Removal of Copper (II) from Aqueous Solutions Using Teak (Tectona grandis L.f) Leaves

The experiments were performed in a batch set up under different concentrations of Cu (II) (0.2 g.l-1 to 0.9 g.l-1), pH (4- 6), temperatures (20oC – 40oC) with varying teak leaves powder (as biosorbent) dosage of 0.3 g.l-1 to 0.5 g.l-1. The kinetics of interactions were tested with pseudo first order Lagergran equation and the value for k1 was found to be 6.909 x 10-3 min-1. The biosorption data gave a good fit with Langmuir and Fruendlich isotherms and the Langmuir monolayer capacity (qm) was found to be 166.78 mg. g-1. Similarly the Freundlich adsorption capacity (Kf) was estimated as 2.49 l g-1. The mean values of the thermodynamic parameters ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG were -62.42 KJ. mol-1, -0.219 KJ.mol-1 K-1 and -1.747 KJ.mol-1 at 293 K from a solution containing 0.4 g l-1 of Cu(II) showing the biosorption to be thermodynamically favourable. These results show good potentiality of using teak leaves as a biosorbent for the removal of Cu(II) from aqueous solutions.

A Taxonomy of Group Key Management Protocols: Issues and Solutions

Group key management is an important functional building block for any secure multicast architecture. Thereby, it has been extensively studied in the literature. In this paper we present relevant group key management protocols. Then, we compare them against some pertinent performance criteria.

Plasmonic Absorption Enhancement in Au/CdS Nanocomposite

Composite nanostructures of metal core/semiconductor shell (Au/CdS) configuration were prepared using organometalic method. UV-Vis spectra for the Au/CdS colloids show initially two well separated bands, corresponding to surface plasmon of the Au core, and the exciton of CdS shell. The absorption of CdS shell is enhanced, while the Au plasmon band is suppressed as the shell thickness increases. The shell sizes were estimated from the optical spectra using the effective mass approximation model (EMA), and compared to the sizes of the Au core and CdS shell measured by high resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM). The changes in the absorption features are discussed in terms of gradual increase in the coupling strength of the Au core surface plasmon and the exciton in the CdS. leading to charge transfer and modification of electron oscillation in Au core.

Image Processing Using Color and Object Information for Wireless Capsule Endoscopy

Wireless capsule endoscopy provides real-time images in the digestive tract. Capsule images are usually low resolution and are diverse images due to travel through various regions of human body. Color information has been a primary reference in predicting abnormalities such as bleeding. Often color is not sufficient for this purpose. In this study, we took morphological shapes into account as additional, but important criterion. First, we processed gastric images in order to indentify various objects in the image. Then, we analyzed color information in the object. In this way, we could remove unnecessary information and increase the accuracy. Compared to our previous investigations, we could handle images of various degrees of brightness and improve our diagnostic algorithm.

Apply Super-SVA to SAR Imaging with Both Aperture Gaps and Bandwidth Gaps

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging usually requires echo data collected continuously pulse by pulse with certain bandwidth. However in real situation, data collection or part of signal spectrum can be interrupted due to various reasons, i.e. there will be gaps in spatial spectrum. In this case we need to find ways to fill out the resulted gaps and get image with defined resolution. In this paper we introduce our work on how to apply iterative spatially variant apodization (Super-SVA) technique to extrapolate the spatial spectrum in both azimuthal and range directions so as to fill out the gaps and get correct radar image.

A Web Pages Automatic Filtering System

This article describes a Web pages automatic filtering system. It is an open and dynamic system based on multi agents architecture. This system is built up by a set of agents having each a quite precise filtering task of to carry out (filtering process broken up into several elementary treatments working each one a partial solution). New criteria can be added to the system without stopping its execution or modifying its environment. We want to show applicability and adaptability of the multi-agents approach to the networks information automatic filtering. In practice, most of existing filtering systems are based on modular conception approaches which are limited to centralized applications which role is to resolve static data flow problems. Web pages filtering systems are characterized by a data flow which varies dynamically.

Bayesian Inference for Phase Unwrapping Using Conjugate Gradient Method in One and Two Dimensions

We investigated statistical performance of Bayesian inference using maximum entropy and MAP estimation for several models which approximated wave-fronts in remote sensing using SAR interferometry. Using Monte Carlo simulation for a set of wave-fronts generated by assumed true prior, we found that the method of maximum entropy realized the optimal performance around the Bayes-optimal conditions by using model of the true prior and the likelihood representing optical measurement due to the interferometer. Also, we found that the MAP estimation regarded as a deterministic limit of maximum entropy almost achieved the same performance as the Bayes-optimal solution for the set of wave-fronts. Then, we clarified that the MAP estimation perfectly carried out phase unwrapping without using prior information, and also that the MAP estimation realized accurate phase unwrapping using conjugate gradient (CG) method, if we assumed the model of the true prior appropriately.

New Technologies for Modeling of Gas Turbine Cooled Blades

In contrast to existing methods which do not take into account multiconnectivity in a broad sense of this term, we develop mathematical models and highly effective combination (BIEM and FDM) numerical methods of calculation of stationary and cvazistationary temperature field of a profile part of a blade with convective cooling (from the point of view of realization on PC). The theoretical substantiation of these methods is proved by appropriate theorems. For it, converging quadrature processes have been developed and the estimations of errors in the terms of A.Ziqmound continuity modules have been received. For visualization of profiles are used: the method of the least squares with automatic conjecture, device spline, smooth replenishment and neural nets. Boundary conditions of heat exchange are determined from the solution of the corresponding integral equations and empirical relationships. The reliability of designed methods is proved by calculation and experimental investigations heat and hydraulic characteristics of the gas turbine 1st stage nozzle blade

Parallel-Distributed Software Implementation of Buchberger Algorithm

Grobner basis calculation forms a key part of computational commutative algebra and many other areas. One important ramification of the theory of Grobner basis provides a means to solve a system of non-linear equations. This is why it has become very important in the areas where the solution of non-linear equations is needed, for instance in algebraic cryptanalysis and coding theory. This paper explores on a parallel-distributed implementation for Grobner basis calculation over GF(2). For doing so Buchberger algorithm is used. OpenMP and MPI-C language constructs have been used to implement the scheme. Some relevant results have been furnished to compare the performances between the standalone and hybrid (parallel-distributed) implementation.

Two Different Solutions for Gigabit Ethernet Transmission over POF

Two completely different approaches for a Gigabit Ethernet compliant stream transmission over 50m of 1mm PMMA SI-POF have been experimentally demonstrated and are compared in this paper. The first solution is based on a commercial RC-LED transmission and a careful optimization of the physical layer architecture, realized during the POF-PLUS EU Project. The second solution exploits the performance of an edge-emitting laser at the transmitter side in order to avoid any sort of electrical equalization at the receiver side.

Video Super-Resolution Using Classification ANN

In this study, a classification-based video super-resolution method using artificial neural network (ANN) is proposed to enhance low-resolution (LR) to high-resolution (HR) frames. The proposed method consists of four main steps: classification, motion-trace volume collection, temporal adjustment, and ANN prediction. A classifier is designed based on the edge properties of a pixel in the LR frame to identify the spatial information. To exploit the spatio-temporal information, a motion-trace volume is collected using motion estimation, which can eliminate unfathomable object motion in the LR frames. In addition, temporal lateral process is employed for volume adjustment to reduce unnecessary temporal features. Finally, ANN is applied to each class to learn the complicated spatio-temporal relationship between LR and HR frames. Simulation results show that the proposed method successfully improves both peak signal-to-noise ratio and perceptual quality.

DTC-SVM Scheme for Induction Motors Fedwith a Three-level Inverter

Direct Torque Control is a control technique in AC drive systems to obtain high performance torque control. The conventional DTC drive contains a pair of hysteresis comparators. DTC drives utilizing hysteresis comparators suffer from high torque ripple and variable switching frequency. The most common solution to those problems is to use the space vector depends on the reference torque and flux. In this Paper The space vector modulation technique (SVPWM) is applied to 2 level inverter control in the proposed DTC-based induction motor drive system, thereby dramatically reducing the torque ripple. Then the controller based on space vector modulation is designed to be applied in the control of Induction Motor (IM) with a three-level Inverter. This type of Inverter has several advantages over the standard two-level VSI, such as a greater number of levels in the output voltage waveforms, Lower dV/dt, less harmonic distortion in voltage and current waveforms and lower switching frequencies. This paper proposes a general SVPWM algorithm for three-level based on standard two-level SVPWM. The proposed scheme is described clearly and simulation results are reported to demonstrate its effectiveness. The entire control scheme is implemented with Matlab/Simulink.

Modelling of Electron States in Quantum -Wire Systems - Influence of Stochastic Effects on the Confining Potential

In this work, we address theoretically the influence of red and white Gaussian noise for electronic energies and eigenstates of cylindrically shaped quantum dots. The stochastic effect can be imagined as resulting from crystal-growth statistical fluctuations in the quantum-dot material composition. In particular we obtain analytical expressions for the eigenvalue shifts and electronic envelope functions in the k . p formalism due to stochastic variations in the confining band-edge potential. It is shown that white noise in the band-edge potential leaves electronic properties almost unaffected while red noise may lead to changes in state energies and envelopefunction amplitudes of several percentages. In the latter case, the ensemble-averaged envelope function decays as a function of distance. It is also shown that, in a stochastic system, constant ensembleaveraged envelope functions are the only bounded solutions for the infinite quantum-wire problem and the energy spectrum is completely discrete. In other words, the infinite stochastic quantum wire behaves, ensemble-averaged, as an atom.

CFD Analysis of Natural Ventilation Behaviour in Four Sided Wind Catcher

Wind catchers are traditional natural ventilation systems attached to buildings in order to ventilate the indoor air. The most common type of wind catcher is four sided one which is capable to catch wind in all directions. CFD simulation is the perfect way to evaluate the wind catcher performance. The accuracy of CFD results is the issue of concern, so sensitivity analyses is crucial to find out the effect of different settings of CFD on results. This paper presents a series of 3D steady RANS simulations for a generic isolated four-sided wind catcher attached to a room subjected to wind direction ranging from 0º to 180º with an interval of 45º. The CFD simulations are validated with detailed wind tunnel experiments. The influence of an extensive range of computational parameters is explored in this paper, including the resolution of the computational grid, the size of the computational domain and the turbulence model. This study found that CFD simulation is a reliable method for wind catcher study, but it is less accurate in prediction of models with non perpendicular wind directions.

Performance of Air Gap Membrane Distillation for Desalination of Ground Water and Seawater

Membrane distillation (MD) is a rising technology for seawater or brine desalination process. In this work, an air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) performance was investigated for aqueous NaCl solution along with natural ground water and seawater. In order to enhance the performance of the AGMD process in desalination, that is, to get more flux, it is necessary to study the effect of operating parameters on the yield of distillate water. The influence of operational parameters such as feed flow rate, feed temperature, feed salt concentration, coolant temperature and air gap thickness on the membrane distillation (MD) permeation flux have been investigated for low and high salt solution. the natural application of ground water and seawater over 90 h continuous operation, scale deposits observed on the membrane surface and reduction in flux represents 23% for ground water and 60% for seawater, in 90 h. This reduction was eliminated (less than 14 %) by acidification of feed water. Hence, promote the research attention in apply of AGMD for the ground water as well as seawater desalination over today-s conventional RO operation.

Periodic Solutions for a Third-order p-Laplacian Functional Differential Equation

By means of Mawhin’s continuation theorem, we study a kind of third-order p-Laplacian functional differential equation with distributed delay in the form: ϕp(x (t)) = g  t,  0 −τ x(t + s) dα(s)  + e(t), some criteria to guarantee the existence of periodic solutions are obtained.

Analytical Solutions of Three Dimensional Steady-State Heat Transfer in Rectangular Ribs

In order to obtain an accurate result of the heat transfer of the rib in the internal cooling Rectangular channel, using separation of variables, analytical solutions of three dimensional steady-state heat conduction in rectangular ribs are given by solving three dimensional steady-state function of the rectangular ribs. Therefore, we can get solution of three dimensional temperature field in the rib. Based on the solution, we can get how the Bi number affected on heat transfer. Furthermore, comparisons of the analytical and numerical results indicate agreement on temperature field in the rib.

A New Time Discontinuous Expanded Mixed Element Method for Convection-dominated Diffusion Equation

In this paper, a new time discontinuous expanded mixed finite element method is proposed and analyzed for two-order convection-dominated diffusion problem. The proofs of the stability of the proposed scheme and the uniqueness of the discrete solution are given. Moreover, the error estimates of the scalar unknown, its gradient and its flux in the L1( ¯ J,L2( )-norm are obtained.

Multi-objective Optimisation of Composite Laminates under Heat and Moisture Effects using a Hybrid Neuro-GA Algorithm

In this paper, the optimum weight and cost of a laminated composite plate is seeked, while it undergoes the heaviest load prior to a complete failure. Various failure criteria are defined for such structures in the literature. In this work, the Tsai-Hill theory is used as the failure criterion. The theory of analysis was based on the Classical Lamination Theory (CLT). A newly type of Genetic Algorithm (GA) as an optimization technique with a direct use of real variables was employed. Yet, since the optimization via GAs is a long process, and the major time is consumed through the analysis, Radial Basis Function Neural Networks (RBFNN) was employed in predicting the output from the analysis. Thus, the process of optimization will be carried out through a hybrid neuro-GA environment, and the procedure will be carried out until a predicted optimum solution is achieved.

Analytical Approach of the In-Pipe Robot on Branched Pipe Navigation and Its Solution

This paper determines most common model of in-pipe robots to derive its degree of freedom in order to compare with the necessary degree of freedom required for a system to move inside pipelines freely in order to derive analytical reason for losing control of in-pipe robots at branched pipe. DOF of most common mechanism in in-pipe robots can be calculated by considering the robot as a parallel manipulator. A new design based on previously researched in-pipe robot PAROYS has been suggested, and its possibility to overcome branched section has been simulated.