Search results for: alkaline earth metals
1239 Conversion of Carcinogenic Liquid-Wastes of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) Industry to an Environmentally Safe Product: Corrosion Inhibitor and Biocide
Authors: Mohamed A. Hegazy
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Most of Poly Vinyl Chloride (PVC) petrochemical companies produce huge amount of byproduct which characterized as carcinogenic liquid-wastes, insoluble in water, highly corrosive and highly offensive. This byproduct is partially use, a small part, in the production of hydrochloric acid and the huge part is a waste. Therefore, the aim of this work was to conversion of such PVC wastes, to an environmentally safe product that act as a corrosion Inhibitor for metals in aqueous media and as a biocide for microorganisms. This conversion method was accomplished mainly to protect the environment and to produce high economic value-products. The conversion process was established and the final product was tested for the toxicity, water solubility in comparison to the crude product. Furthermore, the end product was tested as a corrosion inhibitor in 1M HCl and as a broad-spectrum biocide against standard microbial strains and against the environmentally isolated Sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) microbial community.Keywords: PVC, surfactant, corrosion inhibitor, biocide, SRB
Procedia PDF Downloads 1231238 Applications of Nanoparticles via Laser Ablation in Liquids: A Review
Authors: Fawaz M. Abdullah, Abdulrahman M. Al-Ahmari, Madiha Rafaqat
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Laser ablation of any solid target in the liquid leads to fabricate nanoparticles (NPs) with metal or different compositions of materials such as metals, alloys, oxides, carbides, hydroxides. The fabrication of NPs in liquids based on laser ablation has grown up rapidly in the last decades compared to other techniques. Nowadays, laser ablation has been improved to prepare different types of NPs with special morphologies, microstructures, phases, and sizes, which can be applied in various fields. The paper reviews and highlights the different sizes, shapes and application field of nanoparticles that are produced by laser ablation under different liquids and materials. Also, the paper provides a case study for producing a titanium NPs produced by laser ablation submerged in distilled water. The size of NPs is an important parameter, especially for their usage and applications. The size and shape have been analyzed by SEM, (EDAX) was applied to evaluate the oxidation and elements of titanium NPs and the XRD was used to evaluate the phase composition and the peaks of both titanium and some element. SEM technique showed that the synthesized NPs size ranges were between 15-35 nm which can be applied in various field such as annihilator for cancerous cell etc.Keywords: nanoparticles, laser ablation, titanium NPs, applications
Procedia PDF Downloads 1391237 Influence of Grain Shape, Size and Grain Boundary Diffusion on High Temperature Oxidation of Metal
Authors: Sneha Samal, Iva Petrikova, Bohdana Marvalova
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Influence of grain size, shape and grain boundary diffusion at high temperature oxidation of pure metal is investigated as the function of microstructure evolution in this article. The oxidized scale depends on the geometrical parameter of the metal-scale system and grain shape, size, diffusion through boundary layers and influence of the contamination. The creation of the inner layer and the morphological structure develops from the internal stress generated during the growth of the scale. The oxidation rate depends on the cation and anion mobile transport of the metal in the inward and outward direction of the diffusion layer. Oxidation rate decreases with decreasing the grain size of the pure metal, whereas zinc deviates from this principle. A strong correlation between the surface roughness evolution, grain size, crystalline properties and oxidation mechanism of the oxidized metal was established.Keywords: high temperature oxidation, pure metals, grain size, shape and grain boundary
Procedia PDF Downloads 4971236 Consideration of Starlight Waves Redshift as Produced by Friction of These Waves on Its Way through Space
Authors: Angel Pérez Sánchez
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In 1929, a light redshift was discovered in distant galaxies and was interpreted as produced by galaxies moving away from each other at high speed. This interpretation led to the consideration of a new source of energy, which was called Dark Energy. Redshift is a loss of light wave frequency produced by galaxies moving away at high speed, but the loss of frequency can also be produced by the friction of light waves on their way to Earth. This friction is impossible because outer space is empty, but if it were not empty and a medium existed in this empty space, it would be possible. The consequences would be extraordinary because Universe acceleration and Dark Energy would be in doubt. This article presents evidence that empty space is actually a medium occupied by different particles, among them the most significant would-be Graviton or Higgs Boson, because let's not forget that gravity also affects empty space.Keywords: Big Bang, dark energy, doppler effect, redshift, starlight frequency reduction, universe acceleration
Procedia PDF Downloads 631235 Study of the Buckling of Sandwich Beams Consider Stretching Effect
Authors: R. Bennai, H. Ait Atmane, H. Fourne, B. Ayache
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In this work, an analytical approach using a refined theory of hyperbolic shear deformation of a beam was developed to study the buckling of graduated sandwiches beams under different boundary conditions. The effects of transverse shear strains and the transverse normal deformation are considered. The constituent materials of the beam are supposed gradually variable depending on the height direction based on a simple power distribution law in terms of the volume fractions of the constituents; the two materials with which we worked are metals and ceramics. The core layer is taken homogeneous and made of an isotropic material; while the banks layers consist of functionally graded materials with a homogeneous fraction compared to the middle layer. In the end, illustrative examples are presented to show the effects of changes in different parameters such as (material graduation, the stretching effect of the thickness, boundary conditions and thickness ratio-length) on the vibration free of an FGM sandwich beams.Keywords: FGM materials, refined shear deformation theory, stretching effect, buckling
Procedia PDF Downloads 1781234 Effect of Alkaline Activator, Water, Superplasticiser and Slag Contents on the Compressive Strength and Workability of Slag-Fly Ash Based Geopolymer Mortar Cured under Ambient Temperature
Authors: M. Al-Majidi, A. Lampropoulos, A. Cundy
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Geopolymer (cement-free) concrete is the most promising green alternative to ordinary Portland cement concrete and other cementitious materials. While a range of different geopolymer concretes have been produced, a common feature of these concretes is heat curing treatment which is essential in order to provide sufficient mechanical properties in the early age. However, there are several practical issues with the application of heat curing in large-scale structures. The purpose of this study is to develop cement-free concrete without heat curing treatment. Experimental investigations were carried out in two phases. In the first phase (Phase A), the optimum content of water, polycarboxylate based superplasticizer contents and potassium silicate activator in the mix was determined. In the second stage (Phase B), the effect of ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) incorporation on the compressive strength of fly ash (FA) and Slag based geopolymer mixtures was evaluated. Setting time and workability were also conducted alongside with compressive tests. The results showed that as the slag content was increased the setting time was reduced while the compressive strength was improved. The obtained compressive strength was in the range of 40-50 MPa for 50% slag replacement mixtures. Furthermore, the results indicated that increment of water and superplasticizer content resulted to retarding of the setting time and slight reduction of the compressive strength. The compressive strength of the examined mixes was considerably increased as potassium silicate content was increased.Keywords: fly ash, geopolymer, potassium silicate, slag
Procedia PDF Downloads 2231233 Impact of Iron Doping on Induction Heating during Spark Plasma Sintering
Authors: Hua Tan, David Salamon
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In this study, γ-Al2O3 powders doped with various amounts of iron were sintered via SPS process. Two heating modes – auto and manual mode were applied to observe the role of electrical induction on heating. Temperature, electric current, and pulse pattern were experimented with grade iron γ-Al2O3 powders. Phase transformation of γ to α -Al2O3 serves as a direct indicator of internal temperature, independently on measured outside temperature. That pulsing in SPS is also able to induce internal heating due to its strong electromagnetic field when dopants are conductive metals (e.g., iron) is proofed during SPS. Density and microstructure were investigated to explain the mechanism of induction heating. In addition, the role of electric pulsing and strong electromagnetic field on internal heating (induction heating) were compared and discussed. Internal heating by iron doping within electrically nonconductive samples is able to decrease sintering temperature and save energy, furthermore it is one explanation for unique features of this material fabrication technology.Keywords: spark plasma sintering, induction heating, alumina, microstructure
Procedia PDF Downloads 3311232 Design and Study of a Parabolic Trough Solar Collector for Generating Electricity
Authors: A. A. A. Aboalnour, Ahmed M. Amasaib, Mohammed-Almujtaba A. Mohammed-Farah, Abdelhakam, A. Noreldien
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This paper presents a design and study of Parabolic Trough Solar Collector (PTC). Mathematical models were used in this work to find the direct and reflected solar radiation from the air layer on the surface of the earth per hour based on the total daily solar radiation on a horizontal surface. Also mathematical models had been used to calculate the radiation of the tilted surfaces. Most of the ingredients used in this project as previews data required on several solar energy applications, thermal simulation, and solar power systems. In addition, mathematical models had been used to study the flow of the fluid inside the tube (receiver), and study the effect of direct and reflected solar radiation on the pressure, temperature, speed, kinetic energy and forces of fluid inside the tube. Finally, the mathematical models had been used to study the (PTC) performances and estimate its thermal efficiency.Keywords: CFD, experimental, mathematical models, parabolic trough, radiation
Procedia PDF Downloads 4231231 Analysis Influence Variation Frequency on Characterization of Nano-Particles in Preteatment Bioetanol Oil Palm Stem (Elaeis guineensis JACQ) Use Sonication Method with Alkaline Peroxide Activators on Improvement of Celullose
Authors: Luristya Nur Mahfut, Nada Mawarda Rilek, Ameiga Cautsarina Putri, Mujaroh Khotimah
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The use of bioetanol from lignocellulosic material has begone to be developed. In Indonesia the most abundant lignocellulosic material is stem of palm which contain 32.22% of cellulose. Indonesia produces approximatelly 300.375.000 tons of stem of palm each year. To produce bioetanol from lignocellulosic material, the first process is pretreatment. But, until now the method of lignocellulosic pretretament is uneffective. This is related to the particle size and the method of pretreatment of less than optimal so that led to an overhaul of the lignin insufficient, consequently increased levels of cellulose was not significant resulting in low yield of bioetanol. To solve the problem, this research was implemented by using the process of pretreatment method ultasonifikasi in order to produce higher pulp with nano-sized particles that will obtain higher of yield ethanol from stem of palm. Research methods used in this research is the RAK that is composed of one factor which is the frequency ultrasonic waves with three varians, they are 30 kHz, 40 kHz, 50 kHz, and use constant variable is concentration of NaOH. The analysis conducted in this research is the influence of the frequency of the wave to increase levels of cellulose and change size on the scale of nanometers on pretreatment process by using the PSA methods (Particle Size Analyzer), and a Cheason. For the analysis of the results, data, and best treatment using ANOVA and test BNT with confidence interval 5%. The best treatment was obtained by combination X3 (frequency of sonication 50 kHz) and lignin (19,6%) cellulose (59,49%) and hemicellulose (11,8%) with particle size 385,2nm (18,8%).Keywords: bioethanol, pretreatment, stem of palm, cellulosa
Procedia PDF Downloads 3271230 Reactivity of Clay Minerals of the Hydrocarbon Reservoir Rocks and the Effect of Zeolites on Operation and Production Costs That the Oil Industry in the World Assumes
Authors: Carlos Alberto Ríos Reyes
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Traditionally, clays have been considered as one of the main problems in the flow of fluids in hydrocarbon reservoirs. However, there is not known the significance of zeolites formed from the reactivity of clays and their effect not only on the costs of operations carried out by the oil industry in the world but also on production. The present work focused on understanding the interaction between clay minerals with brines and alkaline solutions used in the oil industry. For this, a comparative study was conducted where the reaction of sedimentary rocks under laboratory conditions was examined. Original and treated rocks were examined by X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) to determine the changes that these rocks underwent upon contact with fluids of variable chemical composition. As a result, zeolite Linde Type A (LTA), sodalite (SOD), and cancrinite (CAN) can be formed after experimental work, which coincided with the dissolution of kaolinite and smectite. Results reveal that the Oil Industry should invest efforts and focus its gaze to understand at the pore scale the problem that could arise as a consequence of the clay-fluid interaction in hydrocarbon reservoir rocks due to the presence of clays in their porous system, as well as the formation of zeolites, which are better hydrocarbon absorbents. These issues could be generating losses in world production. We conclude that there is a critical situation that may be occurring in the stimulation of hydrocarbon reservoirs, where real solutions are necessary not only for the formulation of more efficient and effective injection fluids but also to contribute to the improvement of production and avoid considerable losses in operating costs.Keywords: clay minerals, zeolites, rock-fluid interaction, experimental work, reactivity
Procedia PDF Downloads 861229 Sonochemically Prepared Non-Noble Metal Oxide Catalysts for Methane Catalytic Combustion
Authors: Przemyslaw J. Jodlowski, Roman J. Jedrzejczyk, Damian K. Chlebda, Anna Dziedzicka, Lukasz Kuterasinski, Anna Gancarczyk, Maciej Sitarz
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The aim of this study was to obtain highly active catalysts based on non-noble metal oxides supported on zirconia prepared via a sonochemical method. In this study, the influence of the stabilizers addition during the preparation step was checked. The final catalysts were characterized by using such characterization methods as X-ray Diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption, X-ray fluorescence (XRF), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and µRaman. The proposed preparation method allowed to obtain uniformly dispersed metal-oxide nanoparticles at the support’s surface. The catalytic activity of prepared catalyst samples was measured in a methane combustion reaction. The activity of the catalysts prepared by the sonochemical method was considerably higher than their counterparts prepared by the incipient wetness method.Keywords: methane catalytic combustion, nanoparticles, non-noble metals, sonochemistry
Procedia PDF Downloads 2171228 A Comparison between Artificial Neural Network Prediction Models for Coronal Hole Related High Speed Streams
Authors: Rehab Abdulmajed, Amr Hamada, Ahmed Elsaid, Hisashi Hayakawa, Ayman Mahrous
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Solar emissions have a high impact on the Earth’s magnetic field, and the prediction of solar events is of high interest. Various techniques have been used in the prediction of solar wind using mathematical models, MHD models, and neural network (NN) models. This study investigates the coronal hole (CH) derived high-speed streams (HSSs) and their correlation to the CH area and create a neural network model to predict the HSSs. Two different algorithms were used to compare different models to find a model that best simulates the HSSs. A dataset of CH synoptic maps through Carrington rotations 1601 to 2185 along with Omni-data set solar wind speed averaged over the Carrington rotations is used, which covers Solar cycles (sc) 21, 22, 23, and most of 24.Keywords: artificial neural network, coronal hole area, feed-forward neural network models, solar high speed streams
Procedia PDF Downloads 881227 Synthesis of Rare Earth Doped Nano-Phosphors through the Use of Isobutyl Nitrite and Urea Fuels: Study of Microstructure and Luminescence Properties
Authors: Seyed Mahdi Rafiaei
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In this investigation, red emitting Eu³⁺ doped YVO₄ nano-phosphors have been synthesized via the facile combustion method using isobutyl nitrite and urea fuels, individually. Field-emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) images, high resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM) images and X-ray diffraction (XRD) spectra reveal that the mentioned fuels can be used successfully to synthesis YVO₄: Eu³⁺ nano-particles. Interestingly, the fuels have a large effect on the size and morphology of nano-phosphors as well as luminescence properties. Noteworthy the use of isobutyl nitrite provides an average particle size of 65 nm, while the employment of urea, results in the formation of larger particles and also provides higher photoluminescence emission intensity. The improved luminescence performance is attributed to the condition of chemical reaction via the combustion synthesis and the size of synthesized phosphors.Keywords: phosphors, combustion, fuels, luminescence, nanostructure
Procedia PDF Downloads 1381226 Improvement in Properties of Ni-Cr-Mo-V Steel through Process Control
Authors: Arnab Majumdar, Sanjoy Sadhukhan
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Although gun barrel steels are an important variety from defense view point, available literatures are very limited. In the present work, an IF grade Ni-Cr-Mo-V high strength low alloy steel is produced in Electric Earth Furnace-ESR Route. Ingot was hot forged to desired dimension with a reduction ratio of 70-75% followed by homogenization, hardening and tempering treatment. Sample chemistry, NMIR, macro and micro structural analyses were done. Mechanical properties which include tensile, impact, and fracture toughness were studied. Ultrasonic testing was done to identify internal flaws. The existing high strength low alloy Ni-Cr-Mo-V steel shows improved properties in modified processing route and heat treatment schedule in comparison to properties noted earlier for manufacturing of gun barrels. The improvement in properties seems to withstand higher explosive loads with the same amount of steel in gun barrel application.Keywords: gun barrel steels, IF grade, chemistry, physical properties, thermal and mechanical processing, mechanical properties, ultrasonic testing
Procedia PDF Downloads 3771225 Preparation of Conductive Composite Fiber by the Reduction of Silver Particles onto Hydrolyzed Polyacrylonitrile Fiber
Authors: Z. Okay, M. Kalkan Erdoğan, M. Şahin, M. Saçak
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Polyacrylonitrile (PAN) is one of the most common and cheap fiber-forming polymers because of its high strength and high abrasion resistance properties. The result of alkaline hydrolysis of PAN fiber could be formed the products with conjugated sequences of –C=N–, acrylamide, sodium acrylate, and amidine. In this study, PAN fiber was hydrolyzed in a solution of sodium hydroxide, and this hydrolyzed PAN (HPAN) fiber was used to prepare conductive composite fiber by silver particles. The electrically conductive PAN fiber has the usage potential to produce variety of materials such as antistatic materials, life jackets and static charge reducing products. We monitored the change in the weight loss values of the PAN fiber with hydrolysis time. It was observed that a 60 % of weight loss was obtained in the fiber weight after 7h hydrolysis under the investigated conditions, but the fiber lost its fibrous structure. The hydrolysis time of 5h was found to be suitable in terms of preserving its fibrous structure. The change in the conductivity values of the composite with the preparation conditions such as hydrolysis time, silver ion concentration was studied. PAN fibers with different degrees of hydrolysis were treated with aqueous solutions containing different concentrations of silver ions by continuous stirring at 20 oC for 30 min, and the composite having the maximum conductivity of 2 S/cm could be prepared. The antibacterial property of the conductive HPAN fibers participated silver was also investigated. While the hydrolysis of the PAN fiber was characterized with FTIR and SEM techniques, the silver reduction process of the HPAN fiber was investigated with SEM and TGA-DTA techniques. The SEM micrographs showed that the surface of HPAN fiber was rougher and much more corroded than that of the PAN fiber. Composite, Conducting polymer, Fiber, Polyacrylonitrile.Keywords: composite, conducting polymer, fiber, polyacrylonitrile
Procedia PDF Downloads 4781224 Colocalization Analysis to Understand Yttrium Uptake in Saxifraga paniculata Using Complementary Imaging Technics
Authors: Till Fehlauer, Blanche Collin, Bernard Angeletti, Andrea Somogyi, Claire Lallemand, Perrine Chaurand, Cédric Dentant, Clement Levard, Jerome Rose
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Over the last decades, yttrium (Y) has gained importance in high-tech applications. It is an essential part of alloys and compounds used for lasers, displays, or cell phones, for example. Due to its chemical similarities with the lanthanides, Y is often considered a rare earth element (REE). Despite their increased usage, the environmental behavior of REEs remains poorly understood. Especially regarding their interactions with plants, many uncertainties exist. On the one hand, Y is known to have a negative effect on root development and germination, but on the other hand, it appears to promote plant growth at low concentrations. In order to understand these phenomena, a precise knowledge is necessary about how Y is absorbed by the plant and how it is handled once inside the organism. Contradictory studies exist, stating that due to a similar ionic radius, Y and the other REEs might be absorbed through Ca²⁺-channels, while others suspect that Y has a shared pathway with Al³⁺. In this study, laser ablation coupled ICP-MS, and synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence (µXRF, beamline Nanoscopium, SOLEIL, France) have been used in order to localize Y within the plant tissue and identify associated elements. The plant used in this study is Saxifraga paniculata, a rugged alpine plant that has shown an affinity for Y in previous studies (in prep.). Furthermore, Saxifraga paniculata performs guttation, which means that it possesses phloem sap secreting openings on the leaf surface that serve to regulate root pressure. These so-called hydathodes could provide special insights in elemental transport in plants. The plants have been grown on Y doped soil (500mg/kg DW) for four months. The results showed that Y was mainly concentrated in the roots of Saxifraga paniculata (260 ± 85mg/kg), and only a small amount was translocated to the leaves (10 ± 7.8mg/kg). µXRF analysis indicated that within the root transects, the majority of Y remained in the epidermis and hardly penetrated the stele. Laser ablation coupled ICP-MS confirmed this finding and showed a positive correlation in the roots between Y, Fe, Al, and to a lesser extent Ca. In the stem transect, Y was mainly detected in a hotspot of approximately 40µm in diameter situated in the endodermis area. Within the stem and especially in the hotspot, Y was highly colocalized with Al and Fe. Similar-sized Y hotspots have been detected in/on the leaves. All of them were strongly colocalized with Al and Fe, except for those situated within the hydathodes, which showed no colocalization with any of the measured elements. Accordingly, a relation between Y and Ca during root uptake remains possible, whereas a correlation to Fe and Al appears to be dominant in the aerial parts, suggesting common storage compartments, the formation of complexes, or a shared pathway during translocation.Keywords: laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), Phytoaccumulation, Rare earth elements, Saxifraga paniculata, Synchrotron-based micro-X-ray fluorescence, Yttrium
Procedia PDF Downloads 1481223 Human Behavioral Assessment to Derive Land-Use for Sustenance of River in India
Authors: Juhi Sah
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Habitat is characterized by the inter-dependency of environmental elements. Anthropocentric development approach is increasing our vulnerability towards natural hazards. Hence, manmade interventions should have a higher level of sensitivity towards the natural settings. Sensitivity towards the environment can be assessed by the behavior of the stakeholders involved. This led to the establishment of a hypothesis: there exists a legitimate relationship between the behavioral sciences, land use evolution and environment conservation, in the planning process. An attempt has been made to establish this relationship by reviewing the existing set of knowledge and case examples pertaining to the three disciplines under inquiry. Understanding the scarce & deteriorating nature of fresh-water reserves of earth and experimenting the above concept, a case study of a growing urban center's river flood plain is selected, in a developing economy, India. Cases of urban flooding in Chennai, Delhi and other mega cities of India, imposes a high risk on the unauthorized settlement, on the floodplains of the rivers. The issue addressed here is the encroachment of floodplains, through psychological enlightenment and modification through knowledge building. The reaction of an individual or society can be compared to a cognitive process. This study documents all the stakeholders' behavior and perception for their immediate natural environment (water body), and produce various land uses suitable along a river in an urban settlement as per different stakeholder's perceptions. To assess and induce morally responsible behavior in a community (small scale or large scale), tools of psychological inquiry is used for qualitative analysis. The analysis will deal with varied data sets from two sectors namely: River and its geology, Land use planning and regulation. Identification of a distinctive pattern in the built up growth, river ecology degradation, and human behavior, by handling large quantum of data from the diverse sector and comments on the availability of relevant data and its implications, has been done. Along the whole river stretch, condition and usage of its bank vary, hence stakeholder specific survey questionnaires have been prepared to accurately map the responses and habits of the rational inhabitants. A conceptual framework has been designed to move forward with the empirical analysis. The classical principle of virtues says "virtue of a human depends on its character" but another concept defines that the behavior or response is a derivative of situations and to bring about a behavioral change one needs to introduce a disruption in the situation/environment. Owing to the present trends, blindly following the results of data analytics and using it to construct policy, is not proving to be in favor of planned development and natural resource conservation. Thus behavioral assessment of the rational inhabitants of the planet is also required, as their activities and interests have a large impact on the earth's pre-set systems and its sustenance.Keywords: behavioral assessment, flood plain encroachment, land use planning, river sustenance
Procedia PDF Downloads 1171222 Energy Dynamics of Solar Thermionic Power Conversion with Emitter of Graphene
Authors: Olukunle C. Olawole, Dilip K. De, Moses Emetere, Omoje Maxwell
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Graphene can stand very high temperature up to 4500 K in vacuum and has potential for application in thermionic energy converter. In this paper, we discuss the application of energy dynamics principles and the modified Richardson-Dushman Equation, to estimate the efficiency of solar power conversion to electrical power by a solar thermionic energy converter (STEC) containing emitter made of graphene. We present detailed simulation of power output for different solar insolation, diameter of parabolic concentrator, area of the graphene emitter (same as that of the collector), temperature of the collector, physical dimensions of the emitter-collector etc. After discussing possible methods of reduction or elimination of space charge problem using magnetic field and gate, we finally discuss relative advantages of using emitters made of graphene, carbon nanotube and metals respectively in a STEC.Keywords: graphene, high temperature, modified Richardson-Dushman equation, solar thermionic energy converter
Procedia PDF Downloads 3101221 Motivating Factors to Use Electric Vehicles Based on Behavioral Intention Model in South Korea
Authors: Seyedsamad Tahani, Samira Ghorbanpour
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The global warming crisis forced humans to consider their place in the world and the earth's future. In this regard, Electric Vehicles (EVs) are a significant step toward protecting the environment. By identifying factors that influence people's behavior intentions toward using Electric Vehicles (EV), we proposed a theoretical model by extending the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), including three more concepts, Subjective Norm (SN), Self-Efficacy (SE), and Perceived Behavior Control (PBC). The study was conducted in South Korea, and a random sample was taken at a specific time. In order to collect data, a questionnaire was created in a Google Form and sent via Kakao Talk, a popular social media application used in Korea. There were about 220 participants in this survey. However, 201 surveys were completely done. The findings revealed that all factors in the TAM model and the other added concepts such as subjective norms, self-efficacy and perceived behavior control significantly affect the behavioral intention of using EVs.Keywords: electric vehicles, behavioral intention, perceived trust, perceived enjoyment, self-efficacy
Procedia PDF Downloads 1351220 Categorization of Biosolids, a Vital Biological Resource for Sustainable Agriculture
Authors: Susmita Sharma, Pankaj Pathak
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Biosolids are by-products of municipal and industrial wastewater treatment process. The generation of the biosolids is increasing at an alarming rate due to the implementation of strict environmental legislation to improve the quality of discharges from wastewater treatment plant. As such, proper management and safe disposal of sewage sludge have become a worldwide topic of research. Biosolids, rich in organic matter and essential micro and macronutrients; can be used as a soil conditioner, to cut fertilizer costs and create favorable conditions for vegetation. However, it also contains pathogens and heavy metals which are undesirable as they are harmful to both humans and the environment. Therefore, for safe utilization of biosolids for land application purposes, categorization of the contaminant and pathogen is mandatory. In this context, biosolids collected from a wastewater treatment plant in Maharashtra are utilized to determine its physical, chemical and microbiological attributes. This study would ascertain, if the use of these materials from the specific site, are suitable for agriculture. Further, efforts have also been made to present the internationally acceptable legal standards and guidelines for biosolids management or application.Keywords: biosolids, sewage, heavy metal, sustainable agriculture
Procedia PDF Downloads 3271219 Effect of Supplemental Bacterial Phytase at Different Dietary Levels of Phosphorus on Tibial Bone Characteristics and Body Weight Gain in Broilers
Authors: Saqib Saleem Abdullah, Saima Masood, Hafsa Zaneb, Shela Gul Bokhari, Muti Ur Rehman, Jamil Akbar
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A 5- weeks feeding trial was carried out to determine the effectiveness of Bacterial Phytase (Phyzyme®) in broilers, at different dietary levels of Phosphorous. 140 d-old broilers (Hubbard) were randomly divided into 4 groups (n=4). Birds were fed corn-based basal diet or the same diet supplemented with 3 different levels of non Phytate Phosphorous (NPP) (0.45 %, 0.30 % and 0.15 %). Furthermore, the diets were supplemented with bacterial Phytase. Birds were fed ad libitum and kept under thermo neutral conditions. The parameters studied were; body weight gain (BWG), tibial bone characteristics (TBC), serum Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P) and Alkaline Phosphatase (AP) levels and tibia ash percentage (TAP). BWG of the broilers was calculated at weekly interval and remaining parameters were calculated after slaughtering the birds at 35thday. Results suggested that Phytase supplementation at 0.30% NPP (Non Phytate Phosphorus + Bacterial Phytase) increased (P < 0.05) the BWG, bone length, bone weight, tibiotarsal index, medullary canal diameter and diaphysis diameter however, rubosticity index was reduced to minimum (P < 0.05) at this dietary level of phosphorous when compared with other groups. Maximum (P < 0.05) rubosticity index was observed in control group with 0% Phytase. Furthermore, Phytase addition at 0.30 % NPP also improved (P < 0.05) Ca, P and AP levels in the blood. Phytase supplementation at lower phosphorus level (0.30%NPP) improved BWG and TBC including bone density and bone quality in broilers hence it can be concluded that addition of Phytase at 0.30% NPP may prove beneficial for bone and overall performance in broilers.Keywords: diaphysis diameter, phytase, rubosticity index, tibia
Procedia PDF Downloads 3951218 Statistical Channel Modeling for Multiple-Input-Multiple-Output Communication System
Authors: M. I. Youssef, A. E. Emam, M. Abd Elghany
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The performance of wireless communication systems is affected mainly by the environment of its associated channel, which is characterized by dynamic and unpredictable behavior. In this paper, different statistical earth-satellite channel models are studied with emphasize on two main models, first is the Rice-Log normal model, due to its representation for the environment including shadowing and multi-path components that affect the propagated signal along its path, and a three-state model that take into account different fading conditions (clear area, moderate shadow and heavy shadowing). The provided models are based on AWGN, Rician, Rayleigh, and log-normal distributions were their Probability Density Functions (PDFs) are presented. The transmission system Bit Error Rate (BER), Peak-Average-Power Ratio (PAPR), and the channel capacity vs. fading models are measured and analyzed. These simulations are implemented using MATLAB tool, and the results had shown the performance of transmission system over different channel models.Keywords: fading channels, MIMO communication, RNS scheme, statistical modeling
Procedia PDF Downloads 1491217 Modern Detection and Description Methods for Natural Plants Recognition
Authors: Masoud Fathi Kazerouni, Jens Schlemper, Klaus-Dieter Kuhnert
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Green planet is one of the Earth’s names which is known as a terrestrial planet and also can be named the fifth largest planet of the solar system as another scientific interpretation. Plants do not have a constant and steady distribution all around the world, and even plant species’ variations are not the same in one specific region. Presence of plants is not only limited to one field like botany; they exist in different fields such as literature and mythology and they hold useful and inestimable historical records. No one can imagine the world without oxygen which is produced mostly by plants. Their influences become more manifest since no other live species can exist on earth without plants as they form the basic food staples too. Regulation of water cycle and oxygen production are the other roles of plants. The roles affect environment and climate. Plants are the main components of agricultural activities. Many countries benefit from these activities. Therefore, plants have impacts on political and economic situations and future of countries. Due to importance of plants and their roles, study of plants is essential in various fields. Consideration of their different applications leads to focus on details of them too. Automatic recognition of plants is a novel field to contribute other researches and future of studies. Moreover, plants can survive their life in different places and regions by means of adaptations. Therefore, adaptations are their special factors to help them in hard life situations. Weather condition is one of the parameters which affect plants life and their existence in one area. Recognition of plants in different weather conditions is a new window of research in the field. Only natural images are usable to consider weather conditions as new factors. Thus, it will be a generalized and useful system. In order to have a general system, distance from the camera to plants is considered as another factor. The other considered factor is change of light intensity in environment as it changes during the day. Adding these factors leads to a huge challenge to invent an accurate and secure system. Development of an efficient plant recognition system is essential and effective. One important component of plant is leaf which can be used to implement automatic systems for plant recognition without any human interface and interaction. Due to the nature of used images, characteristic investigation of plants is done. Leaves of plants are the first characteristics to select as trusty parts. Four different plant species are specified for the goal to classify them with an accurate system. The current paper is devoted to principal directions of the proposed methods and implemented system, image dataset, and results. The procedure of algorithm and classification is explained in details. First steps, feature detection and description of visual information, are outperformed by using Scale invariant feature transform (SIFT), HARRIS-SIFT, and FAST-SIFT methods. The accuracy of the implemented methods is computed. In addition to comparison, robustness and efficiency of results in different conditions are investigated and explained.Keywords: SIFT combination, feature extraction, feature detection, natural images, natural plant recognition, HARRIS-SIFT, FAST-SIFT
Procedia PDF Downloads 2761216 Review on Green Synthesis of Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Shabnam, Jagdeep Kumar
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Because of the impact of their greater surface area and smaller quantum sizes in comparison with other metal atoms or bulk metals, metal nanoparticles, such as those formed of gold, exhibit a variety of unusual chemical and physical properties. The size- and shape-dependent properties of gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are particularly notable. Metal nanoparticles have received a lot of attention due to their unique properties and exciting prospective uses in photonics, electronics, biological sensing, and imaging. The latest developments in GNP synthesis are discussed in this review. Green chemistry measures were used to assess the production of gold nanoparticles, with a focus on Process Mass Intensity (PMI). Based on these measurements, opportunities for improving synthetic approaches were found. With PMIs that were often in the thousands, solvent usage was found to be the main obstacle for nanoparticle synthesis, even ones that were otherwise considered to be environmentally friendly. Since ligated metal nanoparticles are the most industrially relevant but least environmentally friendly, their synthesis by arrested precipitation was chosen as the best chance for significant advances. Gold nanoparticles of small sizes and bio-stability are produced biochemically, and they are used in many biological applications.Keywords: gold, nanoparticles, green synthesis, AuNP
Procedia PDF Downloads 831215 Health Risk Assessment from Potable Water Containing Tritium and Heavy Metals
Authors: Olga A. Momot, Boris I. Synzynys, Alla A. Oudalova
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Obninsk is situated in the Kaluga region 100 km southwest of Moscow on the left bank of the Protva River. Several enterprises utilizing nuclear energy are operating in the town. A special attention in the region where radiation-hazardous facilities are located has traditionally been paid to radioactive gas and aerosol releases into the atmosphere; liquid waste discharges into the Protva river and groundwater pollution. Municipal intakes involve 34 wells arranged 15 km apart in a sequence north-south along the foot of the left slope of the Protva river valley. Northern and southern water intakes are upstream and downstream of the town, respectively. They belong to river valley intakes with mixed feeding, i.e. precipitation infiltration is responsible for a smaller part of groundwater, and a greater amount is being formed by overflowing from Protva. Water intakes are maintained by the Protva river runoff, the volume of which depends on the precipitation fallen out and watershed area. Groundwater contamination with tritium was first detected in a sanitary-protective zone of the Institute of Physics and Power Engineering (SRC-IPPE) by Roshydromet researchers when realizing the “Program of radiological monitoring in the territory of nuclear industry enterprises”. A comprehensive survey of the SRC-IPPE’s industrial site and adjacent territories has revealed that research nuclear reactors and accelerators where tritium targets are applied as well as radioactive waste storages could be considered as potential sources of technogenic tritium. All the above sources are located within the sanitary controlled area of intakes. Tritium activity in water of springs and wells near the SRC-IPPE is about 17.4 – 3200 Bq/l. The observed values of tritium activity are below the intervention levels (7600 Bq/l for inorganic compounds and 3300 Bq/l for organically bound tritium). The risk has being assessed to estimate possible effect of considered tritium concentrations on human health. Data on tritium concentrations in pipe-line drinking water were used for calculations. The activity of 3H amounted to 10.6 Bq/l and corresponded to the risk of such water consumption of ~ 3·10-7 year-1. The risk value given in magnitude is close to the individual annual death risk for population living near a NPP – 1.6·10-8 year-1 and at the same time corresponds to the level of tolerable risk (10-6) and falls within “risk optimization”, i.e. in the sphere for planning the economically sound measures on exposure risk reduction. To estimate the chemical risk, physical and chemical analysis was made of waters from all springs and wells near the SRC-IPPE. Chemical risk from groundwater contamination was estimated according to the EPA US guidance. The risk of carcinogenic diseases at a drinking water consumption amounts to 5·10-5. According to the classification accepted the health risk in case of spring water consumption is inadmissible. The compared assessments of risk associated with tritium exposure, on the one hand, and the dangerous chemical (e.g. heavy metals) contamination of Obninsk drinking water, on the other hand, have confirmed that just these chemical pollutants are responsible for health risk.Keywords: radiation-hazardous facilities, water intakes, tritium, heavy metal, health risk
Procedia PDF Downloads 2401214 Tree Species Classification Using Effective Features of Polarimetric SAR and Hyperspectral Images
Authors: Milad Vahidi, Mahmod R. Sahebi, Mehrnoosh Omati, Reza Mohammadi
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Forest management organizations need information to perform their work effectively. Remote sensing is an effective method to acquire information from the Earth. Two datasets of remote sensing images were used to classify forested regions. Firstly, all of extractable features from hyperspectral and PolSAR images were extracted. The optical features were spectral indexes related to the chemical, water contents, structural indexes, effective bands and absorption features. Also, PolSAR features were the original data, target decomposition components, and SAR discriminators features. Secondly, the particle swarm optimization (PSO) and the genetic algorithms (GA) were applied to select optimization features. Furthermore, the support vector machine (SVM) classifier was used to classify the image. The results showed that the combination of PSO and SVM had higher overall accuracy than the other cases. This combination provided overall accuracy about 90.56%. The effective features were the spectral index, the bands in shortwave infrared (SWIR) and the visible ranges and certain PolSAR features.Keywords: hyperspectral, PolSAR, feature selection, SVM
Procedia PDF Downloads 4161213 Isolation, Characterization and Optimization of Alkalophilic and Thermotolerant Lipase from Bacillus subtilis Strain
Authors: Indu Bhushan Sharma, Rashmi Saraswat
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The thermotolerant, solvent stable and alkalophilic lipase producing bacterial strain was isolated from the water sample of the foothills of Trikuta Mountain in Kakryal (Reasi district) in Jammu and Kashmir, India. The lipase-producing microorganisms were screened using tributyrin agar plates. The selected microbe was optimized for maximum lipase production by subjecting to various carbon and nitrogen sources, incubation period and inoculum size. The selected strain was identified as Bacillus subtilis strain kakrayal_1 (BSK_1) using 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Effect of pH, temperature, metal ions, detergents and organic solvents were studied on lipase activity. Lipase was found to be stable over a pH range of 6.0 to 9.0 and exhibited maximum activity at pH 8. Lipolytic activity was highest at 37°C and the enzyme activity remained at 60°C for 24hrs, hence, established as thermo-tolerant. Production of lipase was significantly induced by vegetable oil and the best nitrogen source was found to be peptone. The isolated Bacillus lipase was stimulated by pre-treatment with Mn2+, Ca2+, K+, Zn2+, and Fe2+. Lipase was stable in detergents such as triton X 100, tween 20 and Tween 80. The 100% ethyl acetate enhanced lipase activity whereas, lipase activity were found to be stable in Hexane. The optimization resulted in 4 fold increase in lipase production. Bacillus lipases are ‘generally recognized as safe’ (GRAS) and are industrially interesting. The inducible alkaline, thermo-tolerant lipase exhibited the ability to be stable in detergents and organic solvents. This could be further researched as a potential biocatalyst for industrial applications such as biotransformation, detergent formulation, bioremediation and organic synthesis.Keywords: bacillus, lipase, thermotolerant, alkalophilic
Procedia PDF Downloads 2551212 Synthesis, Spectroscopic and XRD Study of Transition Metal Complex Derived from Low-Schiff Acyl-Hydrazone Ligand
Authors: Mohamedou El Boukhary, Farba Bouyagui Tamboura, A. Hamady Barry, T. Moussa Seck, Mohamed L. Gaye
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Nowadays, low-schiff acyl-hydrazone ligands are highly sought after due to their wide applications in various fields of biology, coordination chemistry, and catalysis. They are studied for their antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties. The complexes of transition metals and the lanthanide they derive are well known for their magnetic, optical, and catalytic properties. In this work, we present the synthesis of an acyl-hydrazone (H2L) schiff base and their 3d transition complexes. The ligand (H2L) is characterized by IR, NMR (1H; 13C) spectroscopy. The complexes are characterized by different physic-chemical techniques such as IR, UV-visible, conductivity, measurement of magnetic susceptibility. The study of XRD allowed us to elucidate the crystalline structure of the manganese (Mn) complex. The asymmetric unit of the complex is composed of two molecules of the ligand, one manganese (II) ion, and two coordinate chloride ions; the environment around Mn is described as a pentagonal base bipyramid. In the crystal lattice, the asymmetric unit is bound by hydrogen bonds.Keywords: synthene, acyl-hydrazone, 3D transition metal complex, application
Procedia PDF Downloads 521211 Potential Use of Leaching Gravel as a Raw Material in the Preparation of Geo Polymeric Material as an Alternative to Conventional Cement Materials
Authors: Arturo Reyes Roman, Daniza Castillo Godoy, Francisca Balarezo Olivares, Francisco Arriagada Castro, Miguel Maulen Tapia
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Mining waste–based geopolymers are a sustainable alternative to conventional cement materials due to their contribution to the valorization of mining wastes as well as to the new construction materials with reduced fingerprints. The objective of this study was to determine the potential of leaching gravel (LG) from hydrometallurgical copper processing to be used as a raw material in the manufacture of geopolymer. NaOH, Na2SiO3 (modulus 1.5), and LG were mixed and then wetted with an appropriate amount of tap water, then stirred until a homogenous paste was obtained. A liquid/solid ratio of 0.3 was used for preparing mixtures. The paste was then cast in cubic moulds of 50 mm for the determination of compressive strengths. The samples were left to dry for 24h at room temperature, then unmoulded before analysis after 28 days of curing time. The compressive test was conducted in a compression machine (15/300 kN). According to the laser diffraction spectroscopy (LDS) analysis, 90% of LG particles were below 500 μm. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis identified crystalline phases of albite (30 %), Quartz (16%), Anorthite (16 %), and Phillipsite (14%). The X-ray fluorescence (XRF) determinations showed mainly 55% of SiO2, 13 % of Al2O3, and 9% of CaO. ICP (OES) concentrations of Fe, Ca, Cu, Al, As, V, Zn, Mo, and Ni were 49.545; 24.735; 6.172; 14.152, 239,5; 129,6; 41,1;15,1, and 13,1 mg kg-1, respectively. The geopolymer samples showed resistance ranging between 2 and 10 MPa. In comparison with the raw material composition, the amorphous percentage of materials in the geopolymer was 35 %, whereas the crystalline percentage of main mineral phases decreased. Further studies are needed to find the optimal combinations of materials to produce a more resistant and environmentally safe geopolymer. Particularly are necessary compressive resistance higher than 15 MPa are necessary to be used as construction unit such as bricks.Keywords: mining waste, geopolymer, construction material, alkaline activation
Procedia PDF Downloads 941210 Primary and Secondary Big Bangs Theory of Creation of Universe
Authors: Shyam Sunder Gupta
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The current theory for the creation of the universe, the Big Bang theory, is widely accepted but leaves some unanswered questions. It does not explain the origin of the singularity or what causes the Big Bang. The theory of the Big Bang also does not explain why there is such a huge amount of dark energy and dark matter in our universe. Also, there is a question related to one universe or multiple universes which needs to be answered. This research addresses these questions using the Bhagvat Puran and other Vedic scriptures as the basis. There is a Unique Pure Energy Field that is eternal, infinite, and finest of all and never transforms when in its original form. The Carrier Particles of Unique Pure Energy are Param-anus- Fundamental Energy Particles. Param-anus and a combination of these particles create bigger particles from which the Universe gets created. For creation to initiate, Unique Pure Energy is represented in three phases: positive phase energy, neutral phase eternal time energy and negative phase energy. Positive phase energy further expands in three forms of creative energies (CE1, CE2andCE3). From CE1 energy, three energy modes, mode of activation, mode of action, and mode of darkness, were created. From these three modes, 16 Principles, subtlest forms of energies, namely Pradhan, Mahat-tattva, Time, Ego, Intellect, Mind, Sound, Space, Touch, Air, Form, Fire, Taste, Water, Smell, and Earth, get created. In the Mahat-tattva, dominant in the Mode of Darkness, CE1 energy creates innumerable primary singularities from seven principles: Pradhan, Mahat-tattva, Ego, Sky, Air, Fire, and Water. CE1 energy gets divided as CE2 and enters, along with three modes and time, in each singularity, and primary Big Bang takes place, and innumerable Invisible Universes get created. Each Universe has seven coverings of 7 principles, and each layer is 10 times thicker than the previous layer. By energy CE2, space in Invisible Universe under the coverings is divided into two halves. In the lower half, the process of evolution gets initiated, and seeds of 24 elements get created, out of which 5 fundamental elements, building blocks of matter, Sky, Air, Fire, Water and Earth, create seeds of stars, planets, galaxies and all other matter. Since 5 fundamental elements get created out of the mode of darkness, it explains why there is so much dark energy and dark matter in our Universe. This process of creation, in the lower half of Invisible universe continues for 2.16 billion years. Further, in the lower part of the energy field, exactly at the Centre of Invisible Universe, Secondary Singularity is created, through which, by force of Mode of Action, Secondary Big Bang takes place and Visible Universe gets created in the shape of Lotus Flower, expanding into upper part. Visible matter starts appearing after a gap of 360,000 years. Within the Visible Universe, a small part gets created known as the Phenomenal Material World, which is our Solar System, the sun being in the Centre. Diameter of Solar planetary system is 6.4 billion km.Keywords: invisible universe, phenomenal material world, primary Big Bang, secondary Big Bang, singularities, visible universe
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