Parametric Optimization of Cutting Parameters of Laser Assisted Cutting Using Taguchi Analysis and Genetic Algorithm

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Parametric Optimization of Cutting Parameters of Laser Assisted Cutting Using Taguchi Analysis and Genetic Algorithm
Author Name:Sandeep Kumar Singh and Swati Gangwar
Synopsis:
Laser Beam Machining (LBM) is one of the most advanced machining processes that is used for shaping, cutting and machining the virtually whole varieties of engineering materials. In LBM, the surface roughness and kerf taper significant factors affects the product characteristics and quality of the product. During this analysis work, the impact of process parameters like cutting speed, frequency and Gas pressure surface roughness (Ra) of steel (AISI 321 stainless steel) material in laser cutting machining are studied. L9 orthogonal array was generated for fractional factorial design (Taguchi analysis) for better understanding of the interaction among the process parameters. The values of surface roughness for steel were calculated by Regression model equations, and Taguchi Analysis and Genetic Algorithm were employed to the parametric analysis of the experimental data. Taguchi analysis gives the optimum values of surface roughness and kerf taper, which are 2.2981 μm and 0.1637° respectively. Genetic algorithm was used for providing a set of optimum values for both outputs simultaneously.

Studies on Adsorption of Cu (II) Using Spent Tea Extract (STE) From Industrial Wastewater

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Studies on Adsorption of Cu (II) Using Spent Tea Extract (STE) From Industrial Wastewater
Author Name:S.V.A.R. Sastry and B. Sarva Rao
Synopsis:
The metallic wastes released by Industries mainly comprise of heavy metals like Copper, Cadmium, Zinc, Lead, Chromium and Nickel which cannot be degraded and thus contaminate the natural industrial wastewater. Copper is the third most widely used metal in industries next to aluminum and iron and has harmful effects on health and environment. There are numerous methods currently employed to remove and recover these heavy metals from industrial wastewater. Adsorption is one of the alternative methods which can be used for adsorption of heavy metals and is an effective separation technique. Considering the economics, there is an increasing research interest in using alternative low-cost adsorbents. In recent years, Spent Tea Extract (STE) is gaining ground due to its potential to adsorb heavy metals. In the present work, the potential of tea extract as an adsorbent for the adsorption of Cu (II) from synthetic waste industrial water is studied. The percentage adsorption of Cu (II) has been studied with three variables (adsorbent dosage, contact time and solution pH), keeping one constant at a time. Optimum percentage adsorption of Cu (II) is found to be 59.84 % at the adsorbent dosage of 0.5 g (in 50 ml solution), contact time of 60 minutes, pH of 5 and temperature of 30 °C. The result showed that the proposed adsorbent used in this study is very useful for removing Cu (II) from industrial wastewater.

Statistical Analysis of Stage-Discharge Data for Development of Rating Curve Using Non-Linear Regression Approach

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Statistical Analysis of Stage-Discharge Data for Development of Rating Curve Using Non-Linear Regression Approach
Author Name:N. Vivekanandan.
Synopsis:
Development of Stage-Discharge Rating Curve (SDRC) is of utmost importance for reliable planning, design and management of water resource projects. The SDRC is time dependent and very often exhibits a random phenomenon with fluctuation. For establishing the SDRC, Non-Linear Regression Approach (NLRA) is widely applied to many gauging sites worldwide for many decades. The SDRC is based on power equation that is used to establish a relationship between stage (i.e., water level) and discharge, whose variables can be determined by the method of least squares. In this paper, a study on development of SDRCs for Aamdabad, Nighoje and Wegre gauging sites located in the upper Bhima basin upto Ujjani reservoir is carried out. The performance of the NLRA used for developing the SDRCs is evaluated by correlation coefficient and the mean absolute percentage error. The paper presents the procedures adopted in the development of SDRCs using NLRA and the results obtained thereof.

Assessment of Traffic Noise and Transferability Analysis of FHWA Model on National Highway - 06 Passing Through Chhattisgarh, India

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Assessment of Traffic Noise and Transferability Analysis of FHWA Model on National Highway - 06 Passing Through Chhattisgarh, India
Author Name:G.S. Vij, M.L. Agrawal and M.K. Gupta.
Synopsis:

Traffic noise introduced by vehicles operating on highways is a major source of discomfort and concern for the population in the vicinity. A number of noise prediction models have been developed over the past 30 years that attempted to model the road condition under study. But, as traffic flow characteristics, road characteristics, geometric parameters etc. are different from what are prevailing in those developed countries, these models cannot be applied directly in its present form. There is a need to check its transferability in order to make it suitable for the prediction of traffic noise on Indian highways. In the present work, the traffic noise on NH – 06 passing through Chhattisgarh have been observed. The traffic noise prediction is done with the help of Federal Highway Administration Model (FHWA) using the traffic volume and speed data recorded at different sampling stations.

This paper tried to check the geographical transferability of the FHWA model on NH-06 passing through Chhattisgarh. In doing so, the study area of NH-06 has been divided into four locations, these locations are Supela (location 1), Power house (location 2), Bhilai III (location 3), and Charoda (location 4). Traffic noise is measured directly with the help of a sound level meter SL 4023SD. It is then compared with the noise level predicted using the FHWA model in terms of the percentage difference and absolute difference. Regression analysis is then performed to get modelled equations. Following are main points regarding the study undertaken for NH-06. The absolute difference between the observed and the predicted traffic noise level is observed in the range of 2.94-6.88 dB(A) for location 1, 0.266-4.47 dB(A) for location 2, 0.58-5.2 dB(A) for location 3, and 0.33-6.3 dB(A) for location 4. As the absolute difference obtained at all four locations are in an acceptable range and the Coefficient of Correlation (R2 ) obtains a value between 0.8 to 1.0, which depicts a good relationship, and therefore, the model can be geographically transferable. The validity of model is checked through statistical analysis using paired t test and also justifies the model developed for NH-06, as the calculated value of t obtained is less than the critical value for a given confidence interval.

Construction of Rotor Blades with Winglet and Twist Aerodynamic Design for Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Construction of Rotor Blades with Winglet and Twist Aerodynamic Design for Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines
Author Name:M. Peeraiah and M. Chandra Sekhara Reddy. 
Synopsis:
This paper deals with maximizing the power output from wind turbines over, all the expected wind conditions, while minimizing construction costs. The wind turbine construction is complex due to the design of turbine blades. As such, the authors focus on minimizing the amount of materials required to make the blade, while maximizing the power output. The considered disciplines include, aerodynamics, structures, and control. By considering a range of incoming wind velocities that represents the possible operating conditions of the turbine, the expected power output and extreme structural load over this range can be calculated. To Further limit the design space, the authors made a three-bladed design with PVC (Poly Vinyl Chloride) blades. The authors choose three blades, because, an initial Design of Experiments (DOE) test showed that, the three blades’ performance and efficiency is higher than the four and five-bladed designs in almost all cases. The traditional wind turbine’s cut in speed is 4 m/sec and so, the authors are trying to design a turbine that starts producing power even at a wind speed of 3 m/sec. Designed and fabricated wind turbine with a control system allows it to direct the blades against the wind flowing direction.

Nonviability Of African Star Apple Seed (Chrysophyllum Albidum) As A Source Of Industrial Oil

Vol. 11  Issue 3
Year:2016
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Nonviability Of African Star Apple Seed (Chrysophyllum Albidum) As A Source Of Industrial Oil
Author Name:Uche Chidiebere, Ishidi Yohanna Edith, Eze Uzochukwu Wilson and Uche Kelechi.
Synopsis:
The exploration of under utilized plant seeds as sources of industrial oil was the main focus of the work. The research work was carried out to ascertain the viability of seeds of an African star apple as a source of oil for industrial use. Oils were extracted from dried seeds of African star apple using n-hexane by Soxhlet extraction method. A comprehensive range of physicochemical properties, namely: free fatty acid, peroxide value, saponification value, iodine value, and specific gravity were determined. The characterization of the oil was done according to the methods described by the Association of Official Analytical Chemist. The percentage yield of the oil was 2.5%, dark yellow in colour and liquid at room temperature. Saponification value of the oil was 51.45, Iodine value was 19.20, Peroxide value stood at 1.78, and Specific gravity was 0.91. The low yield and values of saponification and iodine show that, the oil is not viable for industrial use.

Phenol Remediation: Past and Present Technologies - An Overview

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Nov-Jan
Title:Phenol Remediation: Past and Present Technologies - An Overview
Author Name:Mahanthi Ranjitha, V. Sridevi and D. Divya Teja
Synopsis:
One of the most important environmental problems faced by the world is management of wastes. Industrial processes generate a variety of molecules that may pollute air and waters due to negative impacts such as Toxicity, Carcinogenic and Mutagenic properties. The aim of the present paper is, it provides an outline of the Physico-Chemical characteristics, hazards and remediation measures for control of phenol toxicity. Phenol and its components are extremely toxic and can be easily be isolated from different industrial sewage such as oil refinery, petrochemical industry and mines, especially collier and chemical factories. Hence, the presence of these compounds in the environment could cause environmental pollution, especially in water resources. The purpose of the study is crucial to perpetuate the environment and individual. Various methods are recommended for removal of the phenol from wastewater include physico-chemical and biological like steam stripping, solvent extraction, adsorption, chemical oxidation and biodegradation methods are discussed. The work reported in this study is, the complete removal of the pollutants by the use of physical and chemical processes is not possible. Critical appraisal of the literature reveals that, biological treatment is economical, practical and the most promising and versatile approach as it leads to complete mineralization of phenol producing non toxic end products.

A Systematic Review on Nanomaterials: Properties, Synthesis and Applications

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Nov-Jan
Title:A Systematic Review on Nanomaterials: Properties, Synthesis and Applications
Author Name:K. Aruna, K. Raghavendra Rao and P. Parhana
Synopsis:
In the present scenario, Nanophysics and Nanochemistry are relatively new areas of science arisen in the last decade after the discovery of fullerenes and nanotubes. Nano sized materials are used in numerous applications ranging from electric storage device, science and engineering, which will bring a wave of radical innovation . It has a potential broad impact, spark in various application areas such as: drug delivery to treat tumour, cancer (without using radiotherapy & chemotherapy), solar energy, batteries, display technologies, Opto-electronic devices, semiconductor devices in nanoelectronics, biosensors, CNT's etc. The expectations on nanomaterials are enormous as their unique Mechanical, Optical, Electrical, Magnetic, Thermal and Catalytical properties make them special ingredients for a number of applications. This paper describes introduction to the most interdisciplinary integrated modern science known as nanotechnology. Classification and properties of nanomaterials, synthesis of Nanomaterial, and its growth, significance, applications in various fields. The new material terminologies associated with this field. This paper gives a short overview of some of the different types of nanomaterials such as graphite, fullerenes and carbon nanotube, etc.

Analysis of Femur Bone during Static Condition by Using Finite Element Method

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Nov-Jan
Title:Analysis of Femur Bone during Static Condition by Using Finite Element Method
Author Name:M. Vijay Kumar Reddy and K. Ashok Kumar Raju 
Synopsis:
Biomechanics is a field that combines with disciplines of Biology, Engineering Mechanics, and Mathematics, utilizes the tools of Physics, Computer Aided Design, Computer Aided Manufacturing, and Engineering to describe the properties of biological materials. These measurements are used to estimate the fracture risk in people of all ages. The theme of this present work is to carry out the finite element analysis of femur bone during the static condition. Finite element analysis has been widely used to describe the mechanical behavior of the long bones, which have been created from CT (Computer Tomography) images. In this work, a three dimensional model of the human femur bone has been modeled by using Bio-CAD software and analysis is done by using COMSOL Multiphysics software. This method helps to find out risk factor in bone fractures and finds a region of fracture zones.

Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Approaches, Observations, and Outlooks

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Nov-Jan
Title:Chemistry and Chemical Engineering: Approaches, Observations, and Outlooks
Author Name:Soumya Mekalwar, Kailas L. Wasewar and Asha Upwanshi W. 
Synopsis:
Chemical Engineering is the distinct branch of the Engineering profession. Chemical engineering activity is mainly concerned with the exploitation of chemical reactions on commercial scales. Chemistry is one of the basic and important subjects to build the best chemical engineers. The basic aim of the present work is to understand the 3rd year chemical engineering students’ approaches, observations and outlooks towards chemistry and chemical engineering subjects they learnt. They learn 3-4 chemistry subjects in 1st year and 2nd year of chemical engineering and almost all major chemical engineering subjects. Certain questionnaire was formulated to collect the respective data. The data of 64 students of chemical engineering have been collected and analyzed with respect to their experience of chemistry learnt in the first and second year of chemical engineering and its concerns for chemical engineering. The results are presented in terms of bar charts and exhuastively interpreted. Overall, the results suggest that, the students’ experience for urban students is better than the rural student in all aspects. Further, more specific teaching – learning system should be developed to create the interest of the students in chemistry and so on chemical engineering.

A Novel Heavy Metal, Water Contaminants Detection Based On a Supercontinuum Broadband Optical Laser Source Transmittance Measurement

Vol. 11  Issue 2
Year:2016
Issue:Nov-Jan
Title:A Novel Heavy Metal, Water Contaminants Detection Based On a Supercontinuum Broadband Optical Laser Source Transmittance Measurement
Author Name:Y.H. Ho, C.E. Ong, P.S. The, K.C. Lai, S.C. Lee, P.C. Teh and D.V. Padma
Synopsis:
The authors report a novel detection technique for two types of common heavy metal contaminants in water, copper sulphate and ferric chloride, by analyzing the transmittance measurement of a supercontinuum laser source on the samples. In the past, the detection of heavy metal contaminants in water was done conventionally by using atomic spectroscopy method. This method requires a series of steps such as atomization of water sample by burning the sample with flame and then shines a specific wavelength of light on that cloud of atoms in order to determine the presence of that particular heavy metal contaminant. The authors aim to demonstrate a more convenient method, which is by shining a broadband supercontinuum light source directly on the water sample and performing transmittance measurement. Instead of shining a light source with certain wavelength, supercontinuum laser source allows emission of light ranging from 600 nm to 1600 nm wavelength simultaneously. By measuring the amount of light transmitted through the water sample, the concentration of heavy metal contaminants can be determined. The laser source, which comprises of a Master Oscillator Power Amplifier (MOPA) paired with a 15 meters long Photonic Crystal Fiber (PCF) has the ability of producing broad bandwidth light source with an average power of 1W. The experimental results were further analyzed using Analysis Of Variance (ANOVA) in which, the authors have identified that wavelength, concentration of heavy metal contaminants and the types of contaminants that will affect the transmittance of the supercontinuum laser source.

Statistical Analysis of Stream Flow Data for Construction of Flow Duration Curve Using Empirical Method - A Case Study

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year:2015
Issue:Aug-Oct
Title:Statistical Analysis of Stream Flow Data for Construction of Flow Duration Curve Using Empirical Method - A Case Study
Author Name:N. Vivekanandan
Synopsis:
Flow Duration Curve (FDC) is an important tool for various water related applications like hydro power generation, planning and design of irrigation systems, management of stream-pollution, river and reservoir sedimentation. Whenever adequate length of recorded data is not available, the FDC can be constructed to analyze the available stream flow data at the site. FDC provides the percentage of time (duration), a (monthly or seasonal) stream flow is exceeded over a recorded period for a particular river or stream. In this paper, statistical analysis is carried out to determine the series characteristics of stream flow data recorded at Farakka feeder canal. The stream flow data series for the months of March, April and May is independently used to construct FDCs for the respective months using empirical method. The study suggests that the dependable flow at different percentage levels viz., 75%, 90% and 100% obtained from FDCs can be used for planning of irrigation, hydro-power and drinking water projects in Farakka feeder canal.

Mango Fruit Inspection Technique through Machine Vision System

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year:2015
Issue:Aug-Oct
Title:Mango Fruit Inspection Technique through Machine Vision System
Author Name:Abarna J and Arockia Selvakumar A
Synopsis:
In recent days, machine vision based system has become important for many areas even in Agricultural fields and Food industry. In this paper, an automatic machine vision based system for sorting of the mango fruit based on their colour and size has been developed. The proposed machine vision system is aimed to replace the manual based technique for sorting of fruit, as the manual inspection tend to make problems in maintaining consistency and uniformity in sorting. To maintain the consistency, uniformity, accuracy as well as to speed up the process, a machine vision based system is used in mango sorting. Mango fruits size and colour are analyzed using Caliper and Match colour functions. Based on the simulation results, this mango sorting technique is found to be faster, effective and intelligent.

Design and Fabrication of Solar Cylindrical Trough Collector with Parabolic Shape

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year:2015
Issue:Aug-Oct
Title:Design and Fabrication of Solar Cylindrical Trough Collector with Parabolic Shape
Author Name:Ramanjaneyulu, M. Peeraiah, M. Tirupathaiah and M. Chandra Sekhar Reddy
Synopsis:
Solar Energy is the major source of energy, and utilization of it requires solar collectors. A device generally called solar concentrator is used. Concentration of solar energy can be done by using either reflecting or refracting elements, which are so positioned that, solar flux is directed on the absorber. With the help of a flat plate collector, it is possible to get  temperature around 100oC to heat liquids or gasses. There are several processes operating at much above 100oC, where high energy is required. This can be achieved by using concentrating collectors. Solar parabolic trough collector is currently used for the generation of electricity and applications with relatively higher temperatures. Parabolic trough collectors are typically operated at temperatures above 250 oC. An attempt is made in this project to develop a parabolic trough collector for water heating more effectively as compared to the flat plate collector. Thermal analysis procedure of a solar parabolic trough collector design starts with the selection of certain parameters such as aperture area and diameter of receiver to obtain the geometric concentration. In this investigation, experimentation is based on varying concentration. An experimental parabolic trough collector with aperture 1.2 m, focal height 0.3 m and trough length 3 m is constructed. A G.I pipe having inner diameter of 25.4 mm and outer diameter of 28 mm placed at the focal axis is used as receiver.

Exergy, Exergy Destruction Rate and Exergy Efficiency Analysis of Thermal Power Plants by a Computer Software at Various Operating Conditions

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year:2015
Issue:Aug-Oct
Title:Exergy, Exergy Destruction Rate and Exergy Efficiency Analysis of Thermal Power Plants by a Computer Software at Various Operating Conditions
Author Name:Ankur Geete
Synopsis:
This research work is based on coal fired thermal power plant. Component wise exergy, exergy destruction rates and exergy efficiencies are evaluated for the power plant. The component/device which has higher exergy, higher exergy destruction rate or which has lower exergy efficiency is identified. This work can be analyzed by manual calculations, but this method is hectic and also has chance of human error. So a computer software is designed for component wise analysis at various operating conditions. This software is also used to analyze exergy, exergy destruction rate and exergy efficiency for other coal fired thermal power plants. This work can be concluded as, maximum exergy destruction occurs in boiler for both plants, and maximum second law efficiency is achieved in steam turbine. Therefore, when amount of fuel used in the boiler increases, the exergy destruction rate increases and second law efficiency decreases. Effects of different ambient temperatures on the performance of the plants are observed, and for condenser, if mass flow rate of circulating water increases then the exergy destruction rate decreases and second law efficiency increases.

Central Composite Design for Optimization of Chromium (VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Low Cost Adsorbent

Vol. 11  Issue 1
Year:2015
Issue:Aug-Oct
Title:Central Composite Design for Optimization of Chromium (VI) Removal from Aqueous Solution Using Low Cost Adsorbent
Author Name:D. Krishna and D.V. Padma
Synopsis:
Aim of the experiment is to find out the optimization of adsorption parameters such as initial chromium (VI) concentration (5-30 mg/l), pH (1-4), and adsorbent dosage (1-3 g/l) using Central Composite Design in response with surface methodology. A total of 19 experiments were conducted for the present investigation towards construction of empirical model. The optimum conditions for maximum removal of chromium from an aqueous solution of 20 mg/l were as follows: adsorbent dose (2.26806 g/l), pH (1.76296) and initial chromium concentration (24.99465 mg/l). The maximum percentage removal of chromium at an optimum adsorption parameter is 70.53756%. This method is used to find out the mathematical model for the percentage removal of chromium metal ion from waste water efficiently.

Application of Nanotechnology, Nanofiltration and the Future Vision of Environmental Engineering Science-A Critical Overview

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Application of Nanotechnology, Nanofiltration and the Future Vision of Environmental Engineering Science-A Critical Overview
Author Name:Sukanchan Palit 
Synopsis:

The world of Environmental engineering science is moving at a drastic pace in the midst of immense challenges and scientific vision. Environmental regulations and stringent environmental restrictions have urged the scientific domain to devise newer and innovative environmental engineering techniques. Advancement of science and technology, the wide vision for the future and the wide path towards progress are the torchbearers towards newer realm and newer environmental engineering paradigm. In such a crucial juncture of history and civilization, nanotechnology and application of nanofiltration are of utmost importance. In today's world, nanofiltration and environmental engineering science have an unsevered umbilical cord. Industrial wastewater treatment, drinking water treatment and application of membrane science today stands in the midst of immense scientific vision and world of truth and understanding. Nanotechnology and its intricacies are uncovered in this present century. The author with cogent and deep insight unravels the importance of nanofiltration in environmental pollution control and its vast and visionary frontiers. Environmental engineering paradigm is moving towards one visionary realm over another.

In this review paper the author with deep comprehension and cogent insight delineates the application of nanotechnology tools such as nanofiltration in environmental engineering science. The world of instinctive challenges and the vision for the future evolves into a new dimension and newer directions in the domain of nanofiltration and other membrane separation processes. The author also attempts with deep lucidity the recent scientific endeavour in nanofiltration and also future trends of application of nanotechnology tools in environmental engineering. The future vision is bright, wide and versatile as the author delves deep into the intricacies of nanofiltration thus evolving into true scientific vision. The world of nanofiltration and its application is relevant to the future of environmental engineering science. A critical overview is urgently needed due to the disastrous scenario of ecological imbalance and environmental catastrophes. Environmental sustainability is the need of the hour. Thus, in such a critical juncture , the importance of nanofiltration and application of nanotechnology rises vehemently above all environmental engineering concerns. This review rises far above other reviews due to the discussion of environmental sustainability and global water crisis. Today's world global water crisis and environmental sustainability have an unsevered umbilical cord. The author instinctively discusses the application of nanotechnology in environmental protection and also delineates the vision of nanofiltration technique.

Effects of Using Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Lamps on Environment and Health-A Critical View

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Effects of Using Fluorescent and Compact Fluorescent Lamps on Environment and Health-A Critical View
Author Name:Atif Iqbal, Amith Khandakar, Mohammad Shafiul Islam and Nasser Basheer Ahmad 
Synopsis:
Wide spread adoption of Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) as lighting lamps in residential and industrial sectors are posing challenges to the environment and also carries some health issues and risks. This paper presents a critical overview on related environmental factors and health risks due to lighting lamps especially Fluorescent lamps and CFL. Although CFLs are increasingly popular in the household and industrial lightings due to significant energy savings, however, these issues such as power quality, environment and health risks need to be analyzed critically. The aim of this paper is to make people aware about risks of using FLs and CFLs and not to stigmatize the utilization of these light sources. The CFLs hold very tiny quantities of mercury per lamp. Production plants and disposal facilities of CFLs are releasing mercury to the environment and hence posing environmental challenges that require proper management. In addition, it is found that people working in the CFLs manufacturing facilities suffer from some diseases. Due to the massive number of CFLs used around the world, it is considered as a major source of mercury. If CFLs are not recycled in an ecologically sound manner, after the breakage of CFLs, the inhalation of mercury vapor would cause health risks to human beings, especially infants and children. A detailed discussion on these issues is presented in this paper.

Effect of Mole Ratio and Catalyst Concentration on Yield and Properties of Biodiesel

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Effect of Mole Ratio and Catalyst Concentration on Yield and Properties of Biodiesel
Author Name:Shaik Liyakhath Ahmed, M. Tukaram Bai , V. Sridevi and Sakunthala Moyila
Synopsis:
Biodiesel is the fuel obtained by transesterification of vegetable oil with lower viscosity than vegetable oil. There is lot of generation of Waste Cooking Oils (WCO). Utilization of this WCO leads to low production cost of biodiesel and reduces the disposal problems of waste cooking oils. In the present study, focus is on production of biodiesel using waste rice bran oil o as the raw material through transesterification process. The experimental conditions are selected as 59-60 C as reaction temperature and 300 rpm stirring speed during reaction. The highest yield of biodiesel, 92.02% was obtained at 6:1 mole ratio of alcohol to oil and 0.75% of catalyst concentration and reported as optimum conditions. The concentration of catalyst and mole ratio of alcohol to oil has substantial effect on properties of biodiesel such as flash point, fire point, density and kinematic viscosity. Gas chromatography and mass spectroscopy technique were used to analyze the fatty acid profile of biodiesel sample. The sample contains saturated, mono and poly unsaturated compounds.

Assessment of Traffic Noise and Analysis of It's Parameters on NH-06 Passing through Chhattisgarh

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Assessment of Traffic Noise and Analysis of It's Parameters on NH-06 Passing through Chhattisgarh
Author Name:G.S. Vij, M. L. Agrawal and M. K. Gupta 
Synopsis:

The major contribution of traffic noise, towards overall noise pollution scenario, is a well known and established fact. Traffic noise from highways creates problem for surrounding areas, especially when there are high traffic volumes and high speeds. Vehicular traffic noise problem is contributed by various kinds of vehicles like heavy, medium trucks/buses, automobiles and two wheelers. Many western countries have developed prediction models based on L10, Leq and other characteristics. In India, the transportation sector is growing rapidly at more than 7.50% per annum and no. of vehicles on Indian roads is increasing at a very fast rate. These lead to overcrowded roads and cause various types of pollutions. Amongst these, Noise pollution is an important type which causes annoyance and health problems to human beings.

This paper analyzes the measurement of traffic noise using the Noise Pollution Level, Traffic Noise Index and Equivalent sound levels by the application of noise level meter SL-4023- SD (with a Real Time Data Logger) for a period of 24 hours for up and down streams on a patch of NH-06. The major conclusions obtained are: higher the volume of traffic noise and speed of stream, the value of L10 varies directly.

Box-Behnken Design for the Removal of Manganese From Aqueous Solution By Limonia Acidissima Hull Powder as Adsorbent

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Box-Behnken Design for the Removal of Manganese From Aqueous Solution By Limonia Acidissima Hull Powder as Adsorbent
Author Name:D. Krishna and Santosh Kumar 
Synopsis:
The objective of the present work is to find out the Influence and optimization of parameters like initial Mn (Manganese) concentration (20-100 mg/l), pH (3-5), and biomass dosage (4-6g/l) of Mn (Manganese) biosorption using the design of experiments by Box-Behnken Design (BBD) in response surface methodology. A total of 15 experiments were conducted in the present investigation towards construction of an empirical model. The optimum conditions for maximum removal of Mn (Manganese) from an aqueous solution were as follows: biosorbent dosage (5.25027 g/l), pH (4.05967) and initial Mn (Manganese) concentration (20.0653 mg/l). At the optimized condition, the maximum Mn (Manganese) removal 2 was found to be 90.3692%. The high correlation coefficient (R =0.989) between the model and the experimental data showed that that the model was able to predict the removal of Mn (Manganese) from aqueous solution using Limonia acidissima hull powder efficiently.

Modeling of Complex Rheological Fluids with Fractal Structures

Vol. 10  Issue 4
Year:2015
Issue:May-Jul
Title:Modeling of Complex Rheological Fluids with Fractal Structures
Author Name:Rakiz M. Sattarov and Sayavur I. Bakhtiyarov
Synopsis:
The objective of this study is the development of an unsteady flow model of Rheologically complex fluid with fractal structure in various pipe geometries when the pressure is a harmonic function of time at a given frequency at the initial cross section of the pipe. The model was developed using scaling concepts in polymer physics. The obtained results show that the relaxation time and the fractal parameters can significantly influence the process of damping pressure along the pipe. It was demonstrated that depending on these parameters, the attenuation process may increase or decrease compared to the processes in a viscous damping fluid pressure. The results of simulations are compared to those for resin-asphalt-paraffin oils of two types produced in two oilfields.

Potential of Edible and Non-Edible Oils Grown in India and their Utilization in the Production of Biodiesel

Vol. 10  Issue 3
Year:2015
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Potential of Edible and Non-Edible Oils Grown in India and their Utilization in the Production of Biodiesel
Author Name:S.V.A.R. Sastry and Ch. V. Ramachandra Murthy
Synopsis:
This paper investigates the oil potential of chestnut samples. Proximate analysis was conducted on the extracted oil to determine its physico–chemical properties. Results showed maximum oil yield of 41.9 % at 55°C and lowest values of 37.0 % at 65°C, highest and lowest acid content of 25.52 mg/KOH/g at 60°C and lowest value at 5.89 mg/KOH/g at 50°C. The Free Fatty Acid (FFA) content obtained were 12.76 at 60°C and 2.94 at 50°C, while Saponification values were 61.71 mg/KOH/g at 60°C and 32.25 at 50°C. The highest Peroxide value of 92 was recorded at 55°C which dropped to 43.4 at 65°C. The highest Refractive Index value of 1.463 was obtained during sun-drying treatment while the lowest value of 1.460 was recorded at 65°C. Chestnut possess a high level of commercial value that could meet domestic and industrial oil demands.

Effects of Electroplating on the Mechanical Properties of FDM-PLA Parts

Vol. 10  Issue 3
Year:2015
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Effects of Electroplating on the Mechanical Properties of FDM-PLA Parts
Author Name:Naveen Kumar T.V, Mithun V Kulkarni, Manu Ravuri, Elangovan. K and Kannan. S
Synopsis:
In this paper, the rapid fabrication method based on Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) and Electrochemical deposition is described in detail, and mechanical test results of composite nickel-coated FDM-PLA (PLA – Poly Lactic Acid) parts are presented. Coatings of electrodeposited nickel on FDM prototypes result in increase in Young's modulus, UTS, and Impact strength. Electrodeposited nickel coating has dramatically improved the overall strength and stiffness of FDM parts. Rule of mixture theory was used to predict the stiffness of the developed composites. The predicted values and the physical test results almost matched, although the experimental values were bit lower in comparison.

Studies on Reactive Precipitation of Sodium Chloride Crystals from Evaporative Residue of Reverse Osmosis

Vol. 10  Issue 3
Year:2015
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Studies on Reactive Precipitation of Sodium Chloride Crystals from Evaporative Residue of Reverse Osmosis
Author Name:Boopathy R, Rames C. Panda and Sekharan. G
Synopsis:
Though Reverse Osmosis (RO) is a viable solution for separation in the purification and treatment of water, disposal of concentrated brine poses a problem. It is possible to recover salts for use in some other applications from the brine enriched salts. Development of reactive precipitation model for the highly soluble sodium chloride salt has been presented here. Salting-out of sodium chloride was achieved by bubbling gaseous hydrogen chloride in the evaporative residue solution. The influence on sodium chloride precipitation with respect to the hydrogen chloride purging contact time and precipitation distribution inside of the reactor was studied. Mathematical models representing changes in concentration of sodium ions in residual liquor and population balance of crystallized salt are formulated separately and are validated for the semi batch reactor. The maximum growth in size of crystal was achieved as 500 μm. Results show the way to recover soluble salts in zero liquid discharge, that may have high value and importance from environmental sustainability point.

Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Approach for Modeling Chromium (VI) Adsorption from Waste Water Using A Custard Apple Peel Powder

Vol. 10  Issue 3
Year:2015
Issue:Feb-Apr
Title:Artificial Neural Network (ANN) Approach for Modeling Chromium (VI) Adsorption from Waste Water Using A Custard Apple Peel Powder
Author Name:D. Krishna and R. Padma Sree
Synopsis:
Artificial Neural Network (ANN) was developed by a single layer feed forward back propagation network to the batch experimental data to develop and validate a model that can predict Cr (VI) removal efficiency. ANN is effective in modeling and simulation of highly non linear multivariable relationships. A well-designed network can converge even on multiple numbers of variables at a time without any complex modeling or empirical calculations. The prediction of removal of Cr (VI) from wastewater has been made using variables of pH, adsorbent dosage and initial chromium (VI) concentration. Different types of ANN architecture were tested by varying the neuron number of entrance and the hidden layers, resulting in an excellent agreement between the experimental data and the predicted values. The high 2 correlation coefficient (R =0.992) between the ANN model and the experimental data showed that the model was able to find out the percentage removal of chromium (VI) proficiently. Pattern search method in genetic algorithm was used to obtain the optimum values of input parameters for the maximum percentage removal of chromium (VI).