011748   Singh V;Rajpal Navin;Murthy K Srikanta (NO, GGSIPU, New Delhi-110 403, Email: vipulasingh@yahoocom) : Design of a neuro fuzzy model for imae compression in wavelet domain. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 2009, 17(2), 185-99.

Image compression forms the backbone for several applications such as storage of images in a database, picture archiving, TV and facsimile transmission, and video conferencing. Compression of images involves taking advantage of the redundancy in the data present within an image. This work evaluates the performance of an image compression system based on fuzzy vector quantization, wavelet-based sub band decomposition and neural network. The vector quantization is often used when high compression ratios are required. The implementation consists of three steps: first, the image is decomposed into a set of sub bands with different resolutions corresponding to different frequency bands. Different quantization and coding schemes are used for different sub bands based on their statistical properties. In the second step, wavelet coefficients corresponding to the lowest frequency band are compressed by differential pulse code modulation (DPCM) and the coefficients corresponding to higher frequency bands are compressed using neural network. Finally, the result of the second step was used as input to fuzzy vector quantizer. Image quality was compared objectively using mean squared error and peak signal to noise ratio along with the visual appearance. The simulation results show clear performance improvement with respect to decoded picture quality when compared with other image compression techniques (Liu, 2005; Premaraju, 1996).

9 illus, 5 tables, 29 ref

011747   Singh R P (NO, Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Dhanbad-826 001) : Studies on fire behaviour at CIMFR experimental fire tunnel. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(10), 321-26.

A small-scale experimental fire tunnel has been designed and constructed at CIMFR, Dhanbad, India to understand the different aspects of fire dynamics. The tunnel is arch shape 65.5 m long and 5.86m² in cross section provided with two cross cuts, sliding doors, fan and chimney etc. It is equipped with state-of-the-art computer aided on-line tele-monitoring system having 130 sensors to monitor the parameters like temperature, gas concentration, velocity of air, pressure drop across fire zone and fan pressure, heat flux, smoke density all along the tunnel length. A data acquisition system comprising data-loggers, software and computer etc. have also been provided. Experiments for coal fire studies under varied airflow rate were carried out in the tunnel to understand the dynamic phenomenon of open fires and to evolve a suitable fire suppression technique. If such monitoring system will be installed in any road or rail tunnel, can enhance the safety of the tunnels with regards to fire. Further if any fire breaks out in road or rail tunnels, fire suppression techniques like HPHS nitrogen foam and water mist technology can be used to suppress the fires.

11 illus, 1 table, 5 ref

011746   Shukla A K (Civil Engineering Dep, Institute of Engineering and Technology, Lucknow-262 021) : Determination of air quality index for Lucknow metropolitan city. Indian J envir Prot 2010, 30(3), 224-33.

The inadequate mass transport services, increased use of personalized motor vehicles and subsequently vehicular pollution in metropolitan cities, not only leads to deterioration of environmental conditions but also have adverse effects on the health of people. India is one of the most environmentally degraded countries in the world and is paying heavy price for it. Vehicular air pollution is a major cause of concern in metropolitan cities of India. Before applying mitigative measures it is necessary to determine the possible hazard to human health which may be assessed from air quality index. The scope of this technical paper is confined to determination of vehicular air pollution level and air quality index (AQI). Lucknow city, the capital of the most populated state (Uttar Pradesh) of India is selected as study area for this project. Concentration of primary air pollutants, that is SOx, NOx and SPM were monitored along the road-sides in urban areas and collected data was analyzed to find out air quality index using the standard procedure recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) New Delhi. Finally the AQI values were compared with the rating scale to assess the degree of pollution in the ambient air. It was found that hourly AQI values varied from 91 to 456 for various land usages indicating moderate to hazardous degree of air pollution in entire city. Suitable mitigative measures have been suggested based on the analysis of data.

3 illus, 3 table, 11 ref

011745   Shivareddy M S;Viswanadh G K (Civil Engg. Dep, TRR College of Egg., Patancheru, Hyderabad-502 319, Email: ms_shivareddy39@yahoo.co.in) : Equation for a critical depth in a D-shaped tunnel section. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(3-4), 50-3.

One is often required to determine critical depth in connection with analysis of non-uniform flow encountered in conduits/tunnels conveying water for various purposes. The occurrence of critical depth at the upstream end of a supercritical flow reach or at the downstream end of a sub-critical flow reach provides a control section for gradually varied flow profiles. This technical note presents an explicit equation based on curve fitting analysis for critical depth in a D-shaped conduit/tunnel conveying water under free surface flow conditions.

4 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

011744   Shiva Reddy M S;Viswanadh G K (Civil Engg. Dep, TRR College of Egg., Patancheru, Hyderabad-502 319, Email: gorti_gkv@yahoo.co.in) : Equation for a normal depth in a D-shaped tunnel section. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(1-2), 15-8.

Normal depth is an important parameter occurring in the design of conduits and tunnels carrying water for various purposes like irrigation, power generation and domestic needs under gravity flow conditions. It is equally important in the design of conduits and tunnels carrying waste water under free surface flow conditions. Direct analytic solution of normal-depth problems is difficult and sometimes is not possible, as the governing equations for the practical conduit/tunnel sections are highly complex and implicit in their form. The solution requires tedious methods of trial and error. Tabular and graphical methods also can be made available for solutions are subject to errors of interpolation and errors of judgment in reading the graphs. Reported herein is an explicit equation for normal depth based on curve fitting analysis in a D-shaped conduit/tunnel section.

3 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

011743   Sharma A K (Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, Bilaspur Unit, Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh) : Energy situation in India-its resources, demand and development. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(1-2), 2-7.

7 tables, 10 ref

011742   Senapati S K (Library Officer, Central Building Research Institute, (A CSIR Lab), Roorkee-247 667) : Journal of wind and engineering: a bibliometric analysis. J Wind Engng 2010, 7(2), 49-54.

This note presents a quantitative analysis on different aspects of the 'Journal of Wind and Engineering' during the period of 2004 to 2009. Analysis of the growth of literature; authorship pattern and collaboration; country wise distribution of authors and institution wise contribution as well as publication trends on different areas of wind engineering has been carried out, and, quality of publication assessed on the basis of cited references, tables and figures, the coverage of the journal with 'Science Citation Index' and 'Indian Science Abstract'.

10 tables, 6 ref

011741   Satyanarayana Murthy Y V V;Sastry G R K; Satyanaryana M R S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, GITAM Univ, Visakhapatnam-560 045, Email: yedithasatyam@yahoo.com) : Experimental investigation of performance and emissions on low speed diesel engine with dual injection of solar generated steam and pongamia methyl ester. Indian J Sci Technol 2011, 4(1), 29-33.

An experimental investigation has been carried out to examine the effects of steam injection into the intake manifold of a single cylinder, low speed, direct injection diesel engine fuelled with biodiesel palm methyl ester. Steam injection is generally carried out by non-conventional energy source. The addition of steam in to the intake manifold of the engine was carried out by vaporizing the water inside a boiler and heat is supplied by the solar concentrated parabolic dish. Biodiesels are known to produce higher NO_x when compared to the neat diesel. Addition of steam to the combustion chamber of diesel engine has known effects of reducing the dangerous emissions of NO_x but it is not clearly known about the engine performance and emissions. To examine this, an experimental investigation has been carried out on a single cylinder low speed diesel engine with steam injection in to the intake manifold during the suction stroke on the performance and engine emissions. Experiment results shows that there is a significant reduction in smoke levels and NO_x during the steam injection both for the diesel fuel and pongamia methyl ester. Also there is a significant improvement of engine performance in terms of specific fuel consumption and brake thermal efficiency with steam injection.

8 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

011740   Sato M (Energy Engineering Research Laboratory, Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, 2-6-1 Nagasaka, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa-ken, 240 0196, Japan, Email: satomiki@criepi.denken.or.jp) : Power sector developments in Japan developments of clean coal technologies. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(11-12), 170-4.

11 illus, 6 tables, ref

011739   Sathishkumar R;Vimalajuliet A;Prasath J S; Selvakumar K;Veer Reddy V H S (School of Electrical and Electronics, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, SRM Univ, Kattankulathur-603 203, Email: vrsathishkumar07@gmail.com) : Micro size ultrasonic transducer for marine applications. Indian J Sci Technol 2011, 4(1), 8-11.

Address the advancement and development of MEMS ultrasonic transducer for underwater applications. The development of MEMS transducer is investigated and proved that it is a viable concept. The flexibility in tailoring their frequency and acoustic impedance increases the potential of their application in various fields. Compared to conventional, MEMS offer the advantage of superior performance as far as bandwidth is concerned. In spite of their lower coupling coefficient, there is a potential for significant improvement. We present the latest design of the piezoelectric, pressure and capacitive transducers. The material employed, method utilized in development, performance and capacity of each transducer is presented. Finally, the importance and needs for modeling and simulation is discussed. Currently we design and modeling a micro size transducer in Intellisuite software.

6 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

011738   Sahu H B;Agarwal V (Mining Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela-769 008) : Limestone mining in Orissa, current status and future challeges. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(8), 201-5,213.

With a production of 114Mt, India ranks second amongst the cement producing countries of the world. With emphasis on the growth of infrastructure and housing sectors in the Five-fear Plans, a rapid growth of the cement sector and consequently an expansion of limestone mining is taking place in the country. Even if the limestone reserve in India is abundant, the problems of mining and supplying the same to steel and cement manufacturing plants are many. The quality stipulations of consumers are getting stringent and statutes are getting more and more rigid. Mining is therefore proving costly with proper development and quality control. The current status of limestone mining in the state of Orissa and possible technological development that can take place in limestone mining has been discussed.

4table, 8 ref

011737   RoyChoudhury A K (NO, Government College of Engineering and Textile Technology, Serampore-712 201) : Study on metamerism. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2009, 90(Aug), 3-10.

Forty three metameric pairs, which refers to the pair of coloured samples were obtained by comparison, shade-adjustment, and redyeing of 660 self shades dyed with direct, azoic, vat, and reactive dyes. The pairs were regrouped shadewise and ranked visually in increasing order of metamerism. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were calculated between 11 measures of metamerism and the visual metameric ranking under three illuminants A, D65, and TL84 in pairs. The present work showed that indices based on ΔL*. Δa*, Δb* differ under two illuminants, both unmodified and modified by Berns-Billmeyer performed best among the existing indices. The differences of colour constancy indices showed good correlation with the degree of metamerism in some cases, and this may be utilized for developing newer indices of metamerism.

3 illus, 2 tables, 27 ref

011736   Rathinamoorthy R;Sasikala L;Thilagavathi G (Textile Technology Dep, PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore-641 004) : Textiles-as biomedical implants, types and functional requirements. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2009, 90(Aug), 37-44.

Medical textiles is one of the most rapidly expanding sectors in the technical textile market. Hosiery and embroidery products with specific structure and with biological and bio mechanical properties significantly represent the bio medical textile which also has high potential in tissue engineering. Biomedical implants are used to aid or replace damaged tissues or organs. These materials are used in repairing the body whether it is wound closure (sutures) or replacement surgery (vascular grafts, artificial ligaments, etc). Textile bio medical implants refers to the textile materials with bio compatibility, bio stability and better functionality. They are used as implants for replacement of artery, veins, in the heart, artificial nose, ears, breast, meshes for hernia repair, bone joint replacement and dental repairs. This paper presents an overview of textiles as bio medical implants, their types, structure, design and applications.

14 illus, 20 ref

011735   Ramanajee M;Sundaram S M (PIU Nagaon, NHAI, Naobaisa Phukan Road, Amolapatty, Nagaon-782 001) : Total survey solutions with "total statin"-a case study. Indian Highw 2009, 37(1), 9-17.

8 illus, 4 ref

011734   Rajgopalan M (NO, Asia Middle East and India, Wartsila India Ltd, Mumbai) : Distributed power to build sustainable power infrastructure for India. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(11-12), 189-93,203.

5 illus, 5 tables, ref

011733   Qaid A M;Basavarajappa H T;Rajendran S (Studies in Geology Dep, Mysore Univ, Manasagangtri, Mysore-750 006, Email: aliqaid@yahoo.com) : Integration of VNIR and SWIR spectral reflectance for mapping mineral resources; a case study, north east of hajjah, yemen. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 2009, 17(2), 305-15.

Laboratory reflectance spectra of 18 rock samples from the Precambrian basement of north east of Hajjah were measured and analyzed using the instrument of FieldSpec3 with spectral range 0.250-2.500 μrn. The aim of this study is to use the spectral reflectance of rocks for mapping the mineral resources in the north east of Hajjah. The altered system in the study area comprises of silicification, sericitification, oxidation, clay minerals and carbonatization. Silicified alteration is not distinguishable in the regions of yisible-Near Infrared (VNIR) and Short wave Infrared (SWIR) of the electromagnetic spectrum, because of lack of diagnostic spectral absorption features in silica in this wavelength. Although the arsenopyrite and pyrite are wide spread in the whole study area their features do not appear in any range of spectra because they exhibit trans-opaque behavior and often lack distinction in VNIR and SWIR. The entire spectral reflectance curves of samples show alteration. Based on the examination of laboratory spectra all samples in the study area show promise in the field of mineral resources.

17 illus, 22 ref

011732   Praveen Kumar;Sorum N G (Civil Engg. Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand) : Comparative study of emulsion and modified bitumen in road construction. Indian Highw 2009, 37(3), 21-32.

The use of bitumen emulsions began in the early part of the 20th Century. Today, 5 to 10 percent of paving-grade asphalt is used in emulsified form, but the extent of emulsion usage varies widely between countries. Today, approximately 3 million tons of emulsions are produced in the United States representing about 5 percent to 10 percent of asphalt consumption. More than 8 million tons of emulsions are produced worldwide. In India, use of bitumen emulsion is about 1.45 percent of the total bitumen used in highway related applications and is certainly far below the international trends; particularly when it is not a new material and its properties and potentialities are well known. Since last 15 years extensive laboratory studies and research works have been undertaken for development of designs and construction techniques in cold mix technology to suit Indian climatic conditions and construction materials available. Bitumen, the black-coloured substance coming from the bottom of the vacuum distillation columns in the crude oil refineries, has been employed in the road building for ages. It has been reported that bitumen owes many interesting properties and characteristics, such as impermeability, adhesivity, elasticity and cost, which make it the most suitable material as a binder of mineral aggregates in paving applications. During last decades the properties required to road pavements have become more and more exigent, due to the increasing number of vehicles and load weight of some of them. Modification of natural bitumen with synthetic polymers/rubbers constitutes a route to overcome the new technical demands. Several thermoplastics and elastomers have been mixed with bitumen to improve the properties of the binder employed in roads. Polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate EVA copolymer have revealed as good modifiers to improve permanent deformation and thermal cracking.

11 illus, 16 tables, 6 ref

011731   Paul K (NO, Mawphu HEP, NEEPCO) : Geophysical and geotechnical investigation for preparation of detailed project report for 90 MW mawphu hydroelectric project in Meghalaya-a case study. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(9-10), 142-48.

Mawphu hydroelectric project envisages construction of a 48m high and 160m long concrete dam across river Umiew near the Laitlyndop village (25° 20'55"N : 91° 41'49"E; topo sheet No. 78 O/ll), with a 3.25m dia (finished), 5600m long, circular headrace tunnel, 109m deep surge shaft, partly underground and partly surface penstock (total length 942.73m with a 2.5m dia before bifurcation and 1.5m dia after bifurcation), a surface powerhouse to generate 90 MW (2x45MW) and a 35m long tailrace channel. Reconnoitry geological traverses around the proposed dam site area, intake and part of the HRT alignment, geological mapping of the proposed dam site and sub surface exploration of various components of the project i.e. dam, headrace tunnel, powerhouse sites etc. have helped in evaluating the feasibility of the dam and appurtenant structures of the project. This paper mainly incorporates regional geology, geological mapping of dam site area and sub-surface exploration results and geotechnical assessment of various components of the project. Detail logging of bore holes, water test results, layout depicting the borehole position, cross section of dam, L-section of HRT etc. are not incorporated in this paper.

4 illus, 2 tables, 1 ref

011730   Paul J C;Panigrahi B;Padhi G C;Mishra P (College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, OUAT, Bhubaneswar-751 003, Email: jagadishc_paul@rediffmail.com) : Identification of groundwater prospective zones using remote sensing and GIS in a watershed-a case study. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(7-8), 119-24.

Remote sensing and CIS technique have been applied for the investigation of groundwater potentiality of the Kichna nala watershed in Samara block of Sambalpur district (Orissa), an area where groundwater resources have not been fully exploited. The role of various parameters namely drainage, lineament, land cover, geomorphology have been emphasized for delineation of groundwater potential zones. IRS-ID LISS-III FCC merged satellite images on 1:50,000 scale and toposheet map number 73 C/05 together with field verification have been used as the data source. Different thematic maps like, geomorphology, drainage and surface water body, land use/land cover, etc. were prepared by various integration and finally all these maps were analysed in GIS to prepare an integrated groundwater potential map of the study area with five different groundwater potential zones. Analysing the lineament intersection points and ground verification in the watershed, 18 sites have been selected and suggested for tubewell construction with their latitude and longitude.

6 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

011729   Patro S K;Pannneer Selvam R;Bosch H (Civil Engineering Dep, Arkansas Univ, Fayetteville, AR, USA, Email: bosch@fhwa.dot.gov) : Bridge flutter modeling using H-adaptive FEM. J Wind Engng 2010, 7(2), 39-48.

It is a challenge to design long span suspension bridges to ensure stability in wind flow, because of their flexibility. The risk of flutter induced vibrations is significant when the torsional natural frequency is only slightly greater than the vertical natural frequency, which is usually the case for slender long-span bridge decks. In recent years wind flow around bridges has been investigated using numerical methods such as Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). In current work, to transfer the continuous fluid flow into discrete numerical data, the flow domain is discretized by developing automatic mesh generation. Thereafter, the outcome of h-adaptive technique is discussed in this paper. Once appropriate grids are generated for the two different example bridge sections, the critical velocity for bridge flutter is evaluated. Great Belt East Bridge suspension span (GBEB) and Alternate Chesapeake and Delaware Canal Bridge (ACDCB) deck section are considered here as example sections.

8 illus, 1 table, 12 ref

011728   Panigrahy R K;Ray S S;Panigrahy S (Agricultrure, Forestry & Engironment Group, RESA, Ahmedabad-380 015) : Utility of IRS-P6 a wifs SWIR band for crop discrimination and classification. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 2009, 17(2), 325-33.

This study was conducted to find out the usefulness of SWIR (Short Wave Infra Red) band data in AWiFS (Advanced Wide Field Sensor) sensor of Resourcesat 1, for the discrimination of different Rabi season crops (rabi rice, groundnut and vegetables) and other vegetations of the undivided Cuttack district of Orissa state. Four dates multi-spectral AWiFS data during the period from 10 December 2003 to 2 May 2004 were used. The analysis was carried out using various multivariate statistics and classification approaches. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and separability measures were used for selection of best bands for crop discrimination. The analysis showed that, for discrimination of the crops in the study area, NIR was found to be the best band, followed by SWIR and Red. The results of the supervised MXL classification showed that inclusion of SWIR band increased the overall accuracy and kappa coefficient. The 'Three Band Ratio' index, which incorporated Red, NIR and SWIR bands, showed improved discrimination in the multi-date dataset classification, compared to other SWIR based indices.

^ssc3 illus, 6 tables, 19 ref

011727   Pala R G S (Chemical Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur-208 016, Email: rpala@ac.in) : Computer-aided design of doped oxide catalysts. J Indian Inst Sci 2010, 90(2), 163-80.

An elementary overview of density functional theory and its application to computational catalyst design is presented. The central concepts like reactivity descriptor, Bronsted-Evans-Polanyi relationship, Sabatier principle and electronic structure factors that have enabled successful design of transition metal alloy surfaces as catalysts for relatively simple reaction systems are discussed. Extension of these concepts to the design of doped oxide catalysts is addressed. A viewpoint on the design of doped oxide catalysts as single site heterogeneous catalysts is provided. The case study presented in the design of doped oxide catalysts illustrates the synergism between experiments and computer aided catalysts design. Here, using doped oxide catalysts, mechanisms of non-and pseudo-Mars and Van Krevelen in heterogeneous catalytic oxidation were unraveled.

^iia12 illus, 50 ref

011726   Pal P K;Shah S (Atmospheric Science Div, Meteorology and Oeanography Group, Spade Applications Centre, Ahmedabad-380 015, Email: pkpal125@hotmail.com) : Moon sight by KALPANA imager. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 2009, 17(2), 167-72.

Visible and infra-red (IR) channel data of KALPANA imager received at Bopal Earth Station at Space Application Centre has captured the Moon at several times. The range of Moon surface brightness in the visible channel image is compared with that of similar size Earth scene. The increase in brightness due to a closer Moon on a particular day is also seen in the histogram of the surface brightness. The brightness temperature map from the IR channel data of the Moon is also constructed. The analysis of the Moon images has a potential for monitoring degradation of the sensor optics over time.

7 illus, 4ref

011725   Pal B K;Dewan M A (Mining Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela-769 008) : Role of ergonomics on environmental protection and industrial safety. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(10), 335-42.

Like other areas of occupational health and safety (OHS) ergonomics is evolving and becoming more integrated into overall work management systems. As we learn more about the complex interaction between psycho-social and physical factors in the aetiology of work-related illness and injury the more we rely on managers to 'get it right' if we are to prevent these conditions. Risks to health and safety in the mining industry posed by longer shift lengths, higher work loads, less task variation and decision latitude have not really been well researched. Heavy physical workloads and stresses are still areas of concern, but are likely to be intermittent rather than constant. Recent research confirms current thinking rather than shedding new light on the subject. The contribution of slips, trips and falls and increasing age of miners to manual handling injuries is still not clear. In some cases sedentary work and the operation of machinery has completely replaced heavy physical work. The issues of machinery design for operations and maintenance and whole-body vibration exposures when operating machines and vehicles are becoming more critical. The link between prolonged sitting, poor cab design and vibration with back and neck pain is being recognized but has yet to be addressed in any systematic way by the mining industry. On the plus side some mining companies have well-developed participative approaches to problem solving and these need to be extended to areas such as ergonomics.

3 illus, 1 table, 25 ref

011724   Neelakantappa M;Satyanaryana B;Damodharam A (CSE Dep, Brinadavan Institute of Technology and Science, Kurnool-518 002) : Analysis of reactive routing protocols in congested MANETS based on energy consumption. J Instn Engrs-Pt CP 2009, 90(Nov), 14-7.

Ad hoc networks are autonomous systems composed of mobile hosts that are free to move around arbitrarily. Rather than relying on a network infrastructure to perform routing in an Mobile ad hoc NETwork (MANET) each mobile host serves as a router to forward packets originated from other nodes. In this paper, the performance of three reactive routing protocols for mobile ad hoc networks in congested MANETS- Dynamic Source Routing (DSR), Ad Hoc On-demand Distance Vector Routing (AODV), Location-aided Routing (LAR1) has been compared.Evaluation is based on energy consumption in MANETS. The performance differentials are analyzed using varying network load, mobility, and network size. The protocols are simulated with GloMoSim simulator. Based on the results, it is concluded about the best protocol under various parameters of the MANET under consideration.

9 illus, 15 ref

011723   Narayana B H;Bagalkotker S S;Hegde P; Shankarir K (NO, Central Power Research Institute, Bangalore) : Pioneering research and testing of power equipment-central power research institute. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(11-12), 208-21.

16 illus, 3 tables, ref

011722   Nagrale Prashant P;Shrivastava P (Civil Engineering Dep, Sardar Patel College of Engineering, Andheri (W), Mumbai-58) : Design of lime stabilised flexible pavements. Indian Highw 2009, 37(1), 1-26.

Most of the time flexible pavements in India need to be constructed over problematic and poor subgrade. Such subgrade have low California Bearing Ratio (CBR), which leads to more thickness of the pavement. Decrease in- availability of suitable sub-base and base course materials for highway construction leads to a search for economic method of converting locally available troublesome soil to suitable construction materials. The present research was carried out to study the effect of lime stabilization on Maximum Dry Density (MOD), Optimum Moisture Content (OMC) and California Bearing Ratio (CBR) of the subgrade soil. Also, the pavement section has been designed as per Indian Practice Code IRC 37:2001 for-different traffic intensity and construction cost estimated for 1 km pavement section resting on unstabilised and stabilized subgrade with different percentages of lime. The study shows that 7.5 percent lime will be more effective in material and cost optimization.

2 illus, 9 tables, 10 ref

011721   Mukherjee P D (NO, CMPDI, Ranchi) : Trapped miners location and communication system-recent global senario. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(8), 219-22,218.

011720   Mukherjee J;Adak A K;Sarkar A (Central Insitute of Mining and Fuel Research (Erstwhile Central Fuel R, Digwadih Campus, Dhanbad-828 108, Email: abhijit.cfri@gmail.com) : Effects of thermal pretreament in inert atmosphere on the pyrolysis benavour of south arcot lignite. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(8), 223-25.

The effects of thermal pretreatment on the subsequent pyrolysis behaviour of the South Arcot lignite has been studied. Our results indicate that the presence of small amount of moisture in the pretreated lignite has little influence on the yield of tar and char on pyrolysis at higher temperature. However, O-containing functional groups tend to induce cross-linking reactions which in turn affects the evolution of volatiles at lower temperature zone. The aim of the present investigation was to stabilize tar forming entities with rest of the macro-molecular structure, which seems to be sensitive during milder thermal treatment.

1 illus, 2 table, 7 ref

011719   Mukherjee A;Sharma S (Civil Engineering Dep, Thapar Univ, Patiala-147704, Email: abjijit@thapar.edu) : Damage detection in reinforcing bars in concrete using ultrasonic waves. J pure appl Ultrasonics 2009, 31(3), 85-93.

Reinforced concrete (RCC) is the most common form of civil engineering structures these days in which the steel bars are embedded in the concrete to improve the tensile strength. These bars deteriorate with time due to environmental action and excessive stresses and it remains unnoticed inside concrete. This degradation can be catastrophic if not detected at an early stage and can results in huge loss of life and property. Hence, it calls for a rigorous inspection and monitoring technique for the steel reinforcement and ultrasonic waves provide a potentially attractive solution. This study highlights the use of ultrasonic waves for damage detection in bars in air, which will be further extended to bar embedded in concrete. Minimum intrusion has been effected by exciting one end of the bar with an ultrasonic pulse and recording its propagation at the other end using the bar as a waveguide. Ultrasonic guided waves with frequencies in the range of 1-4 MHz were generated in healthy and damaged bars by varying the input frequencies of an ultrasonic transducer. Bar diameter of 12mm was used and damages were inflicted in the form of symmetrical area reduction in reinforcing bars. Two ultrasonic testing techniques, pulse echo and pulse transmission, were used to monitor healthy as well as damaged bars. Time of flight measurement in pulse echo indicated the damage location accurately. Amplitude of received signal in both pulse echo and pulse transmission was a measure of extent of damage. The two techniques when used in combination can predict the existence, location as well as the extent of damage in steel bars in air. The same methodology was then extended to steel bars embedded in concrete.

16 illus, 4 table, 9 ref

011718   Mukesh Kumar;Jain A K;Singh T N (Mining Engineering Dep, IT BHU, Varanasi) : Blast vulnerability analysis of waste dump during production blasting. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(10), 313-16.

Production blasting of coal is a routine process in mining industry. Mining engineers face new challenges and need guidance in assessing the dump stability of massive coal landfills during the production blasting. The type of explosive used, the scaled distance of the dump particle and their relative stability requires a detailed study to understand the volume of feasible landfills of coal during the production blasting. The study focuses on various parameters affecting the dump stability in the scope of their blast vulnerability. Case studies are also conducted to understand the blast vulnerability and the effects of explosion on coal dumps. The study presents a methodology for protective design of coal dumps with respect to their blast vulnerability. Conclusions are drawn based on the numerical analysis and also on the inference obtained from the case studies conducted.

4 illus, 2 table, 15 ref

011717   Moral U;Paul K (Mawphu HEP, NEEPCO Ltd, Shillong) : Planning of hydroelectric project: preparation of DPR and obtaining statutory clearances. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(9-10), 135-41.

Initially, the location of hydroelectric project is identified based on desk top study and preliminary field visit and then pre-feasibility Report is prepared. In the first field visit a fair idea of discharge, head availability is examined inter alia other things. Alternative location of project layout is also to be checked for optimum potential of the entire basin. During this initial project identification utmost care should be taken so as to utilize the basin t& its maximum potential. Intregated study of the whole basin is required for proper planning of hydroelectric schemes. After having the pre-feasibility report one has to plan for detailed project report (DPR), if the project is found techno-economically feasible at PFR stage. To establish further techno-economical feasibility detailed hydrological study, assessment of power potential, topographical survey, geotechnical study, constructional material survey, EIA/EMP studies etc. are required to be completed. After having all the above study, conceptual design of civil works, design of hydro-mechanical equipment, design of hydroelectric equipment is to be done. Cost estimate of the project is also to be framed and cost benefit analysis for different combinations of installed capacity/design energy is to be compared to optimize the installed capacity. Simultaneously, study has to be carried out for power evacuation arrangement also. Importance of preliminary and detailed investigations required for data acquisition for preparation of DPR have been described in this paper briefly to given an idea about the quantum of work needed and time required before the actual construction of a H.E. project can be started. After completion of DPR, the same has to be submitted to CEA/CWC for techno-economic clearance. Subsequently, the project is placed for PIB clearance and then, CCEA is accorded after complying with other formalities.

011716   Mondol M A M;Khan Y A;Quamruzzaman C (Geology and Mining Dep, Rajshahi Univ, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh, Email: cqzam@yahoo.com) : Stability evaluation of the left bank protection embankment of Ganges river at Shibgonj upazila, Chapai Nawabganj, Bangladesh. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(5-6), 76-81.

Failure of slope is a natural on-going activity that involves slope moving to a more stable condition. A quantitative assessment of the stability of a slope is important when a judgment is needed whether the slope is stable or not, and decisions are to be made as a consequence. Safety analysis of the embankment is important for the local inhabitants. Failure of slope mainly occurred by increase of shear stress and decrease of shear strength. Reduce of shear strength is mainly caused by human activities and increase of water level during rainy season. Our study is to motivate and evaluate the stability of the left bank protection embankment of the Ganges river of Shibganj Upazilia, Chapai-Nawabgonj, Bangladesh. The method of investigation of this study was carried out in tivo distinct phases, which were based on field and laboratory studies. For this study three most vulnerable sections of the embankment were" identified. Obtained laboratory test data of embankment soil were analyzed by three methods of slope stability analysis. The chosen methods are Bishop Simplified Method of Slice, Progressive Failure Method and Finite Element Method. The critical failure surfaces of the study embankment at three locations are determined by Bishop Simplified Method of Slice. These critical failure surfaces are used in Factor of Safety evaluation by Progressive Failure and Finite Element The result of study shows that the condition of the embankment is safe for local inhabitants because safety factor values are always greater than one.

9 illus, 1 table, 18 ref

011715   Mohammadzadeh A;Valadan Zoej M J;Tavakolia (K.N. Toosi Technology Univ, Geodesy and Geomatic Faculty, Tehran Iran, Email: almoh2@gmail.com) : Automatic main road extraction from high resolution satelite imageries by means of particle swarm optimization applied to a fuzzy-based mean calculation approach. J Indian Soc Remote Sens 2009, 17(2), 173-84.

Manual extraction of road network by human operator is an expensive and time-consuming procedure. Alternatively, automation of the extraction process would be a great advancement. For this purpose, an automatic method is proposed to extract roads from high resolution satellite images. In this study, using few samples from road surface, a particle swarm optimization is applied to a fuzzy-based mean calculation system to obtain road mean values in each band of high resolution satellite colour images. Then, the images are segmented using the calculated mean values from the fuzzy system. Optimizing the fuzzy cost function by particle swarm optimization enables the fuzzy approach to be the best mean value of road with sub-grey level precision. Initially, this method was applied to simulated images where the calculated mean values are consistent with the hypothetic mean values. Application of the method to IKONOS satellite images has shown a prospective outcome for automatic road extraction. Mathematical morphology is subsequently used to extract an initial main road centreline from the segmented image. Then, small redundant segments are automatically removed. The quality of the extracted road centreline indicates the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

5 illus, 5 tables, 26 ref

011714   Misra A;Mathur C B;Kalla P;Meena G S (Structural Engineering Dep, MNIT, Jaipur-302 017) : Strength and absorption studies on concrete containing wollastonite. Indian Highw 2009, 37(3), 33-8.

Wobllastonite is a calcium meta-silicate mineral (CaSiO₃). It has composition of 48.3 percent calcium oxide and 51.7 percent silicon dioxide but may contain amounts of aluminum, iron, magnesium, manganese, potassium, and sodium. The composition of wollastonite indicates that it could have pozzolanic properties. Therefore, investigation of fifteen concrete mixes prepared with replacement of cement by wollastonite in concrete from 7.5 to 30 percent by weight of cement, at 0.40, 0.475 and 0.55 water cement ratio was done. Compressive strength test, tlexural strength test, water absorption and Initial Surface Absorption Test (ISAT) were carried out on concrete cubes. The results show small reduction in concrete compressive strength and marginal increase in flexural strength at 7, 28 days with increase in wollastonite fiber content by weight of cement. Also the water absorption and ISAT values are reduced considerably as the wollastonite percentage increases in the concrete mix.

11 illus, 1 table, 13 ref

011713   Misra A K (Indian Explosives Ltd/Orissa Mining Services India, , Kolkata) : IT application in blasting technology. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(8), 214-18.

Mining industry is under pressure to meet the demands of continuous increase in infra-structural activities across the globe. Information Technology (IT), which has proved its utility in financial and basic engineering industries, is increasingly being used by mining industry also to improve its productivity. Various tools, made possible by the advancement of software industry in the last decade, are now being used in all spheres of mining industry with improved results and enhanced efficiency. The confluence of mining and software has resulted in better solutions for all sub-units of mining operations. Drilling and blasting (D&B), being the most important part of a mining cycle, has attracted the maximum attention of software developers. Orica mining services (OMS) have been the global leader in providing cutting edge solutions for improvement of drilling and blasting. Leveraging its-technical know-how and working closely with software expert Orica has successfully developed a suite of blast designing and modelling softwares. These softwares coupled with Orica's products is helping the mining industry worldwide by delivering smart solutions to their needs. The paper covers in brief, the capabilities, scope and advantages of using various softwares in blast designing, modelling and vibration control.

8 illus, 3 ref

011712   Mazumder Q H;Jahan C S;Quamruzzaman C;Farhad Howladar M (Geology and Mining Dep, Rajshahi Univ, Bangladesh, Email: cqzam@yahoo.com) : Geoelectric resistivity survey in Rajshahi university campus, Bangladesh: an approach for groundwater potentiality study. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(7-8), 113-18.

Geophysical (electrical resistivity) survey has been used to study of groundwater potentiality in Rajshahi University (RU) Campus, Bangladesh. Thirteen vertical electrical soundings (VES) were carried out using Schlumberger configuration and the acquired data has been interpreted as a multi-layer step-function resistivity model by means of an automatic iterative process of interpretation. VES field curves are interpreted with the help of two layer master curves and auxiliary graphs of K, H, Q and A types, and reveals that the thickness of the top aquitard (composed of silt and sandy clay) and underlying aquifer (composed of fine to coarse grained sand with gravel bed) varies from 0.4 to 10.6 m and from 16 to 76 m respectively. Preliminary pump tests in bore wells show transmissivity (T) parameters range from 835 to 1959 m²/day and indicates that the groundwater resource of semi-confined to confined aquifer with moderate to high degree of transmissivity which holds promise for limited to good suitability for large-scale groundwater development in irrigation and water supply purposes. The macro-anisotropy study of earth's subsurface shows that the values of transverse resistivity (rj are greater than that of the longitudinal resistivity (rj. From the study of the co-efficient of anisotropy [I] of different layer combinations it may be concluded that in the western parts of the study area, aquifer is located at relatively shallower depth and the zones of maximum I values correspond to presence of good aquifer which is well correlated with the hydrostratigraphy of the Rajshahi University Campus.

9 illus, 2 tables, 9 ref

011711   Mandal S K (NO, Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research, Dhanbad-826 001) : Distance of structure causes amplification or reduction in vibration magnitude with an increase in height of measurement. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(10), 327-34.

Seismic energy generated due to detonation of explosive causes environmental degradation and give rise to socio-environmental complaints. Based on frequency of vibration and amplification in vibration magnitude with an increase in height of measurement on a structure, vibration magnitude i.e., ppv, measured near the foundation of structure has been considered as the main parameter for safety of structures. The paper, here, discusses about anomaly to general observation i.e., instead of amplification, reduction in ppv with an increase in height of measurement on a structure. The paper, with the help of vector analyses has also attempted to justify that distance of structure from the place of blasting, magnitude of each component and the component triggering the structure of vibration plays an important role for such occurrence. The paper communicates that when longitudinal wave component triggers the structure to vibrate, amplification in vibration magnitude is observed with an increase in height of measurement. On the contrary, when vertical or transverse component triggers the structure to vibrate, attenuation in vibration magnitude is observed with an increase in height of measurement. The paper, lastly, communicates that in addition to limiting vibration magnitude for safety of structures, quantum of energy transmitted to the structure in accordance with strength properties of the structure should be analyzed to ascertain safe vibration limit for structures.

6 illus, 1 table, 60 ref

011710   Mandal P;Mukherjee M (Raman Center for Molecular and Optical Sciences, Indian Association for the Cultivation for Science, 2A & 2B Raja S.C. Mullick Road, Kolkata-700 032, Email: drupm@iacs.res.in) : Wavemeter for precision application. Indian J Phys 2010, 84(8), 1095-1100.

A simple, inexpensive, moving mirror wavemeter has been fabricated based on moving mirror Michelson Interferometer. This wavemeter is able to measure wavelength of a CW laser to picometer precision. The design is based on the proposal of P J Fox et al. [1] which aims at low cost and simplicity. Many laboratories around the world are using similar setups. In this proceeding the setup will be reviewed in brief and its application in our laboratory will be outlined. It is envisaged to be used for single ion spectroscopy using Ba+ and Ra+ ions in order to measure atomic properties with high precision.

4 illus, 12 ref

011709   Latha K;Vegneshbabu S;Vinothini M S;Rajaram R (Information Technology Dep, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai-625 015) : DETS: a hybrid meta heuristic approach for document retrieval. J Instn Engrs-Pt CP 2009, 90(Nov), 3-8.

Explores a novel approach for information retrieval of a large collection of text documents using evolutionary techniques. A hybrid Differential Evolution (DE) algorithm with Tabu Search (TS) has been proposed in this work, which yields accurate results. The idea is to reduce the solution space using DE algorithm and to solve the problem both locally and globally using TS. The performance of DETS is compared with the TS, K-means with TS (KTS) and it is shown that the proposed method outperforms the other two.

5 illus, 4 tables, 13 ref

011708   Koner R;Chakravarty D (Mining Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur) : Continuum and discontinuum analysis on failure bahaviour of dump slope. J Mines Metals Fuels 2009, 57(10), 309-12,326.

Mine overburden dumps pose significant safety issue in the open pit mining. The external dumps are composed of fragmented rocks and loose soil. Their characteristic is comparable to heavily discontinuous solid mass. The conventional approach to limit equilibrium methods yields safety factors and sounds none about the stress-strain characteristics of the large dump mass. The designs of dumps location, geometry are integrated to the know-how of the stability characteristics of the dumps. Discrete element method uses circular disk to represent the granular solid mass and the interaction described by the Newton's third law of motion. The displacement is described by the sliding of the circular disk. This works focused on the modelling efficiency of the discrete element methods to represent the mine dumps behaviour with specified joint plane to the limit equilibrium method. This advantage of the works lies on the information retrieval at any point at the dump mass about stress and strain histories, displacement, failures etc.

8 illus, 4 table, 6 ref

011707   Kishor K;Krishna M V S;Gupta A V S S K S; Kumar S N;Reddy D N;Prasad S S R (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Chaitanya Bharathi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad-500 075) : Emissions from copper coated spark ignition engine with methanol belended gasoline with catalytic converter. Indian J envir Prot 2010, 30(3), 177-83.

Carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (UBC), major pollutants emitted from spark ignition engine, are hazardous and cause problems not only to human beings but also environment and hence control of these pollutants call for immediate attention. Experiments are carried out for controlling of these pollutants from a variable- compression ratio, copper coated spark ignition engine (copper of thickness 300 micron is coated over piston crown and inside portion of the cylinder head) run with methanol-blended gasoline (20% methanol and 80% gasoline by volume) fitted with catalytic converter containing manganese ore as catalyst. The influence of parameters, such as void ratio, amount of air injected into the catalytic converter, temperature of injected air on these emissions at different speeds and compression ratios of the engine are studied. The speed of the engine has marginal effect, while load and compression ratio have strong influence on reduction of pollutants. Air injection drastically decreased the pollutants, which is further pronounced with the rise of temperature of injected air. Copper coated spark ignition engine with methanol-blended gasoline decreased the exhaust emissions considerably when compared to conventional engine with pure gasoline operation.

6 illus, 2 table, 14 ref

011706   Kathirvelu S;D'Souza L;Dhurai B (Textile Technology Dep, Kumaraquru College of Technology, Coimbatore-641 006) : Anti-bacterial finishing of textiles using ZnO nanoparticles. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2009, 90(Aug), 22-7.

Synthesis and characterization of nanosized zinc oxide particles and their application on cotton and polyester/cotton fabrics for anti-bacterial activity is discussed in the present study. The nanoparticles were produced in different temperature conditions (90° C or 150°C) and reaction medium (water or 1,2-ethanediol). A high temperature was necessary to obtain small monodispersed particles. Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray powder diffractometry (XRD) were used to characterize the nanoparticles composition, their shape, size and crystallinity. ZnO nanoparticles were then applied to 100% cotton and polyester/cotton samples to impart anti-bacterial activity to the treated textiles. The effectiveness of the treatment was assessed through standardized tests for anti-bacterial activity before and after washing. The results obtained indicate that the antibacterial activity performance of ZnO nanoparticles can be efficiently transferred to fabric materials through the application of ZnO nanoparticles on the surface of both woven and knitted cotton and polyester/cotton blended fabrics.

4 illus, 4 tables, 24 ref

011705   Joseph M A;Sreedevi B G;Elangovan T (NO, National Transportation Planning and Research Centre, Thriuvananthapuram) : Design charts for thin concrete overlays on asphalt pavements. Indian Highw 2009, 37(1), 27-33.

Provision of thin concrete overlays over distressed bituminous roads is a new practice widely followed all over the World. The Paper highlights the pavement thickness design aspects, the construction procedure, mix design aspects, the advantages of providing thin overlays and the materials for such thin overlays. Design charts are also developed for estimation of maximum wheel load stresses for different slab thickness under different soil conditions.

6 illus, 6 ref

011704   Jeyapriya S P;Saseetharan M K (Government College of Technology, Civil Engineering Dep, Coimbatore-641 013) : Ambient air quality monitoring in an around solid waste disposal site. Indian J envir Prot 2010, 30(3), 207-10.

The accumulation of solid wastes is a growing problem that threatens the environment of entire globe due to increasing population and industrial development. Landfilling continues to be the most economic method of disposal worldwide for municipal solid waste (MSW) disposal. The environmental problems created by landfills are multi-dimensional as they affect all the three media, namely air, water and land. In the present study, an attempt has been made to monitor the ambient air in and around the municipal solid waste disposal site. Major air pollutants, such as SPM, RPM SO₂ and NO_x were monitored in the study area. Results showed that the air quality parameters tested are well within the standards prescribed by National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). It concludes that there is no serious problem of air pollution from the above tested air pollutants in the vicinity of disposal site and is not a cause of concern to public health as no adverse impacts is expected at the present state.

5 illus, 2 table, 9 ref

011703   Jebamalar A;Ravikumar G (Civil Engg. Dep, Valammal Engineering College, Chennai-600 066, Email: jebaj@yahoo.com) : Comparative analysis of hydrologic responses to rainwater harvesting-a case study. Indian J Sci Technol 2011, 4(1), 34-9.

This paper attempts to investigate the implementation of rainwater harvesting (RWH) structures and its hydrologic responses (in terms of quantity and quality of water) in two hydro-geologically different localities of Chennai city in Tamil Nadu state, India. The design of RWH structures is site specific as it involves hydrometeorology, lithology and land use. Consequently, its effectiveness depends on appropriate design and implementation. Initially, a survey based on questionnaire was conducted to collect details of implemented RWH structures and analysed. Impact of RWH for possible recharge was assessed using GEC NORMS 1997 by water level fluctuation method. Water samples were analysed for different quality parameters and checked with codal requirements of IS-10500 (1991) for possible impact of RWH on groundwater quality. It is found that the recharge and quality have improved due to the implementation of RWH.

6 illus, 8 tables, 8 ref

011702   Huang M;Zhu C;Chan C M;Kwok K C S;Lou W (Institute of Strutural Engineering, Zhejiang Univ, Hangzhou, P.R. China-310 058, Email: hmfust@gmail.com) : Peak factor for predicting non-gaussin peak resultant response of wind - excited tall buildings. J Wind Engng 2010, 7(2), 1-9.

In the structural design of tall buildings, peak factors have been widely used to predict mean extreme responses of tall buildings under wind excitations. Using the out-crossing theory for the first-passage problem, a probabilistic peak factor, which is directly related to an explicit measure of structural reliability against a Gaussian response process, can be obtained for structural design. Based on the asymptotic theory of statistical extremes, a new closed-form peak factor, the so-called Gamma peak factor, can be also obtained for a non-Gaussian resultant response, characterized by a Rayleigh distribution process. Using the Gamma peak factor, a combined peak factor method has been developed for predicting the expected maximum resultant responses of a building undergoing lateral-torsional motion. Utilizing the wind tunnel data derived from synchronous multi-pressure measurements, the time history response analysis has been carried out for the 45-story CAARC standard tall building. The Gamma peak factor has been applied to predict the peak resultant acceleration of the building. Results of the building example indicate that the Gamma peak factor provides accurate prediction of the mean extreme resultant acceleration response for the dynamic serviceability performance design of modern tall buildings.

2 illus, 1 tables, 15 ref

011701   Hossain M G;Lutfun nessa M;Ahmed S S; Quamruzzaman C (Geology and Mining Dep, Rajshahi Univ, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh) : Assessment of groundwater quality in Ishwardi municipal area, Pabna district, Bangladesh. Indian J Pwr River Valley Dev 2009, 59(5-6), 82-6.

Groundwater samples were analyzed in order to measure its quality and suitability especially for drinking purpose. A total of 21 groundwater samples (15 shallow tube well and 6 deep tube well) were collected from different places of municipal area of Ishwardi. Physical analyses involved the measurement of colour, pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids, total hardness etc. and the chemical analyses were associated with the measurement of anions, such as chloride (Cl^-), sulphate (SO₄>^>-2), bicarbonate (HCO₃), phosphate (PO₄ nitrate (NO₃) etc. and cations, such as sodium (Na), potassium (K), calcium (Ca⁺²), magnesium (Mg⁺²), boron (B), and manganese (Mn⁺²), arsenic (As⁺³) etc. After a careful examination, it was found that the groundwater bodies of the area were colourless, odorless, tasteless and turbidity less. The physical parameters and chemical parameters of the groundwater were compared with the standard values as recommended by DOE. The values of environment sensitive index parameters like pH, EC and temperature of groundwater as measured during field study change with place-to-place and vary with time to time. Low ionic concentration is found in dry season and high in wet season. Groundwater from Holocene aquifer of the studied area shows varied concentration of arsenic and Fe. The quality of groundwater of the study area is, in general, good for the utilization in drinking, agricultural, industrial or domestic purposes; however few water samples were found 'unsuitable' for drinking purpose, due to the presence of Ca, Fe, As, and Mn above the recommended limit.

1 illus, 3 tables, 4 ref

011700   Goyal T K;Sood A (Civil Engineering Dep, Punjab engineering College, Chandigarh-160 012) : Revenue lossies at signalized intersections on the Chandigarh road network-a case study. Indian Highw 2009, 37(3), 9-19.

The developraent of intersections of roads is an aspect which needs a deep study and commitment. It not only affects the present, but also has a far reaching ramification on the tomorrow. The creation of such assets is not related to constructional aspects alone. The real problem lies in the fact that money spent once cannot be retracted later. The effect of the assets so created is to be borne by the road user in times to come. Thus, a lot of time needs to be spent on planning aspects, wherein one must spend a lot of time on the collection of data, converting the same to information of utility and obtaining the needs of the road user. Also, the traffic engineer must have vision for the future which must be able to comprehend the utility of the assets being created under all round infrastructure and other physical development in terms of both population and automobile density.

11 ref

011699   Goswami C D;Sarkar K;Chakravarty R S;Saxena A K (NO, MECON Ltd, Ranchi-834 002) : Role of power sector (power plant performance optimization in particular) in achieving energy security of India. J Instn Engrs-Pt MM 2009, 90(Oct), 18-36.

Energy is one of the major inputs for economic development of any country. In case of developing countries like India, the energy sector assumes critical importance in view of the ever-increasing energy needs requiring huge investments to meet them. India's per capita electrical energy consumption is targeted for 50% growth in the Eleventh Five - year Plan from present level of 704 units per year. Electricity is convenient, efficient, versatile form of commercial energy and is therefore considered as backbone of industrial and agricultural growth. Presently India is facing serious challenges of energy security threat due to shortfall of peak power supply by 1 6. 6% and energy supply by 9.6%. Crude oil domestic source meets only 23% of demand, whereas shortfall in gas supply is up to 43%. Under this scenario, coal based thermal power plant is being focused as major source of commercial energy. To meet the demand of future energy requirement, not only growth of power sector is required but optimum utilization of existing resources in the energy sector is more important. In power basket, hydel sector is considered for serving peak load only, causing decreasing trend of specific generation per unit of installed capacity. Renewable energy growth are given due importance with special emphasis given on wind power generation. Nuclear power though occupy only about three percent of energy basket, but it is targeted as one of the important source of power in the years to come. In this paper an effort has been made to focus on energy resources, demand, supply, future growth plan, present status on performance of power plant and optimization tools applied for improvement of power plant availability. Special focus is given on optimization approach of power plant unit performance and power sector as a whole to achieve energy security. Some of the key suggestion for implementation are like specific generation per unit installed capacity, for performance rating evaluation, implementation of condition based maintenance for ensuring availability, increasing share of higher size unit for improving national average of PLF, efficiency. Energy conservation approach is also focused as one of the powerful tool for achieving energy security.

8 illus, 23 tables, 36 ref