Abstract: The amount of urban artificial heat which affects the
urban temperature rise in urban meteorology was investigated in order
to clarify the relationships between urbanization and urban
meteorology in this study.
The results of calculation to identify how urban temperate was
increased through the establishment of a model for measuring the
amount of urban artificial heat and theoretical testing revealed that the
amount of urban artificial heat increased urban temperature by plus or
minus 0.23 ˚ C in 2007 compared with 1996, statistical methods
(correlation and regression analysis) to clarify the relationships
between urbanization and urban weather were as follows.
New design techniques and urban growth management are
necessary from urban growth management point of view suggested
from this research at city design phase to decrease urban temperature
rise and urban torrential rain which can produce urban disaster in terms
of urban meteorology by urbanization.
Abstract: In this study, multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)
were modified with nitric acid chemically and by dielectric barrier
discharge (DBD) plasma in an oxygen-based atmosphere. Used
carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were prepared by chemical vapour
deposition (CVD) floating catalyst method. For removing amorphous
carbon and metal catalyst, MWNTs were exposed to dry air and
washed with hydrochloric acid. Heating purified CNTs under helium
atmosphere caused elimination of acidic functional groups. Fourier
transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) shows formation of
oxygen containing groups such as C=O and COOH. Brunauer,
Emmett, Teller (BET) analysis revealed that functionalization causes
generation of defects on the sidewalls and opening of the ends of
CNTs. Results of temperature-programmed desorption (TPD) and gas
chromatography(GC) indicate that nitric acid treatment create more
acidic groups than plasma treatment.
Abstract: Square pipes (pipes with square cross sections) are
being used for various industrial objectives, such as machine
structure components and housing/building elements. The utilization
of them is extending rapidly and widely. Hence, the out-put of those
pipes is increasing and new application fields are continually
developing.
Due to various demands in recent time, the products have to
satisfy difficult specifications with high accuracy in dimensions. The
reshaping process design of pipes with square cross sections;
however, is performed by trial and error and based on expert-s
experience.
In this paper, a computer-aided simulation is developed based on
the 2-D elastic-plastic method with consideration of the shear
deformation to analyze the reshaping process. Effect of various
parameters such as diameter of the circular pipe and mechanical
properties of metal on product dimension and quality can be
evaluated by using this simulation. Moreover, design of reshaping
process include determination of shrinkage of cross section,
necessary number of stands, radius of rolls and height of pipe at each
stand, are investigated. Further, it is shown that there are good
agreements between the results of the design method and the
experimental results.
Abstract: Infrastructure investments are important in developing
countries, it will not only help to foster the economic growth of a
nation, but it will also act as a platform in which new forms of
partnership and collaboration can be developed mainly in East Asian
countries. Since the last two decades, many infrastructure projects
had been completed through build-operate-transfer (BOT) type of
procurement. The developments of BOT have attracted participation
of local and foreign private sector investor to secure funding and to
deliver projects on time, within the budget and to the required
specifications. Private sectors are preferred by the government in
East Asia to participate in BOT projects due to lack of public
funding. The finding has resulted that the private sector or promoter
of the BOT projects is exposed to multiple risks which have been
discussed in this paper. Effective risk management methods and
good managerial skills are required in ensuring the success of the
project. The review indicated that mitigation measures should be
employed by the promoter throughout the concession period and
support from the host government is also required in ensuring the
success of the BOT project.
Abstract: Oxyleotris marmorata is considered as
undomesticated fish, and its culture occasionally faces a problem of
food deprivation. The present study aims to evaluate alteration of
hematological indices, blood chemical associated with liver function
during 4 weeks of fasting. A non-linear relationships between fasting
days and hematological parameters (red blood cell number; y = -
0.002x2 + 0.041x + 1.249; R2=0.915, P0.05), mean corpuscular
volume; y = -0.180x2 + 2.183x + 149.61; R2=0.732, P>0.05, mean
corpuscular hemoglobin; y = -0.041x2 + 0.862x + 29.864; R2=0.818,
P>0.05 and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration; y = -
0.044x2 + 0.711x + 21.580; R2=0.730, P>0.05) were demonstrated.
Significant change in hematocrit (Ht) during fasting period was
observed. Ht elevated sharply increase at the first weeks of fasting
period. Higher Ht also was detected during week 2-4 of fasting time.
The significant reduction of hepatosomatic index was observed (y = -
0.007x2 - 0.096x + 1.414; R2=0.968, P0.05, serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase;
y = 0.005x2 – 0.201x2 + 1.297x + 33.256; R2=1, P0.05). Taken together, prolonged fasting has
deleterious effects on hematological indices, liver mass and enzyme
associated in liver function. The marked adverse effects occurred
after the first week of fasting state.
Abstract: According to the governmental data, the cases of oral
cancers doubled in the past 10 years. This had brought heavy burden to
the patients- family, the society, and the country. The literature
generally evidenced the betel nut contained particular chemicals that
can cause oral cancers. Research in Taiwan had also proofed that 90
percent of oral cancer patients had experience of betel nut chewing. It
is thus important to educate the betel-nut hobbyists to cease such a
hazardous behavior. A program was then organized to establish
several training classes across different areas specific to help ceasing
this particular habit. Purpose of this research was to explore the
attitude and intention toward ceasing betel-nut chewing before and
after attending the training classes. 50 samples were taken from a
ceasing class with average age at 45 years old with high school
education (54%). 74% of the respondents were male in service or
agricultural industries. Experiences in betel-nut chewing were 5-20
years with a dose of 1-20 pieces per day. The data had shown that 60%
of the respondents had cigarette smoking habit, and 30% of the
respondents were concurrently alcoholic dependent. Research results
indicated that the attitude, intentions, and the knowledge on oral
cancers were found significant different between before and after
attendance. This provided evidence for the effectiveness of the training
class. However, we do not perform follow-up after the class.
Noteworthy is the test result also shown that participants who were
drivers as occupation, or habitual smokers or alcoholic dependents
would be less willing to quit the betel-nut chewing. The test results
indicated as well that the educational levels and the type of occupation
may have significant impacts on an individual-s decisions in taking
betel-nut or substance abuse.
Abstract: This paper presents the study of hardness profile of spur gear heated by induction heating process in function of the machine parameters, such as the power (kW), the heating time (s) and the generator frequency (kHz). The global work is realized by 3D finite-element simulation applied to the process by coupling and resolving the electromagnetic field and the heat transfer problems, and it was performed in three distinguished steps. First, a Comsol 3D model was built using an adequate formulation and taking into account the material properties and the machine parameters. Second, the convergence study was conducted to optimize the mesh. Then, the surface temperatures and the case depths were deeply analyzed in function of the initial current density and the heating time in medium frequency (MF) and high frequency (HF) heating modes and the edge effect were studied. Finally, the simulations results are validated using experimental tests.
Abstract: Recently, genetic algorithms (GA) and particle swarm optimization (PSO) technique have attracted considerable attention among various modern heuristic optimization techniques. The GA has been popular in academia and the industry mainly because of its intuitiveness, ease of implementation, and the ability to effectively solve highly non-linear, mixed integer optimization problems that are typical of complex engineering systems. PSO technique is a relatively recent heuristic search method whose mechanics are inspired by the swarming or collaborative behavior of biological populations. In this paper both PSO and GA optimization are employed for finding stable reduced order models of single-input- single-output large-scale linear systems. Both the techniques guarantee stability of reduced order model if the original high order model is stable. PSO method is based on the minimization of the Integral Squared Error (ISE) between the transient responses of original higher order model and the reduced order model pertaining to a unit step input. Both the methods are illustrated through numerical example from literature and the results are compared with recently published conventional model reduction technique.
Abstract: This is an application research presenting the
improvement of production quality using the six sigma solutions and
the analyses of benefit-cost ratio. The case of interest is the
production of tile-concrete. Such production has faced with the
problem of high nonconforming products from an inappropriate
surface coating and had low process capability based on the strength
property of tile. Surface coating and tile strength are the most critical
to quality of this product. The improvements followed five stages of
six sigma solutions. After the improvement, the production yield was
improved to 80% as target required and the defective products from
coating process was remarkably reduced from 29.40% to 4.09%. The
process capability based on the strength quality was increased from
0.87 to 1.08 as customer oriented. The improvement was able to save
the materials loss for 3.24 millions baht or 0.11 million dollars. The
benefits from the improvement were analyzed from (1) the reduction
of the numbers of non conforming tile using its factory price for
surface coating improvement and (2) the materials saved from the
increment of process capability. The benefit-cost ratio of overall
improvement was high as 7.03. It was non valuable investment in
define, measure, analyses and the initial of improve stages after that
it kept increasing. This was due to there were no benefits in define,
measure, and analyze stages of six sigma since these three stages
mainly determine the cause of problem and its effects rather than
improve the process. The benefit-cost ratio starts existing in the
improve stage and go on. Within each stage, the individual benefitcost
ratio was much higher than the accumulative one as there was an
accumulation of cost since the first stage of six sigma. The
consideration of the benefit-cost ratio during the improvement
project helps make decisions for cost saving of similar activities
during the improvement and for new project. In conclusion, the
determination of benefit-cost ratio behavior through out six sigma
implementation period provides the useful data for managing quality
improvement for the optimal effectiveness. This is the additional
outcome from the regular proceeding of six sigma.
Abstract: The objective of this paper is to study the electrical
resistivity complexity between field and laboratory measurement, in
order to improve the effectiveness of data interpretation for
geophysical ground resistivity survey. The geological outcrop in
Penang, Malaysia with an obvious layering contact was chosen as the
study site. Two dimensional geoelectrical resistivity imaging were
used in this study to maps the resistivity distribution of subsurface,
whereas few subsurface sample were obtained for laboratory
advance. In this study, resistivity of samples in original conditions is
measured in laboratory by using time domain low-voltage technique,
particularly for granite core sample and soil resistivity measuring set
for soil sample. The experimentation results from both schemes are
studied, analyzed, calibrated and verified, including basis and
correlation, degree of tolerance and characteristics of substance.
Consequently, the significant different between both schemes is
explained comprehensively within this paper.
Abstract: In this paper, transversal vibration of buried pipelines
during loading induced by underground explosions is analyzed. The
pipeline is modeled as an infinite beam on an elastic foundation, so
that soil-structure interaction is considered by means of transverse
linear springs along the pipeline. The pipeline behavior is assumed to
be ideal elasto-plastic which an ultimate strain value limits the plastic
behavior. The blast loading is considered as a point load, considering
the affected length at some point of the pipeline, in which the
magnitude decreases exponentially with time. A closed-form solution
for the quasi-static problem is carried out for both elastic and elasticperfect
plastic behaviors of pipe materials. At the end, a comparative
study on steel and polyethylene pipes with different sizes buried in
various soil conditions, affected by a predefined underground
explosion is conducted, in which effect of each parameter is
discussed.
Abstract: This paper presents a compact thermoelectric power generator system based on temperature difference across the element. The system can transfer the burning heat energy to electric energy directly. The proposed system has a thermoelectric generator and a power control box. In the generator, there are 4 thermoelectric modules (TEMs), each of which uses 2 thermoelectric chips (TEs) and 2 cold sinks, 1 thermal absorber, and 1 thermal conduction flat board. In the power control box, there are 1 storing energy device, 1 converter, and 1 inverter. The total net generating power is about 11W. This system uses commercial portable gas stoves or burns timber or the coal as the heat source, which is easily obtained. It adopts solid-state thermoelectric chips as heat inverter parts. The system has the advantages of being light-weight, quite, and mobile, requiring no maintenance, and havng easily-supplied heat source. The system can be used a as long as burning is allowed. This system works well for highly-mobilized outdoors situations by providing a power for illumination, entertainment equipment or the wireless equipment at refuge. Under heavy storms such as typhoon, when the solar panels become ineffective and the wind-powered machines malfunction, the thermoelectric power generator can continue providing the vital power.
Abstract: This paper presents a simplified version of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) - a conventional approach to evaluating the performance and ranking of competitive objects characterized by two groups of factors acting in opposite directions: inputs and outputs. DEA with a Perfect Object (DEA PO) augments the group of actual objects with a virtual Perfect Object - the one having greatest outputs and smallest inputs. It allows for obtaining an explicit analytical solution and making a step to an absolute efficiency. This paper develops this approach further and introduces a DEA model with Partially Perfect Objects. DEA PPO consecutively eliminates the smallest relative inputs or greatest relative outputs, and applies DEA PO to the reduced collections of indicators. The partial efficiency scores are combined to get the weighted efficiency score. The computational scheme remains simple, like that of DEA PO, but the advantage of the DEA PPO is taking into account all of the inputs and outputs for each actual object. Firm evaluation is considered as an example.
Abstract: Sharing the manufacturing facility through remote
operation and monitoring of a machining process is challenge for
effective use the production facility. Several automation tools in term
of hardware and software are necessary for successfully remote
operation of a machine. This paper presents a prototype of workpiece
holding attachment for remote operation of milling process by self
configuration the workpiece setup. The prototype is designed with
mechanism to reorient the work surface into machining spindle
direction with high positioning accuracy. Variety of parts geometry
is hold by attachment to perform single setup machining. Pin type
with array pattern additionally clamps the workpiece surface from
two opposite directions for increasing the machining rigidity.
Optimum pins configuration for conforming the workpiece geometry
with minimum deformation is determined through hybrid algorithms,
Genetic Algorithms (GA) and Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO).
Prototype with intelligent optimization technique enables to hold
several variety of workpiece geometry which is suitable for
machining low of repetitive production in remote operation.
Abstract: Software Development Risks Identification (SDRI),
using Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), is a proposed technique to identify
not only the risk factors but also the causes of the appearance of the
risk factors in software development life cycle. The method is based
on analyzing the probable causes of software development failures
before they become problems and adversely affect a project. It uses
Fault tree analysis (FTA) to determine the probability of a particular
system level failures that are defined by A Taxonomy for Sources of
Software Development Risk to deduce failure analysis in which an
undesired state of a system by using Boolean logic to combine a
series of lower-level events. The major purpose of this paper is to use
the probabilistic calculations of Fault Tree Analysis approach to
determine all possible causes that lead to software development risk
occurrence
Abstract: Analytical solution of the first-order and third-order
shear deformation theories are developed to study the free vibration
behavior of simply supported functionally graded plates. The
material properties of plate are assumed to be graded in the thickness
direction as a power law distribution of volume fraction of the
constituents. The governing equations of functionally graded plates
are established by applying the Hamilton's principle and are solved
by using the Navier solution method. The influence of side-tothickness
ratio and constituent of volume fraction on the natural
frequencies are studied. The results are validated with the known
data in the literature.
Abstract: Through the time, the higher education has changed
the learning system since mother tongue to bilingual, and in this new
century has been coming develop a multilingual education. All as
part of globalization process of the countries and the education.
Nevertheless, this change only has been effectively in countries of the
first world, the rest have been lagging. Therefore, these countries
require strengthen their higher education systems through models that
give way to multilingual and bilingual education. In this way, shows
a new model adapted from a systemic form to allow a higher
bilingual and multilingual education in Latin America. This
systematization aims to increase the skills and competencies
student’s, decrease the time learning of a second tongue, add to
multilingualism in the American Latin Universities, also, contribute
to position the region´s countries in a better global status, and
stimulate the development of new research in this area.
Abstract: Different numerical methods are employed and developed for simulating interfacial flows. A large range of applications belong to this group, e.g. two-phase flows of air bubbles in water or water drops in air. In such problems surface tension effects often play a dominant role. In this paper, various models of surface tension force for interfacial flows, the CSF, CSS, PCIL and SGIP models have been applied to simulate the motion of small air bubbles in water and the results were compared and reviewed. It has been pointed out that by using SGIP or PCIL models, we are able to simulate bubble rise and obtain results in close agreement with the experimental data.
Abstract: Heterogeneity of solid waste characteristics as well as the complex processes taking place within the landfill ecosystem motivated the implementation of soft computing methodologies such as artificial neural networks (ANN), fuzzy logic (FL), and their combination. The present work uses a hybrid ANN-FL model that employs knowledge-based FL to describe the process qualitatively and implements the learning algorithm of ANN to optimize model parameters. The model was developed to simulate and predict the landfill gas production at a given time based on operational parameters. The experimental data used were compiled from lab-scale experiment that involved various operating scenarios. The developed model was validated and statistically analyzed using F-test, linear regression between actual and predicted data, and mean squared error measures. Overall, the simulated landfill gas production rates demonstrated reasonable agreement with actual data. The discussion focused on the effect of the size of training datasets and number of training epochs.
Abstract: The mechanical and tribological properties in WC-Co
coatings are strongly affected by hardness and elasticity
specifications. The results revealed the effect of spraying distance on
microhardness and elasticity modulus of coatings. The metallurgical
studies have been made on coated samples using optical microscopy,
scanning electron microscopy (SEM).