetic industry utilization. The main goal of the analysis is to determine the parameters of the fluid flow passing through each section of the turbine, based on limited data available in literature for the focus output power range or provided by experimental studies, starting from a reference cycle, and considering different cycle options, including simple, intercooled and recuperated options, in order to optimize a small cogeneration plant operation. The studied configurations operate under the same initial thermodynamic conditions and are based on a series of assumptions, in terms of individual performance of the components, pressure/velocity losses, compression ratios, and efficiencies. The thermodynamic analysis evaluates the expected performance of the microturbine cycle, while providing a series of input data and limitations to be included in the development of the experimental plan. To simplify the calculations and to allow a clear estimation of the effect of heat transfer between fluids, the working fluid for all the thermodynamic evolutions is, initially, air, the combustion being modelled by simple heat addition to the system. The theoretical results, along with preliminary experimental results are presented, aiming for a correlation in terms of microturbine performance.Keywords: cogeneration, microturbine, performance, thermodynamic analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 1691950 Thermal Efficiency Analysis and Optimal of Feed Water Heater for Mae Moh Thermal Power Plant
Authors: Khomkrit Mongkhuntod, Chatchawal Chaichana, Atipoang Nuntaphan
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Feed Water Heater is the important equipment for thermal power plant. The heating temperature from feed heating process is an impact to power plant efficiency or heat rate. Normally, the degradation of feed water heater that operated for a long time is effect to decrease plant efficiency or increase plant heat rate. For Mae Moh power plant, each unit operated more than 20 years. The degradation of the main equipment is effect of planting efficiency or heat rate. From the efficiency and heat rate analysis, Mae Moh power plant operated in high heat rate more than the commissioning period. Some of the equipment were replaced for improving plant efficiency and plant heat rates such as HP turbine and LP turbine that the result is increased plant efficiency by 5% and decrease plant heat rate by 1%. For the target of power generation plan that Mae Moh power plant must be operated more than 10 years. These work is focus on thermal efficiency analysis of feed water heater to compare with the commissioning data for find the way to improve the feed water heater efficiency that may effect to increase plant efficiency or decrease plant heat rate by use heat balance model simulation and economic value add (EVA) method to study the investment for replacing the new feed water heater and analyze how this project can stay above the break-even point to make the project decision.Keywords: feed water heater, power plant efficiency, plant heat rate, thermal efficiency analysis
Procedia PDF Downloads 3691949 Model Updating Based on Modal Parameters Using Hybrid Pattern Search Technique
Authors: N. Guo, C. Xu, Z. C. Yang
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In order to ensure the high reliability of an aircraft, the accurate structural dynamics analysis has become an indispensable part in the design of an aircraft structure. Therefore, the structural finite element model which can be used to accurately calculate the structural dynamics and their transfer relations is the prerequisite in structural dynamic design. A dynamic finite element model updating method is presented to correct the uncertain parameters of the finite element model of a structure using measured modal parameters. The coordinate modal assurance criterion is used to evaluate the correlation level at each coordinate over the experimental and the analytical mode shapes. Then, the weighted summation of the natural frequency residual and the coordinate modal assurance criterion residual is used as the objective function. Moreover, the hybrid pattern search (HPS) optimization technique, which synthesizes the advantages of pattern search (PS) optimization technique and genetic algorithm (GA), is introduced to solve the dynamic FE model updating problem. A numerical simulation and a model updating experiment for GARTEUR aircraft model are performed to validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the present dynamic model updating method, respectively. The updated results show that the proposed method can be successfully used to modify the incorrect parameters with good robustness.Keywords: model updating, modal parameter, coordinate modal assurance criterion, hybrid genetic/pattern search
Procedia PDF Downloads 1611948 The Role of the Linguistic Mediator in Relation to Culturally Oriented Crimes
Authors: Andreas Aceranti, Simonetta Vernocchi, Elisabetta Aldrovandi, Marco Colorato, Carolina Ascrizzi
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Nowadays, especially due to an increasing flow of migration and uncontrolled globalisation, linguistic, cultural and religious differences can be a major obstacle for people belonging to different ethnic groups. Each group has its own traditional background, which, in addition to its positive aspects, also includes extremely unpleasant and dramatic situations: culture-related crimes. We analysed several cases belonging to this category of crime which is becoming more and more present in Europe, creating not only a strong social rift dictated by the misunderstanding between migrants and host populations but also by the isolation and ghettoisation of subjects classified as 'different'. Such social rejection, in fact, represents a great source of stress and frustration for those who seek to be part of the community and can generate phenomena of rebellion that result in violent acts. Similar situations must be addressed by the figure of the cultural-linguistic mediator who, thanks to his or her multidisciplinary knowledge, assumes the role of a 'bridge', thus helping the process of awareness and understanding within the social group through the use of various tools, including awareness-raising campaigns and interventions in both the school and social-health sectors. By analysing how the notions of culture and offense have evolved throughout history until they have merged into a single principle and, secondly, how the figure of the language mediator represents a fundamental role in the resolution of conflicts related to cultural diversity has helped us define the basis for new protocols in dealing with such crimes. Especially we have to define the directions of further investigations that we will carry out in the next months.Keywords: cultural crimes, hatred crimes, immigration, cultural mediation
Procedia PDF Downloads 791947 Nonlinear Triad Interactions in Magnetohydrodynamic Plasma Turbulence
Authors: Yasser Rammah, Wolf-Christian Mueller
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Nonlinear triad interactions in incompressible three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (3D-MHD) turbulence are studied by analyzing data from high-resolution direct numerical simulations of decaying isotropic (5123 grid points) and forced anisotropic (10242 x256 grid points) turbulence. An accurate numerical approach toward analyzing nonlinear turbulent energy transfer function and triad interactions is presented. It involves the direct numerical examination of every wavenumber triad that is associated with the nonlinear terms in the differential equations of MHD in the inertial range of turbulence. The technique allows us to compute the spectral energy transfer and energy fluxes, as well as the spectral locality property of energy transfer function. To this end, the geometrical shape of each underlying wavenumber triad that contributes to the statistical transfer density function is examined to infer the locality of the energy transfer. Results show that the total energy transfer is local via nonlocal triad interactions in decaying macroscopically isotropic MHD turbulence. In anisotropic MHD, turbulence subject to a strong mean magnetic field the nonlinear transfer is generally weaker and exhibits a moderate increase of nonlocality in both perpendicular and parallel directions compared to the isotropic case. These results support the recent mathematical findings, which also claim the locality of nonlinear energy transfer in MHD turbulence.Keywords: magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence, transfer density function, locality function, direct numerical simulation (DNS)
Procedia PDF Downloads 3851946 Structural Performance Evaluation of Electronic Road Sign Panels Reflecting Damage Scenarios
Authors: Junwon Seo, Bipin Adhikari, Euiseok Jeong
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This paper is intended to evaluate the structural performance of welded electronic road signs under various damage scenarios (DSs) using a finite element (FE) model calibrated with full-scale ultimate load testing results. The tested electronic road sign specimen was built with a back skin made of 5052 aluminum and two channels and a frame made of 6061 aluminum, where the back skin was connected to the frame by welding. The size of the tested specimen was 1.52 m long, 1.43 m wide, and 0.28 m deep. An actuator applied vertical loads at the center of the back skin of the specimen, resulting in a displacement of 158.7 mm and an ultimate load of 153.46 kN. Using these testing data, generation and calibration of a FE model of the tested specimen were executed in ABAQUS, indicating that the difference in the ultimate load between the calibrated model simulation and full-scale testing was only 3.32%. Then, six different DSs were simulated where the areas of the welded connection in the calibrated model were diminished for the DSs. It was found that the corners at the back skin-frame joint were prone to connection failure for all the DSs, and failure of the back skin-frame connection occurred remarkably from the distant edges.Keywords: computational analysis, damage scenarios, electronic road signs, finite element, welded connections
Procedia PDF Downloads 921945 Iron Catalyst for Decomposition of Methane: Influence of Al/Si Ratio Support
Authors: A. S. Al-Fatesh, A. A. Ibrahim, A. M. AlSharekh, F. S. Alqahtani, S. O. Kasim, A. H. Fakeeha
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Hydrogen is the expected future fuel since it produces energy without any pollution. It can be used as a fuel directly or through the fuel cell. It is also used in chemical and petrochemical industry as reducing agent or in hydrogenation processes. It is produced by different methods such as reforming of hydrocarbon, electrolytic method and methane decomposition. The objective of the present paper is to study the decomposition of methane reaction at 700°C and 800°C. The catalysts were prepared via impregnation method using 20%Fe and different proportions of combined alumina and silica support using the following ratios [100%, 90%, 80%, and 0% Al₂O₃/SiO₂]. The prepared catalysts were calcined and activated at 600 OC and 500 OC respectively. The reaction was carried out in fixed bed reactor at atmospheric pressure using 0.3g of catalyst and feed gas ratio of 1.5/1 CH₄/N₂ with a total flow rate 25 mL/min. Catalyst characterizations (TPR, TGA, BET, XRD, etc.) have been employed to study the behavior of catalysts before and after the reaction. Moreover, a brief description of the weight loss and the CH₄ conversions versus time on stream relating the different support ratios over 20%Fe/Al₂O₃/SiO₂ catalysts has been added as well. The results of TGA analysis provided higher weights losses for catalysts operated at 700°C than 800°C. For the 90% Al₂O₃/SiO₂, the activity decreases with the time on stream using 800°C reaction temperature from 73.9% initial CH₄ conversion to 46.3% for a period of 300min, whereas the activity for the same catalyst increases from 47.1% to 64.8% when 700°C reaction temperature is employed. Likewise, for 80% Al₂O₃/SiO₂ the trend of activity is similar to that of 90% Al₂O₃/SiO₂ but with a different rate of activity variation. It can be inferred from the activity results that the ratio of Al₂O₃ to SiO₂ is crucial and it is directly proportional with the activity. Whenever the Al/Si ratio decreases the activity declines. Indeed, the CH₄ conversion of 100% SiO₂ support was less than 5%.Keywords: Al₂O₃, SiO₂, CH₄ decomposition, hydrogen, iron
Procedia PDF Downloads 1791944 Blind Hybrid ARQ Retransmissions with Different Multiplexing between Time and Frequency for Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications in 5G
Authors: Mohammad Tawhid Kawser, Ishrak Kabir, Sadia Sultana, Tanjim Ahmad
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A promising service category of 5G, popularly known as Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency Communications (URLLC), is devoted to providing users with the staunchest fail-safe connections in the splits of a second. The reliability of data transfer, as offered by Hybrid ARQ (HARQ), should be employed as URLLC applications are highly error-sensitive. However, the delay added by HARQ ACK/NACK and retransmissions can degrade performance as URLLC applications are highly delay-sensitive too. To improve latency while maintaining reliability, this paper proposes the use of blind transmissions of redundancy versions exploiting the frequency diversity of wide bandwidth of 5G. The blind HARQ retransmissions proposed so far consider narrow bandwidth cases, for example, dedicated short range communication (DSRC), shared channels for device-to-device (D2D) communication, etc., and thus, do not gain much from the frequency diversity. The proposal also combines blind and ACK/NACK based retransmissions for different multiplexing options between time and frequency depending on the current radio channel quality and stringency of latency requirements. The wide bandwidth of 5G justifies that the proposed blind retransmission, without waiting for ACK/NACK, is not palpably extravagant. A simulation is performed to demonstrate the improvement in latency of the proposed scheme.Keywords: 5G, URLLC, HARQ, latency, frequency diversity
Procedia PDF Downloads 361943 Conformation Prediction of Human Plasmin and Docking on Gold Nanoparticle
Authors: Wen-Shyong Tzou, Chih-Ching Huang, Chin-Hwa Hu, Ying-Tsang Lo, Tun-Wen Pai, Chia-Yin Chiang, Chung-Hao Li, Hong-Jyuan Jian
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Plasmin plays an important role in the human circulatory system owing to its catalytic ability of fibrinolysis. The immediate injection of plasmin in patients of strokes has intrigued many scientists to design vectors that can transport plasmin to the desired location in human body. Here we predict the structure of human plasmin and investigate the interaction of plasmin with the gold-nanoparticle. Because the crystal structure of plasminogen has been solved, we deleted N-terminal domain (Pan-apple domain) of plasminogen and generate a mimic of the active form of this enzyme (plasmin). We conducted a simulated annealing process on plasmin and discovered a very large conformation occurs. Kringle domains 1, 4 and 5 had been observed to leave its original location relative to the main body of the enzyme and the original doughnut shape of this enzyme has been transformed to a V-shaped by opening its two arms. This observation of conformational change is consistent with the experimental results of neutron scattering and centrifugation. We subsequently docked the plasmin on the simulated gold surface to predict their interaction. The V-shaped plasmin could utilize its Kringle domain and catalytic domain to contact the gold surface. Our findings not only reveal the flexibility of plasmin structure but also provide a guide for the design of a plasmin-gold nanoparticle.Keywords: docking, gold nanoparticle, molecular simulation, plasmin
Procedia PDF Downloads 4721942 Efficient Model Order Reduction of Descriptor Systems Using Iterative Rational Krylov Algorithm
Authors: Muhammad Anwar, Ameen Ullah, Intakhab Alam Qadri
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This study presents a technique utilizing the Iterative Rational Krylov Algorithm (IRKA) to reduce the order of large-scale descriptor systems. Descriptor systems, which incorporate differential and algebraic components, pose unique challenges in Model Order Reduction (MOR). The proposed method partitions the descriptor system into polynomial and strictly proper parts to minimize approximation errors, applying IRKA exclusively to the strictly adequate component. This approach circumvents the unbounded errors that arise when IRKA is directly applied to the entire system. A comparative analysis demonstrates the high accuracy of the reduced model and a significant reduction in computational burden. The reduced model enables more efficient simulations and streamlined controller designs. The study highlights IRKA-based MOR’s effectiveness in optimizing complex systems’ performance across various engineering applications. The proposed methodology offers a promising solution for reducing the complexity of large-scale descriptor systems while maintaining their essential characteristics and facilitating their analysis, simulation, and control design.Keywords: model order reduction, descriptor systems, iterative rational Krylov algorithm, interpolatory model reduction, computational efficiency, projection methods, H₂-optimal model reduction
Procedia PDF Downloads 311941 Improving Waste Recycling and Resource Productivity by Integrating Smart Resource Tracking System
Authors: Atiq Zaman
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The high contamination rate in the recycling waste stream is one of the major problems in Australia. In addition, a lack of reliable waste data makes it even more difficult for designing and implementing an effective waste management plan. This article conceptualizes the opportunity to improve resource productivity by integrating smart resource tracking system (SRTS) into the Australian household waste management system. The application of the smart resource tracking system will be implemented through the following ways: (i) mobile application-based resource tracking system used to measure the household’s material flow; (ii) RFID, smart image and weighing system used to track waste generation, recycling and contamination; (iii) informing and motivating manufacturer and retailers to improve their problematic products’ packaging; and (iv) ensure quality and reliable data through open-sourced cloud data for public use. The smart mobile application, imaging, radio-frequency identification (RFID) and weighing technologies are not new, but the very straightforward idea of using these technologies in the household resource consumption, waste bins and collection trucks will open up a new era of accurately measuring and effectively managing our waste. The idea will bring the most urgently needed reliable, data and clarity on household consumption, recycling behaviour and waste management practices in the context of available local infrastructure and policies. Therefore, the findings of this study would be very important for decision makers to improve resource productivity in the waste industry by using smart resource tracking system.Keywords: smart devices, mobile application, smart sensors, resource tracking, waste management, resource productivity
Procedia PDF Downloads 1441940 Impact of External Temperature on the Speleothem Growth in the Moravian Karst
Authors: Frantisek Odvarka
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Based on the data from the Moravian Karst, the influence of the calcite speleothem growth by selected meteorological factors was evaluated. External temperature was determined as one of the main factors influencing speleothem growth in Moravian Karst. This factor significantly influences the CO₂ concentration in soil/epikarst, and cave atmosphere in the Moravian Karst and significantly contributes to the changes in the CO₂ partial pressure differences between soil/epikarst and cave atmosphere in Moravian Karst, which determines the drip water supersaturation with respect to the calcite and quantity of precipitated calcite in the Moravian Karst cave environment. External air temperatures and cave air temperatures were measured using a COMET S3120 data logger, which can measure temperatures in the range from -30 to +80 °C with an accuracy of ± 0.4 °C. CO₂ concentrations in the cave and soils were measured with a FT A600 CO₂H Ahlborn probe (value range 0 ppmv to 10,000 ppmv, accuracy 1 ppmv), which was connected to the data logger ALMEMO 2290-4, V5 Ahlborn. The soil temperature was measured with a FHA646E1 Ahlborn probe (temperature range -20 to 70 °C, accuracy ± 0.4 °C) connected to an ALMEMO 2290-4 V5 Ahlborn data logger. The airflow velocities into and out of the cave were monitored by a FVA395 TH4 Thermo anemometer (speed range from 0.05 to 2 m s⁻¹, accuracy ± 0.04 m s⁻¹), which was connected to the ALMEMO 2590-4 V5 Ahlborn data logger for recording. The flow was measured in the lower and upper entrance of the Imperial Cave. The data were analyzed in MS Office Excel 2019 and PHREEQC.Keywords: speleothem growth, carbon dioxide partial pressure, Moravian Karst, external temperature
Procedia PDF Downloads 1441939 A Hybrid Algorithm Based on Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure and Chemical Reaction Optimization for the Vehicle Routing Problem with Hard Time Windows
Authors: Imen Boudali, Marwa Ragmoun
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The Vehicle Routing Problem with Hard Time Windows (VRPHTW) is a basic distribution management problem that models many real-world problems. The objective of the problem is to deliver a set of customers with known demands on minimum-cost vehicle routes while satisfying vehicle capacity and hard time windows for customers. In this paper, we propose to deal with our optimization problem by using a new hybrid stochastic algorithm based on two metaheuristics: Chemical Reaction Optimization (CRO) and Greedy Randomized Adaptive Search Procedure (GRASP). The first method is inspired by the natural process of chemical reactions enabling the transformation of unstable substances with excessive energy to stable ones. During this process, the molecules interact with each other through a series of elementary reactions to reach minimum energy for their existence. This property is embedded in CRO to solve the VRPHTW. In order to enhance the population diversity throughout the search process, we integrated the GRASP in our method. Simulation results on the base of Solomon’s benchmark instances show the very satisfactory performances of the proposed approach.Keywords: Benchmark Problems, Combinatorial Optimization, Vehicle Routing Problem with Hard Time Windows, Meta-heuristics, Hybridization, GRASP, CRO
Procedia PDF Downloads 4111938 Application of Carbon Nanotube and Nanowire FET Devices in Future VLSI
Authors: Saurabh Chaudhury, Sanjeet Kumar Sinha
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The MOSFET has been the main building block in high performance and low power VLSI chips for the last several decades. Device scaling is fundamental to technological advancements, which allows more devices to be integrated on a single die providing greater functionality per chip. Ultimately, the goal of scaling is to build an individual transistor that is smaller, faster, cheaper, and consumes less power. Scaling continued following Moore's law initially and now we see an exponential growth in today's nano scaled chip. However, device scaling to deep nano meter regime leads to exponential increase in leakage currents and excessive heat generation. Moreover, fabrication process variability causing a limitation to further scaling. Researchers believe that with a mix of chemistry, physics, and engineering, nano electronics may provide a solution to increasing fabrication costs and may allow integrated circuits to be scaled beyond the limits of the modern transistor. Carbon nano tube (CNT) and nano wires (NW) based FETs have been analyzed and characterized in laboratory and also been demonstrated as prototypes. This work presents an extensive simulation based study and analysis of CNTFET and NW-FET devices and comparison of the results with conventional MOSFET. From this study, we can conclude that these devices have got some excellent properties and favorable characteristics which will definitely lead the future semiconductor devices in post silicon era.Keywords: carbon nanotube, nanowire FET, low power, nanoscaled devices, VLSI
Procedia PDF Downloads 4111937 Human Immune Response to Surgery: The Surrogate Prediction of Postoperative Outcomes
Authors: Husham Bayazed
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Immune responses following surgical trauma play a pivotal role in predicting postoperative outcomes from healing and recovery to postoperative complications. Postoperative complications, including infections and protracted recovery, occur in a significant number of about 300 million surgeries performed annually worldwide. Complications cause personal suffering along with a significant economic burden on the healthcare system in any community. The accurate prediction of postoperative complications and patient-targeted interventions for their prevention remain major clinical provocations. Recent Findings: Recent studies are focusing on immune dysregulation mechanisms that occur in response to surgical trauma as a key determinant of postoperative complications. Antecedent studies mainly were plunging into the detection of inflammatory plasma markers, which facilitate in providing important clues regarding their pathogenesis. However, recent Single-cell technologies, such as mass cytometry or single-cell RNA sequencing, have markedly enhanced our ability to understand the immunological basis of postoperative immunological trauma complications and to identify their prognostic biological signatures. Summary: The advent of proteomic technologies has significantly advanced our ability to predict the risk of postoperative complications. Multiomic modeling of patients' immune states holds promise for the discovery of preoperative predictive biomarkers and providing patients and surgeons with information to improve surgical outcomes. However, more studies are required to accurately predict the risk of postoperative complications in individual patients.Keywords: immune dysregulation, postoperative complications, surgical trauma, flow cytometry
Procedia PDF Downloads 861936 Impact of Welding Distortion on the Design of Fabricated T-Girders Using Finite Element Modeling
Authors: Ahmed Hammad, Yehia Abdel-Nasser, Mohamed Shamma
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The main configuration of ship construction consists of standard and fabricated stiffening members which are commonly used in shipbuilding such as fabricated T-sections. During the welding process, the non-uniform heating and rapid cooling lead to the inevitable presence of out-of-plane distortion and welding induced residual stresses. Because of these imperfections, the fabricated structural members may not attain their design load to be carried. The removal of these imperfections will require extra man-hours. In the present work, controlling these imperfections has been investigated at both design and fabrication stages. A typical fabricated T-girder is selected to investigate the problem of these imperfections using double-side welding. A numerical simulation based on finite element (FE) modeling has been used to investigate the effect of different parameters of the selected fabricated T-girder such as geometrical properties and welding sequences on the magnitude of welding imperfections. FE results were compared with the results of experimental model of a double-side fillet weld. The present work concludes that: Firstly, in the design stage, the optimum geometry of the fabricated T- girder is determined based on minimum steel weight and out- of- plane distortion. Secondly, in the fabrication stage, the best welding sequence is determined on the basis of minimum welding out- of- plane distortion.Keywords: fabricated T-girder, FEM, out-of-plane distortion, section modulus, welding residual stresses
Procedia PDF Downloads 1221935 Cryptographic Resource Allocation Algorithm Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning
Authors: Xu Jie
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As a key network security method, cryptographic services must fully cope with problems such as the wide variety of cryptographic algorithms, high concurrency requirements, random job crossovers, and instantaneous surges in workloads. Its complexity and dynamics also make it difficult for traditional static security policies to cope with the ever-changing situation. Cyber Threats and Environment. Traditional resource scheduling algorithms are inadequate when facing complex decision-making problems in dynamic environments. A network cryptographic resource allocation algorithm based on reinforcement learning is proposed, aiming to optimize task energy consumption, migration cost, and fitness of differentiated services (including user, data, and task security) by modeling the multi-job collaborative cryptographic service scheduling problem as a multi-objective optimized job flow scheduling problem and using a multi-agent reinforcement learning method, efficient scheduling and optimal configuration of cryptographic service resources are achieved. By introducing reinforcement learning, resource allocation strategies can be adjusted in real-time in a dynamic environment, improving resource utilization and achieving load balancing. Experimental results show that this algorithm has significant advantages in path planning length, system delay and network load balancing and effectively solves the problem of complex resource scheduling in cryptographic services.Keywords: cloud computing, cryptography on-demand service, reinforcement learning, workflow scheduling
Procedia PDF Downloads 151934 Dicotyledon Weed Quantification Algorithm for Selective Herbicide Application in Maize Crops: Statistical Evaluation of the Potential Herbicide Savings
Authors: Morten Stigaard Laursen, Rasmus Nyholm Jørgensen, Henrik Skov Midtiby, Anders Krogh Mortensen, Sanmohan Baby
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This work contributes a statistical model and simulation framework yielding the best estimate possible for the potential herbicide reduction when using the MoDiCoVi algorithm all the while requiring a efficacy comparable to conventional spraying. In June 2013 a maize field located in Denmark were seeded. The field was divided into parcels which was assigned to one of two main groups: 1) Control, consisting of subgroups of no spray and full dose spraty; 2) MoDiCoVi algorithm subdivided into five different leaf cover thresholds for spray activation. In addition approximately 25% of the parcels were seeded with additional weeds perpendicular to the maize rows. In total 299 parcels were randomly assigned with the 28 different treatment combinations. In the statistical analysis, bootstrapping was used for balancing the number of replicates. The achieved potential herbicide savings was found to be 70% to 95% depending on the initial weed coverage. However additional field trials covering more seasons and locations are needed to verify the generalisation of these results. There is a potential for further herbicide savings as the time interval between the first and second spraying session was not long enough for the weeds to turn yellow, instead they only stagnated in growth.Keywords: herbicide reduction, macrosprayer, weed crop discrimination, site-specific, sprayer boom
Procedia PDF Downloads 2981933 Improving the Global Competitiveness of SMEs by Logistics Transportation Management: Case Study Chicken Meat Supply Chain
Authors: P. Vanichkobchinda
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The Logistics Transportation techniques, Open Vehicle Routing (OVR) is an approach toward transportation cost reduction, especially for long distance pickup and delivery nodes. The outstanding characteristic of OVR is that the route starting node and ending node are not necessary the same as in typical vehicle routing problems. This advantage enables the routing to flow continuously and the vehicle does not always return to its home base. This research aims to develop a heuristic for the open vehicle routing problem with pickup and delivery under time window and loading capacity constraints to minimize the total distance. The proposed heuristic is developed based on the Insertion method, which is a simple method and suitable for the rapid calculation that allows insertion of the new additional transportation requirements along the original paths. According to the heuristic analysis, cost comparisons between the proposed heuristic and companies are using method, nearest neighbor method show that the insertion heuristic. Moreover, the proposed heuristic gave superior solutions in all types of test problems. In conclusion, the proposed heuristic can effectively and efficiently solve the open vehicle routing. The research indicates that the improvement of new transport's calculation and the open vehicle routing with "Insertion Heuristic" represent a better outcome with 34.3 percent in average. in cost savings. Moreover, the proposed heuristic gave superior solutions in all types of test problems. In conclusion, the proposed heuristic can effectively and efficiently solve the open vehicle routing.Keywords: business competitiveness, cost reduction, SMEs, logistics transportation, VRP
Procedia PDF Downloads 6851932 Study on the Spatial Vitality of Waterfront Rail Transit Station Area: A Case Study of Main Urban Area in Chongqing
Authors: Lianxue Shi
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Urban waterfront rail transit stations exert a dual impact on both the waterfront and the transit station, resulting in a concentration of development elements in the surrounding space. In order to more effectively develop the space around the station, this study focuses on the perspective of the integration of station, city, and people. Taking Chongqing as an example, based on the Arc GIS platform, it explores the vitality of the site from the three dimensions of crowd activity heat, space facilities heat, and spatial accessibility. It conducts a comprehensive evaluation and interpretation of the vitality surrounding the waterfront rail transit station area in Chongqing. The study found that (1) the spatial vitality in the vicinity of waterfront rail transit stations is correlated with the waterfront's functional zoning and the intensity of development. Stations situated in waterfront residential and public spaces are more likely to experience a convergence of people, whereas those located in waterfront industrial areas exhibit lower levels of vitality. (2) Effective transportation accessibility plays a pivotal role in maintaining a steady flow of passengers and facilitating their movement. However, the three-dimensionality of urban space in mountainous regions is a notable challenge, leading to some stations experiencing limited accessibility. This underscores the importance of enhancing the optimization of walking space, particularly the access routes from the station to the waterfront area. (3) The density of spatial facilities around waterfront stations in old urban areas lags behind the population's needs, indicating a need to strengthen the allocation of relevant land and resources in these areas.Keywords: rail transit station, waterfront, influence area, spatial vitality, urban vitality
Procedia PDF Downloads 321931 A Validated High-Performance Liquid Chromatography-UV Method for Determination of Malondialdehyde-Application to Study in Chronic Ciprofloxacin Treated Rats
Authors: Anil P. Dewani, Ravindra L. Bakal, Anil V. Chandewar
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Present work demonstrates the applicability of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection for the determination of malondialdehyde as malondialdehyde-thiobarbituric acid complex (MDA-TBA) in-vivo in rats. The HPLC-UV method for MDA-TBA was achieved by isocratic mode on a reverse-phase C18 column (250mm×4.6mm) at a flow rate of 1.0mLmin−1 followed by UV detection at 278 nm. The chromatographic conditions were optimized by varying the concentration and pH followed by changes in percentage of organic phase optimal mobile phase consisted of mixture of water (0.2% Triethylamine pH adjusted to 2.3 by ortho-phosphoric acid) and acetonitrile in ratio (80:20 % v/v). The retention time of MDA-TBA complex was 3.7 min. The developed method was sensitive as limit of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) for MDA-TBA complex were (standard deviation and slope of calibration curve) 110 ng/ml and 363 ng/ml respectively. The method was linear for MDA spiked in plasma and subjected to derivatization at concentrations ranging from 100 to 1000 ng/ml. The precision of developed method measured in terms of relative standard deviations for intra-day and inter-day studies was 1.6–5.0% and 1.9–3.6% respectively. The HPLC method was applied for monitoring MDA levels in rats subjected to chronic treatment of ciprofloxacin (CFL) (5mg/kg/day) for 21 days. Results were compared by findings in control group rats. Mean peak areas of both study groups was subjected for statistical treatment to unpaired student t-test to find p-values. The p value was < 0.001 indicating significant results and suggesting increased MDA levels in rats subjected to chronic treatment of CFL of 21 days.Keywords: MDA, TBA, ciprofloxacin, HPLC-UV
Procedia PDF Downloads 3251930 Characterization of the State of Pollution by Nitrates in the Groundwater in Arid Zones Case of Eloued District (South-East of Algeria)
Authors: Zair Nadje, Attoui Badra, Miloudi Abdelmonem
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This study aims to assess sensitivity to nitrate pollution and monitor the temporal evolution of nitrate contents in groundwater using statistical models and map their spatial distribution. The nitrate levels observed in the waters of the town of El-Oued differ from one aquifer to another. Indeed, the waters of the Quaternary aquifer are the richest in nitrates, with average annual contents varying from 6 mg/l to 85 mg/l, for an average of 37 mg/l. These levels are higher than the WHO standard (50 mg/l) for drinking water. At the water level of the Terminal Complex (CT) aquifer, the annual average nitrate levels vary from 14 mg/l to 37 mg/l, with an average of 18 mg/l. In the Terminal Complex, excessive nitrate levels are observed in the central localities of the study area. The spatial distribution of nitrates in the waters of the Quaternary aquifer shows that the majority of the catchment points of this aquifer are subject to nitrate pollution. This study shows that in the waters of the Terminal Complex aquifer, nitrate pollution evolves in two major areas. The first focus is South-North, following the direction of underground flow. The second is West-East, progressing towards the East zone. The temporal distribution of nitrate contents in the water of the Terminal Complex aquifer in the city of El-Oued showed that for decades, nitrate contents have suffered a decline after an increase. This evolution of nitrate levels is linked to demographic growth and the rapid urbanization of the city of El-Oued.Keywords: anthropogenic activities, groundwater, nitrates, pollution, arid zones city of El-Oued, Algeria
Procedia PDF Downloads 561929 A Concept to Assess the Economic Importance of the On-Site Activities of ETICS
Authors: V. Sulakatko, F. U. Vogdt, I. Lill
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Construction technology and on-site construction activities have a direct influence on the life cycle costs of energy efficiently renovated apartment buildings. The systematic inadequacies of the External Thermal Insulation Composite System (ETICS) which occur during the construction phase increase the risk for all stakeholders, reduce mechanical durability and increase the life cycle costs of the building. The economic effect of these shortcomings can be minimised if the risk of the most significant on-site activities is recognised. The objective of the presented ETICS economic assessment concept is to evaluate the economic influence of on-site shortcomings and reveal their significance to the foreseeable future repair costs. The model assembles repair techniques, discusses their direct cost calculation methods, argues over the proper usage of net present value over the life cycle of the building, and proposes a simulation tool to evaluate the risk of on-site activities. As the technique is dependent on the selected real interest rate, a sensitivity analysis is anticipated to determine the validity of the recommendations. After the verification of the model on the sample buildings by the industry, it is expected to increase economic rationality of resource allocation and reduce high-risk systematic shortcomings during the construction process of ETICS.Keywords: activity-based cost estimating, cost estimation, ETICS, life cycle costing
Procedia PDF Downloads 2971928 A Finite Element Based Predictive Stone Lofting Simulation Methodology for Automotive Vehicles
Authors: Gaurav Bisht, Rahul Rathnakumar, Ravikumar Duggirala
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Predictive simulations are one of the key focus areas in safety-critical industries such as aerospace and high-performance automotive engineering. The stone-chipping study is one such effort taken up by the industry to predict and evaluate the damage caused due to gravel impact on vehicles. This paper describes a finite elements based method that can simulate the ejection of gravel chips from a vehicle tire. The FE simulations were used to obtain the initial ejection velocity of the stones for various driving conditions using a computational contact mechanics approach. To verify the accuracy of the tire model, several parametric studies were conducted. The FE simulations resulted in stone loft velocities ranging from 0–8 m/s, regardless of tire speed. The stress on the tire at the instant of initial contact with the stone increased linearly with vehicle speed. Mesh convergence studies indicated that a highly resolved tire mesh tends to result in better momentum transfer between the tire and the stone. A fine tire mesh also showed a linearly increasing relationship between the tire forward speed and stone lofting speed, which was not observed in coarser meshes. However, it also highlighted a potential challenge, in that the ejection velocity vector of the stone seemed to be sensitive to the mesh, owing to the FE-based contact mechanical formulation of the problem.Keywords: abaqus, contact mechanics, foreign object debris, stone chipping
Procedia PDF Downloads 2631927 Preliminary Flow Sheet for Recycling of Spent Lithium-Ion Batteries
Authors: Mohammad Ali Rajaeifar, Oliver Heidrich
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Nowadays, Li-ion batteries are vastly disseminated and the battery market is expected to experience a huge growth during next decade especially in terms of traction batteries. As the automotive industry moving towards the electrification of the powertrain, more raw/critical materials and energy are extracted while on the other hand, concerns are made regarding the scarcity of the materials as well as environmental issues regarding the destiny of the spent batteries. In this regards, recycling could play a vital role in the supply chain, leading reutilization of key battery materials and also reducing environmental burden related to the use of batteries. The aim of this paper is to review the previous and state-of-the-art treatments for recycling of Li-ion batteries. All the treatments method from mechanical, mild-thermal, pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical as well as combined methods for recycling of Li-ion batteries were considered in the study. There are various treatment methods that are economical, but they are not environmentally friendly or vice versa. This is due to the fact that the benefits of the Li-ion batteries recycling could be affected by different factors such as the amount of spent batteries available, the quality of the recovered material, the energy and material consumption by the process itself and environmental burdens caused by required logistics. Finally, a preliminary work sheet of possible route for recycling of spent Li-ion batteries was presented through the course of this study. Overall, it is worth quoting that recycling processes generally consumes a great deal of energy and auxiliary materials. Moreover, the collection of spent products from waste streams represents additional environmental efforts. Therefore, developing and optimizing efficient collection and separation technologies is essential to achieve sustainability goals.Keywords: hydrometallurgical treatment, Li-ion batteries, mild-thermal treatment, mechanical treatment, recycling, pyrometallurgical treatment
Procedia PDF Downloads 1111926 Shallow Water Lidar System in Measuring Erosion Rate of Coarse-Grained Materials
Authors: Ghada S. Ellithy, John. W. Murphy, Maureen K. Corcoran
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Erosion rate of soils during a levee or dam overtopping event is a major component in risk assessment evaluation of breach time and downstream consequences. The mechanism and evolution of dam or levee breach caused by overtopping erosion is a complicated process and difficult to measure during overflow due to accessibility and quickly changing conditions. In this paper, the results of a flume erosion tests are presented and discussed. The tests are conducted on a coarse-grained material with a median grain size D50 of 5 mm in a 1-m (3-ft) wide flume under varying flow rates. Each test is performed by compacting the soil mix r to its near optimum moisture and dry density as determined from standard Proctor test in a box embedded in the flume floor. The box measures 0.45 m wide x 1.2 m long x 0.25 m deep. The material is tested several times at varying hydraulic loading to determine the erosion rate after equal time intervals. The water depth, velocity are measured at each hydraulic loading, and the acting bed shear is calculated. A shallow water lidar (SWL) system was utilized to record the progress of soil erodibility and water depth along the scanned profiles of the tested box. SWL is a non-contact system that transmits laser pulses from above the water and records the time-delay between top and bottom reflections. Results from the SWL scans are compared with before and after manual measurements to determine the erosion rate of the soil mix and other erosion parameters.Keywords: coarse-grained materials, erosion rate, LIDAR system, soil erosion
Procedia PDF Downloads 1131925 A Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Program to Optimally Pace and Fuel Ultramarathons
Authors: Kristopher A. Pruitt, Justin M. Hill
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The purpose of this research is to determine the pacing and nutrition strategies which minimize completion time and carbohydrate intake for athletes competing in ultramarathon races. The model formulation consists of a two-phase optimization. The first-phase mixed-integer nonlinear program (MINLP) determines the minimum completion time subject to the altitude, terrain, and distance of the race, as well as the mass and cardiovascular fitness of the athlete. The second-phase MINLP determines the minimum total carbohydrate intake required for the athlete to achieve the completion time prescribed by the first phase, subject to the flow of carbohydrates through the stomach, liver, and muscles. Consequently, the second phase model provides the optimal pacing and nutrition strategies for a particular athlete for each kilometer of a particular race. Validation of the model results over a wide range of athlete parameters against completion times for real competitive events suggests strong agreement. Additionally, the kilometer-by-kilometer pacing and nutrition strategies, the model prescribes for a particular athlete suggest unconventional approaches could result in lower completion times. Thus, the MINLP provides prescriptive guidance that athletes can leverage when developing pacing and nutrition strategies prior to competing in ultramarathon races. Given the highly-variable topographical characteristics common to many ultramarathon courses and the potential inexperience of many athletes with such courses, the model provides valuable insight to competitors who might otherwise fail to complete the event due to exhaustion or carbohydrate depletion.Keywords: nutrition, optimization, pacing, ultramarathons
Procedia PDF Downloads 1891924 Rescue Emergency Drone for Fast Response to Medical Emergencies Due to Traffic Accidents
Authors: Anders S. Kristensen, Dewan Ahsan, Saqib Mehmood, Shakeel Ahmed
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Traffic accidents are a result of the convergence of hazards, malfunctioning of vehicles and human negligence that have adverse economic and health impacts and effects. Unfortunately, avoiding them completely is very difficult, but with quick response to rescue and first aid, the mortality rate of inflicted persons can be reduced significantly. Smart and innovative technologies can play a pivotal role to respond faster to traffic crash emergencies comparing conventional means of transportation. For instance, Rescue Emergency Drone (RED) can provide faster and real-time crash site risk assessment to emergency medical services, thereby helping them to quickly and accurately assess a situation, dispatch the right equipment and assist bystanders to treat inflicted person properly. To conduct a research in this regard, the case of a traffic roundabout that is prone to frequent traffic accidents on the outskirts of Esbjerg, a town located on western coast of Denmark is hypothetically considered. Along with manual calculations, Emergency Disaster Management Simulation (EDMSIM) has been used to verify the response time of RED from a fire station of the town to the presumed crash site. The results of the study demonstrate the robustness of RED into emergency services to help save lives.Keywords: automated external defibrillator, medical emergency, response time, unmanned aerial system
Procedia PDF Downloads 228