Search results for: railway capacity
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 4426

Search results for: railway capacity

2656 Unfolding Architectural Assemblages: Mapping Contemporary Spatial Objects' Affective Capacity

Authors: Panagiotis Roupas, Yota Passia

Abstract:

This paper aims at establishing an index of design mechanisms - immanent in spatial objects - based on the affective capacity of their material formations. While spatial objects (design objects, buildings, urban configurations, etc.) are regarded as systems composed of interacting parts, within the premises of assemblage theory, their ability to affect and to be affected has not yet been mapped or sufficiently explored. This ability lies in excess, a latent potentiality they contain, not transcendental but immanent in their pre-subjective aesthetic power. As spatial structures are theorized as assemblages - composed of heterogeneous elements that enter into relations with one another - and since all assemblages are parts of larger assemblages, their components' ability to engage is contingent. We thus seek to unfold the mechanisms inherent in spatial objects that allow to the constituent parts of design assemblages to perpetually enter into new assemblages. To map architectural assemblage's affective ability, spatial objects are analyzed in two axes. The first axis focuses on the relations that the assemblage's material and expressive components develop in order to enter the assemblages. Material components refer to those material elements that an assemblage requires in order to exist, while expressive components includes non-linguistic (sense impressions) as well as linguistic (beliefs). The second axis records the processes known as a-signifying signs or a-signs, which are the triggering mechanisms able to territorialize or deterritorialize, stabilize or destabilize the assemblage and thus allow it to assemble anew. As a-signs cannot be isolated from matter, we point to their resulting effects, which without entering the linguistic level they are expressed in terms of intensity fields: modulations, movements, speeds, rhythms, spasms, etc. They belong to a molecular level where they operate in the pre-subjective world of perceptions, effects, drives, and emotions. A-signs have been introduced as intensities that transform the object beyond meaning, beyond fixed or known cognitive procedures. To that end, from an archive of more than 100 spatial objects by contemporary architects and designers, we have created an effective mechanisms index is created, where each a-sign is now connected with the list of effects it triggers and which thoroughly defines it. And vice versa, the same effect can be triggered by different a-signs, allowing the design object to lie in a perpetual state of becoming. To define spatial objects, A-signs are categorized in terms of their aesthetic power to affect and to be affected on the basis of the general categories of form, structure and surface. Thus, different part's degree of contingency are evaluated and measured and finally, we introduce as material information that is immanent in the spatial object while at the same time they confer no meaning; they only convey some information without semantic content. Through this index, we are able to analyze and direct the final form of the spatial object while at the same time establishing the mechanism to measure its continuous transformation.

Keywords: affective mechanisms index, architectural assemblages, a-signifying signs, cartography, virtual

Procedia PDF Downloads 130
2655 Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities: Using Wastewater and Urban Wetlands as Resource

Authors: Hussnain Mukhtar, Yu-Pin Lin

Abstract:

This paper deals with the concept of ecologically engineered system for sustainable agriculture production with the view of sustainable cities development. Sustainable cities offer numerous eco-services to its inhabitants, and where, among other issues, wastewater nutrients can be considered to be a valuable resource to be used for a sustainable enhancement of urban agriculture in wetlands. Existing cities can be transferred from being only consumer of food and other agriculture product into important resource conserving and sustainable generators of these products. The review provides the food production capacity through introduction of wastewater into urban wetlands, potential for nutrient recovery and ecological engineering intervention to reduce the risk of food contamination by pathogens. Finally, we discuss the potential nutrients accumulating in our cities, as an important aspect of sustainable urban development.

Keywords: ecological engineering, nutrient recovery, pathogens, urban agriculture, wetlands

Procedia PDF Downloads 258
2654 Thermosensitive Hydrogel Development for Its Possible Application in Cardiac Cell Therapy

Authors: Lina Paola Orozco Marin, Yuliet Montoya Osorio, John Bustamante Osorno

Abstract:

Ischemic events can culminate in acute myocardial infarction by irreversible cardiac lesions that cannot be restored due to the limited regenerative capacity of the heart. Cell therapy seeks to replace these injured or necrotic cells by transplanting healthy and functional cells. The therapeutic alternatives proposed by tissue engineering and cardiovascular regenerative medicine are the use of biomaterials to mimic the native extracellular medium, which is full of proteins, proteoglycans, and glycoproteins. The selected biomaterials must provide structural support to the encapsulated cells to avoid their migration and death in the host tissue. In this context, the present research work focused on developing a natural thermosensitive hydrogel, its physical and chemical characterization, and the determination of its biocompatibility in vitro. The hydrogel was developed by mixing hydrolyzed bovine and porcine collagen at 2% w/v, chitosan at 2.5% w/v, and beta-glycerolphosphate at 8.5% w/w and 10.5% w/w in magnetic stirring at 4°C. Once obtained, the thermosensitivity and gelation time were determined, incubating the samples at 37°C and evaluating them through the inverted tube method. The morphological characterization of the hydrogels was carried out through scanning electron microscopy. Chemical characterization was carried out employing infrared spectroscopy. The biocompatibility was determined using the MTT cytotoxicity test according to the ISO 10993-5 standard for the hydrogel’s precursors using the fetal human ventricular cardiomyocytes cell line RL-14. The RL-14 cells were also seeded on the top of the hydrogels, and the supernatants were subculture at different periods to their observation under a bright field microscope. Four types of thermosensitive hydrogels were obtained, which differ in their composition and concentration, called A1 (chitosan/bovine collagen/beta-glycerolphosphate 8.5%w/w), A2 (chitosan/porcine collagen/beta-glycerolphosphate 8.5%), B1 (chitosan/bovine collagen/beta-glycerolphosphate 10.5%) and B2 (chitosan/porcine collagen/beta-glycerolphosphate 10.5%). A1 and A2 had a gelation time of 40 minutes, and B1 and B2 had a gelation time of 30 minutes at 37°C. Electron micrographs revealed a three-dimensional internal structure with interconnected pores for the four types of hydrogels. This facilitates the exchange of nutrients, oxygen, and the exit of metabolites, allowing to preserve a microenvironment suitable for cell proliferation. In the infrared spectra, it was possible to observe the interaction that occurs between the amides of polymeric compounds with the phosphate groups of beta-glycerolphosphate. Finally, the biocompatibility tests indicated that cells in contact with the hydrogel or with each of its precursors are not affected in their proliferation capacity for a period of 16 days. These results show the potential of the hydrogel to increase the cell survival rate in the cardiac cell therapies under investigation. Moreover, the results lay the foundations for its characterization and biological evaluation in both in vitro and in vivo models.

Keywords: cardiac cell therapy, cardiac ischemia, natural polymers, thermosensitive hydrogel

Procedia PDF Downloads 193
2653 Punching Shear Behavior of RC Column Footing on Stabilized Ground

Authors: Sukanta K. Shill, Md. M. Hoque, Md. Shaifullah

Abstract:

An experiment on the punching of RC column footing, comparison of test result to established different codes for punching shear calculation of column footings is presented in the paper. The principal aim of this study is to investigate the punching shear behavior of an isolated column footing using brick aggregate as coarse aggregate. Consequence, a RC model footing was constructed on a stabilized soil and tested the footing under field condition. The test result yields that the experimental punching shear capacity is greater than all the theoretical punching shear capacities obtained by using different codes of practices. It can be stated that BNBC 1993, as well as ACI 318, 2002 code formulae are very conservative in predicting the punching shear resistance of RC footing, whereas the CEB-FIP MC, 1990 formula and Eurocode2 formula are less conservative in predicting the punching shear resistance of footing.

Keywords: footing, punching shear, field condition, stabilized soil, brick aggregate

Procedia PDF Downloads 410
2652 Antioxidant Capacity of Maize Corn under Drought Stress from the Different Zones of Growing

Authors: Astghik R. Sukiasyan

Abstract:

The semidental sweet maize of Armenian population under drought stress and pollution by some heavy metals (HMs) in sites along the river Debet was studied. Accordingly, the objective of this work was to investigate the antioxidant status of maize plant in order to identify simple and reliable criteria for assessing the degree of adaptation of plants to abiotic stress of drought and HMs. It was found that in the case of removal from the mainstream of the river, the antioxidant status of the plant varies. As parameters, the antioxidant status of the plant has been determined by the activity of malondialdehyde (MDA) and Ferric Reducing Ability of Plasma (FRAP), taking into account the characteristics of natural drought of this region. The possibility of using some indicators which characterized the antioxidant status of the plant was concluded. The criteria for assessing the extent of environmental pollution could be HMs. This fact can be used for the early diagnosis of diseases in the population who lives in these areas and uses corn as the main food.

Keywords: antioxidant status, maize corn, drought stress, heavy metal

Procedia PDF Downloads 270
2651 Study of Rheological, Physic-Mechanical and Morphological Properties of Nitrile Butadiene Rubber Loaded with Organo-Bentonite

Authors: Doaa S. Mahmoud, Nivin M. Ahmed, Salwa H. El-Sabbagh

Abstract:

The rheometric characteristics and physicomechanical properties of bentonite / acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber (NBR) were investigated. The influences of adding bentonite (Bt) and / or modified bentonite (organo-Bt) to the rubber were observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the rubber chains may be confined within the interparticle space and the Bt particles presented a physical dispersion in NBR matrix. Bentonite (Bt) was modified with tetra butyl phosphonium bromide (TBP) in order to produce organo-Bt. The modification was carried out at 0.5, 1 and 2 cation exchange capacity (CEC) of bentonite. Results showed that the maximum torque of organo-Bt / NBR composite increases at high bentonite loading. The scorch time (tS2) and cure time (tC90) of the organo-Bt / NBR composites decreased simultaneously relative to those of the neat NBR. The prepared composite exhibited significant improvement in mechanical compared with that of neat NBR.

Keywords: acrylonitrile-butadiene rubber, bentonite, composites, physico-mechanical properties

Procedia PDF Downloads 267
2650 Organizational Learning Strategies for Building Organizational Resilience

Authors: Stephanie K. Douglas, Gordon R. Haley

Abstract:

Organizations face increasing disruptions, changes, and uncertainties through the rapid shifts in the economy and business environment. A capacity for resilience is necessary for organizations to survive and thrive in such adverse conditions. Learning is an essential component of an organization's capability for building resilience. Strategic human resource management is a principal component of learning and organizational resilience. To achieve organizational resilience, human resource management strategies must support individual knowledge, skills, and ability development through organizational learning. This study aimed to contribute to the comprehensive knowledge of the relationship between strategic human resource management and organizational learning to build organizational resilience. The organizational learning dimensions of knowledge acquisition, knowledge distribution, knowledge interpretation, and organizational memory can be fostered through human resource management strategies and then aggregated to the organizational level to build resilience.

Keywords: human resource development, human resource management, organizational learning, organizational resilience

Procedia PDF Downloads 138
2649 Research on the Correlation between College Students' Physical Fitness and Running Habits: Data Mining of Smart Phone Sports App

Authors: Mingming Guo, Xiaozan Wang

Abstract:

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to examine the correlation between the physical fitness of Chinese college students and their daily running habits (RH). Methods: A total of 718 college students from East China Normal University participated in this study (385 boys and 333 girls). Each participant participated in the Chinese Students’ Physical Fitness Test during the 2018-2019 school year. In addition, each student is also required to use the app to record all their running results during each run during the 2018-2019 school year. Researchers can query and export all running records through the app's management platform. Results: (1) The total number of kilometers run by the students showed a significant negative correlation with their vital capacity (VC), sitting body flexion (SBF), and long jump (LJ) (rᵥ

Keywords: college students, physical fitness, running habits, data mining

Procedia PDF Downloads 143
2648 Investigation of the Effects of Quercetin on Oxidative Stress in Cells Infected with Infectious Pancreatic Necrosis Virus

Authors: Dilek Zorlu Kaya, Sena Çenesiz, Utku Duran

Abstract:

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus is a disease of great concern in aquaculture, causing mortality of 80 - 90% of the stocks in salmonid production. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of quercetin on oxidant and antioxidant parameters of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus, which is important for fish farming and economy in vitro. Quercetin experimental model was used in the cell culture of Oncorhynchus mykiss infected with infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. Malondialdehyde, ceruloplasmin, total oxidant capacity, total antioxidant levels, and glutathione-peroxidase were measured in the samples. As a result of the study, it was observed that quercetin can minimize the damage caused by scavenging free radicals in cells infected with infectious pancreatic necrosis virus. Thus, we think that an important development can be achieved for fish farming and the economy.

Keywords: IPNV, oncorhynchus mykiss, TAS, TOS, quercetin

Procedia PDF Downloads 69
2647 Importance of Hospitality In Tourism Industry

Authors: S M Abdus Sattar

Abstract:

Introduction: The tourism industry is a vital component of economies, providing opportunities for economic growth and cultural exchange. At the heart of this industry lies the concept of hospitality. Tourism refers to the activity of traveling for leisure or business and hospitality refers to the welcoming, amenities and providing of services to guests in the travel and accommodation industries. Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries in the world today. Objectives: The most important objective of Tourism and Hospitality study are: To assess different aspects, To identify the reasons, To analyze the contribution in GDP of Bangladesh, To identify importances of hospitality, To identify challenges, To Development of leadership characteristics, communication, teamwork skill, customer service and problem-solving, To provide welcoming treatment to guests, offering accommodation, food, transportation and entertainment services to ensure guests feel safe and comfortable away from home, To explore future prospects in Bangladesh and To suggests some recommendations for development of these sector. Methodology: Statistical method has been adopted in this study. Common characteristics of the people of particular area are found out. Tourism data is collected through various methods, such as surveys, interviews, visitor registration, travel agency records, hotel bookings, transport ticketing systems, online platforms, social media, Bangladesh Tourism Corporation, World Travel and Tourism Council, Quantitative and qualitative research methods are used while collecting and analyzing data. Findings: Tourism and Hospitality focuses on marketing, management, attractions, recreation events, travel related services, lodging, operations of restaurants and food services. Tourism offers great opportunities for emerging economies and developing countries. It creates jobs, strengthens the local economy, contributes to local infrastructure development, can help to conserve the natural environment, cultural assets, traditions, reduce poverty and inequality. The hospitality industry contributes to the economy of a country by employing its human resources. It generates new employment, contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country. Around 330 million people were employed in the Tourism and Hospitality sector in globally. Tourism and Hospitality industry is creating high tax revenues. Tourism is a rising industry in Bangladesh. Studying hospitality can also help develop a range of essential skills that are valuable in any industry. Conclusion: As the conclusion, tourism industry is focused on providing quality attractions and events in order to entice tourists to come. The hospitality industry provides the good service for client. Hospitality and Tourism are closely related. Hospitality built up the relationship between host and guest. The importance of hospitality in tourism industry is immense. The Tourism and Hospitality industry is an important contributor to Bangladesh's economy. It is necessary to develop the Tourism infrastructure, maintain tourist destinations, railway stations, airports, rest house, hotels and improve the quality of services.

Keywords: tourism, hospitality, GDP, employment, economy

Procedia PDF Downloads 31
2646 Preparation of 3D Graphene with Microwave-Hydrothermal Assistance for Ultrahigh Performance of Capacitive Deionization

Authors: Wahid Dianbudiyanto, Shou Heng Liu

Abstract:

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a prospective desalination technology, which can be operated at low voltage, low temperature and potentially consume low energy for brackish water desalination. To obtain the optimal electrosorption, an electrode should possess high electrical conductivity, large surface area, good wettability, highly mesoporous structure which provide efficient pathways for ion distribution. In this work, a 3D structure graphene was fabricated using hydrothermal method which is assisted with microwave treatments to form 3D rGO (3DG-Mw-Hyd). The prepared samples have excellent specific capacitance (189.2 F / g) and ultrahigh electrosorption capacity (30 mg/g) for the desalination of 500 mg / l NaCl. These results are superior to the electrode which is fabricated only using the hydrothermal method without microwave assistance (3DG-Hyd) and traditional reflux method. Physical characterizations such as SEM, TEM, and XRD have been used to study the property difference of the materials. The preliminary results show that 3DG-Mw-Hyd is one of the promising electrodes for CDI in the practical applications.

Keywords: capacitive deionization, graphene, microwave, hydrothermal, electrosorption

Procedia PDF Downloads 298
2645 Synthesis of Graphene Oxide/Chitosan Nanocomposite for Methylene Blue Adsorption

Authors: S. Melvin Samuel, Jayanta Bhattacharya

Abstract:

In the present study, a graphene oxide/chitosan (GO-CS) composite material was prepared and used as an adsorbent for the removal of methylene blue (MB) from aqueous solution. The synthesized GO-CS adsorbent was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopes (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The removal of MB was conducted in batch mode. The effect of parameters influencing the adsorption of MB such as pH of the solution, initial MB concentration, shaking speed, contact time and adsorbent dosage were studied. The results showed that the GO-CS composite material has high adsorption capacity of 196 mg/g of MB solution at pH 9.0. Further, the adsorption of MB on GO-CS followed pseudo second order kinetics and equilibrium adsorption data well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm model. The study suggests that the GO-CS is a favorable adsorbent for the removal of MB from aqueous solution.

Keywords: Methylene blue, Graphene oxide-chitosan, Isotherms, Kinetics.

Procedia PDF Downloads 192
2644 Effects of Microwave Heating Rate on the Color, Total Anthocyanin Content and Total Phenolics of Elderberry Juice during Come-up-Time

Authors: Balunkeswar Nayak, Hanjun Cao, Xinruo Zhang

Abstract:

Elderberry could protect human health from oxidative stress, and reduce aging and certain cardiovascular diseases due to the presence of bioactive phytochemicals with high antioxidant capacity. However, these bioactive phytochemicals, such as anthocyanins and other phenolic acids, are susceptible to degradation during processing of elderberries to juice, jam, and powder due to intensity and duration of thermal exposure. The effects of microwave heating rate during come-up-times, using a domestic 2450 MHz microwave, on the color, total anthocyanin content and total phenolics on elderberry juice was studied. With a variation of come-up-time from 30 sec to 15 min at different power levels (10–50 % of total wattage), the temperature of elderberry juice vary from 40.6 °C to 91.5 °C. However, the color parameters (L, A, and B), total anthocyanin content (using pH differential method) and total phenolics did not vary significantly when compared to the control samples.

Keywords: elderberry, microwave, color, thermal exposure

Procedia PDF Downloads 606
2643 Land Suitability Analysis for Rice Production in a Typical Watershed of Southwestern Nigeria: A Sustainability Pathway

Authors: Oluwagbenga O. Isaac Orimoogunje, Omolola Helen Oshosanya

Abstract:

The study examined land management in a typical watershed in southwestern Nigeria with a view to ascertaining its impact on land suitability analysis for rice cultivation and production. The study applied the analytical hierarchy process (AHP), weighted overlay analysis (WOA), multi-criteria decision-making techniques, and suitability map calculations within a Geographic Information System environment. Five main criteria were used, and these include climate, topography, soil fertility, macronutrients, and micronutrients. A consistency ratio (CR) of 0.067 was obtained for rice cultivation. The results showed that 95% of the land area is suitable for rice cultivation, with pH units ranging between 4.6 and 6.0, organic matter of 1.4–2.5 g kg-1 and base saturation of more than 80%. The study concluded that the Ofiki watershed is a potential site for large-scale rice cultivation in a sustainable capacity.

Keywords: land management, land characteristics, land suitability, rice production, watershed

Procedia PDF Downloads 78
2642 Media and Women Empowerment: An Exploration of TV Popular Shows in India

Authors: Mamita Panda

Abstract:

Popular shows are considered to be powerful medium for bringing social change and development. It has the responsibility for not only entertaining, but spreading awareness among common mass which it results social intervention in the major social institutions. Gender construction in one of these social institutions where one can build their capacity to construct a better human society. Mass media in general, TV in particular has an important intervening factor in responding to these processes. The obligatory role of media not only through news but popular shows (serials) becomes compulsion for social formation including construction through gender. This paper attempts to map and examine the gendered contents from serials including viewer’s response to understand the level of influence. The regression analysis shows that socio-economic factors have wider influence on understanding of gender equality including TV popular contents. The social construction of gender through serials remains a serious debatable issue and concern thereafter.

Keywords: construction, empowerment, gender, media and women

Procedia PDF Downloads 506
2641 Evaporative Air Coolers Optimization for Energy Consumption Reduction and Energy Efficiency Ratio Increment

Authors: Leila Torkaman, Nasser Ghassembaglou

Abstract:

Significant quota of Municipal Electrical Energy consumption is related to Decentralized Air Conditioning which is mostly provided by evaporative coolers. So the aim is to optimize design of air conditioners to increase their efficiencies. To achieve this goal, results of practical standardized tests for 40 evaporative coolers in different types collected and simultaneously results for same coolers based on one of EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio) modeling styles are figured out. By comparing experimental results of different coolers standardized tests with modeling results, preciseness of used model is assessed and after comparing gained preciseness with international standards based on EER for cooling capacity, aeration and also electrical energy consumption, energy label from A (most effective) to G (less effective) is classified. finally needed methods to optimize energy consumption and cooler's classification are provided.

Keywords: cooler, EER, energy label, optimization

Procedia PDF Downloads 345
2640 Optimization of a Combined Ejector-Vapor Compression Refrigeration Systems with R134a

Authors: Ilhem Ouelhazi, Mouna Elakhdar, Lakdar Kairouani

Abstract:

A computer simulation model for a combined ejector-vapor compression cycle that uses working fluid R134a. A refrigeration system was developed which combines a basic vapor compression refrigeration cycle with an ejector cooling cycle. A one-dimensional mathematical model was developed using the equations governing the flow and thermodynamics based on the constant area ejector flow model. The effects of the operating parameters on the cooling capacity, the performance coefficient, and the entrainment ratio are studied. The current model is based on the NIST-REFPROP database for refrigerants properties calculations. The simulated performance is compared with the available experimental data from the literature for validation.

Keywords: combined refrigeration cycle, constant area ejector, R134a, ejector-cooling cycle, performance, mathematical simulation, vapor compression cycle

Procedia PDF Downloads 227
2639 Geographic Information System and Ecotourism Sites Identification of Jamui District, Bihar, India

Authors: Anshu Anshu

Abstract:

In the red corridor famed for the Left Wing Extremism, lies small district of Jamui in Bihar, India. The district lies at 24º20´ N latitude and 86º13´ E longitude, covering an area of 3,122.8 km2 The undulating topography, with widespread forests provides pristine environment for invigorating experience of tourists. Natural landscape in form of forests, wildlife, rivers, and cultural landscape dotted with historical and religious places is highly purposive for tourism. The study is primarily related to the identification of potential ecotourism sites, using Geographic Information System. Data preparation, analysis and finally identification of ecotourism sites is done. Secondary data used is Survey of India Topographical Sheets with R.F.1:50,000 covering the area of Jamui district. District Census Handbook, Census of India, 2011; ERDAS Imagine and Arc View is used for digitization and the creation of DEM’s (Digital Elevation Model) of the district, depicting the relief and topography and generate thematic maps. The thematic maps have been refined using the geo-processing tools. Buffer technique has been used for the accessibility analysis. Finally, all the maps, including the Buffer maps were overlaid to find out the areas which have potential for the development of ecotourism sites in the Jamui district. Spatial data - relief, slopes, settlements, transport network and forests of Jamui District were marked and identified, followed by Buffer Analysis that was used to find out the accessibility of features like roads, railway stations to the sites available for the development of ecotourism destinations. Buffer analysis is also carried out to get the spatial proximity of major river banks, lakes, and dam sites to be selected for promoting sustainable ecotourism. Overlay Analysis is conducted using the geo-processing tools. Digital Terrain Model (DEM) generated and relevant themes like roads, forest areas and settlements were draped on the DEM to make an assessment of the topography and other land uses of district to delineate potential zones of ecotourism development. Development of ecotourism in Jamui faces several challenges. The district lies in the portion of Bihar that is part of ‘red corridor’ of India. The hills and dense forests are the prominent hideouts and training ground for the extremists. It is well known that any kind of political instability, war, acts of violence directly influence the travel propensity and hinders all kind of non-essential travels to these areas. The development of ecotourism in the district can bring change and overall growth in this area with communities getting more involved in economically sustainable activities. It is a known fact that poverty and social exclusion are the main force that pushes people, resorting towards violence. All over the world tourism has been used as a tool to eradicate poverty and generate good will among people. Tourism, in sustainable form should be promoted in the district to integrate local communities in the development process and to distribute fruits of development with equity.

Keywords: buffer analysis, digital elevation model, ecotourism, red corridor

Procedia PDF Downloads 261
2638 Building on Local People Capacities as Key Resources in Making Livable Environments

Authors: Ouassim Chemrouk, Naima Chabbi-Chemrouk

Abstract:

Contemporary settlements and urban places are becoming increasingly complex involving technologically advanced building materials, and mechanical systems for controlling environmental quality such as thermal comfort, lighting, acoustics and other building performances. These systems, which rely exclusively on the utilization of nonrenewable energy are often expensive and environment pollutants. The proposed paper illustrates the important role of traditional knowledge and practice and what is sometimes called intangible cultural heritage assume in the design of the built environment. It shows that some traditional “ways of doing” that are transmitted at local scales from generation to generation could be built upon to become key resources for more livable urban places. Based on evidence from documentary sources and field surveys, it also shows how different attempts were made to translate some traditional practices and local know-how in the proposal of new urban schemes.

Keywords: key resource, know-how, local people, capacity building, liveable built environments

Procedia PDF Downloads 211
2637 Modal Analysis for Optimal Location of Doubly Fed Induction-Generator-Based Wind Farms for Reduction of Small Signal Oscillation

Authors: Meet Patel, Darshan Patel, Nilay Shah

Abstract:

Excess growth of wind-based renewable energy sources is required to identify the optimal location and damping capacity of doubly fed induction-generator-based (DFIG) wind farms while it penetrates into the transmission network. In this analysis, various ratings of DFIG wind farms are penetrated into the Single Machine Infinite Bus (SMIB ) at a different distance of the transmission line. On the basis of detailed examinations, a prime position is evaluated to maximize the stability of overall systems. A damping controller is designed at an optimum location to mitigate the small oscillations. The proposed model was validated using eigenvalue analysis, calculation of the participation factor, and time-domain simulation.

Keywords: DFIG, small signal stability, eigenvalues, time domain simulation

Procedia PDF Downloads 114
2636 Rehabilitation of Orthotropic Steel Deck Bridges Using a Modified Ortho-Composite Deck System

Authors: Mozhdeh Shirinzadeh, Richard Stroetmann

Abstract:

Orthotropic steel deck bridge consists of a deck plate, longitudinal stiffeners under the deck plate, cross beams and the main longitudinal girders. Due to the several advantages, Orthotropic Steel Deck (OSD) systems have been utilized in many bridges worldwide. The significant feature of this structural system is its high load-bearing capacity while having relatively low dead weight. In addition, cost efficiency and the ability of rapid field erection have made the orthotropic steel deck a popular type of bridge worldwide. However, OSD bridges are highly susceptible to fatigue damage. A large number of welded joints can be regarded as the main weakness of this system. This problem is, in particular, evident in the bridges which were built before 1994 when the fatigue design criteria had not been introduced in the bridge design codes. Recently, an Orthotropic-composite slab (OCS) for road bridges has been experimentally and numerically evaluated and developed at Technische Universität Dresden as a part of AIF-FOSTA research project P1265. The results of the project have provided a solid foundation for the design and analysis of Orthotropic-composite decks with dowel strips as a durable alternative to conventional steel or reinforced concrete decks. In continuation, while using the achievements of that project, the application of a modified Ortho-composite deck for an existing typical OSD bridge is investigated. Composite action is obtained by using rows of dowel strips in a clothoid (CL) shape. Regarding Eurocode criteria for different fatigue detail categories of an OSD bridge, the effect of the proposed modification approach is assessed. Moreover, a numerical parametric study is carried out utilizing finite element software to determine the impact of different variables, such as the size and arrangement of dowel strips, the application of transverse or longitudinal rows of dowel strips, and local wheel loads. For the verification of the simulation technique, experimental results of a segment of an OCS deck are used conducted in project P1265. Fatigue assessment is performed based on the last draft of Eurocode 1993-2 (2024) for the most probable detail categories (Hot-Spots) that have been reported in the previous statistical studies. Then, an analytical comparison is provided between the typical orthotropic steel deck and the modified Ortho-composite deck bridge in terms of fatigue issues and durability. The load-bearing capacity of the bridge, the critical deflections, and the composite behavior are also evaluated and compared. Results give a comprehensive overview of the efficiency of the rehabilitation method considering the required design service life of the bridge. Moreover, the proposed approach is assessed with regard to the construction method, details and practical aspects, as well as the economic point of view.

Keywords: composite action, fatigue, finite element method, steel deck, bridge

Procedia PDF Downloads 85
2635 Analysis of Stress Concentration of a Hybrid Composite Material with Centre Circular Hole Subjected to Tensile Loading

Authors: C. Shalini Devi

Abstract:

This work describes the stress concentration in a rectangular specimen with a circular hole made up of hybrid composite material with the combination of glass/carbon with epoxy. The arrangements of cross ply lamina in the sequence of alternative carbon and glass, using carbon fiber in panel, gives more strength to the structure as the carbon properties are higher when compared to glass. Typical aircraft and automobile components are with cut-outs, and such cut-outs reduce the weight of the aircraft according to the weight reduction law and also they reduce the bulking load carrying capacity. Experimental investigations were carried out using three specimens as per ASTM D5766 and three specimens as per ASTM D3039 in the Universal Testing Machine. Stress concentration in the rectangular specimen with a hole is also analysed using FEA and comparing the results.

Keywords: composite, stress concentration, finite element analysis, tensile strength

Procedia PDF Downloads 451
2634 Indoor Air Pollution Control Using a Soil Biofilter

Authors: Daisy B. Badilla, Peter A. Gostomski

Abstract:

Abstract: Biofiltration may be used to control indoor air pollution. In biofiltration, microorganisms break down harmful contaminants in air or water, transforming them into non-toxic substances like carbon dioxide, water, and biomass. In this study, the CO₂ production and the elimination capacity (EC) of toluene at inlet concentrations between 20 and 80 ppm were investigated using three biofilters operated separately with soil as bed material. Results showed soil, with its rich microflora taken to full advantage without inoculants and additional nutrients, biodegraded toluene at removal rates comparable to those in other studies at higher concentrations. The amount of CO₂ generated corresponds to the amount of toluene removed, indicating efficient biodegradation and suggesting stable long-term performance at these low concentrations. Although the concentrations in this study differ from typical indoor toluene levels (ppb), the findings suggest that biofiltration could be effective for indoor air pollution control with appropriate design, taking into account biomass growth or biofilm structure, concentration, and gas flow rate.

Keywords: biofiltration, air pollution control, soil, toluene

Procedia PDF Downloads 18
2633 Design and Analysis of Wireless Charging Lane for Light Rail Transit

Authors: Watcharet Kongwarakom, Tosaphol Ratniyomchai, Thanatchai Kulworawanichpong

Abstract:

This paper presents a design and analysis of wireless charging lane system (WCLS) for light rail transit (LRT) by considering the performance of wireless charging, traffic conditions and energy consumption drawn by the LRT system. The dynamic of the vehicle movement in terms of the vehicle speed profile during running on the WCLS, a dwell time during stopping at the station for taking the WCLS and the capacity of the WCLS in each section are taken into account to alignment design of the WCLS. This paper proposes a case study of the design of the WCLS into 2 sub-cases including continuous and discontinuous WCLS with the same distance of WCLS in total. The energy consumption by the LRT through the WCLS with the different designs of the WCLS is compared to find out the better configuration of those two cases by considering the best performance of the power transfer between the LRT and the WCLS.

Keywords: Light rail transit, Wireless charging lane, Energy consumption, Power transfer

Procedia PDF Downloads 155
2632 Scheduling Algorithm Based on Load-Aware Queue Partitioning in Heterogeneous Multi-Core Systems

Authors: Hong Kai, Zhong Jun Jie, Chen Lin Qi, Wang Chen Guang

Abstract:

There are inefficient global scheduling parallelism and local scheduling parallelism prone to processor starvation in current scheduling algorithms. Regarding this issue, this paper proposed a load-aware queue partitioning scheduling strategy by first allocating the queues according to the number of processor cores, calculating the load factor to specify the load queue capacity, and it assigned the awaiting nodes to the appropriate perceptual queues through the precursor nodes and the communication computation overhead. At the same time, real-time computation of the load factor could effectively prevent the processor from being starved for a long time. Experimental comparison with two classical algorithms shows that there is a certain improvement in both performance metrics of scheduling length and task speedup ratio.

Keywords: load-aware, scheduling algorithm, perceptual queue, heterogeneous multi-core

Procedia PDF Downloads 148
2631 Study The Role Effect of Poly Pyrrole on LiFePO4 as Positive Electrode

Authors: Atef Youssef, Marwa Mostafa Moharam

Abstract:

The effects of poly pyrrole (PP) addition on LiFePO4 have been studied by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and galvanostatic measurements. PP was prepared with LiFePO₄ in different ways, such as chemically dispersion, insinuation polymerization, and electrochemically polymerization. The EIS results showed that the charge transfer resistance (Rct) of LiFePO₄ was decreased by adding 10% PP polymerized in a situation to 153 vs. 1660  for bare LiFePO₄. The CV curves show that 10% PP added LiFePO₄ had higher electrochemical reactivity for lithium insertion and extraction than the un-doped material. The mean redox potential is E1/2 = 3.45 V vs. Li+/Li. The first discharge curve of the 10% poly pyrrole doped LiFePO₄ showed a mainly flat voltage plateau over the 3.45–3.5 V range, indicating the lithium extraction and insertion reactions between LiFePO₄ and FePO₄. A specific discharge capacity of cells prepared from in-situ 10% PP added LiFePO4to was about 210 vs. 65 mAhg-1 for bare LiFePO₄.

Keywords: liFePO₄, poly pyrrole addition, positive electrode, lithium battery

Procedia PDF Downloads 211
2630 The Effect of Spatial Variability on Axial Pile Design of Closed Ended Piles in Sand

Authors: Cormac Reale, Luke J. Prendergast, Kenneth Gavin

Abstract:

While significant improvements have been made in axial pile design methods over recent years, the influence of soils natural variability has not been adequately accounted for within them. Soil variability is a crucial parameter to consider as it can account for large variations in pile capacity across the same site. This paper seeks to address this knowledge deficit, by demonstrating how soil spatial variability can be accommodated into existing cone penetration test (CPT) based pile design methods, in the form of layered non-homogeneous random fields. These random fields model the scope of a given property’s variance and define how it varies spatially. A Monte Carlo analysis of the pile will be performed taking into account parameter uncertainty and spatial variability, described using the measured scales of fluctuation. The results will be discussed in light of Eurocode 7 and the effect of spatial averaging on design capacities will be analysed.

Keywords: pile axial design, reliability, spatial variability, CPT

Procedia PDF Downloads 247
2629 Capex Planning with and without Additional Spectrum

Authors: Koirala Abarodh, Maghaiya Ujjwal, Guragain Phani Raj

Abstract:

This analysis focuses on defining the spectrum evaluation model for telecom operators in terms of total cost of ownership (TCO). A quantitative approach for specific case analysis research methodology was used for identifying the results. Specific input parameters like target User experience, year on year traffic growth, capacity site limit per year, target additional spectrum type, bandwidth, spectrum efficiency, UE penetration have been used for the spectrum evaluation process and desired outputs in terms of the number of sites, capex in USD and required spectrum bandwidth have been calculated. Furthermore, this study gives a comparison of capex investment for target growth with and without addition spectrum. As a result, the combination of additional spectrum bands of 700 and 2600 MHz has a better evaluation in terms of TCO and performance. It is our recommendation to use these bands for expansion rather than expansion in the current 1800 and 2100 bands.

Keywords: spectrum, capex planning, case study methodology, TCO

Procedia PDF Downloads 66
2628 Strengthening of Concrete Slabs with Steel Beams

Authors: Mizam Doğan

Abstract:

In service life; structures can be damaged if they are subjected to dead and live loads which are greater than design values. For preventing this case; possible loads must be correctly calculated, structure must be designed according to determined loads, and structure must not be used out of its function. If loading case of the structure changes when its function changes; it must be reinforced for continuing it is new function. Reinforcement is a process that is made by increasing the existing strengths of structural system elements of the structure as reinforced concrete walls, beams, and slabs. Reinforcement can be done by casting reinforced concrete, placing steel and fiber structural elements. In this paper, reinforcing of columns and slabs of a structure of which function is changed is studied step by step. This reinforcement is made for increasing vertical and lateral load carrying capacity of the building. Not for repairing damaged structural system.

Keywords: strengthening, RC slabs, seismic load, steel beam, structural irregularity

Procedia PDF Downloads 260
2627 Academic Knowledge Transfer Units in the Western Balkans: Building Service Capacity and Shaping the Business Model

Authors: Andrea Bikfalvi, Josep Llach, Ferran Lazaro, Bojan Jovanovski

Abstract:

Due to the continuous need to foster university-business cooperation in both developed and developing countries, some higher education institutions face the challenge of designing, piloting, operating, and consolidating knowledge and technology transfer units. University-business cooperation has different maturity stages worldwide, with some higher education institutions excelling in these practices, but with lots of others that could be qualified as intermediate, or even some situated at the very beginning of their knowledge transfer adventure. These latter face the imminent necessity to formally create the technology transfer unit and to draw its roadmap. The complexity of this operation is due to various aspects that need to align and coordinate, including a major change in mission, vision, structure, priorities, and operations. Qualitative in approach, this study presents 5 case studies, consisting of higher education institutions located in the Western Balkans – 2 in Albania, 2 in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 1 in Montenegro- fully immersed in the entrepreneurial journey of creating their knowledge and technology transfer unit. The empirical evidence is developed in a pan-European project, illustratively called KnowHub (reconnecting universities and enterprises to unleash regional innovation and entrepreneurial activity), which is being implemented in three countries and has resulted in at least 15 pilot cooperation agreements between academia and business. Based on a peer-mentoring approach including more experimented and more mature technology transfer models of European partners located in Spain, Finland, and Austria, a series of initial lessons learned are already available. The findings show that each unit developed its tailor-made approach to engage with internal and external stakeholders, offer value to the academic staff, students, as well as business partners. The latest technology underpinning KnowHub services and institutional commitment are found to be key success factors. Although specific strategies and plans differ, they are based on a general strategy jointly developed and based on common tools and methods of strategic planning and business modelling. The main output consists of providing good practice for designing, piloting, and initial operations of units aiming to fully valorise knowledge and expertise available in academia. Policymakers can also find valuable hints on key aspects considered vital for initial operations. The value of this contribution is its focus on the intersection of three perspectives (service orientation, organisational innovation, business model) since previous research has only relied on a single topic or dual approaches, most frequently in the business context and less frequently in higher education.

Keywords: business model, capacity building, entrepreneurial education, knowledge transfer

Procedia PDF Downloads 142