Search results for: orifice meter
Commenced in January 2007
Frequency: Monthly
Edition: International
Paper Count: 415

Search results for: orifice meter

205 Noise Measurement and Awareness at Construction Site: A Case Study

Authors: Feiruz Ab'lah, Zarini Ismail, Mohamad Zaki Hassan, Siti Nadia Mohd Bakhori, Mohamad Azlan Suhot, Mohd Yusof Md. Daud, Shamsul Sarip

Abstract:

The construction industry is one of the major sectors in Malaysia. Apart from providing facilities, services, and goods it also offers employment opportunities to local and foreign workers. In fact, the construction workers are exposed to a hazardous level of noises that generated from various sources including excavators, bulldozers, concrete mixer, and piling machines. Previous studies indicated that the piling and concrete work was recorded as the main source that contributed to the highest level of noise among the others. Therefore, the aim of this study is to obtain the noise exposure during piling process and to determine the awareness of workers against noise pollution at the construction site. Initially, the reading of noise was obtained at construction site by using a digital sound level meter (SLM), and noise exposure to the workers was mapped. Readings were taken from four different distances; 5, 10, 15 and 20 meters from the piling machine. Furthermore, a set of questionnaire was also distributed to assess the knowledge regarding noise pollution at the construction site. The result showed that the mean noise level at 5m distance was more than 90 dB which exceeded the recommended level. Although the level of awareness regarding the effect of noise pollution is satisfactory, majority of workers (90%) still did not wear ear protecting device during work period. Therefore, the safety module guidelines related to noise pollution controls should be implemented to provide a safe working environment and prevent initial occupational hearing loss.

Keywords: construction, noise awareness, noise pollution, piling machine

Procedia PDF Downloads 382
204 Geochemistry Identification of Volcanic Rocks Product of Krakatau Volcano Eruption for Katastropis Mitigation Planning

Authors: Agil Gemilang Ramadhan, Novian Triandanu

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Since 1929, the first appearance in sea level, Anak Krakatau volcano growth relatively quickly. During the 80 years up to 2010 has reached the height of 320 meter above sea level. The possibility of catastrophic explosive eruption could happen again if the chemical composition of rocks from the eruption changed from alkaline magma into acid magma. Until now Anak Krakatau volcanic activity is still quite active as evidenced by the frequency of eruptions that produced ash sized pyroclastic deposits - bomb. Purpose of this study was to identify changes in the percentage of rock geochemistry any results eruption of Anak Krakatau volcano to see consistency change the percentage content of silica in the magma that affect the type of volcanic eruptions. Results from this study will be produced in the form of a diagram the data changes the chemical composition of rocks of Anak Krakatau volcano. Changes in the composition of any silica eruption are illustrated in a graph. If the increase in the percentage of silica is happening consistently and it is assumed to increase in the time scale of a few percent, then to achieve silica content of 68 % (acid composition) that will produce an explosive eruption will know the approximate time. All aspects of the factors driving the increased threat of danger to the public should be taken into account. Catastrophic eruption katatropis mitigation can be planned early so that when these disasters happen later, casualties can be minimized.

Keywords: Krakatau volcano, rock geochemistry, catastrophic eruption, mitigation

Procedia PDF Downloads 281
203 Learning a Bayesian Network for Situation-Aware Smart Home Service: A Case Study with a Robot Vacuum Cleaner

Authors: Eu Tteum Ha, Seyoung Kim, Jeongmin Kim, Kwang Ryel Ryu

Abstract:

The smart home environment backed up by IoT (internet of things) technologies enables intelligent services based on the awareness of the situation a user is currently in. One of the convenient sensors for recognizing the situations within a home is the smart meter that can monitor the status of each electrical appliance in real time. This paper aims at learning a Bayesian network that models the causal relationship between the user situations and the status of the electrical appliances. Using such a network, we can infer the current situation based on the observed status of the appliances. However, learning the conditional probability tables (CPTs) of the network requires many training examples that cannot be obtained unless the user situations are closely monitored by any means. This paper proposes a method for learning the CPT entries of the network relying only on the user feedbacks generated occasionally. In our case study with a robot vacuum cleaner, the feedback comes in whenever the user gives an order to the robot adversely from its preprogrammed setting. Given a network with randomly initialized CPT entries, our proposed method uses this feedback information to adjust relevant CPT entries in the direction of increasing the probability of recognizing the desired situations. Simulation experiments show that our method can rapidly improve the recognition performance of the Bayesian network using a relatively small number of feedbacks.

Keywords: Bayesian network, IoT, learning, situation -awareness, smart home

Procedia PDF Downloads 522
202 Application and Evaluation of 3D Printing Technology in Customized Fashion Industry

Authors: A. Ezza, B. M. Babar Ramzan, C. Hira

Abstract:

This study deliberates emerging design activates in 3D printing technology, the paper provides the insight into the broad opportunities in 3D printing applications in fashion world. 3D printing is becoming a reason for reduction of lead time. The process engenders the precise models and one of prototype components for design approbation; trail and testing significance through the production components to be utilized in true working environments. This emerging technology have given elevate to an emergent realm of digitally fabricated art and design. Bitonic Creations, CONTINUUM (3D printed shoes), Jiri Evenhuis, Michael Schmidt have be giving extensive amassments of haute couture dresses and accessories. Cosyflex TM, N12 undergarments are examples of an innovative process for 3D printing. Varied types of liquid polymers such as latex, silicon, polyurethane and Teflon as well as a variety of textile fibers such as cotton, viscose and polyamide enable tailor made fabrics for any need. Patterns, perforations, embossing and embellishments may be created by printing on 3D structure base plate. Computer solidifies material feedstock layer by layer with micro-millimeter detail. In lieu of producing textiles by meter, then cutting and sewing them into final product, 3D printing can become a reason to make sewing equipment obsolete. The findings positively corroborates the expected advantage of 3D printed sample that seem to facilitate the first steps for designer.

Keywords: 3D printing, customization, fashion industry, Haute couture

Procedia PDF Downloads 566
201 2-Dimensional Kinematic Analysis on Sprint Start with Sprinting Performance of Novice Athletes

Authors: Satpal Yadav, Biswajit Basumatary, Arvind S. Sajwan, Ranjan Chakravarty

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The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of 2D kinematical selected variables on sprint start with sprinting performance of novice athletes. Six (3 National and 3 State level) athletes of sports authority of India, Guwahati has been selected for this study. The mean (M) and standard deviation (SD) of sprinters were age (17.44, 1.55), height (1.74m, .84m), weight (62.25 kg, 4.55), arm length (65.00 cm, 3.72) and leg length (96.35 cm, 2.71). Biokin-2D motion analysis system V4.5 can be used for acquiring two-dimensional kinematical data/variables on sprint start with Sprinting Performance. For the purpose of kinematic analysis a standard motion driven camera which frequency of the camera was 60 frame/ second i.e. handy camera of Sony Company were used. The sequence of photographic was taken under controlled condition. The distance of the camera from the athletes was 12 mts away and was fixed at 1.2-meter height. The result was found that National and State level athletes significant difference in there, trajectory knee, trajectory ankle, displacement knee, displacement ankle, linear velocity knee, linear velocity ankle, and linear acceleration ankle whereas insignificant difference was found between National and State level athletes in their linear acceleration knee joint on sprint start with sprinting performance. For all the Statistical test the level of significance was set at p<0.05.

Keywords: 2D kinematic analysis, sprinting performance, novice athletes, sprint start

Procedia PDF Downloads 323
200 Linear Prediction System in Measuring Glucose Level in Blood

Authors: Intan Maisarah Abd Rahim, Herlina Abdul Rahim, Rashidah Ghazali

Abstract:

Diabetes is a medical condition that can lead to various diseases such as stroke, heart disease, blindness and obesity. In clinical practice, the concern of the diabetic patients towards the blood glucose examination is rather alarming as some of the individual describing it as something painful with pinprick and pinch. As for some patient with high level of glucose level, pricking the fingers multiple times a day with the conventional glucose meter for close monitoring can be tiresome, time consuming and painful. With these concerns, several non-invasive techniques were used by researchers in measuring the glucose level in blood, including ultrasonic sensor implementation, multisensory systems, absorbance of transmittance, bio-impedance, voltage intensity, and thermography. This paper is discussing the application of the near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a non-invasive method in measuring the glucose level and the implementation of the linear system identification model in predicting the output data for the NIR measurement. In this study, the wavelengths considered are at the 1450 nm and 1950 nm. Both of these wavelengths showed the most reliable information on the glucose presence in blood. Then, the linear Autoregressive Moving Average Exogenous model (ARMAX) model with both un-regularized and regularized methods was implemented in predicting the output result for the NIR measurement in order to investigate the practicality of the linear system in this study. However, the result showed only 50.11% accuracy obtained from the system which is far from the satisfying results that should be obtained.

Keywords: diabetes, glucose level, linear, near-infrared, non-invasive, prediction system

Procedia PDF Downloads 159
199 The Effect of Power of Isolation Transformer on the Lamps in Airfield Ground Lighting Systems

Authors: Hossein Edrisi

Abstract:

To study the impact of the amount and volume of power of isolation transformer on the lamps in airfield Ground Lighting Systems. A test was conducted in Persian Gulf International Airport, This airport is situated in the south of Iran and it is one of the most cutting-edge airports, the same one that owns modern devices. Iran uses materials and auxiliary equipment which are made by ADB Company from Belgium. Airfield ground lighting (AGL) systems are responsible for providing visual issue to aircrafts and helicopters in the runways. In an AGL system a great deal of lamps are connected in serial circuits to each other and each ring has its individual constant current regulators (CCR), which through that provide energy to the lamps. Control of lamps is crucial for maintenance and operation in the AGL systems. Thanks to the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) that is a cutting-edge technology can help the system to connect the elements from substations and ATC (TOWER). For this purpose, a test in real conditions of the airport done for all element that used in the airport such as isolation transformer in different power capacity and different consuming power and brightness of the lamps. The data were analyzed with Lux meter and Multimeter. The results had shown that the increase in the power of transformer caused a significant increase in brightness. According to the Ohm’s law and voltage division, without changing the characteristics of the light bulb, it is not possible to change the voltage, just need to change the amount of transformer with which it connects to the lamps. When the voltage is increased, the current through the bulb has to increase as well, because of Ohm's law: I=V/R and I=V/R which means that if V increases, so do I increase. The output voltage on the constant current regulator emerges between the lamps and the transformers.

Keywords: AGL, CCR, lamps, transformer, Ohm’s law

Procedia PDF Downloads 248
198 Effects of Using Alternative Energy Sources and Technologies to Reduce Energy Consumption and Expenditure of a Single Detached House

Authors: Gul Nihal Gugul, Merih Aydinalp-Koksal

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In this study, hourly energy consumption model of a single detached house in Ankara, Turkey is developed using ESP-r building energy simulation software. Natural gas is used for space heating, cooking, and domestic water heating in this two story 4500 square feet four-bedroom home. Hourly electricity consumption of the home is monitored by an automated meter reading system, and daily natural gas consumption is recorded by the owners during 2013. Climate data of the region and building envelope data are used to develop the model. The heating energy consumption of the house that is estimated by the ESP-r model is then compared with the actual heating demand to determine the performance of the model. Scenarios are applied to the model to determine the amount of reduction in the total energy consumption of the house. The scenarios are using photovoltaic panels to generate electricity, ground source heat pumps for space heating and solar panels for domestic hot water generation. Alternative scenarios such as improving wall and roof insulations and window glazing are also applied. These scenarios are evaluated based on annual energy, associated CO2 emissions, and fuel expenditure savings. The pay-back periods for each scenario are also calculated to determine best alternative energy source or technology option for this home to reduce annual energy use and CO2 emission.

Keywords: ESP-r, building energy simulation, residential energy saving, CO2 reduction

Procedia PDF Downloads 199
197 Study of Cathodic Protection for Trunk Pipeline of Al-Garraf Oil Field

Authors: Maysoon Khalil Askar

Abstract:

The delineation of possible areas of corrosion along the external face of an underground oil pipeline in Trunk line of Al- Garraf oil field was investigated using the horizontal electrical resistivity profiling technique and study the contribution of pH, Moisture Content in Soil and Presence chlorides, sulfates and total dissolve salts in soil and water. The test sites represent a physical and chemical properties of soils. The hydrogen-ion concentration of soil and groundwater range from 7.2 to 9.6, and the resistivity values of the soil along the pipeline were obtained using the YH302B model resistivity meter having values between 1588 and 720 Ohm-cm. the chloride concentration in soil and groundwater is high (more than 1000 ppm), total soulable salt is more than 5000 ppm, and sulphate range from 0.17% and 0.98% in soil and more than 600 ppm in groundwater. The soil is poor aeration, the soil texture is fine (clay and silt soil), the water content is high (the groundwater is close to surface), the chloride and sulphate is high in the soil and groundwater, the total soulable salt is high in ground water and finally the soil electric resistivity is low that the soil is very corrosive and there is the possibility of the pipeline failure. These methods applied in the study are quick, economic and efficient for detecting along buried pipelines which need to be protected. Routine electrical geophysical investigations along buried oil pipelines should be undertaken for the early detection and prevention of pipeline failure with its attendant environmental, human and economic consequences.

Keywords: soil resistivity, corrosion, cathodic protection, chloride concentration, water content

Procedia PDF Downloads 438
196 An Innovative Use of Flow Columns in Electrocoagulation Reactor to Control Water Temperature

Authors: Khalid S. Hashim, Andy Shaw, Rafid Alkhaddar, David Phipps, Ortoneda Pedrola

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Temperature is an essential parameter in the electrocoagulation process (EC) as it governs the solubility of electrodes and the precipitates and the collision rate of particles in water being treated. Although it has been about 100 years since the EC technology was invented and applied in water and wastewater treatment, the effects of temperature on the its performance were insufficiently investigated. Thus, the present project aims to fill this gap by an innovative use of perforated flow columns in the designing of a new EC reactor (ECR1). The new reactor (ECR1) consisted of a Perspex made cylinder container supplied with a flow column consisted of perorated discoid electrodes that made from aluminium. The flow column has been installed vertically, half submerged in the water being treated, inside a plastic cylinder. The unsubmerged part of the flow column works as a radiator for the water being treated. In order to investigate the performance of ECR1; water samples with different initial temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 °C) to the ECR1 for 20 min. Temperature of effluent water samples were measured using Hanna meter (Model: HI 98130). The obtained results demonstrated that the ECR1 reduced water temperature from 35, 30, and 25 °C to 24.6, 23.8, and 21.8 °C respectively. While low water temperature, 15 °C, increased slowly to reach 19.1 °C after 15 minutes and kept the same level till the end of the treatment period. At the same time, water sample with initial temperature of 20 °C showed almost a steady level of temperature along the treatment process, where the temperature increased negligibly from 20 to 20.1 °C after 20 minutes of treatment. In conclusion, ECR1 is able to control the temperature of water being treated around the room temperature even when the initial temperature was high (35 °C) or low (15 °C).

Keywords: electrocoagulation, flow column, treatment, water temperature

Procedia PDF Downloads 430
195 Estimation of PM10 Concentration Using Ground Measurements and Landsat 8 OLI Satellite Image

Authors: Salah Abdul Hameed Saleh, Ghada Hasan

Abstract:

The aim of this work is to produce an empirical model for the determination of particulate matter (PM10) concentration in the atmosphere using visible bands of Landsat 8 OLI satellite image over Kirkuk city- IRAQ. The suggested algorithm is established on the aerosol optical reflectance model. The reflectance model is a function of the optical properties of the atmosphere, which can be related to its concentrations. The concentration of PM10 measurements was collected using Particle Mass Profiler and Counter in a Single Handheld Unit (Aerocet 531) meter simultaneously by the Landsat 8 OLI satellite image date. The PM10 measurement locations were defined by a handheld global positioning system (GPS). The obtained reflectance values for visible bands (Coastal aerosol, Blue, Green and blue bands) of landsat 8 OLI image were correlated with in-suite measured PM10. The feasibility of the proposed algorithms was investigated based on the correlation coefficient (R) and root-mean-square error (RMSE) compared with the PM10 ground measurement data. A choice of our proposed multispectral model was founded on the highest value correlation coefficient (R) and lowest value of the root mean square error (RMSE) with PM10 ground data. The outcomes of this research showed that visible bands of Landsat 8 OLI were capable of calculating PM10 concentration with an acceptable level of accuracy.

Keywords: air pollution, PM10 concentration, Lansat8 OLI image, reflectance, multispectral algorithms, Kirkuk area

Procedia PDF Downloads 442
194 Cleaning Performance of High-Frequency, High-Intensity 360 kHz Frequency Operating in Thickness Mode Transducers

Authors: R. Vetrimurugan, Terry Lim, M. J. Goodson, R. Nagarajan

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This study investigates the cleaning performance of high intensity 360 kHz frequency on the removal of nano-dimensional and sub-micron particles from various surfaces, uniformity of the cleaning tank and run to run variation of cleaning process. The uniformity of the cleaning tank was measured by two different methods i.e 1. ppbTM meter and 2. Liquid Particle Counting (LPC) technique. In the second method, aluminium metal spacer components was placed at various locations of the cleaning tank (such as centre, top left corner, bottom left corner, top right corner, bottom right corner) and the resultant particles removed by 360 kHz frequency was measured. The result indicates that the energy was distributed more uniformly throughout the entire cleaning vessel even at the corners and edges of the tank when megasonic sweeping technology is applied. The result also shows that rinsing the parts with 360 kHz frequency at final rinse gives lower particle counts, hence higher cleaning efficiency as compared to other frequencies. When megasonic sweeping technology is applied each piezoelectric transducers will operate at their optimum resonant frequency and generates stronger acoustic cavitational force and higher acoustic streaming velocity. These combined forces are helping to enhance the particle removal and at the same time improve the overall cleaning performance. The multiple extractions study was also carried out for various frequencies to measure the cleaning potential and asymptote value.

Keywords: power distribution, megasonic sweeping, cavitation intensity, particle removal, laser particle counting, nano, submicron

Procedia PDF Downloads 418
193 Landscape Classification in North of Jordan by Integrated Approach of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

Authors: Taleb Odeh, Nizar Abu-Jaber, Nour Khries

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The southern part of Wadi Al Yarmouk catchment area covers north of Jordan. It locates within latitudes 32° 20’ to 32° 45’N and longitudes 35° 42’ to 36° 23’ E and has an area of about 1426 km2. However, it has high relief topography where the elevation varies between 50 to 1100 meter above sea level. The variations in the topography causes different units of landforms, climatic zones, land covers and plant species. As a results of these different landscapes units exists in that region. Spatial planning is a major challenge in such a vital area for Jordan which could not be achieved without determining landscape units. However, an integrated approach of remote sensing and geographic information Systems (GIS) is an optimized tool to investigate and map landscape units of such a complicated area. Remote sensing has the capability to collect different land surface data, of large landscape areas, accurately and in different time periods. GIS has the ability of storage these land surface data, analyzing them spatially and present them in form of professional maps. We generated a geo-land surface data that include land cover, rock units, soil units, plant species and digital elevation model using ASTER image and Google Earth while analyzing geo-data spatially were done by ArcGIS 10.2 software. We found that there are twenty two different landscape units in the study area which they have to be considered for any spatial planning in order to avoid and environmental problems.

Keywords: landscape, spatial planning, GIS, spatial analysis, remote sensing

Procedia PDF Downloads 528
192 Characteristics of Bio-hybrid Hydrogel Materials with Prolonged Release of the Model Active Substance as Potential Wound Dressings

Authors: Katarzyna Bialik-Wąs, Klaudia Pluta, Dagmara Malina, Małgorzata Miastkowska

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In recent years, biocompatible hydrogels have been used more and more in medical applications, especially as modern dressings and drug delivery systems. The main goal of this research was the characteristics of bio-hybrid hydrogel materials incorporated with the nanocarrier-drug system, which enable the release in a gradual and prolonged manner, up to 7 days. Therefore, the use of such a combination will provide protection against mechanical damage and adequate hydration. The proposed bio-hybrid hydrogels are characterized by: transparency, biocompatibility, good mechanical strength, and the dual release system, which allows for gradual delivery of the active substance, even up to 7 days. Bio-hybrid hydrogels based on sodium alginate (SA), poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA), glycerine, and Aloe vera solution (AV) were obtained through the chemical crosslinking method using poly(ethylene glycol) diacrylate as a crosslinking agent. Additionally, a nanocarrier-drug system was incorporated into SA/PVA/AV hydrogel matrix. Here, studies were focused on the release profiles of active substances from bio-hybrid hydrogels using the USP4 method (DZF II Flow-Through System, Erweka GmbH, Langen, Germany). The equipment incorporated seven in-line flow-through diffusion cells. The membrane was placed over support with an orifice of 1,5 cm in diameter (diffusional area, 1.766 cm²). All the cells were placed in a cell warmer connected with the Erweka heater DH 2000i and the Erweka piston pump HKP 720. The piston pump transports the receptor fluid via seven channels to the flow-through cells and automatically adapts the setting of the flow rate. All volumes were measured by gravimetric methods by filling the chambers with Milli-Q water and assuming a density of 1 g/ml. All the determinations were made in triplicate for each cell. The release study of the model active substance was carried out using a regenerated cellulose membrane Spectra/Por®Dialysis Membrane MWCO 6-8,000 Carl Roth® Company. These tests were conducted in buffer solutions – PBS at pH 7.4. A flow rate of receptor fluid of about 4 ml /1 min was selected. The experiments were carried out for 7 days at a temperature of 37°C. The released concentration of the model drug in the receptor solution was analyzed using UV-Vis spectroscopy (Perkin Elmer Company). Additionally, the following properties of the modified materials were studied: physicochemical, structural (FT-IR analysis), morphological (SEM analysis). Finally, the cytotoxicity tests using in vitro method were conducted. The obtained results exhibited that the dual release system allows for the gradual and prolonged delivery of the active substances, even up to 7 days.

Keywords: wound dressings, SA/PVA hydrogels, nanocarrier-drug system, USP4 method

Procedia PDF Downloads 147
191 A Case Study on the Condition Monitoring of a Critical Machine in a Tyre Manufacturing Plant

Authors: Ramachandra C. G., Amarnath. M., Prashanth Pai M., Nagesh S. N.

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The machine's performance level drops down over a period of time due to the wear and tear of its components. The early detection of an emergent fault becomes very vital in order to obtain uninterrupted production in a plant. Maintenance is an activity that helps to keep the machine's performance at an anticipated level, thereby ensuring the availability of the machine to perform its intended function. At present, a number of modern maintenance techniques are available, such as preventive maintenance, predictive maintenance, condition-based maintenance, total productive maintenance, etc. Condition-based maintenance or condition monitoring is one such modern maintenance technique in which the machine's condition or health is checked by the measurement of certain parameters such as sound level, temperature, velocity, displacement, vibration, etc. It can recognize most of the factors restraining the usefulness and efficacy of the total manufacturing unit. This research work is conducted on a Batch Mill in a tire production unit located in the Southern Karnataka region. The health of the mill is assessed using amplitude of vibration as a parameter of measurement. Most commonly, the vibration level is assessed using various points on the machine bearing. The normal or standard level is fixed using reference materials such as manuals or catalogs supplied by the manufacturers and also by referring vibration standards. The Rio-Vibro meter is placed in different locations on the batch-off mill to record the vibration data. The data collected are analyzed to identify the malfunctioning components in the batch off the mill, and corrective measures are suggested.

Keywords: availability, displacement, vibration, rio-vibro, condition monitoring

Procedia PDF Downloads 91
190 An Empirical Study of the Effect of Robot Programming Education on the Computational Thinking of Young Children: The Role of Flowcharts

Authors: Wei Sun, Yan Dong

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There is an increasing interest in introducing computational thinking at an early age. Computational thinking, like mathematical thinking, engineering thinking, and scientific thinking, is a kind of analytical thinking. Learning computational thinking skills is not only to improve technological literacy, but also allows learners to equip with practicable skills such as problem-solving skills. As people realize the importance of computational thinking, the field of educational technology faces a problem: how to choose appropriate tools and activities to help students develop computational thinking skills. Robots are gradually becoming a popular teaching tool, as robots provide a tangible way for young children to access to technology, and controlling a robot through programming offers them opportunities to engage in developing computational thinking. This study explores whether the introduction of flowcharts into the robotics programming courses can help children convert natural language into a programming language more easily, and then to better cultivate their computational thinking skills. An experimental study was adopted with a sample of children ages six to seven (N = 16) participated, and a one-meter-tall humanoid robot was used as the teaching tool. Results show that children can master basic programming concepts through robotic courses. Children's computational thinking has been significantly improved. Besides, results suggest that flowcharts do have an impact on young children’s computational thinking skills development, but it only has a significant effect on the "sequencing" and "correspondence" skills. Overall, the study demonstrates that the humanoid robot and flowcharts have qualities that foster young children to learn programming and develop computational thinking skills.

Keywords: robotics, computational thinking, programming, young children, flow chart

Procedia PDF Downloads 146
189 Geophysical Exploration of Aquifer Zones by (Ves) Method at Ayma-Kharagpur, District Paschim Midnapore, West Bengal

Authors: Mayank Sharma

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Groundwater has been a matter of great concern in the past years due to the depletion in the water table. This has resulted from the over-exploitation of groundwater resources. Sub-surface exploration of groundwater is a great way to identify the groundwater potential of an area. Thus, in order to meet the water needs for irrigation in the study area, there was a need for a tube well to be installed. Therefore, a Geophysical investigation was carried out to find the most suitable point of drilling and sinking of tube well that encounters an aquifer. Hence, an electrical resistivity survey of geophysical exploration was used to know the aquifer zones of the area. The Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) method was employed to know the subsurface geology of the area. Seven vertical electrical soundings using Schlumberger electrode array were carried out, having the maximum AB electrode separation of 700m at selected points in Ayma, Kharagpur-1 block of Paschim Midnapore district, West Bengal. The VES was done using an IGIS DDR3 Resistivity meter up to an approximate depth of 160-180m. The data was interpreted, processed and analyzed. Based on all the interpretations using the direct method, the geology of the area at the points of sounding was interpreted. It was established that two deeper clay-sand sections exist in the area at a depth of 50-70m (having resistivity range of 40-60ohm-m) and 70-160m (having resistivity range of 25-35ohm-m). These aquifers will provide a high yield of water which would be sufficient for the desired irrigation in the study area.

Keywords: VES method, Schlumberger method, electrical resistivity survey, geophysical exploration

Procedia PDF Downloads 195
188 Application Research on Large Profiled Statues of Steel-Concrete Composite Shear Wall

Authors: Zhao Cai-qi, Ma Jun

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Twin steel plates-concrete composite shear walls are composed of a pair of steel plate layers and a concrete layer sandwiched between them, which have the characteristics of both reinforced concrete shear walls and steel plate shear walls. Twin steel plates-composite shear walls contain very high ultimate bearing capacity and ductility, which have great potential to be applied in the super high-rise buildings and special structures. In this paper, we analyzed the basic characteristics and stress mechanism of the twin steel plates-composite shear walls. Specifically, we analyzed the effects of the steel plate thickness, wall thickness and concrete strength on the bearing capacity of the twin steel plates-composite shear walls. The analysis results indicate that:(1)the initial shear stiffness and ultimate shear-carrying capacity is not significantly affected by the thickness of concrete wall but by the class of concrete,(2)both factors significantly impact the shear distribution of the shear walls in ultimate shear-carrying capacity. The technique of twin steel plates-composite shear walls has been successfully applied in the construction of a 88-meter Huge Statue of Buddha located in Hunan Province, China. The analysis results and engineering experiences showed that the twin steel plates-composite shear walls have great potential for future research and applications.

Keywords: twin steel plates-concrete composite shear wall, huge statue of Buddha, shear capacity, initial lateral stiffness, overturning moment bearing

Procedia PDF Downloads 402
187 Processing and Modeling of High-Resolution Geophysical Data for Archaeological Prospection, Nuri Area, Northern Sudan

Authors: M. Ibrahim Ali, M. El Dawi, M. A. Mohamed Ali

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In this study, the use of magnetic gradient survey, and the geoelectrical ground methods used together to explore archaeological features in Nuri’s pyramids area. Research methods used and the procedures and methodologies have taken full right during the study. The magnetic survey method was used to search for archaeological features using (Geoscan Fluxgate Gradiometer (FM36)). The study area was divided into a number of squares (networks) exactly equal (20 * 20 meters). These squares were collected at the end of the study to give a major network for each region. Networks also divided to take the sample using nets typically equal to (0.25 * 0.50 meter), in order to give a more specific archaeological features with some small bipolar anomalies that caused by buildings built from fired bricks. This definition is important to monitor many of the archaeological features such as rooms and others. This main network gives us an integrated map displayed for easy presentation, and it also allows for all the operations required using (Geoscan Geoplot software). The parallel traverse is the main way to take readings of the magnetic survey, to get out the high-quality data. The study area is very rich in old buildings that vary from small to very large. According to the proportion of the sand dunes and the loose soil, most of these buildings are not visible from the surface. Because of the proportion of the sandy dry soil, there is no connection between the ground surface and the electrodes. We tried to get electrical readings by adding salty water to the soil, but, unfortunately, we failed to confirm the magnetic readings with electrical readings as previously planned.

Keywords: archaeological features, independent grids, magnetic gradient, Nuri pyramid

Procedia PDF Downloads 482
186 Effect of Muscle Energy Technique on Anterior Pelvic Tilt in Lumbar Spondylosis Patients

Authors: Enas El Sayed Abutaleb, Mohamed Taher Eldesoky, Shahenda Abd El Rasol

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Background: Muscle energy techniques (MET) have been widely used by manual therapists over the past years, but still limited research validated its use and there was limited evidence to substantiate the theories used to explain its effects. Objective: To investigate the effect of muscle energy technique (MET) on anterior pelvic tilt in patients with lumbar spondylosis. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Subjects: Thirty patients with anterior pelvic tilt from both sexes were involved, aged between 35 to 50 years old and they were divided into MET and control groups with 15 patients in each. Methods: All patients received 3 sessions/week for 4 weeks where the study group received MET, Ultrasound and Infrared, and the control group received U.S and I.R only. Pelvic angle was measured by palpation meter, pain severity by the visual analogue scale and functional disabilities by the Oswestry disability index. Results: Both groups showed significant improvement in all measured variables. The MET group was significantly better than the control group in pelvic angle, pain severity, and functional disability as p-value were (0.001, 0.0001, 0.0001) respectively. Conclusion and implication: The study group fulfilled greater improvement in all measured variables than the control group which implies that application of MET in combination with U.S and I.R were more effective in improving pelvic tilting angle, pain severity and functional disabilities than using electrotherapy only.

Keywords: anterior pelvic tilt, lumbar spondylosis, muscle energy technique exercise, pelvic tilting angle

Procedia PDF Downloads 395
185 Fire Protection Performance of Different Industrial Intumescent Coatings for Steel Beams

Authors: Serkan Kocapinar, Gülay Altay

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This study investigates the efficiency of two different industrial intumescent coatings which have different types of certifications, in the fire protection performance in steel beams in the case of ISO 834 fire for 2 hours. A better understanding of industrial intumescent coatings, which assure structural integrity and prevent a collapse of steel structures, is needed to minimize the fire risks in steel structures. A comparison and understanding of different fire protective intumescent coatings, which are Product A and Product B, are used as a thermal barrier between the steel components and the fire. Product A is tested according to EN 13381-8 and BS 476-20,22 and is certificated by ISO Standards. Product B is tested according to EN 13381-8 and ASTM UL-94 and is certificated by the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE). Generally, fire tests to evaluate the fire performance of steel components are done numerically with commercial software instead of experiments due to the high cost of an ISO 834 fire test in a furnace. Hence, there is a gap in the literature about the comparisons of different certificated intumescent coatings for fire protection in the case of ISO 834 fire in a furnace experiment for 2 hours. The experiment was carried out by using two 1-meter UPN 200 steel sections. Each one was coated by different industrial intumescent coatings. A furnace was used by the Turkish Standards Institute (TSE) for the experiment. The temperature of the protected steels and the inside of the furnace was measured with the help of 24 thermocouples which were applied before the intumescent coatings during the two hours for the performance of intumescent coatings by getting a temperature-time curve of steel components. FIN EC software was used to determine the critical temperatures of protected steels, and Abaqus was used for thermal analysis to get theoretical results to compare with the experimental results.

Keywords: fire safety, structural steel, ABAQUS, thermal analysis, FIN EC, intumescent coatings

Procedia PDF Downloads 103
184 Students Attitudes University of Tabuk Toward the Study at the Deanship of the Preparatory Year According to the Variables of the Academic and Gender

Authors: Awad Alhwiti

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The purpose of this study was to investigate attitudes students in Tabuk University towards the study in the deanship of the preparation year according to the study stream (scientific, literature) and gender (male, female).The sample of the study consisted of (219) males, (120) of them are in the scientific stream and (99) from the literature stream. Moreover, (238) females, (172) of them are in the scientific stream and (66) from the literature stream. The researcher developed valid and reliable instrument to measure their attitudes towards the study in the deanship of the preparation year. The scale of the study consisted of a group of paragraphs which take positive numbers from (1) to (13) in the meter, and a group of paragraphs which take negative number from (14) to (34) in the scale. The findings of the study showed that (13) items of the scale had a high degree of evaluation, while two items had an average evaluation degree. Meanwhile, (19) items had a low evaluation degree, and the trends in general where it came from (19) paragraphs negative, and (14) paragraphs positive. As the total means of Tabuk students attitudes towards the study in the deanship of the preparation year was (1.92) with a standard deviation of (0.64) with an average evaluation degree. The findings showed that there were significant statistical difference at the level of (α = 0.05) in the samples’ attitudes towards the study in the preparation year attributed to study stream (scientific, literature) on the favor of the scientific stream. While, there were no significant statistical difference at the level of (α = 0.05) in the samples’ attitudes towards the study in the preparation year attributed to and gender (male, female).

Keywords: students attitudes, preparation year deanship, Tabuk University, education technology

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183 Nickel Substituted Cobalt Ferrites via Ceramic Rout Approach: Exploration of Structural, Optical, Dielectric and Electrochemical Behavior for Pseudo-Capacitors

Authors: Talat Zeeshan

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Nickel doped cobalt ferrites 〖(Co〗_(1-x) Ni_x Fe_2 O_4) has been synthesized with the variation of Ni dopant (x=0.0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75) by ball milling route at 150 RPM for 3hrs. The impact of nickel on Co ferrites has been investigated by using various approaches of characterization such as XRD (X-Ray diffraction), SEM (Scanning electron microscopy, FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), UV-Vis spectroscopy, LCR meter and CV (Cyclic voltammetry). The cubic structure of the nanoparticles confirmed by the XRD data, the increase in Ni dopant reduces the crystallite size. FTIR spectroscopy has been employed in order to analyze various functional groups. The agglomerated morphology of the particles has been observed by SEM images.. UV-Vis analysis reveals that the optical energy bandgap progressively rises with nickel doping, from 1.50 eV to 2.02 eV. The frequency range of 20 Hz to 20 MHz has been used for dielectric evaluation, where dielectric parameters such as AC conductivity, tan loss, and dielectric constant are examined. When the frequency of the applied AC field rises the AC conductivity increases, while the dielectric constant and tan loss constantly decrease. The pseudocapacitive behavior revealed by the CV curve showed that at high scan rates, specific capacitance values (Cs) are low, whereas at low scan rates, they are high. At the low scan rate of 10 mVs-1, the maximum specific capacitance of 244.4 Fg-1 has been attained at x = 0.75. Nickel doped cobalt ferrites electrodes have incredible electrochemical characteristics that make them a promising option for pseudo capacitor applications.

Keywords: lattice parameters, crystallite size, pseudo capacitor, band gap: magnetic material, energy band gap

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182 Electro-Hydrodynamic Effects Due to Plasma Bullet Propagation

Authors: Panagiotis Svarnas, Polykarpos Papadopoulos

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Atmospheric-pressure cold plasmas continue to gain increasing interest for various applications due to their unique properties, like cost-efficient production, high chemical reactivity, low gas temperature, adaptability, etc. Numerous designs have been proposed for these plasmas production in terms of electrode configuration, driving voltage waveform and working gas(es). However, in order to exploit most of the advantages of these systems, the majority of the designs are based on dielectric-barrier discharges (DBDs) either in filamentary or glow regimes. A special category of the DBD-based atmospheric-pressure cold plasmas refers to the so-called plasma jets, where a carrier noble gas is guided by the dielectric barrier (usually a hollow cylinder) and left to flow up to the atmospheric air where a complicated hydrodynamic interplay takes place. Although it is now well established that these plasmas are generated due to ionizing waves reminding in many ways streamer propagation, they exhibit discrete characteristics which are better mirrored on the terms 'guided streamers' or 'plasma bullets'. These 'bullets' travel with supersonic velocities both inside the dielectric barrier and the channel formed by the noble gas during its penetration into the air. The present work is devoted to the interpretation of the electro-hydrodynamic effects that take place downstream of the dielectric barrier opening, i.e., in the noble gas-air mixing area where plasma bullet propagate under the influence of local electric fields in regions of variable noble gas concentration. Herein, we focus on the role of the local space charge and the residual ionic charge left behind after the bullet propagation in the gas flow field modification. The study communicates both experimental and numerical results, coupled in a comprehensive manner. The plasma bullets are here produced by a custom device having a quartz tube as a dielectric barrier and two external ring-type electrodes driven by sinusoidal high voltage at 10 kHz. Helium gas is fed to the tube and schlieren photography is employed for mapping the flow field downstream of the tube orifice. Mixture mass conservation equation, momentum conservation equation, energy conservation equation in terms of temperature and helium transfer equation are simultaneously solved, leading to the physical mechanisms that govern the experimental results. Namely, we deal with electro-hydrodynamic effects mainly due to momentum transfer from atomic ions to neutrals. The atomic ions are left behind as residual charge after the bullet propagation and gain energy from the locally created electric field. The electro-hydrodynamic force is eventually evaluated.

Keywords: atmospheric-pressure plasmas, dielectric-barrier discharges, schlieren photography, electro-hydrodynamic force

Procedia PDF Downloads 139
181 Assessment of Forage Utilization for Pasture-Based Livestock Production in Udubo Grazing Reserve, Bauchi State

Authors: Mustapha Saidu, Bilyaminu Mohammed

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The study was conducted in Udubo Grazing Reserve between July 2019 and October 2019 to assess forage utilization for pasture-based livestock production in reserve. The grazing land was cross-divided into grids, where 15 coordinates were selected as the sample points. Grids of one-kilometer interval were made. The grids were systematically selected 1 grid after 7 grids. 1 × 1-meter quadrat was made at the coordinate of the selected grids for measurement, estimation, and sample collection. The results of the study indicated that Zornia glochidiatah has the highest percent of species composition (42%), while Mitracarpus hirtus has the lowest percent (0.1%). Urochloa mosambicensis has 48 percent of height removed and 27 percent used by weight, Zornia glochidiata 60 percent of height removed and 57 percent used by weight, Alysicapus veginalis has 55 percent of height removed, and 40 percent used by weight, and Cenchrus biflorus has 40 percent of height removed and 28 percent used by weight. The target is 50 percent utilization of forage by weight during a grazing period as well as at the end of the grazing season. The study found that Orochloa mosambicensis, Alysicarpus veginalis, and Cenchrus biflorus had lower percent by weight which is normal, while Zornia glochidiata had a higher percent by weight which is an indication of danger. The study recommends that the identification of key plant species in pasture and rangeland is critical to implementing a successful grazing management plan. There should be collective action and promotion of historically generated grazing knowledge through public and private advocacies.

Keywords: forage, grazing reserve, live stock, pasture, plant species

Procedia PDF Downloads 89
180 Design and Modeling of Light Duty Trencher

Authors: Yegetaneh T. Dejenu, Delesa Kejela, Abdulak Alemu

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From the earliest time of humankind, the trenches were used for water to flow along and for soldiers to hide in during enemy attacks. Now a day due to civilization, the needs of the human being become endless, and the living condition becomes sophisticated. The unbalance between the needs and resource obligates them to find the way to manage this condition. The attempt to use the scares resource in very efficient and effective way makes the trench an endeavor practice in the world in all countries. A trencher is a construction equipment used to dig trenches, especially for laying pipes or cables, installing drainage, irrigation, installing fencing, and in preparation for trench warfare. It is a machine used to make a ditch by cutting the soil ground and effectively used in agricultural irrigation. The most common types of trencher are wheel trencher, chain trencher, micro trencher, portable trencher. In Ethiopia people have been trenching the ditch for many purposes and the tools they are using are Pickaxe, Shovel and some are using Micro Excavators. The adverse effect of using traditional equipment is, time and energy consuming, less productive, difficult and more man power is required. Hence it is necessary to design and produce low price, and simple machine to narrow this gap. Our objective is to design and model a light duty trencher that is used for trenching the ground or soil for making ditch and used for agricultural, ground cabling, ground piping, and drainage system. The designed machine trenches, maximum of 1-meter depth, 30 cm width, and the required length. The working mechanism is fully hydraulic, and the engine with 12.7 hp will provide suitable power for the pump that delivers 23 l/min at 1500 rpm to drive hydraulic motors and actuators.

Keywords: hydraulics, modelling, trenching, ditch

Procedia PDF Downloads 215
179 Comparison of Mini-BESTest versus Berg Balance Scale to Evaluate Balance Disorders in Parkinson's Disease

Authors: R. Harihara Prakash, Shweta R. Parikh, Sangna S. Sheth

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The purpose of this study was to explore the usefulness of the Mini-BESTest compared to the Berg Balance Scale in evaluating balance in people with Parkinson's Disease (PD) of varying severity. Evaluation were done to obtain (1) the distribution of patients scores to look for ceiling effects, (2) concurrent validity with severity of disease, and (3) the sensitivity & specificity of separating people with or without postural response deficits. Methods and Material: Seventy-seven(77) people with Parkinson's Disease were tested for balance deficits using the Berg Balance Scale, Mini-BESTest. Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) III and the Hoehn & Yahr (H&Y) disease severity scales were used for classification. Materials used in this study were case record sheet, chair without arm rests or wheels, Incline ramp, stopwatch, a box, 3 meter distance measured out and marked on the floor with tape [from chair]. Statistical analysis used: Multiple Linear regression was carried out of UPDRS jointly on the two scores for the Berg and Mini-BESTest. Receiver operating characteristic curves for classifying people into two groups based on a threshold for the H&Y score, to discriminate between mild PD versus more severe PD.Correlation co-efficient to find relativeness between the two variables. Results: The Mini-BESTest is highly correlated with the Berg (r = 0.732,P < 0.001), but avoids the ceiling compression effect of the Berg for mild PD (skewness −0.714 Berg, −0.512 Mini-BESTest). Consequently, the Mini-BESTest is more effective than the Berg for predicting UPDRS Motor score (P < 0.001 Mini-BESTest versus P = 0.72 Berg), and for discriminating between those with and without postural response deficits as measured by the H&Y (ROC).

Keywords: balance, berg balance scale, MINI BESTest, parkinson's disease

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178 Planning and Management Options for Pastoral Resource: Case of Mecheria Region, Algeria

Authors: Driss Haddouche

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Pastoral crisis in Algeria has its origins in rangeland degradation which are the main factor in any activity in the steppe zones. Indeed, faced with the increasing human and animal population on a living space smaller and smaller, there is an overuse of what remains of the steppe range lands, consequently the not sustainability of biomass production. Knowing the amount of biomass available, the practice of grazing options, taking into account the use of "Use Factor" factor remains an essential method for managing pastoral resources. This factor has three options: at 40% Conservative pasture; at 60 % the beginning of overgrazing; at 80% destructive grazing. Accessibility on the pasture is based on our field observations of a type any flock along a grazing cycle. The main purpose of these observations is to highlight the speed of herd grazing situation. Several individuals from the herd were timed to arrive at an average duration of about 5 seconds to move between two tufts of grass, separated by a distance of one meter. This gives a rate of 5 s/m (0.72 km/h) flat. This speed varies depending on the angle of the slope. Knowing the speed and slope of each pixel of the study area, given by the digital elevation model of Spot Image (MNE) and whose pitch is 15 meters, a map of pasture according to the distances is generated. Knowing the stocking and biomass available, the examination of the common Mécheria at regular distances (8.64 km or 12 hours of grazing, 17.28 km or 24 hours of grazing and 25.92 Km or 36 hours of grazing), offers three different options (conservation grazing resource: utilization at 40%; overgrazing statements for use at 60% and grazing destructive for use by more than 80%) for each distance traveled by sheep from the starting point is the town of Mécheria.

Keywords: pastoral crisis, biomass, animal charge, use factor, Algeria

Procedia PDF Downloads 531
177 Three-Dimensional Vibration Characteristics of Piezoelectric Semi-Spherical Shell

Authors: Yu-Hsi Huang, Ying-Der Tsai

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Piezoelectric circular plates can provide out-of-plane vibrational displacements on low frequency and in-plane vibrational displacements on high frequency. Piezoelectric semi-spherical shell, which is double-curvature structure, can induce three-dimensional vibrational displacements over a large frequency range. In this study, three-dimensional vibrational characteristics of piezoelectric semi-spherical shells with free boundary conditions are investigated using three experimental methods and finite element numerical modeling. For the experimental measurements, amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) is used to obtain resonant frequencies and radial and azimuthal mode shapes. This optical technique utilizes a full-field and non-contact optical system that measures both the natural frequency and corresponding vibration mode shape simultaneously in real time. The second experimental technique used, laser displacement meter is a point-wise displacement measurement method that determines the resonant frequencies of the piezoelectric shell. An impedance analyzer is used to determine the in-plane resonant frequencies of the piezoelectric semi-spherical shell. The experimental results of the resonant frequencies and mode shapes for the piezoelectric shell are verified with the result from finite element analysis. Excellent agreement between the experimental measurements and numerical calculation is presented on the three-dimensional vibrational characteristics of the piezoelectric semi-spherical shell.

Keywords: piezoelectric semi-spherical shell, mode shape, resonant frequency, electronic speckle pattern interferometry, radial vibration, azimuthal vibration

Procedia PDF Downloads 234
176 Strain Sensing Seams for Monitoring Body Movement

Authors: Sheilla Atieno Odhiambo, Simona Vasile, Alexandra De Raeve, Ann Schwarz

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Strain sensing seams have been developed by integrating conductive sewing threads in different types of seams design on a fabric typical for sports clothing using sewing technology. The aim is to have a simple integrated textile strain sensor that can be applied to sports clothing to monitor the movements of the upper body parts of the user during sports. Different types of commercially available sewing threads were used as the bobbin thread in the production of different architectural seam sensors. These conductive sewing threads have been integrated into seams in particular designs using specific seam types. Some of the threads are delicate and needed to be laid into the seam with as little friction as possible and less tension; thus, they could only be sewn in as the bobbin thread and not the needle thread. Stitch type 304; 406; 506; 601;602; 605. were produced. The seams were made on a fabric of 80% polyamide 6.6 and 20% elastane. The seams were cycled(stretch-release-stretch) for five cycles and up to 44 cycles following EN ISO 14704-1: 2005 (modified), using a tensile instrument and the changes in the resistance of the seams with time were recorded using Agilent meter U1273A. Both experiments were conducted simultaneously on the same seam sample. Sensing functionality, among which is sensor gauge and reliability, were evaluated on the promising sensor seams. The results show that the sensor seams made from HC Madeira 40 conductive yarns performed better inseam stitch 304 and 602 compared to the other combination of stitch type and conductive sewing threads. These sensing seams 304, 406 and 602 will further be interconnected to our developed processing and communicating unit and further integrated into a sports clothing prototype that can track body posture. This research is done within the framework of the project SmartSeam.

Keywords: conductive sewing thread, sensing seams, smart seam, sewing technology

Procedia PDF Downloads 190