Search results for: vertical cavity surface emitting laser
Commenced in January 2007
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Edition: International
Paper Count: 8430

Search results for: vertical cavity surface emitting laser

5730 Numerical Analysis of the Coanda Effect on the Classical Interior Ejectors

Authors: Alexandru Dumitrache, Florin Frunzulica, Octavian Preotu

Abstract:

The flow mitigation detachment problem near solid surfaces, resulting in improved globally aerodynamic performance by exploiting the Coanda effect on surfaces, has been addressed extensively in the literature, since 1940. The research is carried on and further developed, using modern means of calculation and new experimental methods. In this paper, it is shown interest in the detailed behavior of a classical interior ejector assisted by the Coanda effect, used in propulsion systems. For numerical investigations, an implicit formulation of RANS equations for axisymmetric flow with a shear stress transport k- ω (SST model) turbulence model is used. The obtained numerical results emphasize the efficiency of the ejector, depending on the physical parameters of the flow and the geometric configuration. Furthermore, numerical investigations are carried out regarding the evolution of the Reynolds number when the jet is attached to the wall, considering three geometric configurations: sudden expansion, open cavity and sudden expansion with divergent at the inlet. Therefore, further insight into complexities involving issues such as the variety of flow structure and the related bifurcation and flow instabilities are provided. Thus, the conditions and the limits within which one can benefit from the advantages of Coanda-type flows are determined.

Keywords: Coanda effect, Coanda ejector, CFD, stationary bifurcation, sudden expansion

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5729 Investigation of the Trunk Inclination Positioning Angle on Swallowing and Respiratory Function

Authors: Hsin-Yi Kathy Cheng, Yan-Ying JU, Wann-Yun Shieh, Chin-Man Wang

Abstract:

Although the coordination of swallowing and respiration has been discussed widely, the influence of the positioning angle on swallowing and respiration during feeding has rarely been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the timing and coordination of swallowing and respiration in different seat inclination angles, with liquid and bolus, to provide suggestions and guidelines for the design and develop a feedback-controlled seat angle adjustment device for the back-adjustable wheelchair. Twenty-six participants aged between 15-30 years old without any signs of swallowing difficulty were included. The combination of seat inclinations and food types was randomly assigned, with three repetitions in each combination. The trunk inclination angle was adjusted by a commercialized positioning wheelchair. A total of 36 swallows were done, with at least 30 seconds of rest between each swallow. We used a self-developed wearable device to measure the submandibular muscle surface EMG, the movement of the thyroid cartilage, and the respiratory status of the nasal cavity. Our program auto-analyzed the onset and offset of duration, and the excursion and strength of thyroid cartilage when it was moving, coordination between breathing and swallowing were also included. Variables measured include the EMG duration (DsEMG), swallowing apnea duration (SAD), total excursion time (TET), duration of 2nd deflection, FSR amplitude, Onset latency, DsEMG onset, DsEMG offset, FSR onset, and FSR offset. These measurements were done in four-seat inclination angles (5。, 15。, 30。, 45。) and three food contents (1ml water, 10ml water, and 5ml pudding bolus) for each subject. The data collected between different contents were compared. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the basic features of the data. Repeated measure ANOVAs were used to analyze the differences for the dependent variables in different seat inclination and food content combinations. The results indicated significant differences in seat inclination, mostly between 5。 and 45。, in all variables except FSR amplitude. It also indicated significant differences in food contents almost among all variables. Significant interactions between seat inclination and food contents were only found in FSR offsets. The same protocol will be applied to participants with disabilities. The results of this study would serve as clinical guidance for proper feeding positions with different food contents. The ergonomic data would also provide references for assistive technology professionals and practitioners in device design and development. In summary, the current results indicated that it is easier for a subject to lean backward during swallowing than when sitting upright and swallowing water is easier than swallowing pudding. The results of this study would serve as the clinical guidance for proper feeding position (such as wheelchair back angle adjustment) with different food contents. The same protocol can be applied to elderly participants or participants with physical disabilities. The ergonomic data would also provide references for assistive technology professionals and practitioners in device design and development.

Keywords: swallowing, positioning, assistive device, disability

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5728 Lightweight High-Pressure Ratio Centrifugal Compressor for Vehicles-Investigation of Pipe Diffuser Designs by Means of CFD

Authors: Eleni Ioannou, Pascal Nucara, Keith Pullen

Abstract:

The subject of this paper is the investigation of the best efficiency design of a compressor diffuser applied in new lightweight, ultra efficient micro-gas turbine engines for vehicles. The Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) results are obtained utilizing steady state simulations for a wedge and an ”oval” type pipe diffuser in an effort to identify the beneficial effects of the pipe diffuser design. The basic flow features are presented with particular focus on the optimization of the pipe diffuser leading to higher efficiencies for the compressor stage. The optimised pipe diffuser is designed to exploit the 3D freedom enabled by Selective Laser Melting, hence purposely involves an investigation of geometric characteristics that do not follow the traditional diffuser concept.

Keywords: CFD, centrifugal compressor, micro-gas turbine, pipe diffuser, SLM, wedge diffuser

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5727 Centrifuge Testing to Determine the Effect of Temperature on the Adhesion Strength of Ice

Authors: Zaid A. Janjua, Barbara Turnbull, Kwing-So Choi

Abstract:

The adhesion of glaze ice on power infrastructure, ships and aerofoils cause monetary and structural damage. Here we investigate the influence of temperature as an important parameter affecting adhesion strength of ice. Two terms are defined to investigate this: 'freezing temperature', the temperature at which glaze ice forms; and 'ambient temperature', the temperature of the surrounding during the test. Using three metal surfaces, the adhesion strength of ice has been calculated as a value of shear stress at the point of detachment on a spinning centrifuge. Findings show that the ambient temperature has a greater influence than the freezing temperature on the adhesion strength of ice. This is because there exists an amorphous liquid-like layer at the ice-surface interface, whose bond with the surface increases in strength at lower ambient temperatures when the substrate conducts heat much faster than the ice and acts as a heat sink. The results will help us to measure the actual adhesion strength of ice to metal surfaces based on data from weather monitoring devices. Future tests envisaged focus on thermally non-conducting substrates and their influence on adhesion strength.

Keywords: ice adhesion, centrifuge, glaze ice, freezing temperature, ambient temperature

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5726 Stagnation-Point Flow towards a Stretching/Shrinking Sheet in a Nanofluid: A Stability Analysis

Authors: Anuar Ishak

Abstract:

The characteristics of stagnation point flow of a nanofluid towards a stretching/shrinking sheet are investigated. The governing partial differential equations are transformed into a set of ordinary differential equations, which are then solved numerically using MATLAB routine boundary value problem solver bvp4c. The numerical results show that dual (upper and lower branch) solutions exist for the shrinking case, while for the stretching case, the solution is unique. A stability analysis is performed to determine the stability of the dual solutions. It is found that the skin friction decreases when the sheet is stretched, but increases when the suction effect is increased. It is also found that increasing the thermophoresis parameter reduces the heat transfer rate at the surface, while increasing the Brownian motion parameter increases the mass transfer rate at the surface.

Keywords: dual solutions, heat transfer, forced convection, nanofluid, stability analysis

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5725 Experimental Investigation on the Effect of Prestress on the Dynamic Mechanical Properties of Conglomerate Based on 3D-SHPB System

Authors: Wei Jun, Liao Hualin, Wang Huajian, Chen Jingkai, Liang Hongjun, Liu Chuanfu

Abstract:

Kuqa Piedmont is rich in oil and gas resources and has great development potential in Tarim Basin, China. However, there is a huge thick gravel layer developed with high content, wide distribution and variation in size of gravel, leading to the condition of strong heterogeneity. So that, the drill string is in a state of severe vibration and the drill bit is worn seriously while drilling, which greatly reduces the rock-breaking efficiency, and there is a complex load state of impact and three-dimensional in-situ stress acting on the rock in the bottom hole. The dynamic mechanical properties and the influencing factors of conglomerate, the main component of gravel layer, are the basis of engineering design and efficient rock breaking method and theoretical research. Limited by the previously experimental technique, there are few works published yet about conglomerate, especially rare in dynamic load. Based on this, a kind of 3D SHPB system, three-dimensional prestress, can be applied to simulate the in-situ stress characteristics, is adopted for the dynamic test of the conglomerate. The results show that the dynamic strength is higher than its static strength obviously, and while the three-dimensional prestress is 0 and the loading strain rate is 81.25~228.42 s-1, the true triaxial equivalent strength is 167.17~199.87 MPa, and the strong growth factor of dynamic and static is 1.61~1.92. And the higher the impact velocity, the greater the loading strain rate, the higher the dynamic strength and the greater the failure strain, which all increase linearly. There is a critical prestress in the impact direction and its vertical direction. In the impact direction, while the prestress is less than the critical one, the dynamic strength and the loading strain rate increase linearly; otherwise, the strength decreases slightly and the strain rate decreases rapidly. In the vertical direction of impact load, the strength increases and the strain rate decreases linearly before the critical prestress, after that, oppositely. The dynamic strength of the conglomerate can be reduced properly by reducing the amplitude of impact load so that the service life of rock-breaking tools can be prolonged while drilling in the stratum rich in gravel. The research has important reference significance for the speed-increasing technology and theoretical research while drilling in gravel layer.

Keywords: huge thick gravel layer, conglomerate, 3D SHPB, dynamic strength, the deformation characteristics, prestress

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5724 Development of a Bacterial Resistant Concrete for Use in Low Cost Kitchen Floors

Authors: S. S. Mahlangu, R. K. K. Mbaya, D. D. Delport, H. Van. Zyl

Abstract:

The degrading effect due to bacterial growth on the structural integrity of concrete floor surfaces is predictable; this consequently cause development of surface micro cracks in which organisms penetrate through resulting in surface spalling. Hence, the need to develop mix design meeting the requirement of floor surfaces exposed to aggressive agent to improve certain material properties with good workability, extended lifespan and low cost is essential. In this work, tests were performed to examine the microbial activity on kitchen floor surfaces and the effect of adding admixtures. The biochemical test shows the existence of microorganisms (E.coli, Streptococcus) on newly casted structure. Of up to 6% porosity was reduced and improvement on structural integrity was observed upon adding mineral admixtures from the concrete mortar. The SEM result after 84 days of curing specimens, shows that chemical admixtures have significant role to enable retard bacterial penetration and good quality structure is achieved.

Keywords: admixture, organisms, porosity, strength

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5723 Polishing Machine Based on High-Pressure Water Jet

Authors: Mohammad A. Khasawneh

Abstract:

The design of high pressure water jet based polishing equipment and its fabrication conducted in this study is reported herein, together with some preliminary test results for assessing its applicability for HMA surface polishing. This study also provides preliminary findings concerning the test variables, such as the rotational speed, the water jet pressure, the abrasive agent used, and the impact angel that were experimentally investigated in this study. The preliminary findings based on four trial tests (two on large slab specimens and two on small size gyratory compacted specimens), however, indicate that both friction and texture values tend to increase with the polishing durations for two combinations of pressure and rotation speed of the rotary deck. It seems that the more polishing action the specimen is subjected to; the aggregate edges are created such that the surface texture values are increased with the accompanied increase in friction values. It may be of interest (but which is outside the scope of this study) to investigate if the similar trend exist for HMA prepared with aggregate source that is sand and gravel.

Keywords: high-pressure, water jet, friction, texture, polishing, statistical analysis

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5722 Simple and Effective Method of Lubrication and Wear Protection

Authors: Buddha Ratna Shrestha, Jimmy Faivre, Xavier Banquy

Abstract:

By precisely controlling the molecular interactions between anti-wear macromolecules and bottle-brush lubricating molecules in the solution state, we obtained a fluid with excellent lubricating and wear protection capabilities. The reason for this synergistic behavior relies on the subtle interaction forces between the fluid components which allow the confined macromolecules to sustain high loads under shear without rupture. Our results provide rational guides to design such fluids for virtually any type of surfaces. The lowest friction coefficient and the maximum pressure that it can sustain is 5*10-3 and 2.5 MPa which is close to the physiological pressure. Lubricating and protecting surfaces against wear using liquid lubricants is a great technological challenge. Until now, wear protection was usually imparted by surface coatings involving complex chemical modifications of the surface while lubrication was provided by a lubricating fluid. Hence, we here research for a simple, effective and applicable solution to the above problem using surface force apparatus (SFA). SFA is a powerful technique with sub-angstrom resolution in distance and 10 nN/m resolution in interaction force while performing friction experiment. Thus, SFA is used to have the direct insight into interaction force, material and friction at interface. Also, we always know the exact contact area. From our experiments, we found that by precisely controlling the molecular interactions between anti-wear macromolecules and lubricating molecules, we obtained a fluid with excellent lubricating and wear protection capabilities. The reason for this synergistic behavior relies on the subtle interaction forces between the fluid components which allow the confined macromolecules to sustain high loads under shear without rupture. The lowest friction coefficient and the maximum pressure that it can sustain in our system is 5*10-3 and 2.5 GPA which is well above the physiological pressure. Our results provide rational guides to design such fluids for virtually any type of surfaces. Most importantly this process is simple, effective and applicable method of lubrication and protection as until now wear protection was usually imparted by surface coatings involving complex chemical modifications of the surface. Currently, the frictional data that are obtained while sliding the flat mica surfaces are compared and confirmed that a particular mixture of solution was found to surpass all other combination. So, further we would like to confirm that the lubricating and antiwear protection remains the same by performing the friction experiments in synthetic cartilages.

Keywords: bottle brush polymer, hyaluronic acid, lubrication, tribology

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5721 The Development of Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method for Citrinin Determination in Dry-Fermented Meat Products

Authors: Ana Vulic, Tina Lesic, Nina Kudumija, Maja Kis, Manuela Zadravec, Nada Vahcic, Tomaz Polak, Jelka Pleadin

Abstract:

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by numerous types of molds. They can contaminate both food and feed so that they represent a serious public health concern. Production of dry-fermented meat products involves ripening, during which molds can overgrow the product surface, produce mycotoxins, and consequently contaminate the final product. Citrinin is a mycotoxin produced mainly by the Penicillium citrinum. Data on citrinin occurrence in both food and feed are limited. Therefore, there is a need for research on citrinin occurrence in these types of meat products. The LC-MS/MS method for citrinin determination was developed and validated. Sample preparation was performed using immunoaffinity columns, which resulted in clean sample extracts. Method validation included the determination of the limit of detection (LOD), the limit of quantification (LOQ), recovery, linearity, and matrix effect in accordance to the latest validation guidance. The determined LOD and LOQ were 0.60 µg/kg and 1.98 µg/kg, respectively, showing a good method sensitivity. The method was tested for its linearity in the calibration range of 1 µg/L to 10 µg/L. The recovery was 100.9 %, while the matrix effect was 0.7 %. This method was employed in the analysis of 47 samples of dry-fermented sausages collected from local households. Citrinin wasn’t detected in any of these samples, probably because of the short ripening period of the tested sausages that takes three months tops. The developed method shall be used to test other types of traditional dry-cured products, such as prosciuttos, whose surface is usually more heavily overgrown by surface molds due to the longer ripening period.

Keywords: citrinin, dry-fermented meat products, LC-MS/MS, mycotoxins

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5720 Compact LWIR Borescope Sensor for Thermal Imaging of 2D Surface Temperature in Gas-Turbine Engines

Authors: Andy Zhang, Awnik Roy, Trevor B. Chen, Bibik Oleksandar, Subodh Adhikari, Paul S. Hsu

Abstract:

The durability of a combustor in gas-turbine engines is a strong function of its component temperatures and requires good control of these temperatures. Since the temperature of combustion gases frequently exceeds the melting point of the combustion liner walls, an efficient air-cooling system with optimized flow rates of cooling air is significantly important to elongate the lifetime of liner walls. To determine the effectiveness of the air-cooling system, accurate two-dimensional (2D) surface temperature measurement of combustor liner walls is crucial for advanced engine development. Traditional diagnostic techniques for temperature measurement in this application include the rmocouples, thermal wall paints, pyrometry, and phosphors. They have shown some disadvantages, including being intrusive and affecting local flame/flow dynamics, potential flame quenching, and physical damages to instrumentation due to harsh environments inside the combustor and strong optical interference from strong combustion emission in UV-Mid IR wavelength. To overcome these drawbacks, a compact and small borescope long-wave-infrared (LWIR) sensor is developed to achieve 2D high-spatial resolution, high-fidelity thermal imaging of 2D surface temperature in gas-turbine engines, providing the desired engine component temperature distribution. The compactLWIRborescope sensor makes it feasible to promote the durability of a combustor in gas-turbine engines and, furthermore, to develop more advanced gas-turbine engines.

Keywords: borescope, engine, low-wave-infrared, sensor

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5719 Air-Purifying Properties of Cement Mortars Intermixed with TiO₂-SiO₂ Composites

Authors: A.M. Kaja, Q. Yu, H.J.H Brouwers

Abstract:

An increased functionality of concrete towards higher eco-efficiency is nowadays of great importance due to the decreasing air quality in urban areas. Surface modifications of concrete walls and roads, as a coating or an intermixing of the surface layer with TiO₂, provide an opportunity to improve the air quality by reducing NOx via photocatalytic phenomena. Nevertheless, there are still concerns regarding the cost-efficiency as well as the toxicity of intermediate products which can be produced during the photocatalysis, limiting a widespread adoption of these materials. This study addresses the problem of the selectivity of cement mortars towards nitrate in terms of microstructural characteristics and hydration products. The ability of cement mortars matrix intermixed with commercial TiO₂ and TiO₂-SiO₂ composite to abate NO₂ is investigated. The influence of hydration products formed under the carbonation facilitating conditions is discussed and solutions how to optimize the mix design are proposed. The incorporation of the TiO₂-SiO₂ composite into cement mortar is found to increase the nitrate selectivity index.

Keywords: cement matrix, NO₂ abatement, photocatalysis, TiO₂-SiO₂ composite

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5718 Electrokinetic Transport of Power Law Fluid through Hydrophobic Micro-Slits

Authors: Ainul Haque, Ameeye Kumar Nayak

Abstract:

Flow enhancement and species transport in a slit hydrophobic microchannel is studied for non-Newtonian fluids with the externally imposed electric field and pressure gradient. The incompressible Poisson-Nernst-Plank equations and the Navier-Stokes equations are approximated by lubrication theory to quantify the flow structure due to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. The analytical quantification of velocity and pressure of electroosmotic flow (EOF) is made with the numerical results due to the staggered grid based finite volume method for flow governing equations. The resistance force due to fluid friction and shear force along the surface are decreased by the hydrophobicity, enables the faster movement of fluid particles. The resulting flow enhancement factor Ef is increased with the low viscous fluid and provides maximum species transport. Also, the analytical comparison of EOF with pressure driven EOF justifies the flow enhancement due to hydrophobicity and shear impact on flow variation.

Keywords: electroosmotic flow, hydrophobic surface, power-law fluid, shear effect

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5717 Generation of Charged Nanoparticles and Their Contribution to the Thin Film and Nanowire Growth during Chemical Vapour Deposition

Authors: Seung-Min Yang, Seong-Han Park, Sang-Hoon Lee, Seung-Wan Yoo, Chan-Soo Kim, Nong-Moon Hwang

Abstract:

The theory of charged nanoparticles suggested that in many Chemical Vapour Depositions (CVD) processes, Charged Nanoparticles (CNPs) are generated in the gas-phase and become a building block of thin films and nanowires. Recently, the nanoparticle-based crystallization has become a big issue since the growth of nanorods or crystals by the building block of nanoparticles was directly observed by transmission electron microscopy observations in the liquid cell. In an effort to confirm charged gas-phase nuclei, that might be generated under conventional processing conditions of thin films and nanowires during CVD, we performed an in-situ measurement using differential mobility analyser and particle beam mass spectrometer. The size distribution and number density of CNPs were affected by process parameters such as precursor flow rate and working temperature. It was shown that many films and nanostructures, which have been believed to grow by individual atoms or molecules, actually grow by the building blocks of such charged nuclei. The electrostatic interaction between CNPs and the growing surface induces the self-assembly into films and nanowires. In addition, the charge-enhanced atomic diffusion makes CNPs liquid-like quasi solid. As a result, CNPs tend to land epitaxial on the growing surface, which results in the growth of single crystalline nanowires with a smooth surface.

Keywords: chemical vapour deposition, charged nanoparticle, electrostatic force, nanostructure evolution, differential mobility analyser, particle beam mass spectrometer

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5716 Fabrication and Properties of Al2O3/Si Quantum Well-Structured Silicon Solar Cells

Authors: Kwang-Ho Kim, Kwan-Hong Min, Pyungwoo Jang, Chisup Jung, Kyu Seomoon

Abstract:

By restricting the dimensions of silicon to less than Bohr radius of bulk crystalline silicon (∼5 nm), quantum confinement causes its effective bandgap to increase. Therefore, silicon quantum wells (QWs) using these quantum phenomena could be a good candidate to achieve high performance silicon solar cells. The Al2O3/Si QW structures were fabricated by using the successive deposition technique, as a quantum confinement device to increase the effective energy bandgap and passivation effect in Si surface for the 3rd generation solar cell applications. In Si/Al2O3 QWs, the thicknesses of Si layers and Al2O3 layers were varied between 1 to 5 nm, respectively. The roughness of deposited Si on Al2O3 was less than 4 Å in the thickness of 2 nm. By using the Al2O3/Si QW structures on Si surfaces, the lifetime measured by u-PCD technique increased as a result of passivated surface effects. The discussion about the other properties such as electrical and optical properties of the QWs structures as well as the fabricated solar cells will be presented in this paper.

Keywords: Al2O3/Si quantum well, quantum confinement, solar cells, third generation, successive deposition technique

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5715 Estimating Solar Irradiance on a Tilted Surface Using Artificial Neural Networks with Differential Outputs

Authors: Hsu-Yung Cheng, Kuo-Chang Hsu, Chi-Chang Chan, Mei-Hui Tseng, Chih-Chang Yu, Ya-Sheng Liu

Abstract:

Photovoltaics modules are usually not installed horizontally to avoid water or dust accumulation. However, the measured irradiance data on tilted surfaces are rarely available since installing pyranometers with various tilt angles induces high costs. Therefore, estimating solar irradiance on tilted surfaces is an important research topic. In this work, artificial neural networks (ANN) are utilized to construct the transfer model to estimate solar irradiance on tilted surfaces. Instead of predicting tilted irradiance directly, the proposed method estimates the differences between the horizontal irradiance and the irradiance on a tilted surface. The outputs of the ANNs in the proposed design are differential values. The experimental results have shown that the proposed ANNs with differential outputs can substantially improve the estimation accuracy compared to ANNs that estimate the titled irradiance directly.

Keywords: photovoltaics, artificial neural networks, tilted irradiance, solar energy

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5714 Biodiesel Production from Animal Fat Using Trans-Esterification Process with Zeolite as a Solid Catalyst to Improve the Efficiency of Production

Authors: Dinda A. Utami, Muhammad N. Alfarizi

Abstract:

The purpose of this study was to determine the ability of zeolite catalyst for the trans- esterification reaction in biodiesel production from animal fat. The ability of the zeolite as a catalyst is determined by the structure and composition of the zeolite. An important factor that determines the properties of zeolites in catalysis includes adsorption capability to the compound of the reactants. Zeolites with a pore size of specific properties selectively adsorbing molecules. A molecule can be adsorbed by either the zeolite cavities if the size and shape of the molecule in accordance with the size and shape of the cavity in the zeolite. At this time, it is common to use homogeneous catalysts for biodiesel. We know these catalysts have some disadvantages in its use. Such as the difficulty of separation of the product with the catalyst, the generation of waste that is harmful to the environment due to residual catalysts can’t be reused, and the difficulty of handling and storage. But nowadays, solid catalyst developed technically to improve the efficiency of biodiesel production. In this case of study, we used trans-esterification process wherein the triglyceride is reacted with an alcohol with zeolite as a solid catalyst and it will produce biodiesel and glycerol as a byproduct. Development of solid catalyst seems to be the perfect solution to address the problems associated with homogeneous catalysts.

Keywords: biodiesel, animal fat, trans esterification, zeolite catalyst

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5713 Predictive Value of ¹⁸F-Fdg Accumulation in Visceral Fat Activity to Detect Colorectal Cancer Metastases

Authors: Amil Suleimanov, Aigul Saduakassova, Denis Vinnikov

Abstract:

Objective: To assess functional visceral fat (VAT) activity evaluated by ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) as a predictor of metastases in colorectal cancer (CRC). Materials and methods: We assessed 60 patients with histologically confirmed CRC who underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT after a surgical treatment and courses of chemotherapy. Age, histology, stage, and tumor grade were recorded. Functional VAT activity was measured by maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) using ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT and tested as a predictor of later metastases in eight abdominal locations (RE – Epigastric Region, RLH – Left Hypochondriac Region, RRL – Right Lumbar Region, RU – Umbilical Region, RLL – Left Lumbar Region, RRI – Right Inguinal Region, RP – Hypogastric (Pubic) Region, RLI – Left Inguinal Region) and pelvic cavity (P) in the adjusted regression models. We also report the best areas under the curve (AUC) for SUVmax with the corresponding sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp). Results: In both adjusted for age regression models and ROC analysis, 18F-FDG accumulation in RLH (cutoff SUVmax 0.74; Se 75%; Sp 61%; AUC 0.668; p = 0.049), RU (cutoff SUVmax 0.78; Se 69%; Sp 61%; AUC 0.679; p = 0.035), RRL (cutoff SUVmax 1.05; Se 69%; Sp 77%; AUC 0.682; p = 0.032) and RRI (cutoff SUVmax 0.85; Se 63%; Sp 61%; AUC 0.672; p = 0.043) could predict later metastases in CRC patients, as opposed to age, sex, primary tumor location, tumor grade and histology. Conclusions: VAT SUVmax is significantly associated with later metastases in CRC patients and can be used as their predictor.

Keywords: ¹⁸F-FDG, PET/CT, colorectal cancer, predictive value

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5712 Quantifying the Rapid Urbanization Impact on Potential Stormwater Runoff of Dhaka City, Bangladesh

Authors: Md. Kumruzzaman, Anutosh Das, Md. Mosharraf Hossain

Abstract:

Historically, rapid urban growth activities are considered one of the main culprits behind urban floods or waterlogging. The increased unplanned urbanization of many areas of Dhaka has resulted in waterlogging, urban floods, and increasing groundwater depth. To determine potential groundwater recharge from precipitation, the study is being conducted to examine the changes in land use/land cover (LULC) and urban runoff extent based on the NRCS-CN from 2005–2021. Four kinds of land use are used to examine the LULC change: built-up, bare land, vegetation, and water body. These categories are used for the years 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021. The built-up area is growing at a relatively fast rate: 7.43%, 17.4%, and 5.21%, respectively, between the years 2005 and 2010, 2010 and 2015, and 2015 and 2021. As the amount of impervious surface rose in Dhaka city, stormwater discharge increased from 2005 to 2021. In 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021, heavy stormwater runoff regions made up around 24.873%, 32.616%, 49.118%, and 55.986% of the entire Dhaka city. Stormwater runoff accounted for around 53.738%, 55.092%, 63.472%, and 67.061% of the total rainfall in 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2021, respectively. Between 2005 and 2021, a significant portion of the natural land cover was altered because of the expanding impervious surface, which also harmed the natural drainage system. Due to careless growth, the potential for stormwater runoff and groundwater recharge in Dhaka city worsens every year. Concerning this situation, a sustainable urban drainage system (SUDS) can be the best possible solution for minimizing the stormwater runoff and groundwater recharge problem.

Keywords: LULC, impervious surface, stormwater runoff, groundwater recharge, SUDS

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5711 Effect of Slip Condition and Magnetic Field on Unsteady MHD Thin Film Flow of a Third Grade Fluid with Heat Transfer down an Inclined Plane

Authors: Y. M. Aiyesimi, G. T. Okedayo, O. W. Lawal

Abstract:

The analysis has been carried out to study unsteady MHD thin film flow of a third grade fluid down an inclined plane with heat transfer when the slippage between the surface of plane and the lower surface of the fluid is valid. The governing nonlinear partial differential equations involved are reduced to linear partial differential equations using regular perturbation method. The resulting equations were solved analytically using method of separation of variable and eigenfunctions expansion. The solutions obtained were examined and discussed graphically. It is interesting to find that the variation of the velocity and temperature profile with the slip and magnetic field parameter depends on time.

Keywords: non-Newtonian fluid, MHD flow, thin film flow, third grade fluid, slip boundary condition, heat transfer, separation of variable, eigenfunction expansion

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5710 Studying the Influence of Stir Cast Parameters on Properties of Al6061/Al2O3 Composite

Authors: Anuj Suhag, Rahul Dayal

Abstract:

Aluminum matrix composites (AMCs) refer to the class of metal matrix composites that are lightweight but high performance aluminum centric material systems. The reinforcement in AMCs could be in the form of continuous/discontinuous fibers, whisker or particulates, in volume fractions. Properties of AMCs can be altered to the requirements of different industrial applications by suitable combinations of matrix, reinforcement and processing route. This work focuses on the fabrication of aluminum alloy (Al6061) matrix composites (AMCs) reinforced with 5 and 3 wt% Al2O3 particulates of 45µm using stir casting route. The aim of the present work is to investigate the effects of process parameters, determined by design of experiments, on microhardness, microstructure, Charpy impact strength, surface roughness and tensile properties of the AMC.

Keywords: aluminium matrix composite, Charpy impact strength test, composite materials, matrix, metal matrix composite, surface roughness, reinforcement

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5709 Preparation and Study of Pluronic F127 Monolayers at Air-Water Interface

Authors: Neha Kanodia, M. Kamil

Abstract:

Properties of mono layers of Pluronic F127 at air/water interface have been investigated by using Langmuir trough method. Pluronic F127 is a triblock copolymer of poly (ethyleneoxide) (PEO groups)– poly (propylene oxide) (PO groups)–poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO groups). Surface pressure versus mean molecular area isotherms is studied. The isotherm of the mono layer showed the characteristics of a pancake-to-brush transition upon compression of the mono layer. The effect of adding surfactant (SDS) to polymer and the effect of increasing loading on polymer was also studied. The effect of repeated compression and expansion cycle (or hysteresis curve) is investigated to know about stability of the film formed. Static elasticity of mono layer gives information about molecular arrangement, phase structure and phase transition.

Keywords: surface-pressure, mean molecular area isotherms, hysteresis, static elasticity

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5708 SEC-MALLS Study of Hyaluronic Acid and BSA Thermal Degradation in Powder and in Solution

Authors: Vasile Simulescu, Jakub Mondek, Miloslav Pekař

Abstract:

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an anionic glycosaminoglycan distributed throughout connective, epithelial and neural tissues. The importance of hyaluronic acid increased in the last decades. It has many applications in medicine and cosmetics. Hyaluronic acid has been used in attempts to treat osteoarthritis of the knee via injecting it into the joint. Bovine serum albumin (also known as BSA) is a protein derived from cows, which has many biochemical applications. The aim of our research work was to compare the thermal degradation of hyaluronic acid and BSA in powder and in solution, by determining changes in molar mass and conformation, by using SEC-MALLS (size exclusion chromatography -multi angle laser light scattering). The aim of our research work was to observe the degradation in powder and in solution of different molar mass hyaluronic acid samples, at different temperatures for certain periods. The degradation of the analyzed samples was mainly observed by modifications in molar mass.

Keywords: thermal degradation, hyaluronic acid, BSA, SEC-MALLS

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5707 Lanthanide-Mediated Aggregation of Glutathione-Capped Gold Nanoclusters Exhibiting Strong Luminescence and Fluorescence Turn-on for Sensing Alkaline Phosphatase

Authors: Jyun-Guo You, Wei-Lung Tseng

Abstract:

Herein, this study represents a synthetic route for producing highly luminescent AuNCs based on the integration of two concepts, including thiol-induced luminescence enhancement of ligand-insufficient GSH-AuNCs and Ce3+-induced aggregation of GSH-AuNCs. The synthesis of GSH-AuNCs was conducted by modifying the previously reported procedure. To produce more Au(I)-GSH complexes on the surface of ligand-insufficient GSH-AuNCs, the extra GSH is added to attach onto the AuNC surface. The formed ligand-sufficient GSH-AuNCs (LS-GSH-AuNCs) emit relatively strong luminescence. The luminescence of LS-GSH-AuNCs is further enhanced by the coordination of two carboxylic groups (pKa1 = 2 and pKa2 = 3.5) of GSH and lanthanide ions, which induce the self-assembly of LS-GSH-AuNCs. As a result, the quantum yield of the self-assembled LS-GSH-AuNCs (SA-AuNCs) was improved to be 13%. Interestingly, the SA-AuNCs were dissembled into LS-GSH-AuNCs in the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) because of the formation of the ATP- lanthanide ion complexes. Our assay was employed to detect alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity over the range of 0.1−10 U/mL with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.03 U/mL.

Keywords: self-assembly, lanthanide ion, adenosine triphosphate, alkaline phosphatase

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5706 Structural Evolution of Electrodeposited Ni Coating on Ti-6Al-4V Alloy during Heat Treatment

Authors: M. Abdoos, A. Amadeh, M. Adabi

Abstract:

In recent decades, the use of titanium and its alloys due to their high mechanical properties, light weight and their corrosion resistance has increased in military and industry applications. However, the poor surface properties can limit their widely usage. Many researches were carried out to improve their surface properties. The most effective technique is based on solid-state diffusion of elements that can form intermetallic compounds with the substrate. In the present work, inter-diffusion of nickel and titanium and formation of Ni-Ti intermetallic compounds in nickel-coated Ti-6Al-4V alloy have been studied. Initially, nickel was electrodeposited on the alloy using Watts bath at a current density of 20 mA/cm2 for 1 hour. The coated specimens were then heat treated in a tubular furnace under argon atmosphere at different temperatures near Ti β-transus to maximize the diffusion rate for various durations in order to improve the surface properties of the Ti-6Al-4V alloy. The effect of temperature and time on the thickness of diffusion layer and characteristics of intermetallic phases was studied by means of scanning electron microscope (SEM) equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) and microhardness test. The results showed that a multilayer structure was formed after heat treatment: an outer layer of remaining nickel, an area of intermetallic layers with different compositions and solid solution of Ni-Ti. Three intermetallic layers was detected by EDS analysis, namely an outer layer with about 75 at.% Ni (Ni3Ti), an intermediate layer with 50 at.% Ni (NiTi) and finally an inner layer with 36 at.% Ni (NiTi2). It was also observed that the increase in time or temperature led to the formation of thicker intermetallic layers. Meanwhile, the microhardness of heat treated samples increased with formation of Ni-Ti intermetallics; however, its value depended on heat treatment parameters.

Keywords: heat treatment, microhardness, Ni coating, Ti-6Al-4V

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5705 Electrocatalytic Properties of Ru-Pd Bimetal Quantum Dots/TiO₂ Nanotube Arrays Electrodes Composites with Double Schottky Junctions

Authors: Shiying Fan, Xinyong Li

Abstract:

The development of highly efficient multifunctional catalytic materials towards HER, ORR and Photo-fuel cell applications in terms of combined electrochemical and photo-electrochemical principles have currently confronted with dire challenges. In this study, novel palladium (Pd) and ruthenium (Ru) Bimetal Quantum Dots (BQDs) co-anchored on Titania nanotube (NTs) arrays electrodes have been successfully constructed by facial two-step electrochemical strategy. Double Schottky junctions with superior performance in electrocatalytic (EC) hydrogen generations and solar fuel cell energy conversions (PE) have been found. Various physicochemical techniques including UV-vis spectroscopy, TEM/EDX/HRTEM, SPV/TRV and electro-chemical strategy including EIS, C-V, I-V, and I-T, etc. were chronically utilized to systematically characterize the crystal-, electronic and micro-interfacial structures of the composites with double Schottky junction, respectively. The characterizations have implied that the marvelous enhancement of separation efficiency of electron-hole pairs generations is mainly caused by the Schottky-barriers within the nanocomposites, which would greatly facilitate the interfacial charge transfer for H₂ generations and solar fuel cell energy conversions. Moreover, the DFT calculations clearly indicated that the oriented growth of Ru and Pd bimetal atoms at the anatase (101) surface is mainly driven by the interaction between Ru/Pd and surface atoms, and the most active site for bimetal Ru and Pd adatoms on the perfect TiO₂ (101) surface is the 2cO-6cTi-3cO bridge sites and the 2cO-bridge sites with the highest adsorption energy of 9.17 eV. Furthermore, the electronic calculations show that in the nanocomposites, the number of impurity (i.e., co-anchored Ru-Pd BQDs) energy levels near Fermi surface increased and some were overlapped with original energy level, promoting electron energy transition and reduces the band gap. Therefore, this work shall provide a deeper insight for the molecular design of Bimetal Quantum Dots (BQDs) assembled onto Tatiana NTs composites with superior performance for electrocatalytic hydrogen productions and solar fuel cell energy conversions (PE) simultaneously.

Keywords: eletrocatalytic, Ru-Pd bimetallic quantum dots, titania nanotube arrays, double Schottky junctions, hydrogen production

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5704 Plasma Spraying of 316 Stainless Steel on Aluminum and Investigation of Coat/Substrate Interface

Authors: P. Abachi, T. W. Coyle, P. S. Musavi Gharavi

Abstract:

By applying coating onto a structural component, the corrosion and/or wear resistance requirements of the surface can be fulfilled. Since the layer adhesion of the coating influences the mechanical integrity of the coat/substrate interface during the service time, it should be examined accurately. At the present work, the tensile bonding strength of the 316 stainless steel plasma sprayed coating on aluminum substrate was determined by using tensile adhesion test, TAT, specimen. The interfacial fracture toughness was specified using four-point bend specimen containing a saw notch and modified chevron-notched short-bar (SB) specimen. The coating microstructure and fractured specimen surface were examined by using scanning electron- and optical-microscopy. The investigation of coated surface after tensile adhesion test indicates that the failure mechanism is mostly cohesive and rarely adhesive type. The calculated value of critical strain energy release rate proposes relatively good interface status. It seems that four-point bending test offers a potentially more sensitive means for evaluation of mechanical integrity of coating/substrate interfaces than is possible with the tensile test. The fracture toughness value reported for the modified chevron-notched short-bar specimen testing cannot be taken as absolute value because its calculation is based on the minimum stress intensity coefficient value which has been suggested for the fracture toughness determination of homogeneous parts in the ASTM E1304-97 standard. 

Keywords: bonding strength, four-point bend test, interfacial fracture toughness, modified chevron-notched short-bar specimen, plasma sprayed coating, tensile adhesion test

Procedia PDF Downloads 248
5703 Synthesis, Microstructure and Photoluminescence Properties of Yttrium Orthovanadates: Influences of Silica Nano-Particles and Nano-Layers

Authors: Seyed Mahdi Rafiaei

Abstract:

In this investigation, firstly Eu3+ doped YVO4 phosphor was synthesized using solid-state method. Then silica was coated on the surface of particles via sol-gel method. To study the influence of SiO2 addition on microstructure and photoluminescence characteristics of YVO4:4% Eu3+ phosphor materials, we employed X-ray Diffraction (XRD), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM), High-Resolution Transmitted Electron Microscope (HRTEM), Focused Ion Beam (FIB), Brunauer Emmett Teller (BET), Inductively coupled plasma (ICP), Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) and Photoluminescence (PL) equipments. The XPS characterization confirmed the formation of Y–O–Si and V-O-Si bondings between YVO4:Eu3+ phosphor particle and SiO2 coating. In addition, it was found that although the amounts of added SiO2 were not remarkable, but it resulted in enhancement of emission intensity of the phosphors. Finally by employing ESR analysis, it was shown that surface oxygen vacancies, result in reduction of V5+ to the lower valence state of V4+.

Keywords: solid state, sol-gel, silica, coating, photoluminescence

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5702 Robust Method for Evaluation of Catchment Response to Rainfall Variations Using Vegetation Indices and Surface Temperature

Authors: Revalin Herdianto

Abstract:

Recent climate changes increase uncertainties in vegetation conditions such as health and biomass globally and locally. The detection is, however, difficult due to the spatial and temporal scale of vegetation coverage. Due to unique vegetation response to its environmental conditions such as water availability, the interplay between vegetation dynamics and hydrologic conditions leave a signature in their feedback relationship. Vegetation indices (VI) depict vegetation biomass and photosynthetic capacity that indicate vegetation dynamics as a response to variables including hydrologic conditions and microclimate factors such as rainfall characteristics and land surface temperature (LST). It is hypothesized that the signature may be depicted by VI in its relationship with other variables. To study this signature, several catchments in Asia, Australia, and Indonesia were analysed to assess the variations in hydrologic characteristics with vegetation types. Methods used in this study includes geographic identification and pixel marking for studied catchments, analysing time series of VI and LST of the marked pixels, smoothing technique using Savitzky-Golay filter, which is effective for large area and extensive data. Time series of VI, LST, and rainfall from satellite and ground stations coupled with digital elevation models were analysed and presented. This study found that the hydrologic response of vegetation to rainfall variations may be shown in one hydrologic year, in which a drought event can be detected a year later as a suppressed growth. However, an annual rainfall of above average do not promote growth above average as shown by VI. This technique is found to be a robust and tractable approach for assessing catchment dynamics in changing climates.

Keywords: vegetation indices, land surface temperature, vegetation dynamics, catchment

Procedia PDF Downloads 274
5701 Relation between Electrical Properties and Application of Chitosan Nanocomposites

Authors: Evgen Prokhorov, Gabriel Luna-Barcenas

Abstract:

The polysaccharide chitosan (CS) is an attractive biopolymer for the stabilization of several nanoparticles in acidic aqueous media. This is due in part to the presence of abundant primary NH2 and OH groups which may lead to steric or chemical stabilization. Applications of most CS nanocomposites are based upon the interaction of high surface area nanoparticles (NPs) with different substance. Therefore, agglomeration of NPs leads to decreasing effective surface area such that it may decrease the efficiency of nanocomposites. The aim of this work is to measure nanocomposite’s electrical conductivity phenomena that will allow one to formulate optimal concentrations of conductivity NPs in CS-based nanocomposites. Additionally, by comparing the efficiency of such nanocomposites, one can guide applications in the biomedical (antibacterial properties and tissue regeneration) and sensor fields (detection of copper and nitrate ions in aqueous solutions). It was shown that the best antibacterial (CS-AgNPs, CS-AgNPs-carbon nanotubes) and would healing properties (CS-AuNPs) are observed in nanocomposites with concentrations of NPs near the percolation threshold. In this regard, the best detection limit in potentiometric and impedimetric sensors for detection of copper ions (using CS-AuNPs membrane) and nitrate ions (using CS-clay membrane) in aqueous solutions have been observed for membranes with concentrations of NPs near percolation threshold. It is well known that at the percolation concentration of NPs an abrupt increasing of conductivity is observed due to the presence of physical contacts between NPs; above this concentration, agglomeration of NPs takes place such that a decrease in the effective surface and performance of nanocomposite appear. The obtained relationship between electrical percolation threshold and performance of polymer nanocomposites with conductivity NPs is important for the design and optimization of polymer-based nanocomposites for different applications.

Keywords: chitosan, conductivity nanoparticles, percolation threshold, polymer nanocomposites

Procedia PDF Downloads 199