Search results for: green capacity ratio.

Authors: Akash K. Walunj, Dipendu Bhunia, Samarth Gupta, Prabhat Gupta

Abstract:

Coupled shear walls consist of two shear walls connected intermittently by beams along the height. The behavior of coupled shear walls is mainly governed by the coupling beams. The coupling beams are designed for ductile inelastic behavior in order to dissipate energy. The base of the shear walls may be designed for elastic or ductile inelastic behavior. The amount of energy dissipation depends on the yield moment capacity and plastic rotation capacity of the coupling beams. In this paper, an analytical model of coupling beam was developed to calculate the rotations and moment capacities of coupling beam with conventional reinforcement.

Keywords: design studies, computational model(s), case study/studies, modelling, coupling beam

Procedia PDF Downloads 476

Authors: Muhammad Shafiq, Huynh Trung Luong

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In this paper, we proposed a commitment based revenue sharing contract for a supply chain comprising one manufacturer and one retailer facing highly uncertain demand of a short life span fashionable product. In our model, the retailer reserves a commitment level with the manufacturer prior to the selling season. In response, the manufacturer allocates and produces a specific quantity which is the maximum available quantity for the retailer. The retailer is motivated to commit more by offering higher revenue sharing percentage for reserved capacity than non-reserved capacity. Due to asymmetric information, it is found that the manufacturer can optimize quantity allocation decision while the commitment level decision of the retailer may not be optimal.

Keywords: supply chain coordination, revenue sharing contract, commitment based revenue sharing, quantity allocation

Procedia PDF Downloads 487

Authors: Salahaedin Waiezi, Nik Ahmad Nizam Nik Malek, Hassan Abdelmagid Elzamzami, Shahrulnizahana Mohammad Din

Abstract:

A green and safe approach to the synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) can be performed using plant leaf extract as the reducing agent. Hence, this paper reports the biosynthesis of AgNP using Clinacanthus nutans plant extract. C. nutans is known as belalai gajah in Malaysia and is widely used as a medicinal herb locally. The biosynthesized AgNP, using C. nutans aqueous extract at pH 10, with the reaction temperature of 70°C and 48 h reaction time, was characterized by UV-Vis spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX), and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A peak appeared in the UV-Vis spectra at around 400 nm, while XRD confirmed the crystal structure of AgNP, with the average size between 20 to 30 nm, as shown in FESEM and TEM. The antibacterial activity of the biosynthesized AgNP, which was performed using the disc diffusion technique (DDT) indicated effective inhibition against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. In contrast, minimal antibacterial activity was detected against Enterococcus faecalis and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). In general, AgNP produced using C. nutans leaf extract possesses potential antibacterial activity.

Keywords: silver nanoparticles, Clinacanthus nutans, antibacterial agent, biosynthesis

Procedia PDF Downloads 204

Authors: Ijaz Ul Haq, Fiorenzo Franceschini

Abstract:

The distributed manufacturing methodology brings a new concept of decentralized manufacturing operations close to the proximity of end users. A preliminary scale, to measure distributed capacity and evaluate positioning of firms, is developed in this research. In the first part of the paper, a literature review has been performed which highlights the explorative nature of the studies conducted to present definitions and classifications due to novelty of this topic. From literature, five dimensions of distributed manufacturing development stages have been identified: localization, manufacturing technologies, customization and personalization, digitalization and democratization of design. Based on these determinants a conceptual scale is proposed to measure the status of distributed manufacturing of a generic firm. A multiple case study is then conducted in two steps to test the conceptual scale and to identify the corresponding level of distributed potential in each case study firm.

Keywords: distributed manufacturing, distributed capacity, localized production, ordinal scale

Procedia PDF Downloads 163

Authors: Amina Unis, Samah S. El Basateeny, Noha A. H. Nassef

Abstract:

Introduction: Acute Renal Failure (ARF) is one of the most common problems encountered in hospitalized critically ill patients. In recent years great effort has been focused on the introduction of herbal medicine as a novel therapeutic agent for prevention of ARF. Hence, the current study was designed to investigate the effect of Green Coffee Bean Extract (GCBE) on gentamicin induced ARF in rats. Methods: The study was conducted on 60 male rats divided into six equal groups. Group 1 served as normal control group and GCBE was administered for 7 days at a dose of 20 mg/kg/day in group 2 and 40 mg/kg/day in group 3 to test the effect of GCBE on normal kidneys. ARF was induced by a daily intraperitoneal injection of gentamicin (80 mg/kg) for 7 days in group 4 (model group), group 5 (GCBE 20 mg/kg/day) and group 6 (GCBE 20 mg/kg/day). All rats were sacrificed after 7 days and blood was withdrawn for kidney function tests. Kidneys were removed for determination of renal oxidative stress markers and histopathological examination. Results: The present study showed that rats that received oral GCBE for 7 days without induction of ARF showed no significant change in all the assessed parameters in comparison to the normal control group, while rats in the groups that received oral GCBE for 7 days with induction of ARF showed a significant improvement in kidney functions tests (decrease in serum urea, serum creatinine, and blood urea nitrogen) when compared to the ARF model group. Moreover, there was significant amelioration in renal oxidative stress markers (renal malondialdehyde, renal superoxide dismutase) and renal histopathological changes in the GCBE treated groups along induction of ARF when compared to ARF model group. The most significant improvement was reported in the group where GCBE was administered for 7 days in a dose 40 mg/kg/day, along with induction of ARF. Conclusion: GCBE has a potential role in ameliorating renal damage involved in ARF mostly through its antioxidant effect.

Keywords: green coffee bean extract, gentamicin, acute renal failure, pharmacology

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Authors: Warinthorn Kiadtikornthaweeyot Evans, Nawattakorn Kaikaew

Abstract:

The communication system between the ground station and the satellite is very important to guarantee contact between both sides. Thailand, led by Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA), has received satellite images from other nation's satellites for a number of years. In 2008, Thailand Earth Observation Satellite (THEOS) was the first Earth observation satellite owned by Thailand. The mission was monitoring our country with affordable access to space-based Earth imagery. At this time, the control ground station was initially used to control the THEOS satellite by our Thai engineers. The Tele-commands were sent to the satellite according to requests from government and private sectors. Since then, GISTDA's engineers have gained their skill and experience to operate the satellite. Recently the desire to use satellite data is increasing rapidly due to space technology moving fast and giving us more benefits. It is essential to ensure that Thailand remains competitive in space technology. Thai Engineers have started to improve the performance of the control ground station in many different sections, also developing skills and knowledge in areas of satellite communication. Human resource skills are being enforced with development projects through capacity building. This paper focuses on the hands-on capacity building of GISTDA's engineers to develop a small automatic tracking antenna. The final achievement of the project is the first phase prototype of a small automatic tracking antenna to support the new technology of the satellites. There are two main subsystems that have been developed and tested; the tracking system and the monitoring and control software. The prototype first phase functions testing has been performed with Two Line Element (TLE) and the mission planning plan (MPP) file calculated from THEOS satellite by GISTDA.

Keywords: capacity building, small tracking antenna, automatic tracking system, project development procedure

Procedia PDF Downloads 75

Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami

Abstract:

Heat pipe is a simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of the heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force, the liquid phase flows to evaporator section. In HVAC systems, the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally, heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region, and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In the present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of the heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances its heat transfer capacity.

Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, CFD simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 496

Authors: M. Heydari, A. Ghanami

Abstract:

Heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to evaporator section.In HVAC systems the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances it’s heat transfer capacity.

Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, heat pipe limits

Procedia PDF Downloads 444

Authors: Pawit Tangviroon, Apichit Svang-Ariyaskul

Abstract:

Rubber seed oil is an attractive alternative feedstock for biodiesel production because it is not related to food-chain plant. Rubber seed oil contains large amount of free fatty acids, which causes problem in biodiesel production. Free fatty acids can react with alkaline catalyst in biodiesel production. Acid esterification is used as pre-treatment to convert unwanted compound to desirable biodiesel. Phase separation of oil and methanol occurs at low ratio of methanol to oil and causes low reaction rate and conversion. Acid esterification requires large excess of methanol in order to increase the miscibility of methanol in oil and accordingly, it is a more expensive separation process. In this work, the kinetics of esterification of rubber seed oil with methanol is developed from available experimental results. Reactive distillation process was designed by using Aspen Plus program. The effects of operating parameters such as feed ratio, molar reflux ratio, feed temperature, and feed stage are investigated in order to find the optimum conditions. Results show that the reactive distillation process is proved to be better than conventional process. It consumes less feed methanol and less energy while yielding higher product purity than the conventional process. This work can be used as a guideline for further development to industrial scale of biodiesel production using reactive distillation.

Keywords: biodiesel, reactive distillation, rubber seed oil, transesterification

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Authors: Bhanu Pant, Sanjay H. Upadhyay

Abstract:

Titanium alloys, owing to their high specific strength coupled with excellent resistance to corrosion in many severe environments, find extensive usage in the aerospace sector. Alpha and beta lean Titanium alloys have an additional characteristic of exhibiting high toughness with an NTS/ UTS ratio greater than one down to liquid oxygen and liquid helium temperatures. The cryogenic stage of high-performance rockets utilizes cryo-fluid submerged pressurizing tanks to improve volume to mass performance factor. A superior volume-to-mass ratio is achieved for LH2-submerged pressurizing tanks as compared to those submerged in LOX. Such high-efficiency tanks for LH2 submerged application necessitate the use of difficult to process alpha type Ti5Al2.5Sn-ELI alloy, which requires close control of process parameters to develop the tanks. In the present paper, a comparison of this alpha-type cryogenic Titanium alloy has been brought out with conventional alpha-beta Ti6Al4V-ELI alloy, which is usable up to LOX temperatures. Specific challenges faced during the development of these cryogenic pressurizing tanks for a launch vehicle based on the author's experience are included in the paper on the comparatively lesser-studied alpha Ti5Al2.5Sn-ELI alloy.

Keywords: cryogenic tanks, titanium Alloys, NTS/UTS ratio, alpha and alpha-beta ELI alloys

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Authors: L. Mouzai, M. Bouhadef

Abstract:

Rills begin to be generated once overland flow shear capacity overcomes the soil surface resistance. This resistance depends on soil texture, the arrangement of soil particles and on chemical and physical properties. The rill density could affect soil erosion, especially when the distance between the rills (interrill) contributes to the variation of the rill characteristics, and consequently on sediment concentration. To investigate this point, agricultural sandy soil, a soil tray of 0.2x1x3m³ and a piece of hardwood rectangular in shape to build up rills were the base of this work. The results have shown that small lines have been developed between the rills and the flow acceleration increased in comparison to the flow on the flat surface (interrill). Sediment concentration increased with increasing rill number (density).

Keywords: artificial rainfall, experiments, rills, soil erosion, transport capacity

Procedia PDF Downloads 164

Authors: Naser Shagerdi Esmaeli, Mohsen Hamidpour, Parisa Hasankhani Tehrani

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Background And Objective: Haematopoietic stem cell transplant is a potentially curative treatment option in various benign and malignant haematological diseases. Patients undergoing stem cell transplant procedure require blood transfusion on a daily basis. Currently, there is paucity of data from developing countries on transfusion practices. This audit was undertaken to determine the consumption of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfusion in the bone marrow transplant unit of the Shahid Ghazi Tabatabaei Hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Subjects And Methods: A retrospective audit was conducted for packed red cell transfusion ordering practice over a period from March 2017 to march 2018. All consecutive patients admitted for stem cell transplant procedure for various underlying diseases were included. Outcome measures used in this study were (i) cross match to transfusion (C: T) ratio and (ii) transfusion trigger. Results: During the study period, n=13 patients underwent a haematopoietic stem cell transplant. There were n=10 males and n=3 females. One patient was less than 15 years of age, while rests were adults. Median age±SD was 26.5±14.5 years (12∼54 years). The underlying diagnosis included Aplastic anemia (n=4), Thalassemia major (n=1), Multiple Myeloma (n=3), Acute leukemia (n=3), Hodgkin's lymphoma (n=1), PRCA (n=1). Grand total consumption of PRBCs during the study period was 204, while 258 products were crossmatch. The C:T ratio was 1.26. The transfusion trigger was Hb level of less than 8 gr/dl. Conclusion: The results of our BMT unit indicate that the C:T ratio and transfusion trigger is comparable to the international criteria and pioneer country in BMT transplantation. Also, we hope that our blood consumption become less than it is now.

Keywords: blood consumption, C: T ratio, PRBCs, stem cell transplant, tabriz, Iran

Procedia PDF Downloads 127

Authors: M. A. Ghebouli, A. Bouhemadou, H. Choutri, L. Louaila

Abstract:

Some physical properties of the cubic perovskites CsXF3 (X = Sr, Ca, and Hg) have been investigated using pseudopotential plane–wave (PP-PW) method based on the density functional theory (DFT). The calculated lattice constants within GGA (PBE) and LDA (CA-PZ) agree reasonably with the available experiment data. The elastic constants and their pressure derivatives are predicted using the static finite strain technique. We derived the bulk and shear moduli, Young’s modulus, Poisson’s ratio and Lamé’s constants for ideal polycrystalline aggregates. The analysis of B/G ratio indicates that CsXF3 (X = Ca, Sr, and Hg) are ductile materials. The thermal effect on the volume, bulk modulus, heat capacities CV, CP, and Debye temperature was predicted.

Keywords: perovskite, PP-PW method, elastic constants, electronic band structure

Procedia PDF Downloads 437

Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami

Abstract:

A heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At a hot surface of the heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to the vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to the liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to the evaporator section. In HVAC systems, the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses the heater, humidifier, or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally, heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region, and evaporator. Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In the present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of the heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian-Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances its heat transfer capacity.

Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, heat pipe limits

Procedia PDF Downloads 436

Authors: Sara Khamseh, Elahe Sharifi

Abstract:

321 alloy steel is austenitic stainless steel with high oxidation resistance and is commonly used to fabricate heat exchangers and steam generators. However, the low hardness and weak tribological performance can cause dangerous failures during industrial operations. The well-designed protective coatings on 321 alloy steel surfaces with high hardness and good tribological performance can guarantee their safe applications. The surface protection of metal substrates using protective coatings showed high efficiency in prevailing these problems. Carbon-based multicomponent coatings, such as metal-added amorphous carbon coatings, are crucially necessary because of their remarkable mechanical and tribological performances. In the current study, (Nb: Si: a-C) multicomponent coatings (a-C: amorphous carbon) were coated on 321 alloys using a balanced magnetron (BM) sputtering system at room temperature. The effects of the Si/Nb ratio on microstructure, mechanical and tribological characteristics of (Nb: Si: a-C) composite coatings were investigated. The XRD and Raman analysis results showed that the coatings formed a composite structure of cubic diamond (C-D), NbC, and graphite-like carbon (GLC). The NbC phase's abundance decreased when the C-D phase's affluence increased with an increasing Si/Nb ratio. The coatings' indentation hardness and plasticity index (H³/E² ratio) increased with an increasing Si/Nb ratio. The better mechanical properties of the coatings with higher Si content can be attributed to the higher cubic diamond (C-D) content. The cubic diamond (C-D) is a challenging phase and can positively affect the mechanical performance of the coatings. It is well documented that in hard protective coatings, Si encourages amorphization. In addition, THE studies showed that Nb and Mo can act as a catalyst for nucleation and growth of hard cubic (C-D) and hexagonal (H-D) diamond phases in a-C coatings. In the current study, it seems that fully arranged nanocomposite coatings contain hard C-D and NbC phases that embedded in the amorphous carbon (GLC) phase is formed. This unique structure decreased grain boundary density and defects and resulted in high hardness and H³/E² ratio. Moreover, the COF and wear rate of the coatings decreased with increasing Si/Nb ratio. This can be attributed to the good mechanical properties of the coatings and the formation of graphite-like carbon (GLC) structure with lamellae arrangement in the coatings. The complex and self-lubricant coatings are successfully formed on the surface of 321 alloys. The results of the present study clarified that Si addition to (Nb: a-C) coatings improve the mechanical and tribological performance of the coatings on 321 alloy.

Keywords: COF, mechanical properties, microstructure, (Nb: Si: a-C) coatings, Wear rate

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Authors: Andres Zuñiga Orozco

Abstract:

Green manure fertilizers have special importance in the development of organic and sustainable agriculture as a substitute or complement to chemical fertilization. They have many advantages, but they have application limitations in greenhouse crops and in open field crops that have low growing size. On the other hand, the logistics of sowing, harvesting and applying have been difficult for producers to adopt. For this reason, a pelletized presentation was designed in conjunction with Trichoderma harzianum. The biopellet was applied in pineapple as the first experience, managing to improve carbon levels in the soil and some nutrients. Then it was applied to tomatoes where it was proven that, nutritionally, it is possible to nourish the crop up to day 60 only with the biopellet, improve carbon levels in soil and control the fungus Fusarium oxysporum. Subsequently, it was applied to coffee seedlings with an organo-mineral formulation. Here, the improvement in the growth and nutrition of the plants was notable, as well as the increase in the microbial activity of the soil. M. pruriens biopellets allow crops to be nourished, allow biocontrolers to be added, improve soil conditions to promote greater microbial activity, reincorporate carbon and CO2 into the soil, are easily applicable, allow dosing and have a favorable shelf-life. They can be applied to all types of crops, both in the greenhouse and in the field.

Keywords: Mucuna pruriens, pellets, carbon, Trichoderma, Fusarium

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Authors: Sai Radavaram

Abstract:

A wideband low-profile circularly-polarized antenna, consisting of 2×2 sequentially-rotated, differentially-fed, slotted rectangular patch elements, is proposed. To realize the right-hand circular polarization, an anti-clockwise phase rotation of 0o, -90o, -180o and -270o is applied between the antenna elements. The proposed antenna, with a height of only 0.02lambda (where lambda is the wavelength of the antenna at the center frequency of the antenna), exhibits a 68% impedance bandwidth from 2 to 4.05 GHz with a 3dB axial ratio bandwidth in the order of 56% from 2.25 to 4.05 GHz. Moreover, a wide 3dB axial ratio beamwidth of 140o is obtained at the center frequency of 3 GHz, along with symmetrical radiation patterns over the operating frequency band.

Keywords: circular polarization, sequentially rotated, slotted patch antennas, wideband

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Authors: Tariq Ahmad Safapuri, Saghir Ahmad, Farhana Allai

Abstract:

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect dehydration techniques (polyhouse and tray drying), different treatment (SHMP, SHMP+ salt, salt + turmeric), different packaging material (HDPE, combination film), and different packaging methods (air, vacuum, CO2 Flush) on quality of dehydrated buffalo meat during ambient temperature storage. The quality measuring parameters included physico-chemical characteristics i.e. pH, rehydration ratio, moisture content and microbiological characteristics viz total plate content. It was found that the treatment of (SHMP, SHMP + salt, salt + turmeric increased the pH. Moisture Content of dehydrated meat samples were found in between 7.20% and 5.54%.the rehydration ratio of salt+ turmeric treated sample was found to be highest and lowest for controlled meat sample. the bacterial count log TPC/g of salt + turmeric and tray dried was lowest i.e. 1.80.During ambient temperature storage ,there was no considerable change in pH of dehydrated sample till 150 days. however the moisture content of samples increased in different packaging system in different manner. The highest moisture rise was found in case of controlled meat sample HDPE/air packed while the lowest increase was reported for SHMP+ Salt treated Packed by vacuum in combination film packed sample. Rehydration ratio was found considerably affected in case of HDPE and air packed sample dehydrated in polyhouse after 150 days of ambient storage. While there was a very little change in the rehydration ratio of meat samples packed in combination film CO2 flush system. The TPC was found under safe limit even after 150 days of storage. The microbial count was found to be lowest for salt+ turmeric treated samples after 150 days of storage.

Keywords: ambient temperature, dehydration technique, rehydration ratio, SHMP (sodium hexa meta phosphate), HDPE (high density polyethelene)

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Authors: Oluwafemi Babatunde Oduntan, Isaac A. Bamgboye

Abstract:

The solid waste disposal and its management from pineapple juice processing constitute environmental contamination affecting public health. The use of this by-product called pomace has potentials to reduce cost of aquafeed. Pineapple pomace collected after juice extraction was dried and milled. The interactive effects of feeding rate (1.28, 1.44 and 1.60kg/min), screw speed (305, 355 and 405rpm), moisture content (16, 19 and 22%), temperatures (60, 80, 100 and 120°C), cutting speed (1300, 1400 and 1500rpm), pomace inclusion ratio (5, 10, 15, 20%) and open surface die (50, 75 and 100%) on the extrudate physical properties (bulk density, unit density, expansion ratio, durability and floatability) were investigated using optimal custom design (OCD) matrix and response surface methodology. The predicted values were found to be in good agreement with the experimental values for, expansion ratio, durability and floatability (R2 = 0.7970; 0.9264; 0.9098 respectively) with the exceptions of unit density and bulk density (R2 = 0.1639; 0.2768 respectively). All the extrudates showed relatively high floatability, durability. The inclusion of pineapple pomace produced less expanded and more compact textured extrudates. Results indicated that increased in the value of pineapple pomace, screw speed, feeding rate decreased unit density, bulk density, expansion ratio, durability and floatability of the extrudate. However, increasing moisture content of feed mash resulted in increase unit density and bulk density. Addition of extrusion temperature and cutting speed increased the floatability and durability of extrudate. The proportion of pineapple pomace in aquafeed extruded product was observed to have significantly lower effect on the selected responses.

Keywords: aquafeed, extrusion, physical properties, pineapple pomace, waste

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Authors: Mohammed Mashrei

Abstract:

Ferrocement is a type of thin reinforced concrete made of cement-sand matrix with closely spaced relatively small diameter wire meshes, with or without steel bars of small diameter called skeletal steel. This work concerns on the behavior of square ferrocement slabs of dimensions (500) mm x (500) mm and 30 mm subjected to a central load. This study includes testing thirteen ferrocement slabs. The main variables considered in the experimental work are the number of wire mesh layers, percentage of silica fume and the presence of steel fiber. The effects of these variables on the behavior and load carrying capacity of tested slabs under central load were investigated. From the experimental results, it is found that by increasing the percentage of silica fume from (0 to 1.5, 3, 4.5 and 6) of weight of cement the ultimate loads are affected. Also From this study, it is observed that the load carrying capacity increases with the presence of steel fiber reinforcement, the ductility is high in the case of steel fibers. The increasing wire mesh layer from six to ten layers increased the load capacity by 76%. Also, a reduction in width of crack with increasing in number of cracks in the samples that content on steel fibers comparing with samples without steel fibers was observed from the results.

Keywords: ferrocement, fibre, silica fume, slab, strength

Procedia PDF Downloads 236

Authors: Justina Jor, Mahmud Pinga

Abstract:

Climate change has become a significant worldwide environmental challenge with extensive implications, compelling both governments and non-governmental organizations to remain vigilant, as it seemingly impacts various sectors of the global economy, including education. The study investigates the implementation of smart climate change measures for effective primary school management in Benue State, Nigeria. Theorized by the diffusion of innovations, the study was guided by two research questions, and two null hypotheses were formulated and tested. The study used a descriptive survey design. The population comprised 12,364 teachers from 2,721 primary schools, with a sample of 618 teachers from 136 schools selected through a multistage sampling procedure. Smart climate change measures questionnaire (SCCMQ) and key informant interview (KII) were used for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean and standard deviation to answer the research questions, while the Chi-square (χ2) test of goodness-of-fit was used to test the hypotheses at a 0.05 level of significance, with qualitative data analyzed using simple percentages, tables, and bar charts. The findings highlight the significant positive impact of green building practices on the efficient administration of primary schools in Benue State, Nigeria. The crucial integration of environmentally sustainable construction methods is emphasized for enhancing overall management in these educational institutions. In addition, the research demonstrates a favorable impact on the adoption of renewable energy solutions and effective school management. The utilization of renewable energy not only aligns with eco-friendly practices but also contributes to the overall operational efficiency and sustainability of primary schools in the region. The study recommends that educational authorities and policymakers prioritize integrating green building practices and renewable energy solutions, pointing towards the prospect of improved governance and functionality for primary education facilities not only in Benue but throughout Nigeria.

Keywords: smart, climate change, effective management, green building, renewable energy

Procedia PDF Downloads 66

Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami

Abstract:

Heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to evaporator section. In HVAC systems the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances it’s heat transfer capacity used in the abstract.

Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, CFD simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 426

Authors: H. Shokouhmand, A. Ghanami

Abstract:

Heat pipe is simple heat transfer device which combines the conduction and phase change phenomena to control the heat transfer without any need for external power source. At hot surface of heat pipe, the liquid phase absorbs heat and changes to vapor phase. The vapor phase flows to condenser region and with the loss of heat changes to liquid phase. Due to gravitational force the liquid phase flows to evaporator section.In HVAC systems the working fluid is chosen based on the operating temperature. The heat pipe has significant capability to reduce the humidity in HVAC systems. Each HVAC system which uses heater, humidifier or dryer is a suitable nominate for the utilization of heat pipes. Generally heat pipes have three main sections: condenser, adiabatic region and evaporator.Performance investigation and optimization of heat pipes operation in order to increase their efficiency is crucial. In present article, a parametric study is performed to improve the heat pipe performance. Therefore, the heat capacity of heat pipe with respect to geometrical and confining parameters is investigated. For the better observation of heat pipe operation in HVAC systems, a CFD simulation in Eulerian- Eulerian multiphase approach is also performed. The results show that heat pipe heat transfer capacity is higher for water as working fluid with the operating temperature of 340 K. It is also showed that the vertical orientation of heat pipe enhances it’s heat transfer capacity used in the abstract.

Keywords: heat pipe, HVAC system, grooved heat pipe, heat pipe limits

Procedia PDF Downloads 364

Authors: C. A. Roberts, S. L. Mascaro, J. R. Gerrish, J. L. Horner

Abstract:

Management-intensive Grazing (MiG) is a practice that rotates livestock through paddocks in a way that best matches the nutrient requirements of the animal to the yield and quality of the pasture. In the USA, MiG has been taught to livestock producers throughout the state of Missouri in 2- and 3-day workshops called “Missouri Grazing Schools.” The economic impact of these schools was quantified using IMPLAN software. The model included hectares of adoption, animal performance, carrying capacity, and input costs. To date, MiG, as taught in the Missouri Grazing Schools, has been implemented on more than 70,000 hectares in Missouri. The economic impact of these schools is presently $125 million USD per year added to the state economy. This magnitude of impact is the result not only of widespread adoption but also because of increased livestock carrying capacity; in Missouri, a capacity increase of 25 to 30% has been well documented. Additional impacts have been MiG improving forage quality and reducing the cost of feed and fertilizer. The environmental impact of MiG in the state of Missouri is currently being estimated. Environmental impact takes into account the reduction in the application of commercial fertilizers; in MiG systems, nitrogen is supplied by N fixation from legumes, and much of the P and K is recycled naturally by well-distributed manure. The environmental impact also estimates carbon sequestration and methane production; MiG can increase carbon sequestration and reduce methane production in comparison to default grazing practices and feedlot operations in the USA.

Keywords: agricultural education, forage quality, management-intensive grazing, nutrient cycling, stock density, sustainable agriculture

Procedia PDF Downloads 202

Authors: Gobinda Gopal Khan, Ashutosh K. Singh, Debasish Sarkar

Abstract:

This study reports the facile fabrication of 1D ZnO/α-Fe2O3 semiconductor nano-heterostructures (SNHs), and we investigate the strong interfacial interactions at the heterojunction, resulting in novel multifunctionality in the hybrid structure. ZnO-coated α-Fe2O3 nanowires (NWs) have been prepared by combining electrodeposition and wet chemical methods. Significant improvement in electrical conductivity, photoluminescence, and room temperature magnetic properties have been observed for the ZnO/α-Fe2O3 SNHs over the pristine α-Fe2O3 NWs because of the contribution of the ZnO nanolayer. The increase in electrical conductivity in ZnO/α-Fe2O3 SNHs is because of the increase in free electrons in the conduction band of the SNHs due to the formation of type-II n-n band configuration at the heterojunction. The SNHs are found to exhibit enhanced visible green photoluminescence along with the UV emission at room temperature. The band-gap emission of the α-Fe2O3 NWs coupled to the defect emissions of the ZnO in SNHs can be attributed to the profound enhancement of the visible green luminescence. Ferromagnetism of the SNHs is found to be increased nearly five times in magnitude over the primeval α-Fe2O3 NWs, which can be ascribed to the exchange coupling of the interfacial spin at ZnO/α-Fe2O3 interface, the surface spin of ZnO nanolayer, along with the structural defects like the cation vacancies (VZn) and the singly ionized oxygen vacancies (Vo•) present in SNHs.

Keywords: nano-heterostructures, photoluminescence, electrical property, magnetism

Procedia PDF Downloads 256

Authors: Akram Khelaifia, Salah Guettala, Nesreddine Djafar Henni, Rachid Chebili

Abstract:

Reinforced concrete shear walls are pivotal in protecting buildings from seismic forces by providing strength and stiffness. This study highlights the importance of strategically placing shear walls and optimizing the shear wall-to-floor area ratio in building design. Nonlinear analyses were conducted on an eight-story building situated in a high seismic zone, exploring various scenarios of shear wall positioning and ratios to floor area. Employing the performance-based seismic design (PBSD) approach, the study aims to meet acceptance criteria such as inter-story drift ratio and damage levels. The results indicate that concentrating shear walls in the middle of the structure during the design phase yields superior performance compared to peripheral distributions. Utilizing shear walls that fully infill the frame and adopting compound shapes (e.g., Box, U, and L) enhances reliability in terms of inter-story drift. Conversely, the absence of complete shear walls within the frame leads to decreased stiffness and degradation of shorter beams. Increasing the shear wall-to-floor area ratio in building design enhances structural rigidity and reliability regarding inter-story drift, facilitating the attainment of desired performance levels. The study suggests that a shear wall ratio of 1.0% is necessary to meet validation criteria for inter-story drift and structural damage, as exceeding this percentage leads to excessive performance levels, proving uneconomical as structural elements operate near the elastic range.

Keywords: nonlinear analyses, pushover analysis, shear wall, plastic hinge, performance level

Procedia PDF Downloads 50

Authors: Silvia Baralla, Raffaella Zucaro, Romina Lorenzetti

Abstract:

Water management needs to cope with economic, societal, and environmental changes. This could be guaranteed through 'shifting from government to governance'. In the last decades, it was applied in Europe through and within important legislative pillars (Water Framework Directive and Common Agricultural Policy) and their measures focused on resilience and adaptation to climate change, with particular attention to the creation of synergies among policies and all the actors involved at different levels. Within the climate change context, the agricultural sector can play, through sustainable water management, a leading role for climate-resilient growth and environmental integrity. A recent analysis on the water management governance of different countries identified some common gaps dealing with administrative, policy, information, capacity building, funding, objective, and accountability. The ability of a country to fill these gaps is an essential requirement to make some of the changes requested by Europe, in particular the improvement of the agro-ecosystem resilience to the effect of climatic change, supporting green and digital transitions, and sustainable water use. This research aims to contribute in sharing examples of water governances and related advantages useful to fill the highlighted gaps. Italy has developed a strong and exhaustive model of water governance in order to react with strategic and synergic actions since it is one of the European countries most threatened by climate change and its extreme events (drought, floods). In particular, the Italian water governance model was able to overcome several gaps, specifically as concerns the water use in agriculture, adopting strategies as a systemic/integrated approach, the stakeholder engagement, capacity building, the improvement of planning and monitoring ability, and an adaptive/resilient strategy for funding activities. They were carried out, putting in place regulatory, structural, and management actions. Regulatory actions include both the institution of technical committees grouping together water decision-makers and the elaboration of operative manuals and guidelines by means of a participative and cross-cutting approach. Structural actions deal with the funding of interventions within European and national funds according to the principles of coherence and complementarity. Finally, management actions regard the introduction of operational tools to support decision-makers in order to improve planning and monitoring ability. In particular, two cross-functional and interoperable web databases were introduced: SIGRIAN (National Information System for Water Resources Management in Agriculture) and DANIA (National Database of Investments for Irrigation and the Environment). Their interconnection allows to support sustainable investments, taking into account the compliance about irrigation volumes quantified in SIGRIAN, ensuring a high level of attention on water saving, and monitoring the efficiency of funding. Main positive results from the Italian water governance model deal with a synergic and coordinated work at the national, regional, and local level among institutions, the transparency on water use in agriculture, a deeper understanding from the stakeholder side of the importance of their roles and of their own potential benefits and the capacity to guarantee continuity to this model, through a sensitization process and the combined use of management operational tools.

Keywords: agricultural sustainability, governance model, water management, water policies

Procedia PDF Downloads 117

Authors: Imen Abid, Rachel Calvet, Michel Baltas

Abstract:

Flavonoids are secondary metabolites that belong to a polyphenolic class, present in fruits and vegetables, playing a significant role in biological systems. The structural variations of these flavonoids are associated with many biological and pharmacological activities (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antifungal, antiviral, and antimalarial). Given their importance in plants and health-promoting roles in humans, significant efforts have been devoted towards their isolation of flavonoids and chemical elaboration (organic synthesis). But with the increasing public concern over environmental degradation and future resources, it is of great importance for chemists to come up with different approaches, less hazardous to human health and the environment. Being employed in large amounts, the solvents used in organic synthesis are high on the list of environmental pollutants. To overcome these problems, our approach is to develop unconventional processes involving solvent-free conditions. The application of mechanical forces to solvent-free or solvent-less reaction mixtures through the use of ball mills offers many advantages over traditional solvent-based strategies. It is one of the unconventional activation methods, which makes it possible to overcome the use of solvents, in the context of green chemistry and more respectful of the environment.

Keywords: organic synthesis, green chemistry, mecanochemistry, pharmaceutical molecules

Procedia PDF Downloads 79

Authors: Çağrı Özgün Kibiroğlu, Zeynep Turgut

Abstract:

This paper considers a hub location problem where the network service area partitioned into predetermined zones (represented by node clusters is given) and potential hub nodes capacity levels are determined a priori as a selection criteria of hub to investigate congestion effect on network. The objective is to design hub network by determining all required hub locations in the node clusters and also allocate non-hub nodes to hubs such that the total cost including transportation cost, opening cost of hubs and penalty cost for exceed of capacity level at hubs is minimized. A mixed integer linear programming model is developed introducing additional constraints to the traditional model of capacitated multiple allocation hub location problem and empirically tested.

Keywords: hub location problem, p-hub median problem, clustering, congestion

Procedia PDF Downloads 492

Authors: Soner Guler, Eylem Guzel, Mustafa Gülen

Abstract:

Recently, concrete-filled steel tube columns are highly popular in high-rise buildings. The main aim of this study is to evaluate the axial load capacities of circular high strength concrete-filled steel tube columns according to Eurocode 4 (EC4) and American Concrete Institute (ACI) design codes. The axial load capacities of fifteen concrete-filled steel tubes stub columns were compared with design codes EU4 and ACI. The results showed that the EC4 overestimate the axial load capacity for all the specimens.

Keywords: concrete-filled steel tube column, axial load capacity, Eurocode 4, ACI design codes

Procedia PDF Downloads 389