Abstract: An analytical 4-DOF nonlinear model of a de Laval
rotor-stator system based on Energy Principles has been used
theoretically and experimentally to investigate fault symptoms in a
rotating system. The faults, namely rotor-stator-rub, crack and
unbalance are modeled as excitations on the rotor shaft. Mayes
steering function is used to simulate the breathing behaviour of the
crack. The fault analysis technique is based on waveform signal,
orbits and Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) derived from simulated and
real measured signals. Simulated and experimental results manifest
considerable mutual resemblance of elliptic-shaped orbits and FFT
for a same range of test data.
Abstract: Asphalt concrete pavements have a short life cycle,
failing mainly due to temperature changes, traffic loading and ageing.
Modified asphalt mixtures provide the technology to produce a
bituminous binder with improved viscoelastic properties, which
remain in balance over a wider temperature range and loading
conditions. In this research, 60/70 penetration grade asphalt binder
was modified by adding 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 percent by weight of asphalt
binder following the wet process and the mineral aggregate was
modified by adding 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 percent crumb rubber by volume
of the mineral aggregate following the dry process. The LDPE
modified asphalt binder rheological properties were evaluated. The
laboratory results showed an increase in viscosity, softening point
and stiffness of the binder. The modified asphalt was then used in
preparing asphalt mixtures by Marshall Mix design procedure. The
Marshall Stability values for mixes containing 2% crumb rubber and
4% LDPE were found to be 30% higher than the conventional asphalt
concrete mix.
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel heuristic algorithm that aims to determine the best size and location of distributed generators in unbalanced distribution networks. The proposed heuristic algorithm can deal with the planning cases where power loss is to be optimized without violating the system practical constraints. The distributed generation units in the proposed algorithm is modeled as voltage controlled node with the flexibility to be converted to constant power factor node in case of reactive power limit violation. The proposed algorithm is implemented in MATLAB and tested on the IEEE 37 -node feeder. The results obtained show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Abstract: This paper discusses micrometeorological aspects of the urban climate in three cities in Western São Paulo State: Presidente Prudente, Assis and Iepê. Particular attention is paid to the method used to estimate the components of the energy balance at the surface. Estimates of convective fluxes showed that the Bowen ratio was an indicator of the local climate and that its magnitude varied between 0.3 and 0.7. Maximum values for the Bowen ratio occurred earlier in Iepê (11:00 am) than in Presidente Prudente (4:00 pm). The results indicate that the Bowen ratio is modulated by the radiation balance at the surface and by different clusters of vegetation.
Abstract: The Portuguese footwear industry had in the last five years a remarkable performance in the exportation values, the trade balance and others economic indicators. After a long period of difficulties and with a strong reduction of companies and employees since 1994 until 2009, the Portuguese footwear industry changed the strategy and is now a success case between the international players of footwear. Only the Italian industry sells footwear with a higher value than the Portuguese and the distance between them is decreasing year by year. This paper analyses how the Portuguese footwear companies innovate and make innovation, according the classification proposed by the Oslo Manual. Also, analyses the strategy follow in the innovation process and shows the linkage between the type of innovation and the strategy of innovation. The research methodology was qualitative and the strategy for data collection was the case study. The qualitative data will be analyzed with the MAXQDA software. The economic results of the footwear companies studied shows differences between all of them and these differences are related with the innovation strategy adopted. The companies focused in product and marketing innovation, oriented to their target market, have higher ratios “turnover per worker” than the companies focused in process innovation. However, all the footwear companies in this “low-tech” industry create value and contribute to a positive foreign trade of 1.310 million euros in 2013. The growth strategies implemented has the participation of the sectorial organizations in several innovative projects. And it’s obvious that cooperation between all of them is a critical element to the performance achieved by the companies and the innovation observed. The Portuguese footwear sector has in the last years an excellent performance (economic results, exportation values, trade balance, brands and international image) and his performance is strongly related with the strategy in innovation followed, the type of innovation and the networks in the cluster. A simplified model, called “Ace of Diamonds”, is proposed by the authors and explains the way how this performance was reached by the seven companies that participate in the study (two of them are the leaders in the setor), and if this model can be used in others traditional and “low-tech” industries.
Abstract: Due to the interference effects, the intrinsic
aerodynamic parameters obtained from the individual component
testing are always fundamentally different than those obtained for
complete model testing. Consideration and limitation for such testing
need to be taken into account in any design work related to the
component buildup method. In this paper, the scaled model of a
straight rectangular canard of a hybrid buoyant aircraft is tested at 50
m/s in IIUM-LSWT (Low Speed Wind Tunnel). Model and its
attachment with the balance are kept rigid to have results free from
the aeroelastic distortion. Based on the velocity profile of the test
section’s floor; the height of the model is kept equal to the
corresponding boundary layer displacement. Balance measurements
provide valuable but limited information of overall aerodynamic
behavior of the model. Zero lift coefficient is obtained at -2.2o and
the corresponding drag coefficient was found to be less than that at
zero angle of attack. As a part of the validation of low fidelity tool,
plot of lift coefficient plot was verified by the experimental data and
except the value of zero lift coefficients, the overall trend has under
predicted the lift coefficient. Based on this comparative study, a
correction factor of 1.36 is proposed for lift curve slope obtained
from the panel method.
Abstract: Nitrification is essential to biological processes
designed to remove ammonia and/or total nitrogen. It removes excess
nitrogenous compound in wastewater which could be very toxic to
the aquatic fauna or cause serious imbalance of such aquatic
ecosystem. Efficient nitrification is linked to an in-depth knowledge
of the structure and dynamics of the nitrifying community structure
within the wastewater treatment systems. In this study, molecular
technique was employed for characterizing the microbial structure of
activated sludge [ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and nitrite
oxidizing bacteria (NOB)] in a municipal wastewater treatment with
intention of linking it to the plant efficiency. PCR based phylogenetic
analysis was also carried out. The average operating and
environmental parameters as well as specific nitrification rate of plant
was investigated during the study. During the investigation the average temperature was 23±1.5oC.
Other operational parameters such as mixed liquor suspended solids
and chemical oxygen demand inversely correlated with ammonia
removal. The dissolved oxygen level in the plant was constantly
lower than the optimum (between 0.24 and 1.267 mg/l) during this
study. The plant was treating wastewater with influent ammonia
concentration of 31.69 and 24.47 mg/L. The influent flow rates
(ML/Day) was 96.81 during period. The dominant nitrifiers include:
Nitrosomonas spp. Nitrobacter spp. and Nitrospira spp. The AOB
had correlation with nitrification efficiency and temperature. This
study shows that the specific ammonia oxidizing rate and the specific
nitrate formation rates can serve as good indicator of the plant overall
nitrification performance.
Abstract: Anammox is a novel and promising technology that has changed the traditional concept of biological nitrogen removal. The process facilitates direct oxidation of ammonical nitrogen under anaerobic conditions with nitrite as an electron acceptor without addition of external carbon sources. The present study investigated the feasibility of Anammox Hybrid Reactor (AHR) combining the dual advantages of suspended and attached growth media for biodegradation of ammonical nitrogen in wastewater. Experimental unit consisted of 4 nos. of 5L capacity AHR inoculated with mixed seed culture containing anoxic and activated sludge (1:1). The process was established by feeding the reactors with synthetic wastewater containing NH4-H and NO2-N in the ratio 1:1 at HRT (hydraulic retention time) of 1 day. The reactors were gradually acclimated to higher ammonium concentration till it attained pseudo steady state removal at a total nitrogen concentration of 1200 mg/l. During this period, the performance of the AHR was monitored at twelve different HRTs varying from 0.25-3.0 d with increasing NLR from 0.4 to 4.8 kg N/m3d. AHR demonstrated significantly higher nitrogen removal (95.1%) at optimal HRT of 1 day. Filter media in AHR contributed an additional 27.2% ammonium removal in addition to 72% reduction in the sludge washout rate. This may be attributed to the functional mechanism of filter media which acts as a mechanical sieve and reduces the sludge washout rate many folds. This enhances the biomass retention capacity of the reactor by 25%, which is the key parameter for successful operation of high rate bioreactors. The effluent nitrate concentration, which is one of the bottlenecks of anammox process was also minimised significantly (42.3-52.3 mg/L). Process kinetics was evaluated using first order and Grau-second order models. The first-order substrate removal rate constant was found as 13.0 d-1. Model validation revealed that Grau second order model was more precise and predicted effluent nitrogen concentration with least error (1.84±10%). A new mathematical model based on mass balance was developed to predict N2 gas in AHR. The mass balance model derived from total nitrogen dictated significantly higher correlation (R2=0.986) and predicted N2 gas with least error of precision (0.12±8.49%). SEM study of biomass indicated the presence of heterogeneous population of cocci and rod shaped bacteria of average diameter varying from 1.2-1.5 mm. Owing to enhanced NRE coupled with meagre production of effluent nitrate and its ability to retain high biomass, AHR proved to be the most competitive reactor configuration for dealing with nitrogen laden wastewater.
Abstract: Ecological systems are exposed and are influenced by
various natural and anthropogenic disturbances. They produce
various effects and states seeking response symmetry to a state of
global phase coherence or stability and balance of their food webs.
This research project addresses the development of a computational
methodology for modeling plankton food webs. The use of
algorithms to establish connections, the generation of representative
fuzzy multigraphs and application of technical analysis of complex
networks provide a set of tools for defining, analyzing and evaluating
community structure of coastal aquatic ecosystems, beyond the
estimate of possible external impacts to the networks. Thus, this
study aims to develop computational systems and data models to
assess how these ecological networks are structurally and
functionally organized, to analyze the types and degree of
compartmentalization and synchronization between oscillatory and
interconnected elements network and the influence of disturbances on
the overall pattern of rhythmicity of the system.
Abstract: In an attempt to investigate the performance of single
basin solar still for climate conditions of Ludhiana a single basin
solar still was designed, fabricated and tested. The energy balance
equations for various parts of the still are solved by Gauss-Seidel
iteration method. Computer model was made and experimentally
validated. The validated computer model was used to estimate the
annual distillation yield and performance ratio of the still for
Ludhiana. The Theoretical and experimental distillation yield were
4318.79 ml and 3850 ml respectively for the typical day. The
predicted distillation yield was 12.5% higher than the experimental
yield. The annual distillation yield per square metre aperture area and
annual performance ratio for single basin solar still is 1095 litres and
0.43 respectively. The payback period for micro-stepped solar still is
2.5 years.
Abstract: Background: Diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy
(DSP) is one of the most common microvascular complications of
type 2 diabetes. Loss of sensation is thought to contribute to a lack of
static and dynamic stability and increased risk of falling. Purpose:
The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of low-level
laser (LLL) and monochromatic near-infrared photo energy (MIRE)
on pain, cutaneous sensation, static stability, and index of lower limb
blood flow in diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy. Methods:
Forty diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy were recruited for
participation in this study. They were divided into two groups: The
MIRE group, which contained 20 patients, and the LLL group, which
contained 20 patients. All patients who participated in the study had
been subjected to various physical assessment procedures, including
pain, cutaneous sensation, Doppler flow meter, and static stability
assessments. The baseline measurements were followed by treatment
sessions that were conducted twice a week for six successive weeks.
Results: The statistical analysis of the data revealed significant
improvement of pain in both groups, with significant improvement in
cutaneous sensation and static balance in the MIRE group compared
to the LLL group; on the other hand, the results showed no
significant differences in lower limb blood flow between the groups.
Conclusion: LLL and MIRE can improve painful symptoms in
patients with diabetic neuropathy. On the other hand, MIRE is also
useful in improving cutaneous sensation and static stability in
patients with diabetic neuropathy.
Abstract: The right to basic sanitation, was elevated to the
category of fundamental right by the Constitution of 1988 to protect
the ecologically balanced environment, ensuring social rights to
health and adequate housing and put the dignity of the human person
as the foundation of the Brazilian Democratic State. Before their
essentiality to humans, this article seeks to understand why universal
access to basic sanitation is a goal so difficult to achieve in Brazil.
Therefore, this research uses the deductive and analytical method.
Given the nature of the research literature, research techniques were
centered in specialized books on the subject, journals, theses and
dissertations, laws, relevant law case and raising social indicators
relating to the theme. The relevance of the topic stems, among other
things, the fact that sanitation services are essential for a dignified
life, i.e., everyone is entitled to the maintenance of the necessary
existence conditions are satisfied. However, the effectiveness of this
right is undermined in society, since Brazil has huge deficit in
sanitation services, denying thus a worthy life to most of the
population. Thus, it can be seen that the provision of water and
sewage services in Brazil is still characterized by a large imbalance,
since the municipalities with lower population index have greater
disability in the sanitation service. The truth is that the precariousness
of water and sewage services in Brazil is still very concentrated in the
North and Northeast regions, limiting the effective implementation of
the Law 11.445/2007 in the country. Therefore, there is urgent need
for a positive service by the State in the provision of sanitation
services in order to prevent and control disease, improve quality of
life and productivity of individuals, besides preventing contamination
of water resources. More than just social and economic necessity,
there is a government duty to implement such services. In this sense,
given the current scenario, to achieve universal access to basic
sanitation imposes many hurdles. These are mainly in the field of
properly formulated and implemented public policies, i.e., it requires
an excellent institutional organization, management services,
strategic planning, social control, in order to provide answers to
complex challenges.
Abstract: These days, the industrial trend is moving away from heavy and bulky passive components to power converter systems that use more and more semiconductor elements. Also, it is difficult to connect the traditional converters to the high and medium voltage. For these reasons, a new family of multilevel inverters has appeared as a solution for working with higher voltage levels. Different modulation topologies like Sinusoidal Pulse Width Modulation (SPWM), Selective Harmonic Elimination Pulse Width Modulation (SHE-PWM) are available for multilevel inverters. In this work, different hybrid modulation techniques which are combination of fundamental frequency modulation and multilevel sinusoidal-modulation are compared. The main characteristic of these modulations are reduction of switching losses with good harmonic performance and balanced power loss dissipation among the device. The proposed hybrid modulation schemes are developed and simulated in Matlab/Simulink for cascaded H-bridge inverter. The results validate the applicability of the proposed schemes for cascaded multilevel inverter.
Abstract: The spindle system is one of the most important
components of machine tool. The dynamic properties of the spindle
affect the machining productivity and quality of the work pieces.
Thus, it is important and necessary to determine its dynamic
characteristics of spindles in the design and development in order to
avoid forced resonance. The finite element method (FEM) has been
adopted in order to obtain the dynamic behavior of spindle system.
For this reason, obtaining the Campbell diagrams and determining the
critical speeds are very useful to evaluate the spindle system
dynamics. The unbalance response of the system to the center of
mass unbalance at the cutting tool is also calculated to investigate the
dynamic behavior. In this paper, we used an ANSYS Parametric
Design Language (APDL) program which based on finite element
method has been implemented to make the full dynamic analysis and
evaluation of the results. Results show that the calculated critical
speeds are far from the operating speed range of the spindle, thus, the
spindle would not experience resonance, and the maximum
unbalance response at operating speed is still with acceptable limit.
ANSYS Parametric Design Language (APDL) can be used by spindle
designer as tools in order to increase the product quality, reducing
cost, and time consuming in the design and development stages.
Abstract: This study analyzes the critical gaps in the
architecture of European stability and the expected role of the
banking union as the new important step towards completing the
Economic and Monetary Union that should enable the creation of
safe and sound financial sector for the euro area market. The single
rulebook together with the Single Supervisory Mechanism and the
Single Resolution Mechanism - as two main pillars of the banking
union, should provide a consistent application of common rules and
administrative standards for supervision, recovery and resolution of
banks – with the final aim of replacing the former bail-out practice
with the bail-in system through which possible future bank failures
would be resolved by their own funds, i.e. with minimal costs for
taxpayers and real economy. In this way, the vicious circle between
banks and sovereigns would be broken. It would also reduce the
financial fragmentation recorded in the years of crisis as the result of
divergent behaviors in risk premium, lending activities and interest
rates between the core and the periphery. In addition, it should
strengthen the effectiveness of monetary transmission channels, in
particular the credit channels and overflows of liquidity on the money
market which, due to the fragmentation of the common financial
market, has been significantly disabled in period of crisis. However,
contrary to all the positive expectations related to the future
functioning of the banking union, major findings of this study
indicate that characteristics of the economic system in which the
banking union will operate should not be ignored. The euro area is an
integration of strong and weak entities with large differences in
economic development, wealth, assets of banking systems, growth
rates and accountability of fiscal policy. The analysis indicates that
low and unbalanced economic growth remains a challenge for the
maintenance of financial stability and this problem cannot be
resolved just by a single supervision. In many countries bank assets
exceed their GDP by several times and large banks are still a matter
of concern, because of their systemic importance for individual
countries and the euro zone as a whole. The creation of the Single
Supervisory Mechanism and the Single Resolution Mechanism is a
response to the European crisis, which has particularly affected
peripheral countries and caused the associated loop between the
banking crisis and the sovereign debt crisis, but has also influenced
banks’ balance sheets in the core countries, as the result of crossborder
capital flows. The creation of the SSM and the SRM should
prevent the similar episodes to happen again and should also provide
a new opportunity for strengthening of economic and financial
systems of the peripheral countries. On the other hand, there is a
potential threat that future focus of the ECB, resolution mechanism
and other relevant institutions will be extremely oriented towards
large and significant banks (whereby one half of them operate in the
core and most important euro area countries), and therefore it remains
questionable to what extent will the common resolution funds will be used for rescue of less important institutions. Recent geopolitical
developments will be the optimal indicator to show whether the
previously established mechanisms are sufficient enough to maintain
the adequate financial stability in the euro area market.
Abstract: Based on Business and Consumer Survey (BCS) data,
the European Commission (EC) regularly publishes the monthly
Economic Sentiment Indicator (ESI) for each EU member state. ESI
is conceptualized as a leading indicator, aimed ad tracking the overall
economic activity. In calculating ESI, the EC employs arbitrarily
chosen weights on 15 BCS response balances. This paper raises the
predictive quality of ESI by applying nonlinear programming to find
such weights that maximize the correlation coefficient of ESI and
year-on-year GDP growth. The obtained results show that the highest
weights are assigned to the response balances of industrial sector
questions, followed by questions from the retail trade sector. This
comes as no surprise since the existing literature shows that the
industrial production is a plausible proxy for the overall Croatian
economic activity and since Croatian GDP is largely influenced by
the aggregate personal consumption.
Abstract: Evapotranspiration is one of the most important
components of the hydrological cycle. Evapotranspiration (ETo) is an
important variable in water and energy balances on the earth’s
surface, and knowledge of the distribution of ET is a key factor in
hydrology, climatology, agronomy and ecology studies. Many
researchers have a valid relationship, which is a function of climate
factors, to estimate the potential evapotranspiration presented to the
plant water stress or water loss, prevent. The FAO-Penman method
(PM) had been recommended as a standard method. This method
requires many data and these data are not available in every area of
world. So, other methods should be evaluated for these conditions.
When sufficient or reliable data to solve the PM equation are not
available then Hargreaves equation can be used. The Hargreaves
equation (HG) requires only daily mean, maximum and minimum air
temperature extraterrestrial radiation .In this study, Hargreaves
method (HG) were evaluated in 12 stations in the North West region
of Iran. Results of HG and M.HG methods were compared with
results of PM method. Statistical analysis of this comparison showed
that calibration process has had significant effect on efficiency of
Hargreaves method.
Abstract: Background in music analysis: Traditionally, when we
think about a composer’s sketches, the chances are that we are
thinking in terms of the working out of detail, rather than the
evolution of an overall concept. Since music is a “time art,” it follows
that questions of a form cannot be entirely detached from
considerations of time. One could say that composers tend to regard
time either as a place gradually and partially intuitively filled, or they
can look for a specific strategy to occupy it. It seems that the one
thing that sheds light on Stockhausen’s compositional thinking is his
frequent use of “form schemas,” that is often a single-page
representation of the entire structure of a piece.
Background in music technology: Sonic Visualiser is a program
used to study a musical recording. It is an open source application for
viewing, analyzing, and annotating music audio files. It contains a
number of visualisation tools, which are designed with useful default
parameters for musical analysis. Additionally, the Vamp plugin
format of SV supports to provide analysis such as for example
structural segmentation.
Aims: The aim of paper is to show how SV may be used to obtain
a better understanding of the specific musical work, and how the
compositional strategy does impact on musical structures and musical
surfaces. It is known that “traditional” music analytic methods don’t
allow indicating interrelationships between musical surface (which is
perceived) and underlying musical/acoustical structure.
Main Contribution: Stockhausen had dealt with the most diverse
musical problems by the most varied methods. A characteristic which
he had never ceased to be placed at the center of his thought and
works, it was the quest for a new balance founded upon an acute
connection between speculation and intuition. In the case with
Mikrophonie I (1964) for tam-tam and 6 players Stockhausen makes
a distinction between the “connection scheme,” which indicates the
ground rules underlying all versions, and the form scheme, which is
associated with a particular version. The preface to the published
score includes both the connection scheme, and a single instance of a
“form scheme,” which is what one can hear on the CD recording. In
the current study, the insight into the compositional strategy chosen
by Stockhausen was been compared with auditory image, that is, with
the perceived musical surface. Stockhausen’s musical work is
analyzed both in terms of melodic/voice and timbre evolution.
Implications: The current study shows how musical structures
have determined of musical surface. The general assumption is this,
that while listening to music we can extract basic kinds of musical
information from musical surfaces. It is shown that interactive
strategies of musical structure analysis can offer a very fruitful way
of looking directly into certain structural features of music.
Abstract: This paper proposes a novel heuristic algorithm that aims to determine the best size and location of distributed generators in unbalanced distribution networks. The proposed heuristic algorithm can deal with the planning cases where power loss is to be optimized without violating the system practical constraints. The distributed generation units in the proposed algorithm is modeled as voltage controlled node with the flexibility to be converted to constant power factor node in case of reactive power limit violation. The proposed algorithm is implemented in MATLAB and tested on the IEEE 37 -node feeder. The results obtained show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
Abstract: Boiling process is characterized by the rapid
formation of vapour bubbles at the solid–liquid interface (nucleate
boiling) with pre-existing vapour or gas pockets. Computational fluid
dynamics (CFD) is an important tool to study bubble dynamics. In
the present study, CFD simulation has been carried out to determine
the bubble detachment diameter and its terminal velocity. Volume of
fluid method is used to model the bubble and the surrounding by
solving single set of momentum equations and tracking the volume
fraction of each of the fluids throughout the domain. In the
simulation, bubble is generated by allowing water-vapour to enter a
cylinder filled with liquid water through an inlet at the bottom. After
the bubble is fully formed, the bubble detaches from the surface and
rises up during which the bubble accelerates due to the net balance
between buoyancy force and viscous drag. Finally when these forces
exactly balance each other, it attains a constant terminal velocity. The
bubble detachment diameter and the terminal velocity of the bubble
are captured by the monitor function provided in FLUENT. The
detachment diameter and the terminal velocity obtained are compared
with the established results based on the shape of the bubble. A good
agreement is obtained between the results obtained from simulation
and the equations in comparison with the established results.