Search results for: initial geometric imperfection
2576 Numerical Simulation and Experimental Validation of the Hydraulic L-Shaped Check Ball Behavior
Authors: Shinji Kajiwara
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The spring-driven ball-type check valve is one of the most important components of hydraulic systems: it controls the position of the ball and prevents backward flow. To simplify the structure, the spring must be eliminated, and to accomplish this, the flow pattern and the behavior of the check ball in L-shaped pipe must be determined. In this paper, we present a full-scale model of a check ball made of acrylic resin, and we determine the relationship between the initial position of the ball, the position and diameter of the inflow port. The check flow rate increases in a standard center inflow model, and it is possible to greatly decrease the check-flow rate by shifting the inflow from the center.Keywords: hydraulics, pipe flow, numerical simulation, flow visualization, check ball, L-shaped pipe
Procedia PDF Downloads 3042575 Flow Field Analysis of Different Intake Bump (Compression Surface) Configurations on a Supersonic Aircraft
Authors: Mudassir Ghafoor, Irsalan Arif, Shuaib Salamat
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This paper presents modeling and analysis of different intake bump (compression surface) configurations and comparison with an existing supersonic aircraft having bump intake configuration. Many successful aircraft models have shown that Diverter less Supersonic Inlet (DSI) as compared to conventional intake can reduce weight, complexity and also maintenance cost. The research is divided into two parts. In the first part, four different intake bumps are modeled for comparative analysis keeping in view the consistency of outer perimeter dimensions of fighter aircraft and various characteristics such as flow behavior, boundary layer diversion and pressure recovery are analyzed. In the second part, modeled bumps are integrated with intake duct for performance analysis and comparison with existing supersonic aircraft data is carried out. The bumps are named as uniform large (Config 1), uniform small (Config 2), uniform sharp (Config 3), non-uniform (Config 4) based on their geometric features. Analysis is carried out at different Mach Numbers to analyze flow behavior in subsonic and supersonic regime. Flow behavior, boundary layer diversion and Pressure recovery are examined for each bump characteristics, and comparative study is carried out. The analysis reveals that at subsonic speed, Config 1 and Config 2 give similar pressure recoveries as diverterless supersonic intake, but difference in pressure recoveries becomes significant at supersonic speed. It was concluded from research that Config 1 gives better results as compared to Config 3. Also, higher amplitude (Config 1) is preferred over lower (Config 2 and 4). It was observed that maximum height of bump is preferred to be placed near cowl lip of intake duct.Keywords: bump intake, boundary layer, computational fluid dynamics, diverter-less supersonic inlet
Procedia PDF Downloads 2452574 Relation between Roots and Tangent Lines of Function in Fractional Dimensions: A Method for Optimization Problems
Authors: Ali Dorostkar
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In this paper, a basic schematic of fractional dimensional optimization problem is presented. As will be shown, a method is performed based on a relation between roots and tangent lines of function in fractional dimensions for an arbitrary initial point. It is shown that for each polynomial function with order N at least N tangent lines must be existed in fractional dimensions of 0 < α < N+1 which pass exactly through the all roots of the proposed function. Geometrical analysis of tangent lines in fractional dimensions is also presented to clarify more intuitively the proposed method. Results show that with an appropriate selection of fractional dimensions, we can directly find the roots. Method is presented for giving a different direction of optimization problems by the use of fractional dimensions.Keywords: tangent line, fractional dimension, root, optimization problem
Procedia PDF Downloads 1952573 Removal of Tartrazine Dye Form Aqueous Solutions by Adsorption on the Surface of Polyaniline/Iron Oxide Composite
Authors: Salem Ali Jebreil
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In this work, a polyaniline/Iron oxide (PANI/Fe2O3) composite was chemically prepared by oxidative polymerization of aniline in acid medium, in presence of ammonium persulphate as an oxidant and amount of Fe2O3. The composite was characterized by a scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The prepared composite has been used as adsorbent to remove Tartrazine dye form aqueous solutions. The effects of initial dye concentration and temperature on the adsorption capacity of PANI/Fe2O3 for Tartrazine dye have been studied in this paper. The Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption models have been used for the mathematical description of adsorption equilibrium data. The best fit is obtained using the Freundlich isotherm with an R2 value of 0.998. The change of Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy of adsorption has been also evaluated for the adsorption of Tartrazine onto PANI/ Fe2O3. It has been proved according the results that the adsorption process is endothermic in nature.Keywords: adsorption, composite, dye, polyaniline, tartrazine
Procedia PDF Downloads 2922572 Predicting the Adsorptive Capacities of Biosolid as a Barrier in Soil to Remove Industrial Contaminants
Authors: H. Aguedal, H. Hentit, A. Aziz, D. R. Merouani, A. Iddou
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The major environmental risk of soil pollution is the contamination of groundwater by infiltration of organic and inorganic pollutants that can cause a serious pollution. To protect the groundwater, in this study, we proceeded to test the reliability of a bio solid as barrier to prevent the migration of a very dangerous pollutant ‘Cadmium’ through the different soil layers. The follow-up the influence of several parameters, such as: turbidity, pluviometry, initial concentration of cadmium and the nature of soil, allow us to find the most effective manner to integrate this barrier in the soil. From the results obtained, we noted the effective intervention of the barrier. Indeed, the recorded passing quantities are lowest for the highest rainfall; we noted that the barrier has a better affinity towards higher concentrations; the most retained amounts of cadmium has been in the top layer of the two types of soil, while the lowest amounts of cadmium are recorded in the inner layers of soils.Keywords: adsorption of cadmium, barrier, groundwater pollution, protection
Procedia PDF Downloads 3682571 Study of Deflection at Junction in the Precast on Cyclic Loading
Authors: Jongho Park, Ui-Cheol Shin, Jinwoong Choi, Sungnam Hong, Sun-Kyu Park
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While the numerous structures built the industrialization are aging, the effort for the maintenance is concentrated in many countries. However, the traffic jam, environmental damage, and enormous maintenance cost, and etc become a problem. So, in order to solve this, the modular bridge has been studied. This bridge is the structure which utilizes and assembles the standard precast member. Through this, the substitution of the existing bridge and advantage of the easy maintenance will be achieved. However, the reliability in the long-term behavior is insufficient due to the junction part between modular precast members. Therefore, in this research, the cyclic load loading experiment was performed on the junction and deflection was analyzed by long-term service in modular slab connection. The deflection of modular slab with junction was mostly generated when initial and final test.Keywords: modular bridge, deflection, cyclic loading, junction
Procedia PDF Downloads 5152570 Garnet-based Bilayer Hybrid Solid Electrolyte for High-Voltage Cathode Material Modified with Composite Interface Enabler on Lithium-Metal Batteries
Authors: Kumlachew Zelalem Walle, Chun-Chen Yang
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Solid-state lithium metal batteries (SSLMBs) are considered promising candidates for next-generation energy storage devices due to their superior energy density and excellent safety. However, recent findings have shown that the formation of lithium (Li) dendrites in SSLMBs still exhibits a terrible growth ability, which makes the development of SSLMBs have to face the challenges posed by the Li dendrite problem. In this work, an inorganic/organic mixture coating material (g-C3N4/ZIF-8/PVDF) was used to modify the surface of lithium metal anode (LMA). Then the modified LMA (denoted as g-C₃N₄@Li) was assembled with lithium nafion (LiNf) coated commercial NCM811 (LiNf@NCM811) using a bilayer hybrid solid electrolyte (Bi-HSE) that incorporated 20 wt.% (vs. polymer) LiNf coated Li6.05Ga0.25La3Zr2O11.8F0.2 ([email protected]) filler faced to the positive electrode and the other layer with 80 wt.% (vs. polymer) filler content faced to the g-C₃N₄@Li. The garnet-type Li6.05Ga0.25La3Zr2O11.8F0.2 (LG0.25LZOF) solid electrolyte was prepared via co-precipitation reaction process from Taylor flow reactor and modified using lithium nafion (LiNf), a Li-ion conducting polymer. The Bi-HSE exhibited high ionic conductivity of 6.8 10–4 S cm–1 at room temperature, and a wide electrochemical window (0–5.0 V vs. Li/Li+). The coin cell was charged between 2.8 to 4.5 V at 0.2C and delivered an initial specific discharge capacity of 194.3 mAh g–1 and after 100 cycles it maintained 81.8% of its initial capacity at room temperature. The presence of a nano-sheet g-C3N4/ZIF-8/PVDF as a composite coating material on the LMA surface suppress the dendrite growth and enhance the compatibility as well as the interfacial contact between anode/electrolyte membrane. The g-C3N4@Li symmetrical cells incorporating this hybrid electrolyte possessed excellent interfacial stability over 1000 h at 0.1 mA cm–2 and a high critical current density (1 mA cm–2). Moreover, the in-situ formation of Li3N on the solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer as depicted from the XPS result also improves the ionic conductivity and interface contact during the charge/discharge process. Therefore, these novel multi-layered fabrication strategies of hybrid/composite solid electrolyte membranes and modification of the LMA surface using mixed coating materials have potential applications in the preparation of highly safe high-voltage cathodes for SSLMBs.Keywords: high-voltage cathodes, hybrid solid electrolytes, garnet, graphitic-carbon nitride (g-C3N4), ZIF-8 MOF
Procedia PDF Downloads 732569 A Study of Lapohan Traditional Pottery Making in Selakan Island, Semporna Sabah: An Initial Framework
Authors: Norhayati Ayob, Shamsu Mohamad
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This paper aims to provide an initial background of the process of making traditional ceramic pottery, focusing on the materials and the influence of culture heritage. Ceramic pottery is one of the hallmarks of Sabah’s heirloom, not only use as cooking and storage containers but also closely linked with folk cultures and heritage. The Bajau Laut ethnic community of Semporna or better known as the Sea Gypsies, mostly are boat dwellers and work as fishermen in the coast. This ethnic community is famous for their own artistic traditional heirloom, especially the traditional hand-made clay stove called Lapohan. It is found that in the daily life of Bajau Laut community, Lapohan (clay stove) is used to prepare the meal and as a food warmer while they are at the sea. Besides, Lapohan pottery conveys symbolic meaning of natural objects, which portrays the identity, and values of Bajau Laut community. It is acknowledged that the basic process of making potterywares was much the same for people all across the world, nevertheless, it is crucial to consider that different ethnic groups may have their own styles and choices of raw materials. Furthermore, it is still unknown why and how the Bajau Laut ethnic of Semporna get started making their own pottery and to survive until today by heavily depending on the raw materials available in Semporna. In addition, the emergent problem faced by the pottery maker in Sabah is the absence of young successor to continue the heirloom legacy. Therefore, this research aims to explore the traditional pottery making in Sabah, by investigating the background history of Lapohan pottery and to propose the classification of Lapohan based on design and motifs of traditional pottery that will be recognised throughout the study. It is postulated that different techniques and forms of making traditional pottery may produce different types of pottery in terms of surface decoration, shape, and size that portrays different cultures. This study will be conducted at Selakan Island, Semporna, which is the only location that still has Lapohan making. This study is also based on the chronological process of making pottery and taboos of the process of preparing the clay, forming, decoration technique, motif application and firing techniques. The relevant information for the study will be gathered from field study, including observation, in-depth interview and video recording. In-depth interviews will be conducted with several potters and the conversation and pottery making process will be recorded in order to understand the actual process of making Lapohan. The findings hope to provide several types of Lapohan based on different designs and cultures, for example, the one with flat-shape design or has round-shape on the top of clay stove will be labeled with suitable name based on their culture. In conclusion, it is hoped that this study will contribute to conservation for traditional pottery making in Sabah as well as to preserve their culture and heirloom for future generations.Keywords: Bajau Laut, culture, Lapohan, traditional pottery
Procedia PDF Downloads 1962568 Synthesis of Hard Magnetic Material from Secondary Resources
Authors: M. Bahgat, F. M. Awan, H. A. Hanafy, O. N. Alzeghaibi
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Strontium hexaferrite (SrFe12O19; Sr-ferrite) is one of the well-known materials for permanent magnets. In this study, M-type strontium ferrite was prepared by following the conventional ceramic method from steelmaking by-product. Initial materials; SrCO3 and by-product, were mixed together in the composition of SrFe12O19 in different Sr/Fe ratios. The mixtures of these raw materials were dry-milled for 6h. The blended powder was pre-sintered (i.e. calcination) at 1000°C for different times periods, then cooled down to room temperature. These pre-sintered samples were re-milled in a dry atmosphere for 1h and then fired at different temperatures in atmospheric conditions, and cooled down to room temperature. The produced magnetic powder has a dense hexagonal grain shape structure. The calculated energy product values for the produced samples ranged from 0.3 to 2.4 MGOe.Keywords: hard magnetic materials, ceramic route, strontium ferrite, synthesis
Procedia PDF Downloads 3292567 Potential Ecological Risk Assessment of Selected Heavy Metals in Sediments of Tidal Flat Marsh, the Case Study: Shuangtai Estuary, China
Authors: Chang-Fa Liu, Yi-Ting Wang, Yuan Liu, Hai-Feng Wei, Lei Fang, Jin Li
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Heavy metals in sediments can cause adverse ecological effects while it exceeds a given criteria. The present study investigated sediment environmental quality, pollutant enrichment, ecological risk, and source identification for copper, cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, and arsenic in the sediments collected from tidal flat marsh of Shuangtai estuary, China. The arithmetic mean integrated pollution index, geometric mean integrated pollution index, fuzzy integrated pollution index, and principal component score were used to characterize sediment environmental quality; fuzzy similarity and geo-accumulation Index were used to evaluate pollutant enrichment; correlation matrix, principal component analysis, and cluster analysis were used to identify source of pollution; environmental risk index and potential ecological risk index were used to assess ecological risk. The environmental qualities of sediment are classified to very low degree of contamination or low contamination. The similar order to element background of soil in the Liaohe plain is region of Sanjiaozhou, Honghaitan, Sandaogou, Xiaohe by pollutant enrichment analysis. The source identification indicates that correlations are significantly among metals except between copper and cadmium. Cadmium, lead, zinc, mercury, and arsenic will be clustered in the same clustering as the first principal component. Copper will be clustered as second principal component. The environmental risk assessment level will be scaled to no risk in the studied area. The order of potential ecological risk is As > Cd > Hg > Cu > Pb > Zn.Keywords: ecological risk assessment, heavy metals, sediment, marsh, Shuangtai estuary
Procedia PDF Downloads 3542566 Shear Capacity of Rectangular Duct Panel Experiencing Internal Pressure
Authors: K. S. Sivakumaran, T. Thanga, B. Halabieh
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The end panels of a large rectangular industrial duct, which experience significant internal pressures, also experience considerable transverse shear due to transfer of gravity loads to the supports. The current design practice of such thin plate panels for shear load is based on methods used for the design of plate girder webs. The structural arrangements, the loadings and the resulting behavior associated with the industrial duct end panels are, however, significantly different than those of the web of a plate girder. The large aspect ratio of the end panels gives rise to multiple bands of tension fields, whereas the plate girder web design is based on one tension field. In addition to shear, the industrial end panels are subjected to internal pressure which in turn produces significant membrane action. This paper reports a study which was undertaken to review the current industrial analysis and design methods and to propose a comprehensive method of designing industrial duct end panels for shear resistance. In this investigation, a nonlinear finite element model was developed to simulate the behavior of industrial duct end panel subjected to transverse shear and internal pressures. The model considered the geometric imperfections and constitutive relations for steels. Six scale independent dimensionless parameters that govern the behavior of such end panel were identified and were then used in an extensive parametric study. It was concluded that the plate slenderness dominates the shear strength of stockier end panels, and whereas, the aspect ratio and plate slenderness influence the shear strength of slender end panels. Based on these studies, this paper proposes design aids for estimating the shear strength of rectangular duct end panels.Keywords: thin plate, transverse shear, tension field, finite element analysis, parametric study, design
Procedia PDF Downloads 2262565 Inherent Difficulties in Countering Islamophobia
Authors: Imbesat Daudi
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Islamophobia, which is a billion-dollar industry, is widespread, especially in the United States, Europe, India, Israel, and countries that have Muslim minorities at odds with their governmental policies. Hatred of Islam in the West did not evolve spontaneously; it was methodically created. Islamophobia's current format has been designed to spread on its own, find a space in the Western psyche, and resist its eradication. Hatred has been sustained by neoconservative ideologues and their allies, which are supported by the mainstream media. Social scientists have evaluated how ideas spread, why any idea can go viral, and where new ideas find space in our brains. This was possible because of the advances in the computational power of software and computers. Spreading of ideas, including Islamophobia, follows a sine curve; it has three phases: An initial exploratory phase with a long lag period, an explosive phase if ideas go viral, and the final phase when ideas find space in the human psyche. In the initial phase, the ideas are quickly examined in a center in the prefrontal lobe. When it is deemed relevant, it is sent for evaluation to another center of the prefrontal lobe; there, it is critically examined. Once it takes a final shape, the idea is sent as a final product to a center in the occipital lobe. This center cannot critically evaluate ideas; it can only defend them from its critics. Counterarguments, no matter how scientific, are automatically rejected. Therefore, arguments that could be highly effective in the early phases are counterproductive once they are stored in the occipital lobe. Anti-Islamophobic intellectuals have done a very good job of countering Islamophobic arguments. However, they have not been as effective as neoconservative ideologues who have promoted anti-Muslim rhetoric that was based on half-truths, misinformation, or outright lies. The failure is partly due to the support pro-war activists receive from the mainstream media, state institutions, mega-corporations engaged in violent conflicts, and think tanks that provide Islamophobic arguments. However, there are also scientific reasons why anti-Islamophobic thinkers have been less effective. There are different dynamics of spreading ideas once they are stored in the occipital lobe. The human brain is incapable of evaluating further once it accepts ideas as its own; therefore, a different strategy is required to be effective. This paper examines 1) why anti-Islamophobic intellectuals have failed in changing the minds of non-Muslims and 2) the steps of countering hatred. Simply put, a new strategy is needed that can effectively counteract hatred of Islam and Muslims. Islamophobia is a disease that requires strong measures. Fighting hatred is always a challenge, but if we understand why Islamophobia is taking root in the twenty-first century, one can succeed in challenging Islamophobic arguments. That will need a coordinated effort of Intellectuals, writers and the media.Keywords: islamophobia, Islam and violence, anti-islamophobia, demonization of Islam
Procedia PDF Downloads 502564 Eisenhower’s Farewell Speech: Initial and Continuing Communication Effects
Authors: B. Kuiper
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When Dwight D. Eisenhower delivered his final Presidential speech in 1961, he was using the opportunity to bid farewell to America, but he was also trying to warn his fellow countrymen about deeper challenges threatening the country. In this analysis, Eisenhower’s speech is examined in light of the impact it had on American culture, communication concepts, and political ramifications. The paper initially highlights the previous literature on the speech, especially in light of its 50th anniversary, and reveals a man whose main concern was how the speech’s words would affect his beloved country. The painstaking approach to the wording of the speech to reveal the intent is key, particularly in light of analyzing the motivations according to “virtuous communication.” This philosophical construct indicates that Eisenhower’s Farewell Address was crafted carefully according to a departing President’s deepest values and concerns, concepts that he wanted to pass along to his successor, to his country, and even to the world.Keywords: Eisenhower, mass communication, political speech, rhetoric
Procedia PDF Downloads 2762563 OpenMP Parallelization of Three-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Code FOI-PERFECT
Authors: Jiao F. Huang, Shi Chen, Shu C. Duan, Gang H. Wang
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Due to its complex spatial structure as well as dynamic temporal evolution, an analytic solution of an X-pinch process is out of question, and numerical simulation becomes an important tool in X-pinch studies. Intrinsically, simulations of X-pinch are three-dimensional (3D) because of the specific structure of its load. Furthermore, in order to resolve both its μm-scales and ns-durations, fine spatial mesh grid and short time steps are usually adopted. The resulting large computational scales make the parallelization of codes a vital problem to be solved if any practical simulations are to be carried out. In this work, we report OpenMP parallelization of our 3D magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code FOI-PERFECT. Results of test runs confirm that computational efficiency has been improved after parallelization, and both the sequential and parallel versions give the same physical results under the same initial conditions.Keywords: MHD simulation, OpenMP, parallelization, X-pinch
Procedia PDF Downloads 3432562 Optimization of Fenton Process for the Treatment of Young Municipal Leachate
Authors: Bouchra Wassate, Younes Karhat, Khadija El Falaki
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Leachate is a source of surface water and groundwater contamination if it has not been pretreated. Indeed, due to its complex structure and its pollution load make its treatment extremely difficult to achieve the standard limits required. The objective of this work is to show the interest of advanced oxidation processes on leachate treatment of urban waste containing high concentrations of organic pollutants. The efficiency of Fenton (Fe2+ +H2O2 + H+) reagent for young leachate recovered from collection trucks household waste in the city of Casablanca, Morocco, was evaluated with the objectives of chemical oxygen demand (COD) and discoloration reductions. The optimization of certain physicochemical parameters (initial pH value, reaction time, and [Fe2+], [H2O2]/ [Fe2+] ratio) has yielded good results in terms of reduction of COD and discoloration of the leachate.Keywords: COD removal, color removal, Fenton process, oxidation process, leachate
Procedia PDF Downloads 2882561 A Structuring and Classification Method for Assigning Application Areas to Suitable Digital Factory Models
Authors: R. Hellmuth
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The method of factory planning has changed a lot, especially when it is about planning the factory building itself. Factory planning has the task of designing products, plants, processes, organization, areas, and the building of a factory. Regular restructuring is becoming more important in order to maintain the competitiveness of a factory. Restrictions in new areas, shorter life cycles of product and production technology as well as a VUCA world (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) lead to more frequent restructuring measures within a factory. A digital factory model is the planning basis for rebuilding measures and becomes an indispensable tool. Furthermore, digital building models are increasingly being used in factories to support facility management and manufacturing processes. The main research question of this paper is, therefore: What kind of digital factory model is suitable for the different areas of application during the operation of a factory? First, different types of digital factory models are investigated, and their properties and usabilities for use cases are analysed. Within the scope of investigation are point cloud models, building information models, photogrammetry models, and these enriched with sensor data are examined. It is investigated which digital models allow a simple integration of sensor data and where the differences are. Subsequently, possible application areas of digital factory models are determined by means of a survey and the respective digital factory models are assigned to the application areas. Finally, an application case from maintenance is selected and implemented with the help of the appropriate digital factory model. It is shown how a completely digitalized maintenance process can be supported by a digital factory model by providing information. Among other purposes, the digital factory model is used for indoor navigation, information provision, and display of sensor data. In summary, the paper shows a structuring of digital factory models that concentrates on the geometric representation of a factory building and its technical facilities. A practical application case is shown and implemented. Thus, the systematic selection of digital factory models with the corresponding application cases is evaluated.Keywords: building information modeling, digital factory model, factory planning, maintenance
Procedia PDF Downloads 1142560 Ficus carica as Adsorbent for Removal of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions: Modeling and Optimization
Authors: Tizi Hayet, Berrama Tarek, Bounif Nadia
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Phenol and its derivatives are organic compounds utilized in the chemical industry. They are introduced into the environment by accidental spills and the illegal release of industrial and municipal wastewater. Phenols are organic intermediaries that are considered potential pollutants. Adsorption is one of the purification and separation techniques used in this area. Algeria annually produces 131000 tons of fig; therefore, a large amount of fig leaves is generated, and the conversion of this waste into adsorbent allows the valorization of agricultural residue. The main purpose of this present work is to describe an application of a statistical method for modeling and to optimize the conditions of the phenol adsorption from agricultural by-products, locally available (fig leaves). The best experimental performance of phenol elimination on the adsorbent was obtained with: Adsorbent concentration (X₂) = 200 mg L⁻¹; Initial concentration (X₃) = 150 mg L⁻¹; Speed agitation (X₁) = 300 rpm.Keywords: low-cost adsorbents, adsorption, fig leaves, phenol, factorial design
Procedia PDF Downloads 1182559 Swedish Police Officers' Experiences of Meeting with Women Who Were Raped
Authors: Lisa Rudolfsson
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Socio-cognitive factors, such as social support and attribution of blame, influence the victim’s psychological adjustment after the abuse. Furthermore, the response from the person that the victim first confides to effect adjustment following the abuse. In Sweden, although police are investigating most of the reported cases of rape, very few rape-cases leads to trial and sentence. For many women who have been raped, contact with the police officer when reporting the crime will, therefore, be the most notable experience of how representatives for the Swedish society regard and handle what has happened. Hence, it seems urgent to gather information about these initial meetings. This study is part of a three-year research project, titled 'Female rape victims: Quality of initial police and medical care contact', funded by the Swedish Crime Victim and Support Authority. The focus of this study was on police officers in Sweden: their thoughts and experiences of meeting with raped women. Forthcoming are interviews with raped women about their experiences of meeting with police. Sixteen police officers participated in three focus groups and one interview. The participants consisted of five men and eleven women. Focus groups and interview were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis. Participants described how violence against women was not a priority in Swedish society or within the Police Authority. They talked about rape cases as a Sisyphean work-task that put high demands on them, while they also lacked training and support. They expressed a wish to offer the woman some kind of restoration, and they talked about their work as potentially making a difference for the woman – even if she did not get juridical justice. However, participants also described that they did not feel validated in their hard work. They talked about working rape cases as causing them a great deal of frustration - directed towards the Police Authority, the juridical system, colleagues, and sometimes towards the woman. Participants also described how meeting with raped women was a work that affected them in a personal manner. Listening to stories about sexual violence made the participants sad, and they described it as a struggle to understand. They described wondering how the woman’s life turned out and how they sometimes questioned if they had done enough. Some of the conclusions concern the lack of prerequisites needed for police officers to be able to offer a good-enough treatment of raped women, as well as the lack of tools needed for police officers to care for themselves. In lack of training, validation, and support, the knowledge of how to offer a good- enough treatment of raped women becomes a task learned by doing. Attempts to offer, if not legal justice, then at least some kind of restoration becomes a personal task, dependent on individual police officers. It seems urgent that we address the risk of police officers’ frustration building up to be detrimental for both the crime victim and the officer her/himself.Keywords: focus groups, police, raped women, restoration
Procedia PDF Downloads 1262558 Active Part of the Burnishing Tool Effect on the Physico-Geometric Aspect of the Superficial Layer of 100C6 and 16NC6 Steels
Authors: Tarek Litim, Ouahiba Taamallah
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Burnishing is a mechanical surface treatment that combines several beneficial effects on the two steel grades studied. The application of burnishing to the ball or to the tip favors a better roughness compared to turning. In addition, it allows the consolidation of the surface layers through work hardening phenomena. The optimal effects are closely related to the treatment parameters and the active part of the device. With an improvement of 78% on the roughness, burnishing can be defined as a finishing operation in the machining range. With a 44% gain in consolidation rate, this treatment is an effective process for material consolidation. These effects are affected by several factors. The factors V, f, P, r, and i have the most significant effects on both roughness and hardness. Ball or tip burnishing leads to the consolidation of the surface layers of both grades 100C6 and 16NC6 steels by work hardening. For each steel grade and its mechanical treatment, the rational tensile curve has been drawn. Lüdwick's law is used to better plot the work hardening curve. For both grades, a material hardening law is established. For 100C6 steel, these results show a work hardening coefficient and a consolidation rate of 0.513 and 44, respectively, compared to the surface layers processed by turning. When 16NC6 steel is processed, the work hardening coefficient is about 0.29. Hardness tests characterize well the burnished depth. The layer affected by work hardening can reach up to 0.4 mm. Simulation of the tests is of great importance to provide the details at the local scale of the material. Conventional tensile curves provide a satisfactory indication of the toughness of 100C6 and 16NC6 materials. A simulation of the tensile curves revealed good agreement between the experimental and simulation results for both steels.Keywords: 100C6 steel, 16NC6 steel, burnishing, work hardening, roughness, hardness
Procedia PDF Downloads 1712557 Initial Concept of Islamic Social Entrepreneurship: Identification of Research Gap from Existing Model
Authors: Mohd Adib Abd Muin
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Social entrepreneurship has become a new phenomenon in a country in order to reduce social problems and eradicate poverty communities. However, the study based on Islamic social entrepreneurship from the social entrepreneurial activity is still new especially in the Islamic perspective. In addition, this research found that is lacking of model on social entrepreneurship that focus on Islamic perspective. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to identify the issues and research gap based on Islamic perspective from existing models and to develop a concept of Islamic social entrepreneurship according to Islamic perspective and Maqasid Shari’ah. The research method used in this study is literature review and comparative analysis from 11 existing models of social entrepreneurship. The research finding shows that 11 existing models on social entrepreneurship has been analyzed and it shows that the existing models on social entrepreneurship do not emphasize on Islamic perspective.Keywords: component, social entrepreneurship, Islamic perspective, research gap
Procedia PDF Downloads 4522556 Development and Modeling of the Process of Narrow-seam Laser Welding of Ni-Superalloy in a Hard-to-Reach Place
Authors: Vladimir Isakov, Evgeniy Rykov, Lubov Magerramova, Nikolay Emmaussky
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For the manufacture of critical hollow products, a laser narrow-seam welding scheme based on the supply of a laser beam into the inner cavity has been developed. The report presents the results of comprehensive studies aimed at creating a sealed weld that repeats the geometric shape of the inner cavity using a rotary mirror. Laser welding of hard-to-reach places requires preliminary modeling of the process to identify defect-free modes performed at the highest possible welding speed. Optimization of the technological modes of the welded joint with a ratio of the seam width to its depth equal to 1/5 of the thickness of the Ni superalloy 6.0 mm was performed using the Verhulst limited growth model in a discrete representation. This mathematical model in the form of a recurrence relation made it possible to numerically investigate the entire variety of laser melting modes: chaotic; self-oscillating; stationary and attenuated. The control parameters and the parameter of the order to which other variables of the technological system of laser welding are subordinated are established. In it, the coefficient of relative heat capacity of the melt bath was used as a control parameter, characterizing the competition between the heat input by the laser and the heat sink into the surrounding metal. The parameter of the order of the narrow–seam laser welding process, in this interpretation, is a dimensionless value of the penetration depth, which is an argument of the function of the desired logistic equation. Experimental studies of narrow-seam welding were performed using a copper, water-cooled mirror by radiation from a powerful fiber laser. The obtained results were used to validate the evolutionary mathematical model of the laser welding process.Keywords: laser welding, internal cavity, limited growth model, ni-superalloy
Procedia PDF Downloads 162555 Determinants of Quality of Life in Patients with Atypical Prarkinsonian Syndromes: 1-Year Follow-Up Study
Authors: Tatjana Pekmezovic, Milica Jecmenica-Lukic, Igor Petrovic, Vladimir Kostic
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Background: A group of atypical parkinsonian syndromes (APS) includes a variety of rare neurodegenerative disorders characterized by reduced life expectancy, increasing disability, and considerable impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Aim: In this study we wanted to answer two questions: a) which demographic and clinical factors are main contributors of HRQoL in our cohort of patients with APS, and b) how does quality of life of these patients change over 1-year follow-up period. Patients and Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study in hospital settings. The initial study comprised all consecutive patients who were referred to the Department of Movement Disorders, Clinic of Neurology, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade (Serbia), from January 31, 2000 to July 31, 2013, with the initial diagnoses of ‘Parkinson’s disease’, ‘parkinsonism’, ‘atypical parkinsonism’ and ‘parkinsonism plus’ during the first 8 months from the appearance of first symptom(s). The patients were afterwards regularly followed in 4-6 month intervals and eventually the diagnoses were established for 46 patients fulfilling the criteria for clinically probable progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and 36 patients for probable multiple system atrophy (MSA). The health-related quality of life was assessed by using the SF-36 questionnaire (Serbian translation). Hierarchical multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify predictors of composite scores of SF-36. The importance of changes in quality of life scores of patients with APS between baseline and follow-up time-point were quantified using Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test. The magnitude of any differences for the quality of life changes was calculated as an effect size (ES). Results: The final models of hierarchical regression analysis showed that apathy measured by the Apathy evaluation scale (AES) score accounted for 59% of the variance in the Physical Health Composite Score of SF-36 and 14% of the variance in the Mental Health Composite Score of SF-36 (p<0.01). The changes in HRQoL were assessed in 52 patients with APS who completed 1-year follow-up period. The analysis of magnitude for changes in HRQoL during one-year follow-up period have shown sustained medium ES (0.50-0.79) for both Physical and Mental health composite scores, total quality of life as well as for the Physical Health, Vitality, Role Emotional and Social Functioning. Conclusion: This study provides insight into new potential predictors of HRQoL and its changes over time in patients with APS. Additionally, identification of both prognostic markers of a poor HRQoL and magnitude of its changes should be considered when developing comprehensive treatment-related strategies and health care programs aimed at improving HRQoL and well-being in patients with APS.Keywords: atypical parkinsonian syndromes, follow-up study, quality of life, APS
Procedia PDF Downloads 3082554 In Situ Production of Nano-Cu on a Cotton Fabric Surface by Ink-Jet Printing
Authors: N. Zoghi, Laleh Maleknia , M. E. Olya
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The nano-Cu particles were produced on cotton fabric substrate by ink-jet printing technology with water-soluble ink, which was based on copper. The surface tension and viscosity of the prepared inks were evaluated. The ink-jet printing process was repeated 1, 3, and 5 times in order to evaluate variations in the optical properties by changing thickness of printed film. Following initial drying of the printed film, the samples were annealed at different temperatures (150 °C, 200 °C and 250 °C) to determine the optimum temperature for the parameters set out in this experiment. The prepared nano-Cu particles were characterized by XRD and UV spectroscopy. The appearance of printed image and the nano-Cu particles morphology were observed by SEM. The results demonstrated that the ink-jet printing technology can be used to produce nano-particles on the cotton fabrics surface.Keywords: ink-jet printing, nano-cu, fabric ink, in situ production, cotton fabric, water-soluble ink, morphology
Procedia PDF Downloads 4352553 Micro-Electrical Discharge Machining (µEDM): Effect of the Electrochemical Etching Parameters on the Fabrication of Cylindrical Tungsten Micro-Tools
Authors: Asmae Tafraouti, Yasmina Layouni
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The fabrication of cylindrical Tungsten micro-tools with a high aspect ratio is a real challenge because of several constraints that come into during their manufacture. In this paper, we will describe the process used to fabricate these micro-tools. It consists of using electrochemical etching. We will also present the optimal protocol that makes it possible to fabricate micro-tools with a high aspect ratio in a reproducible way. Next, we will show the limit of the experimental parameters chosen to manufacture micro-tools from a wire with an initial diameter of Φ_0=250µm. The protocol used allows obtaining an average diameter of Φ=88µm ±1 µm over a length of L=3.5mm.Keywords: drop-off effect, electrochemical etching, micro-electrical discharge machining, tungsten micro-tools
Procedia PDF Downloads 1962552 Modelling and Simulation of Diffusion Effect on the Glycol Dehydration Unit of a Natural Gas Plant
Authors: M. Wigwe, J. G Akpa, E. N Wami
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Mathematical models of the absorber of a glycol dehydration facility was developed using the principles of conservation of mass and energy. Models which predict variation of the water content of gas in mole fraction, variation of gas and liquid temperatures across the parking height were developed. These models contain contributions from bulk and diffusion flows. The effect of diffusion on the process occurring in the absorber was studied in this work. The models were validated using the initial conditions in the plant data from Company W TEG unit in Nigeria. The results obtained showed that the effect of diffusion was noticed between z=0 and z=0.004 m. A deviation from plant data of 0% was observed for the gas water content at a residence time of 20 seconds, at z=0.004 m. Similarly, deviations of 1.584% and 2.844% were observed for the gas and TEG temperatures.Keywords: separations, absorption, simulation, dehydration, water content, triethylene glycol
Procedia PDF Downloads 5042551 Ficus Carica as Adsorbent for Removal of Phenol from Aqueous Solutions: Modelling and Optimization
Authors: Tizi Hayet, Berrama Tarek, Bounif Nadia
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Phenol and its derivatives are organic compounds utilized in the chemical industry. They are introduced into the environment by accidental spills and illegal release of industrial and municipal wastewater. Phenols are organic intermediaries that considered as potential pollutants. Adsorption is one of the purification and separation techniques used in this area. Algeria produces annually 131000 tones of fig; therefore, a large amount of fig leaves is generated, and the conversion of this waste into adsorbent allows the valorization of agricultural residue. The main purpose of this present work is to describe an application of the statistical method for modeling and optimization of the conditions of the phenol (Ph) adsorption from agricultural by-product locally available (fig leaves). The best experimental performance of Ph elimination on the adsorbent was obtained with: Adsorbent concentration (X2) = 0.2 g L-1; Initial concentration (X3) = 150 mg L-1; Speed agitation (X1) = 300 rpm.Keywords: low-cost adsorbents, fig leaves, full factorial design, phenol, biosorption
Procedia PDF Downloads 1012550 A Robust Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping for Indoor Dynamic Environment
Authors: Xiang Zhang, Daohong Yang, Ziyuan Wu, Lei Li, Wanting Zhou
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Visual Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (VSLAM) uses cameras to collect information in unknown environments to realize simultaneous localization and environment map construction, which has a wide range of applications in autonomous driving, virtual reality and other related fields. At present, the related research achievements about VSLAM can maintain high accuracy in static environment. But in dynamic environment, due to the presence of moving objects in the scene, the movement of these objects will reduce the stability of VSLAM system, resulting in inaccurate localization and mapping, or even failure. In this paper, a robust VSLAM method was proposed to effectively deal with the problem in dynamic environment. We proposed a dynamic region removal scheme based on semantic segmentation neural networks and geometric constraints. Firstly, semantic extraction neural network is used to extract prior active motion region, prior static region and prior passive motion region in the environment. Then, the light weight frame tracking module initializes the transform pose between the previous frame and the current frame on the prior static region. A motion consistency detection module based on multi-view geometry and scene flow is used to divide the environment into static region and dynamic region. Thus, the dynamic object region was successfully eliminated. Finally, only the static region is used for tracking thread. Our research is based on the ORBSLAM3 system, which is one of the most effective VSLAM systems available. We evaluated our method on the TUM RGB-D benchmark and the results demonstrate that the proposed VSLAM method improves the accuracy of the original ORBSLAM3 by 70%˜98.5% under high dynamic environment.Keywords: dynamic scene, dynamic visual SLAM, semantic segmentation, scene flow, VSLAM
Procedia PDF Downloads 1212549 Regularization of Gene Regulatory Networks Perturbed by White Noise
Authors: Ramazan I. Kadiev, Arcady Ponosov
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Mathematical models of gene regulatory networks can in many cases be described by ordinary differential equations with switching nonlinearities, where the initial value problem is ill-posed. Several regularization methods are known in the case of deterministic networks, but the presence of stochastic noise leads to several technical difficulties. In the presentation, it is proposed to apply the methods of the stochastic singular perturbation theory going back to Yu. Kabanov and Yu. Pergamentshchikov. This approach is used to regularize the above ill-posed problem, which, e.g., makes it possible to design stable numerical schemes. Several examples are provided in the presentation, which support the efficiency of the suggested analysis. The method can also be of interest in other fields of biomathematics, where differential equations contain switchings, e.g., in neural field models.Keywords: ill-posed problems, singular perturbation analysis, stochastic differential equations, switching nonlinearities
Procedia PDF Downloads 2002548 The Antecedents of Facebook Check in Adoption Intention: The Perspective of Social Influence
Authors: Hsiu-Hua Cheng
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Recently, the competition between websites becomes intense. How to make users “adopt” their websites is an issue of urgent importance for online communities companies. Social procedures (such as social influence) can possibly explain how and why users’ technologies usage behaviors affect other people to use the technologies. This study proposes two types of social influences on the initial usage of Facebook Check In-friends and group members. Besides, this study indicates that Facebook friends’ previous usage of Facebook Check In and Facebook group members’ previous usage of Facebook Check In will positively influence focal actors’ Facebook Check In adoption intention. The article concludes with contributions to academic research and practice.Keywords: social influence, adoption intention, facebook check in, previous usage behavior
Procedia PDF Downloads 4482547 Improvement Perturb and Observe for a Fast Response MPPT Applied to Photovoltaic Panel
Authors: Labar Hocine, Kelaiaia Mounia Samira, Mesbah Tarek, Kelaiaia Samia
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Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) techniques are used in photovoltaic (PV) systems to maximize the PV array output power by tracking continuously the maximum power point(MPP) which depends on panels temperature and on irradiance conditions. The main drawback of P&O is that, the operating point oscillates around the MPP giving rise to the waste of some amount of available energy; moreover, it is well known that the P&O algorithm can be confused during those time intervals characterized by rapidly changing atmospheric conditions. In this paper, it is shown that in order to limit the negative effects associated to the above drawbacks, the P&O MPPT parameters must be customized to the dynamic behavior of the specific converter adopted. A theoretical analysis allowing the optimal choice of such initial set parameters is also carried out. The fast convergence of the proposal is proven.Keywords: P&O, Taylor’s series, MPPT, photovoltaic panel
Procedia PDF Downloads 590