Abstract: Power systems are operating under stressed condition
due to continuous increase in demand of load. This can lead to
voltage instability problem when face additional load increase or
contingency. In order to avoid voltage instability suitable size of
reactive power compensation at optimal location in the system is
required which improves the load margin. This work aims at
obtaining optimal size as well as location of compensation in the 39-
bus New England system with the help of Bacteria Foraging and
Genetic algorithms. To reduce the computational time the work
identifies weak candidate buses in the system, and then picks only
two of them to take part in the optimization. The objective function is
based on a recently proposed voltage stability index which takes into
account the weighted average sensitivity index is a simpler and faster
approach than the conventional CPF algorithm. BFOA has been
found to give better results compared to GA.
Abstract: Part and parcel of building green homes (GHs) with
favorable thermal comfort (TC) is to design and build with reduced
carbon footprint (CF) from embodied energy in the building envelope
and reduced operational CF overall. Together, the environmental
impact of GHs can be reduced significantly. Nevertheless, there is
still a need to identify the base CF value for Malaysian GHs and this
can be done by assessing existing ones which can then be compared
to conventional and vernacular houses which are built differently
with different building materials. This paper underlines the research
design and introduces the case studies. For now, the operational CF
of the case studies is beyond the scope of this study. Findings from
this research could identify the best building material and
construction technique combination to build GHs depending on the
available skills, financial constraints and the condition of the
immediate environment.
Abstract: The composite pavement system considered in this
paper is composed of a functional surface layer, a fiber reinforced
asphalt middle layer and a fiber reinforced lean concrete base layer.
The mix design of the fiber reinforced lean concrete corresponds to the
mix composition of conventional lean concrete but reinforced by
fibers. The quasi-absence of research on the durability or long-term
performances (fatigue, creep, etc.) of such mix design stresses the
necessity to evaluate experimentally the long-term characteristics of
this layer composition. This study tests the creep characteristics as one
of the long-term characteristics of the fiber reinforced lean concrete
layer for composite pavement using a new creep device. The test
results reveal that the lean concrete mixed with fiber reinforcement
and fly ash develops smaller creep than the conventional lean
concrete. The results of the application of the CEB-FIP prediction
equation indicate that a modified creep prediction equation should be
developed to fit with the new mix design of the layer.
Abstract: We propose a code acquisition scheme called improved
multiple-shift (IMS) for optical code division multiple access
systems, where the optical orthogonal code is used instead of the
pseudo noise code. Although the IMS algorithm has a similar process
to that of the conventional MS algorithm, it has a better code
acquisition performance than the conventional MS algorithm. We
analyze the code acquisition performance of the IMS algorithm and
compare the code acquisition performances of the MS and the IMS
algorithms in single-user and multi-user environments.
Abstract: The turbocharger and turbocharging have been the
inherent component of diesel engines, so that critical parameters of
such engines, as BSFC (Brake Specific Fuel Consumption) or
thermal efficiency, fuel consumption, BMEP (Brake Mean Effective
Pressure), the power density output and emission level have been
improved extensively. In general, the turbocharger can be considered
as the most complex component of diesel engines, because it has
closely interrelated turbomachinery concepts of the turbines and the
compressors to thermodynamic fundamentals of internal combustion
engines and stress analysis of all components.
In this paper, a waste gate for a conventional single stage radial
turbine is investigated by consideration of turbochargers operation
constrains and engine operation conditions, without any detail
designs in the turbine and the compressor. Amount of opening waste
gate which extended between the ranges of full opened and closed
valve, is demonstrated by limiting compressor boost pressure ratio.
Obtaining of an optimum point by regard above mentioned items is
surveyed by three linked meanline modeling programs together
which consist of Turbomatch®, Compal®, Rital® madules in concepts
NREC® respectively.
Abstract: Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are formed
during the pyrolysis of scrap tyres to produce tyre pyrolytic oil
(TPO). Due to carcinogenic, mutagenic, and toxic properties PAHs
are priority pollutants. Hence it is essential to remove PAHs from
TPO before utilising TPO as a petroleum fuel alternative (to run the
engine). Agricultural wastes have promising future to be utilized as
biosorbent due to their cost effectiveness, abundant availability, high
biosorption capacity and renewability. Various low cost adsorbents
were prepared from natural sources. Uptake of PAHs present in tyre
pyrolytic oil was investigated using various low-cost adsorbents of
natural origin including sawdust (shisham), coconut fiber, neem bark,
chitin, activated charcoal. Adsorption experiments of different PAHs
viz. naphthalene, acenaphthalene, biphenyl and anthracene have been
carried out at ambient temperature (25°C) and at pH 7. It was
observed that for any given PAH, the adsorption capacity increases
with the lignin content. Freundlich constant Kf and 1/n have been
evaluated and it was found that the adsorption isotherms of PAHs
were in agreement with a Freundlich model, while the uptake
capacity of PAHs followed the order: activated charcoal> saw dust
(shisham) > coconut fiber > chitin. The partition coefficients in
acetone-water, and the adsorption constants at equilibrium, could be
linearly correlated with octanol–water partition coefficients. It is
observed that natural adsorbents are good alternative for PAHs
removal. Sawdust of Dalbergia sissoo, a by-product of sawmills was
found to be a promising adsorbent for the removal of PAHs present in
TPO. It is observed that adsorbents studied were comparable to those
of some conventional adsorbents.
Abstract: At present, the cascade PID control is widely used to
control the superheating temperature (main steam temperature). As
Main Steam Temperature has the characteristics of large inertia, large
time-delay and time varying, etc., conventional PID control strategy
cannot achieve good control performance. In order to overcome the
bad performance and deficiencies of main steam temperature control
system, Model Free Adaptive Control (MFAC) - P cascade control
system is proposed in this paper. By substituting MFAC in PID of the
main control loop of the main steam temperature control, it can
overcome time delays, non-linearity, disturbance and time variation.
Abstract: Micro-alloyed steel components are used in
automotive industry for the necessity to make the manufacturing
process cycles shorter when compared to conventional steel by
eliminating heat treatment cycles, so an important saving of costs and
energy can be reached by reducing the number of operations. Microalloying
elements like vanadium, niobium or titanium have been
added to medium carbon steels to achieve grain refinement with or
without precipitation strengthening along with uniform
microstructure throughout the matrix. Present study reports the
applicability of medium carbon vanadium micro-alloyed steel in hot
forging. Forgeability has been determined with respect to different
cooling rates, after forging in a hydraulic press at 50% diameter
reduction in temperature range of 900-11000C. Final microstructures,
hardness, tensile strength, and impact strength have been evaluated.
The friction coefficients of different lubricating conditions, viz.,
graphite in hydraulic oil, graphite in furnace oil, DF 150 (Graphite,
Water-Based) die lubricant and dry or without any lubrication were
obtained from the ring compression test for the above micro-alloyed
steel. Results of ring compression tests indicate that graphite in
hydraulic oil lubricant is preferred for free forging and dry lubricant
is preferred for die forging operation. Exceptionally good forgeability
and high resistance to fracture, especially for faster cooling rate has
been observed for fine equiaxed ferrite-pearlite grains, some amount
of bainite and fine precipitates of vanadium carbides and
carbonitrides. The results indicated that the cooling rate has a
remarkable effect on the microstructure and mechanical properties at
room temperature.
Abstract: In this paper, we consider the vehicle routing problem
with mixed fleet of conventional and heterogenous electric vehicles
and time dependent charging costs, denoted VRP-HFCC, in which
a set of geographically scattered customers have to be served by a
mixed fleet of vehicles composed of a heterogenous fleet of Electric
Vehicles (EVs), having different battery capacities and operating
costs, and Conventional Vehicles (CVs). We include the possibility
of charging EVs in the available charging stations during the routes
in order to serve all customers. Each charging station offers charging
service with a known technology of chargers and time dependent
charging costs. Charging stations are also subject to operating time
windows constraints. EVs are not necessarily compatible with all
available charging technologies and a partial charging is allowed.
Intermittent charging at the depot is also allowed provided that
constraints related to the electricity grid are satisfied.
The objective is to minimize the number of employed vehicles and
then minimize the total travel and charging costs.
In this study, we present a Mixed Integer Programming Model and
develop a Charging Routing Heuristic and a Local Search Heuristic
based on the Inject-Eject routine with different insertion methods. All
heuristics are tested on real data instances.
Abstract: Vehicular Adhoc Network (VANET) is a new
technology which aims to ensure intelligent inter-vehicle
communications, seamless internet connectivity leading to improved
road safety, essential alerts, and access to comfort and entertainment.
VANET operations are hindered by mobile node’s (vehicles)
uncertain mobility. Routing algorithms use metrics to evaluate which
path is best for packets to travel. Metrics like path length (hop count),
delay, reliability, bandwidth, and load determine optimal route. The
proposed scheme exploits link quality, traffic density, and
intersections as routing metrics to determine next hop. This study
enhances Geographical Routing Protocol (GRP) using fuzzy
controllers while rules are optimized with Bee Swarm Optimization
(BSO). Simulations results are compared to conventional GRP.
Abstract: This work reports the potential of using Palm Kernel
(PK) ash and shell as a partial substitute for Portland Cement (PC)
and coarse aggregate in the development of mortar and concrete. PK
ash and shell are agro-waste materials from palm oil mills, the
disposal of PK ash and shell is an environmental problem of concern.
The PK ash has pozzolanic properties that enables it as a partial
replacement for cement and also plays an important role in the
strength and durability of concrete, its use in concrete will alleviate
the increasing challenges of scarcity and high cost of cement. In order
to investigate the PC replacement potential of PK ash, three types of
PK ash were produced at varying temperature (350-750C) and they
were used to replace up to 50% PC. The PK shell was used to replace
up to 100% coarse aggregate in order to study its aggregate
replacement potential. The testing programme included material
characterisation, the determination of compressive strength, tensile
splitting strength and chemical durability in aggressive sulfatebearing
exposure conditions. The 90 day compressive results showed
a significant strength gain (up to 26.2 N/mm2). The Portland cement
and conventional coarse aggregate has significantly higher influence
in the strength gain compared to the equivalent PK ash and PK shell.
The chemical durability results demonstrated that after a prolonged
period of exposure, significant strength losses in all the concretes
were observed. This phenomenon is explained, due to lower change
in concrete morphology and inhibition of reaction species and the
final disruption of the aggregate cement paste matrix.
Abstract: In this paper, an analysis of some model order
reduction techniques is presented. A new hybrid algorithm for model
order reduction of linear time invariant systems is compared with the
conventional techniques namely Balanced Truncation, Hankel Norm
reduction and Dominant Pole Algorithm (DPA). The proposed hybrid
algorithm is known as Clustering Dominant Pole Algorithm (CDPA),
is able to compute the full set of dominant poles and its cluster center
efficiently. The dominant poles of a transfer function are specific
eigenvalues of the state space matrix of the corresponding dynamical
system. The effectiveness of this novel technique is shown through
the simulation results.
Abstract: This study evaluated the use of raw or processed
Prosopis juliflora (Meskit) pods as a major ingredient in a formulated
ration to provide an alternative non-conventional concentrate for
livestock feeding in Oman. Dry Meskit pods were reduced to lengths
of 0.5- 1.0 cm to ensure thorough mixing into three diets. Meskit
pods were subjected to two types of treatments; roasting and soaking.
They were roasted at 150оC for 30 minutes using a locally-made
roasting device (40 kg barrel container rotated by electric motor and
heated by flame gas cooker). Chopped pods were soaked in tap water
for 24 hours and dried for 2 days under the sun with frequent turning.
The Meskit-pod-based diets (MPBD) were formulated and pelleted
from 500 g/kg ground Meskit pods, 240 g/kg wheat bran, 200 g/kg
barley grain, 50 g/kg local dried sardines and 10 g/kg of salt. Twenty
four 10 months-old intact Omani male lambs with average body
weight of 27.3 kg (± 0.5 kg) were used in a feeding trial for 84 days.
They were divided (on body weight basis) and allocated to four diet
combination groups. These were: Rhodes grass hay (RGH) plus a
general ruminant concentrate (GRC); RGH plus raw Meskit pods
(RMP) based concentrate; RGH plus roasted Meskit pods (ROMP)
based concentrate; RGH plus soaked Meskit pods (SMP) based
concentrate Daily feed intakes and bi-weekly body weights were
recorded. MPBD had higher contents of crude protein (CP), acid
detergent fibre (ADF) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) than the
GRC. Animals fed various types of MPBD did not show signs of ill
health. There was a significant effect of feeding ROMP on the
performance of Omani sheep compared to RMP and SMP. The
ROMP fed animals had similar performance to those fed the GRC in
terms of feed intake, body weight gain and feed conversion ratio
(FCR).This study indicated that roasted Meskit pods based diet may
be used instead of the commercial concentrate for feeding Omani
sheep without adverse effects on performance. It offers a cheap
alternative source of protein and energy for feeding Omani sheep.
Also, it might help in solving the spread impact of Meskit trees,
maintain the ecosystem and helping in preserving the local tree
species.
Abstract: Background: The effectiveness of mirror therapy
(MT) has been investigated in acute hemiplegia. The present study
examines whether MT, given during chronic stroke, was more
effective in promoting motor recovery of the lower extremity and
walking speed than standard rehabilitation alone. Methods: The study
enrolled 30 patients with chronic stroke. Fifteen patients each were
assigned to the treatment group and the control group. All patients
received a conventional rehabilitation program for a 4-week period.
In addition to this rehabilitation program, patients in the treatment
group received mirror therapy for 4 weeks, 5 days a week. Main
measures: Passive ankle joint dorsiflexion range of motion, gait
speed, Brunnstrom stages of motor recovery, plantar flexor muscle
tone by Modified Ashworth Scale. Results: No significant difference
was found in the outcome measures among groups before treatment.
When compared with standard rehabilitation, mirror therapy
improved Ankle ROM, Brunnstrom stages and waking speed
(p < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between
two groups on MAS (P > 0.05).Conclusion: Mirror therapy combined
with a conventional stroke rehabilitation program enhances lowerextremity
motor recovery and walking speed in chronic stroke
patients.
Abstract: Kazakhstan is currently one of the dynamically
developing states in its region. The stable growth in all sectors of the
economy leads to a corresponding increase in energy consumption.
Thus country consumes significant amount of energy due to the high
level of industrialisation and the presence of energy-intensive
manufacturing such as mining and metallurgy which in turn leads to
low energy efficiency. With allowance for this the Government has
set several priorities to adopt a transition of Republic of Kazakhstan
to a “green economy”. This article provides an overview of
Kazakhstan’s energy efficiency situation in for the period of 1991-
2014. First, the dynamics of production and consumption of
conventional energy resources are given. Second, the potential of
renewable energy sources is summarised followed by the description
of GHG emissions trends in the country. Third, Kazakhstan’ national
initiatives, policies and locally implemented projects in the field of
energy efficiency are described.
Abstract: The continuous decline of petroleum and natural gas
reserves and non linear rise of oil price has brought about a
realisation of the need for a change in our perpetual dependence on
the fossil fuel. A day to day increased consumption of crude and
petroleum products has made a considerable impact on our foreign
exchange reserves. Hence, an alternate resource for the conversion of
energy (both liquid and gas) is essential for the substitution of
conventional fuels. Biomass is the alternate solution for the present
scenario. Biomass can be converted into both liquid as well as
gaseous fuels and other feedstocks for the industries.
Abstract: Conventional educational practices, do not offer all
the required skills for teachers to successfully survive in today’s
workplace. Due to poor professional training, a big gap exists across
the curriculum plan and the teacher practices in the classroom. As
such, raising the quality of teaching through ICT-enabled training and
professional development of teachers should be an urgent priority.
‘Mobile Learning’, in that vein, is an increasingly growing field of
educational research and practice across schools and work places. In
this paper, we propose a novel Mobile learning system that allows the
users to learn through an intelligent mobile learning in cooperatively
every-time and every-where. The system will reduce the training cost
and increase consistency, efficiency, and data reliability. To establish
that our system will display neither functional nor performance
failure, the evaluation strategy is based on formal observation of
users interacting with system followed by questionnaires and
structured interviews.
Abstract: The prepreg process among the CFRP (Carbon Fiber
Reinforced Plastic) forming methods is the short term of
‘Pre-impregnation’, which is widely used for aerospace composites
that require a high quality property such as a fiber-reinforced woven
fabric, in which an epoxy hardening resin is impregnated the reality.
However, that this process requires continuous researches and
developments for its commercialization because the delamination
characteristically develops between the layers when a great weight is
loaded from outside to supplement such demerit, three lamination
methods among the prepreg lamination methods of CFRP were
designed to minimize the delamination between the layers due to
external impacts. Further, the newly designed methods and the
existing lamination methods were analyzed through a mechanical
characteristic test, Interlaminar Shear Strength test. The Interlaminar
Shear Strength test result confirmed that the newly proposed three
lamination methods, i.e. the Roll, Half and Zigzag laminations,
presented more excellent strengths compared to the conventional Ply
lamination. The interlaminar shear strength in the roll method with
relatively dense fiber distribution was approximately 1.75% higher
than that in the existing ply lamination method, and in the half method,
it was approximately 0.78% higher.
Abstract: The study is a review of the literature concerning the
consequences of non-standard monetary policy, which are used by
central banks during unconventional periods, threatening banking
sector instability. In particular, the attention was paid to the effects of
non-standard monetary policy tools for financial markets. However,
the empirical evidence about their effects and real consequences for
financial markets is still not final. The main aim of the study is to
survey consequences of standard and non-standard monetary policy
instruments, implemented during the global financial crisis in the
United States, United Kingdom and euro area, with particular
attention to the results for the stabilization of global financial
markets. The study consists mainly of the empirical review,
indicating the impact of the implementation of these tools for
financial markets. The following research methods were used in the
study: literature studies, including domestic and foreign literature,
cause and effect analysis and statistical analysis.
Abstract: Motion Tracking and Stereo Vision are complicated,
albeit well-understood problems in computer vision. Existing
softwares that combine the two approaches to perform stereo motion
tracking typically employ complicated and computationally expensive
procedures. The purpose of this study is to create a simple and
effective solution capable of combining the two approaches. The
study aims to explore a strategy to combine the two techniques
of two-dimensional motion tracking using Kalman Filter; and depth
detection of object using Stereo Vision. In conventional approaches
objects in the scene of interest are observed using a single camera.
However for Stereo Motion Tracking; the scene of interest is
observed using video feeds from two calibrated cameras. Using two
simultaneous measurements from the two cameras a calculation for
the depth of the object from the plane containing the cameras is made.
The approach attempts to capture the entire three-dimensional spatial
information of each object at the scene and represent it through a
software estimator object. In discrete intervals, the estimator tracks
object motion in the plane parallel to plane containing cameras and
updates the perpendicular distance value of the object from the plane
containing the cameras as depth. The ability to efficiently track
the motion of objects in three-dimensional space using a simplified
approach could prove to be an indispensable tool in a variety of
surveillance scenarios. The approach may find application from high
security surveillance scenes such as premises of bank vaults, prisons
or other detention facilities; to low cost applications in supermarkets
and car parking lots.