012689   Abhyankar S L (NO, , ) : Using pumping basics for synergism. Indian Pumps 2005, 37(3), 21-6.

4 tables, 2 illus

011738   Velmurugan R;Manikandan V (Dep of Aerospace Engng & Composite Technol, Indian Inst of Technol, Chennai-600 036, Email: rvel@iitm.ac.in) : Mechanical properties of glass/palmyra fiber waste sandwich composites. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 563-70.

Uses of natural fibers as reinforcement in polymers have gained importance in the recent years due to the eco-friendly nature. This paper deals with the mechanical properties of the composites made up of palmyra fiber waste [pfw] and the pfw/glass fiber hybrid composites. Composite plates were prepared with 30%, 38%, 45%, 50%, 58%, 65% and 70% wt of fiber waste. Tensile, flexural, shear and impact properties were studied. Composites with 58-65-wt% fibers showed marginal improvement in flexural strength. Tensile strength was decreased and there was considerable improvement in shear and impact properties than that of resin. The properties of the natural fiber reinforced composites can be improved by hybridizing with high strength synthetic fibers such as glass. In this study, the palmyra fiber waste was hybridized with glass fiber in the polyester matrix. Samples were prepared by sandwiching the fiber waste between chopped strand glass fiber mats by varying both glass fibers and waste material content, keeping total fiber content as 60% by weight. Specimens were cut as per ASTM standards and tested in Instron universal testing machine. Mechanical properties of the composites were found to be increased with increase in the amount of glass fiber in the hybrid. Hybrid composites containing 48% waste, 10% glass fiber showed good reinforcement effect than the composites reinforced with 11 wt % glass fiber. The resin used was isophthalic roof light resin, the catalyst and accelerator were methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (MEKP) and cobalt napthanate, respectively.

15 illus, 1 table, 17 ref

011737   Trivedi S N (NO, , ) : Flue gas conditioning. Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 62.

Flue gas conditioning (FGC) systems offer an effective option for control of particlulate emissions and enhances the performance of the electronstatic precipitators (ESPs) when using low sulfur high ash coals.

2 illus, 1 table

011736   Suryawanshi S G (NO, , ) : Energy audit and its conservation. Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 76-7.

Energy Audit which accounts for 95 percent of all energy utilized by a unit is the most important tool for managing energy effectively.

011735   Sreekumar A;Vijayakumar K P (Cochin, Univ of Sci and Technol, Kochi-682 022, Email: kpv@cusat.ac.in) : Solar air heating system for energy efficient drying needs. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 74-8.

A Solar Air Heating (SAH) system for drying chilli was installed at Guntur district (17°15' N 81°E) in Andhra Pradesh. The total area of the installed system was 165 m² and the drier capacity was one tonne fresh chilli per batch. The project was sponsored by Spices Board, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Govt. of India. The total capacity of the system was 1 tonne per batch and the drying duration was 10-12 solar hours. It also describes the fabrication and installation of a 40 m² Solar Air Heating (SAH) system having a capacity of drying 200-250 kg fresh fruits and vegetables for "Kudumbashree", project under State Poverty Eradication Mission of Govt. of Kerala. The prime objective of the project was to produce hygienically processed fruits and vegetables to meet market needs particularly for exports. The major products processed were banana, plantain, pineapple, bitter gourd and tapioca. The two systems were roof-integrated type with corrugated selective coated aluminium sheet in the first system and black chrome copper as absorber plate in the second. The installed systems were capable of generating the required drying temperature through out the day and it proves its ability to, replace conventional systems. The quality of dried product was very good and the product could retain the original colour, particularly in the case of green vegetables, after complete drying process.

2 illus, 1 table, 4 ref

011734   Shiva Kumar;Samaga B S (NMAMIT, , Nitte-574110, Email: sam_nmamit@yahoo.com) : An indoor focusing type solar cooker of an innovative design. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 60-6.

Though there are a number of solar cooker designs in the market at present, the need for a cheap and effective solar cooker is growing. The normal box type cookers will be exposed to sun and hence there are chances of food getting contaminated with dust and other particles. Here an attempt has been made to design a cooker, which is of focusing type so that the reflector is kept outside the house facing the sun, and the cooking vessel is inside the house. A paraboloid reflector is used which is made by bending the G.I sheet in the paraboloid form and fixed onto a cast steel frame. Initially reflecting surface is made by pasting Mylar sheet over that frame. The reflector is made in such a way that the focal length is large, so that the focus will be at a considerable distance from the reflector. A part of the parabola is considered whose radius of curvature is so chosen as to focus the reflected rays into the kitchen at the specified distance. The vessel is kept in an insulated wooden box so as to minimize the loss of heat. At the front end it is covered with a glass sheet so as to allow the solar insolation to enter in. Different experiments have been carried out in this condition. Later reflecting surface is made by pasting large number of small mirror pieces of 6.3cm2 area pasted using a resin. The experiments were repeated. The results were compared and are discussed in the paper. Efficiencies of the concentrator and the cooker were tested and are discussed in the paper.

6 illus, 1 table, 1 ref

011733   Shah M P (NO, , 22, Shantiniketan, 1st Road, Prabhat Colony, Santacruz, Mumbai-400 055) : Economic sizing of pumping mains. J Indian Wat Wks Ass 2005, 37(3), 213-16.

1 illus, 3 ref

011732   Senapati P K;Panda D;Patra P;Parida A (NO, Regional Res Lab, Bhubaneswar-751 013, Email: senapati_pk@yahoo.com) : Performance evaluation of a proto type solar distillation unit for extraction of citronella oil. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 67-73.

Green house type proto-type solar distillation unit with a loading capacity of 100 kg/batch was designed and fabricated for extraction of citronella oil. Four planner heliostatic mirror reflectors were fixed on support stand with provisions for manual tilting arrangements to maximize the interception of solar radiation on the distillation unit. Two separate batches of experiments were conducted with citronella grass as feeding material with loading capacities of 60 kg and 100 kg respectively by adding adequate amount of water to the grass materials. The performance tests conducted on the prototype unit with citronella grass in a 4 days batch operation indicated that percentage recovery of citronella oil varies between 78% -80%, assuming oil content is 0.8% at 100% recovery. The unit maintains the quality of oil comparable to Laboratory standards by avoiding charring effects inside the still. The unit is specifically suited for operation under field conditions prevalent of raw material sites utilizing readily available solar energy. To evaluate the techno-economic feasibility, cost analysis of a 1000 kg per batch capacity distillation unit has been carried out for extraction of citronella oil, which indicated that the return on investment is around 22%.

2 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

011731   Sen S K (Dep of Appl Phys, Univ Coll of Technol Univ of Calcutta 92, APC Road, Calcutta-700 009) : A novel concept in the design of a psychrometer. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 498-504.

A novel psychrometric method for measurement of humidity of a process is proposed. The design of a psychrometer is a complex one due to simultaneous introduction of two variables at the same time, viz., the meter current is dependent on both the relative humidity and ambient temperature. The circuit design has been so made that the said current would depend only on the relative humidity of air and independent of temperature variations at the place of measurement. Theoretical calculations show that the maximum error in the measurement of the meter current would be limited to within +1.6% at 120°F and -2% at 60°F for 100% relative humidity while the same would be within ±1.75% for the entire temperature range 60°-120°F for 0% relative humidity.

4 illus, 11 ref

011730   Selvi K;Ramraj N;Senthil Kumar M (Dep of Electl Engng, Thiagarajar Coll of Engng, Madurai-625 015) : Application of genetic algorithm for power system state estimation. J Instn Engrs-Pt CP 2005, 86(Nov), 45-9.

Static state estimator (SE) is a data processing algorithm for converting redundant meter readings and other available information into an estimate of the static state vector. This work centres on the general nature of the problem, mathematical modelling, genetic algorithm (GA) application for state estimate, and concepts underlying the detection and identification of errors in various ranges of standard deviation (S). Calculation of gain matrix (G) and its inversion are totally eliminated in estimating the optimal state vector. GA approach for SE is illustrated with sample systems. The solution obtained using GA is followed, by a reliable bad data processing method on the sample systems and the results are compared with other methods. The comparison confirms the capability of the proposed method for SE in power system.

3 illus, 4 tables, 13 ref

011729   Sahasrabudhe A V (Electrostatic Precipitators Grp, Thermax Ltd, Pune, Maharashtra) : Agrowaste energy-Cogen scenario. Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 42-5.

6 illus, 7 tables

011728   Sadasivan N (NO, , ) : Applications of Biotechnology in common Effluent treatment plants (CETPs). Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 66-8.

011727   Rohira K L;Raja A;Manoharan S (NO, Weld Res Inst BHEL, Tiruchirapalli-620 014) : Time twin welding of automobile wheels. WRI Jl 2005, 26(2), 5-10.

'TIME TWIN" a high performance GMAW process, provides increased deposition rate and excellent welding quality. The circumferential fillet joints involved in the automobile wheels were earlier welded by SAW process. As there were certain problems manufacturers have switched over to conventional GMAW. In the study with Time TWIN welding of wheels, it is found that this new welding technique has the potential to replace the single wire GMAW in welding of automobile wheels.

13 illus, 1 table, 3 ref

011726   Ravichandran G (Weld Res Inst, BHEL, Tiruchirapalli-620 014) : Estimation of design life for cyclically loaded structures. WRI Jl 2005, 26(2), 11-15.

In one of the cyclically loaded structures, failures due to fatigue action were recurring frequently. The fatigue design analysis had to be carried out on the component in order to verify the adequacy of the weld geometry. The fatigue design analysis of the weld joint was carried out as per AWS D 1.1 structural welding code. The joint has been designated as Category C from the weld details of geometry, direction of loading etc by the code. For this condition, the threshold fatigue stress range for the stress category C has been given as 69 MPa in the structural welding code. The loads acting on the weld were not very clear but as the weld root is inaccessible, the weld throat size had to be reduced by 3 mm which if ignored in the original calculation may lead to higher stress. The recommendations were given for the repair welding of the component to increase the throat size and to bring down the stress values below the threshold values. The details of the weld, the fatigue crack and the repair procedure recommended are presented.

3 illus, 3 ref

011725   Rambabu U;Munirathnam N R;Reddy R C;Prakash T L (High Purity Mater Div, Cent for Mater for Electron Technol (C-MET), IDA Phase II, Cherlapally, HCL (Post), Hyderabad-500 051, Email: rambabu32@yahoo.com) : Segregation behaviour of trace metal impurities during ultra high purification of gallium by zone refining. Indian J pure appl Phys 2005, 43(10), 783-6.

Details of an in-house fabricated laboratory scale horizontal zone-refiner (HZR) for the purification of indigenous 4N(99.99%) gallium have been reported. The purified gallium ingot was analyzed for its selected trace metal impurity elements, namely Zn, Pb, Cu, Al, Cr, Ni, Fe, B and Mn using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). Segregation behaviour of the trace metal impurities throughout the ingot have been illustrated. The repeated experimental results confirm 6N (99.9999%) purity gallium.

7 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

011724   Ralegaonkar R V;Gupta R (NO, BITS, Pilani, Rajasthan, Email: rahul2k@bits-pilani.ac.in) : Oral: a software tool to estimate beam radiation for optimal shape and orientation decision of energy efficient buildings. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 53-9.

In view of the energy management, the buildings should be built with suitable shape and appropriate orientation to reduce the heating and cooling loads. Present paper elaborates comprehensive analysis for the optimal shape and orientation decision of buildings. The software "ORAL" has been developed to estimate beam radiation falling on the exposed surfaces of the building. Different models with varying proportions of number of sides and wall dimensions are analyzed for the complete rotation at every 5ø interval, to arrive at the proper shape and orientation decision so that it will receive maximum radiation in winter and minimum in summer. Detailed analysis has been presented for Pilani, Rajasthan, which helps to give the guidelines for optimum proportion of wall facades to be used with suitable building orientation.

3 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

011723   Rakesh Kumar;Narendra Kumar;Ram Kumar (Cent, Rd Res Inst, New Delhi-110044) : Manufacturing cost of self-compacting concrete, conventional concrete and pumpable concrete of equal power and its merits & demerits. Bhartiya Vaigyanik Evam Audyogik Anusandhan Patrika 2005, 13(2), 163-70.

An attempt has been made for the manufacturing of economical self-compacting concrete incorporating ASTM class F fly ash. The cost of this SCC mix based on the cost of materials viz. cement, aggregates, chemical admixtures, was estimated and compared with respect to a conventional plasticized concrete and a pumpable concrete of similar compressive strength, that is, about 40 MPa at 28 days. A comparative study of the manufacturing cost at laboratory for these concrete mixes concludes that SCC is approximately 16% costlier than the conventional plasticized structural grade concrete and 5% cheaper than a pumpable concrete of similar compressive strength. Further, in-terms of strength developed per unit i.e. MPa, SCC and conventional plasticized concrete are equally costly. Further, advantages and disadvantages of using SCC technology are also presented in the paper.

3 illus, 5 tables, 20 ref

011722   Raja A;Rohira K L;Sownyalakshmi C (NO, Weld Res Inst BHEL, Tiruchirapalli-620 014) : Time twin welding of stainless steel material. WRI Jl 2005, 26(2), 16-19.

"TIME TWIN" GMAW process is finding increased application in both light and heavy fabrication industries due to the higher welding speed and deposition rate (more than 8 Kg/hr). The process is found to provide excellent weld quality on carbon, alloy steel and aluminum. In case of carbon steel 80% Argon + 20% CO₂ gas mixture is commonly used in TIME TWIN welding. However, for TIME TWIN welding of stainless steel shielding gas mixture with oxygen addition to argon is needed. In this study, the fusion characteristics and weld-metal properties of TIME TWIN process on stainless steel has been evaluated for different shielding gas mixtures.

7 illus, 2 tables

011721   Paul D;Mukherjee D;Chaudhuri S R B; Chakrabarti S (NO, Philips India Limited, Kolkata, Email: debkalyan_paul@yahoo.co.in) : A total approach for combating the challenge of energy conservation. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 12-21.

'Energy conservation' has become a topmost priority in the context of depleting fossil fuel reserve and the threat of global warming, whereas increased energy consumption is a basic prerequisite for economic development. This apparent self-contradiction is to be tackled by taking a 'total approach. In this paper the authors have come out with a comprehensive model comprising of a) energy saving b) exploring non-conventional sources and c) improving energy-efficiency. The mission needs to be aggressively facilitated by appropriate policies & strategies and actual implementation will be enforced through mechanisms like Clean Development, Mechanism (CDM), Demand Side Management (DSM), Green Product etc. The authors have carried out an in depth review of all the facets of energy conservation to ascertain the adequacy of framework and actual status of implementation towards accomplishment of the task.

3 illus, 2 tables, 17 ref

011720   Natarajan C (Civ Engg Dep, NIT, Tiruchirappalli-620 015) : Construction of two-tier service reservoir for zone II of Thuvakudy village. J Indian Wat Wks Ass 2005, 37(3), 185-8.

Need for a two-tier reservoir is briefly presented first. A typical design of the two-tier service reservoir at Thuvakudy is presented, followed by the method of its construction, quality control and the various difficulties encountered, highlighting the salient features that are different in design and construction from normal reservoirs.

5 illus, 2 ref

011719   Nataraj M;Arunachalam V P;Dhandapani N (Mechanical Engng, Government Coll of Technol, Coimbatore-641 013, Email: m_natanuragct@yahoo.com) : Optimizing diesel engine parameters for emssion reduction using Taguchi method: Variation risk analysis approach. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 505-14.

Taguchi parameter design research methodology allows one to make products or processes robust to uncontrollable noise factors and will also reduce the number of experiments to be carried out to arrive an optimized system. The main objective of the work is to study the various operating parameters of diesel engine to propose modified engine parameter (optimum) settings for reduction in NO_X, HC, CO and smoke concentrations simultaneously in diesel emission by applying Taguchi parameter design concept. Taguchi L₁₈ (2¹ x 3⁷) quality design concept mixed orthogonal array has been used to determine the S/N ratio (dB), analysis of variance (ANOVA) and F₀ test values for recognizing most significant engine operating parameters that influence exhaust emission. The experimental results give an idea about how the variations in engine settings like nozzle spray holes, piston-to-head clearance, nozzle protrusion, injection control pressure, start of injection timing and swirl level alter the pollutant (NO_X, HC, CO and smoke) intensity in emission. Considering these significant engine-operating parameters, verification of the improvement in the quality characteristics for emission reduction has been done through confirmation test with reference to the chosen initial or reference parameter settings. These confirmation test results prove that the optimal combination of diesel engine parameters obtained from the investigation reducing the pollutant levels in exhaust emission in reality.

5 illus, 5 tables, 9 ref

011718   Naik R;Murthy G R K;Sarma T H S R P;Viraktama B C (Directorate of Rice Res, , Rajendranagar, Hyderabad - 500 030, Email: naikravindra@lycos.com) : Development of an energy efficient laboratory model parboiling unit. J Fd Sci Technol 2005, 42(5), 450-2.

Electronically controlled laboratory-parboiling unit (capacity 8-10 kg) was developed to integrate soaking and steaming. The paddy was soaked and the required time-temperature combination was set by an electronic programmer. After preset time of soaking, hot water was drained into steaming unit for a pre-programmed time. The heat energy in the hot water drained from soaking chamber was utilized for steam production thereby saving energy. The net energy saving was 11.6%. Cost of operation was brought down by 21.7%. The parboiling unit gave satisfactory performance when tested for various paddy varieties and hybrids.

^ssc2 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

011717   Nagarhalli M V;Nandedkar V M (Coll, of Engg., Kopargaon, Maharashtra, Email: nagarhalli@rediffmail.com) : Alternative fuels for diesel engines. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 46-52.

This paper presents a review of alternatives for diesel such as ethanol, and biodiesel. Ethanol cannot be used directly in diesel engines as its Cetane Number (CN) is less (about 8-10) making it unsuitable in diesel engines. Ethanol can be used in diesel engines with certain modifications. Biodiesel is a transesterified vegetable oil, which has very much similar properties like that of diesel. It can be used in an existing diesel engine without major engine modifications. The engine emissions like CO, HC, and PM are reduced and NOx increases. Seeds of Jatropha, Karanja, and Cottonseeds can be used to produce biodiesel. This will help in reducing dependence on other countries.

7 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

011716   Mukhopadhyay K;Chakraborty D (NO, Asian Inst of Technol, Pathumthani Thailand, Email: kakali@iimcal.ac.in) : Are indian industries more energy intensive?. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 38-45.

The current paper uses an input-output framework to estimate the energy intensities of the different sectors of the Indian economy during the 1980s and 1990s. The paper uses four consecutive input output tables (1983-84, 1989-90, 1993-94 and 1998-99) to calculate direct and total (direct + indirect) energy intensities to capture the pre reform as well as reform period performance in the energy sector. The sectors like electrical and electronic appliances, railway transport services and other transport services are found to be more energy intensive after reforms. The paper also suggests policies especially focusing the role of the technology.

4 tables, 8 ref

011715   Mohan G (NO, , ) : Ultrasonic level measurement for Solids applications. Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 63-4.

Ultrasonic level measurement remains the most versatile method for non-contact continuous measurement of solids level measurement. Other techniques, "notably through the air" radar, have their applications, but most remain limited in application and in the rang eover which measurement can be made.

2 illus, 1 ref

011714   Mazumdar G C;Ganguly U P (Indian Inst of Technol, Kharagpur, West Bengal) : Some aspects on grinding characteristics of Indian spice. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 34-7.

Two of the commonly used Indian spices, namely, Cumin and Black Pepper, have been subjected to grinding for various time intervals in a domestic batch grinder (SUMEET). Rosin-Rammler distribution equation has been found to fit for the ground product. The dispersion constant'(n) and the absolute size constant (a), have an excellent agreement with the grinding period for each of the spices. Such relationship is of the form n or a = X(θ)^x with a maximum and minimum standard deviation of ± 16.3% and ±3.9% for 'n' and 'a', respectively. These correlations, when coupled with the original Rosin-Rammler equation, enable to estimate the amount of ground material of a required size that can be obtained after a definite period of grinding. A standard deviation of ± 9.1% only for 53 numbers of samples tested has been observed.

5 illus, 5 ref

011713   Mathur J;Kowitz R (NO, MNIT, Jaipur, Email: jyotirmay@mnit.ac.in) : Energy demand-supply balancing through integrated resource planning for rural areas. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 31-7.

Due to shortage of power, extremely subsidized tariffs, poor financial recovery, long transmission lines, there exists a very poor demand-supply balance in the rural energy sector. Typical areas where power is required are agriculture, residential, minor commercial activities, and public places. The area covered under a gram panchayat 'Shivdaspura', located at 25km distance from Jaipur on Jaipur-Kota national highway, was examined for balancing the demand-supply situation. In addition to grid electricity, potential of locally available resources such as solar energy, wind energy, agriculture residue, cow dung etc. were examined for local generation of electricity. First of all, a Reference Energy System of the village was developed by conducting a survey for energy consumption. Results of the RES were crosschecked with actual consumption and the model was validated by obtaining a close agreement between the two. As a next step, assessment of potential for renewable energy sources based power generation was carried out. In addition, cost analysis for non-renewable energy sources, e.g. diesel generator set for emergency power back up, was also done. A DSM scenario, in which replacement/retrofitting of inefficient appliances and equipment was considered, was examined and the balancing was obtained through mixed approach. In this approach, demand was reduced and supply was increased for striking a balance. Results of this case study are presented in this paper. The case can be treated as an example of small scale Integrated Resource Planning.

3 illus, 2 tables, 4 ref

011712   Majumder S K;Kundu G;Mukherjee D (Chem Engng Dep, Indian Inst of Technol, Kharagpur-721 302) : Theoretical study of bubble motion due to pressure distribution and energy dissipation in plunging liquid jet downflow bubble column. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 29-33.

A theoretical model has been developed for predicting dynamic behaviour of bubble dispersion at plunging region in an ejector induced downflow bubble column reactor. The equations of motion are respectively the radial expansion and vertical motion of the bubble interface. The model is able to compute the instantaneous growing shape of bubble during its formation and determine the final size of detachment at plunging point of liquid jet in incompressible Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids. Theoretical results include the variation in the bubble size, bubble velocity, its growth rate, the fluid pressure and the rate of energy dissipation. A comparison is given for the variation of bubble size, fluid pressure and energy dissipation in water and in Carboxy Methyl Cellulose (CMC) solutions in water of different concentrations.

6 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

011711   Maheshwari T K;Kumar Devendra (NO, Dr. BRA Coll of Agric Engng and Technol, Etawah-206 001) : Design and development of new kind of plough by using triz and robust. New Agric 2004, 15(1,2), 45-8.

Main part of plough is the share, It digs into the soil, separates the surface soil from the bed soil and then moldboard turns it upside down, but the shares life is very short which is due to the friction between the share and the soil. Presents a case study of successfully using TRIZ methodology and Robust Design to solve a longstanding design deficiency of plough. Using Su-Field analysis method and physical effects, engineers found a way to reduce the friction with magnetic field and came up with a low-cost solution using existing plough. Robust Design was used next to optimize the settings of the solution. The resulting feature was put into production, and it greatly increased customer satisfaction, prolonged share's life and fortunately after the new plough cultivated the crop, yield could be increased.

4 illus, 1 table, 6 ref

011710   Maheshwari T K (Dep of Fm Pwr and Machinery, Dr. BR Ambedkar Coll of Agril. Engg. & Technol, Etawah-206 001) : Study of performance characteristics for ADV tires on different terrain surfaces. New Agric 2004, 15(1,2), 53-6.

Agrarian economy of India, cattle continue to hold prominent positions, both as mulch and draft animals. Draft animals are used for both farm operations and transport but in urban and semi-urban areas they are use exclusively for transport. The tires designed for animal drawn vehicles (ADV) are available in various sizes. The commonly used size of ADV tires is 5.00-19 (127-182 mm), 6.00-19 (152-482 mm), 7.00-19 (178-482 mm) and 7.50-16 (188-400 mm). The tires were tested at 5 levels of deflection (15, 20, 25, 28, and 30%) and 4 levels of inflation pressure keeping the forward speed of the tire test carriage constant at 2.41 km/h. Based on the work the following conclusions were drawn. The tire sizes 5.00-19 and 6.00-19 are to be used in sandy clay loam soil based on the draftability of the bullocks and 7.00-19 was selected for concrete surface based on coefficient of rolling resistance and draftability. Based on clay mobility number, the following empirical model was developed to predict the rolling resistance of pneumatic towed wheels in sandy clay loam soil. For ADV tires, using mobility number approach (Nc) TF/W=0.379981 EXP (-0.094522 Nc). The empirical model developed model based on clay mobility number approach is simple and convenient to use for predicting the rolling resistance of ADV tires and is capable of predicting within 10 per cent accuracy.

9 ref

011709   Maheshwari T K (NO, Dr. BRA Coll of Agril and Technol, Etawah, Uttar Pradesh) : Utility of laser leveling in land preparation. New Agric 2004, 15(1,2), 27-30.

Precisely leveled field is a pre-requisite for an efficient surface irrigation system. At present most of the fields are small and undulating which results in wastage of irrigation water and inefficient use of farm machinery. For an efficient irrigation system the level difference between high and low spots of a field should not exceed 20 mm whereas under actual field condition, a difference of 50 to 100 mm is very common. Therefore, the need for leveling of fields could not be over emphasized. The range of machinery for leveling operations is fairly wide. Final use of land plane or the most modern system of automatic laser plane of land leveling enables a very precise level of the field. The leveling of land is done precisely with the automatic functioning of the laser-operated scraper. With the laser system the reference plane is generated above the ground with the help of a rotating transmitter in the form of a beam, which is intercepted by a receiver fitted on the scraper. Hydraulic system of the scraper is controlled by the laser beam, through a control panel and a solenoid valve, to maintain a desired level by raising or lowering the cutting edge of the blade automatically depending upon the field grades. The tractor operator constantly receives the signals regarding high or low spots as well as on grade information on the control box located in the cabin as well as on the light display fitted in front of operator.

8 illus, 6 ref

011708   Kishen J M C (Dep of Civ Engng, Indian Inst of Sci, Bangalore-560 012) : Recent developments in safety assessment of concrete gravity dams. Curr Sci 2005, 89(4), 650-6.

The main objective of this article is to high light the work done in the area of fracture mechanics for safety assessment of gravity dams. It is shown that the conventional strength of materials-based design leads to large factors of safety when compared to the more recent and rational concepts of fracture mechanics.

8 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

011707   Khanna V K (NO, Cent Electron Engng Res Inst, Pilani-333 031) : Technological progress. Bhartiya Vaigyanik Evam Audyogik Anusandhan Patrika 2005, 13(2), 125-31.

Nanosensors are electronic sensing device whose dimensions have nanometer magnitudes. Those sensing devices in which the interaction between the sensor and the examined object is confined to a few nanometers or whose sensitivity lies on the nanometer scale are also referred to as nanosensors. 'Nanosensors' is an' interesting research field on the path from micro- to nanotechnology whose progress has been specially aided by the advancing steps of microelectronic fabrication techniques and scanning tunneling microscopy. In the present review paper, various types of nanosensors such as displacement, force, acceleration, infrared radiation sensors and nano probing tips are described. Most of these sensors are based on the changes in electron tunneling current. The cantilever structure is used in many sensors. For fabrication of novel sensors, new structures and physical phenomena along with innovative designs will have to be utilized. Is nanotechnology only a milestone on the path of progress of electronic technology? Are the real frontier goals pico (=10^-12 meter) and femto (=10^-15 meter) technologies? Because atomic dimensions are approximately 0.1 nanometer (where the energy band diagram of crystalline solid materials is not valid) and nuclear dimensions lie between 1 to 5 femtometer (where nuclear forces severalfold stronger than electromagnetic forces are dominant) nanotechnology could probably be the final destination. Therefore nanoelectronic devices and nanosensors are hopeful branches of highly advanced and attractive possibilities on which the future of mechanism depends. In depth research on nanosensors is foremost for the development of nanotechnology.

9 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

011706   Khan Z H;Husain M (Dep of Appl Sci & Humanities, Jamia Milia Islamia (Central University), New Delhi-110 025) : Carbon nanotube and its possible applications. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 529-51.

Carbon nanotubes are the closed tabular structures consisting of nested cylindrical graphitic layers capped by fullerene-like ends with a hollow internal cavity, which were first discovered by Iijima in 1991. It consists of either one cylindrical graphene sheet, i.e., single- wall nanotube (SWNT)) or of several nested cylinders with an interlayer spacing of 0.34-0.36 nm, i.e., multiwall nanotube (MWNT)).The lengths of SWNTs and MWNTs are usually well over 1 μm and diameters range from ~1 nm (for SWNTs)-to ~50 nm (for MWNTs). SWNTs are usually closed at both ends by fullerene-like half spheres that contain both pentagons and hexagons. Carbon nanotubes show exceptional electronic and mechanical properties. They are flexible but very hard to stretch and have extremely low turn-on fields and high current densities ranking them among the best electron field emitters for future field emission displays. This article presents an overview of current state of research on carbon nanotubes. In this review, attention has been focused on different synthesis routes for carbon nanotubes growth, used during last 12 years and possible future applications of carbon nanotubes especially in fuel cell and field emission displays. Also have been various parametric studies reported by several groups have been and have been from their observations the common factors, which seem to be important towards a controlled production of carbon nanotubes. The limitations of these approaches, compatibility between an up-scaled production, the quality of the grown nanotube materials as well as the question of an economic production, have also been addressed.

22 illus, 37 ref

011705   Joshi N G;Rane T R (Indian Hom Pipe Co. Ltd, Hindustan Constr Co. Ltd., Mumbai) : Efficient ventilation of water pipe lines discharge. J Indian Wat Wks Ass 2005, 37(3), 205-11.

3 ref

011704   Jhunjhunwala A;Ramachander S (Dep of Electl Engng, Indian Inst of Technol, Chennai- 600 036) : Role of wireless technologies in connecting rural India. Indian J Radio Space Phys 2005, 34(5), 363-7.

^ssc4 illus, 1 tables, 15 ref

011703   Jena H M;Dash S K;Suryanarayana A (Dep of Chem Engng, Natn Inst of Technol and Mangement, Rourkela-769 008) : Dynamics and control of a computer controlled bubble cap distillation column. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 21-8.

In the study, a seven plate, pilot plant type continuous bubble cap distillation column is used. Process dynamic equations are derived using lumped parameter approach, state variables and state equations. The plate efficiency used is 57%, which is calculated based on total reflux condition. Using state equations, theoretical step responses for feed composition change, feed flow rate change, and reflux rate changes are calculated. These are compared with experimental data. Closed loop response studies are done using P and P-I controller to control top product composition by varying reflux. Since D-action software is not working, so P-D and P-I-D are not tested. Inferences are drawn about the settings to be used on computer-controlled distillation column.

11 illus, 12 ref

011702   Hussain S H (NO, Civ & Structural, Kvaerner Powergas) : An insight into the shear key. Process Pl Engng 2005, 23(1), 81-3.

Shear force at a column support can be resisted by providing a shear key beneath its base-plate. Alternatively, holding down bolts could be designed to resist this shear at the expense of their tensile capacities. An improvement to this method would be to have the unthreaded shaft of the bolt at the base-plate & grout interface. This generally increases shear area of bolts by 15-20 but requires careful consideration while calculating projection and thread especially for thin base-plates. The latter method usually proves costly especially for structures designed in zones of higher seismic intensities (eg. zones IV & V).

5 illus, 1 table

011701   Gupta R C;Taneja S R;Thariyan K K;Sanjeev Verma (Cent Scientific Instruments Organization, , Sector-30, Chandhigarh-160 030, Email: rcg_ciso@yahoo.co.in) : Design and implementation of controlled drug infusion system. J scient ind Res 2005, 64(10), 761-6.

Inexpensive controlled drug infusion system based around 80C85 microprocessor with RAM, EPROM and peripheral interface devices is developed. In this system, the drop rate selection is done by BCD thumb wheel switches from 1 to 99 drops/min, LCD display is used for displaying the parameters settings, number of drops infused and various alarms messages for patient safety and unique drop sensing assembly is incorporated for accurate detection of falling drops in drip chamber. The prototype has been tested successfully on neonates.

6 illus, 6 ref

011700   Gupta A K;Shrivastava R K (Civ Engg & Appl Mech Dep, Shri G.S. Inst of Technol & Sci, 23 Park Road, Indore-452 003, Email: ajaykg2@yahoo.co.in) : Reliability evaluation of integral water treatment plant a Monte Carlo simulation based approach. J Indian Wat Wks Ass 2005, 37(3), 189-97.

Paper presents a methodology for assessing the effect of parameter uncertainty on the response of integral water treatment plant using Monte Carlo simulation (MCS) method. A model is developed by coupling deterministic integral water treatment plant model with MCS program. Based on typical ranges and default values reported in the literature, a representative set of statistics describing the uncertainty in the parameters is selected in the study. The general applicability of methodology is demonstrated on a simple hypothetical case study. From the operational point of view; the variability in effluent water quality resulting from uncertainty in the system parameters is investigated for an optimally designed WTP. The reliability of water treatment plant is addressed by evaluating the probability that effluent water quality exceeds the regulatory standards. Importance of model parameters (size of sand, depth of filter bed) and design parameters (surface over-flow rate, filtration rate) on the reliability is established by conducting MCS runs with different nominal/ mean values of these parameters. Analysis is conducted to estimate the cost implication of improving the reliability by lowering surface over-flow rate (larger sedimentation area) or filtration rate (larger filter area). Cost estimates suggest that the annualized capital cost is considerably less if WTP is designed for lower surface over-flow rate instead of lower filtration rate.

7 illus, 3 tables, 18 ref

011699   Goje A S;Jadhav A S;Naniwadekar M Y;Mishra S (Dep of Chem Engng, All India Shri Shivaji Memorial Society's Coll of Engng, Pune-411 001) : Cost estimation and profitability analysis for alkaline depolymerization of poly ethylene terephthalate waste. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 16-20.

Cost estimation and profitability analysis for alkaline hydrolysis of poly ethylene terephthalate waste (PETW) has been undertaken for a batch process. Various cost analysis data are used to evaluate the feasibility of the process for industrial application. The payback period, the rate of return and the break-even point are recorded as four months, 318% and 24%, respectively. It shows good return on investment that promises greater industrial significance.

1 illus, 12 ref

011698   Ganesan S;Kishore Kumar S;Ganesan V (Gas Turbine Res Establ, , Bangalore-560 093) : CFD study of isothermal flow in an afterburner system. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 487-97.

The paper focuses a detailed numerical prediction of non-reacting flow analysis in a practical 1/3 scaled model gas turbine afterburner system. The analysis is performed using SIMPLE algorithm in a body-fitted multi-block grid using STAR-CD software. The turbulence is simulated using standard k-ε model. The validation of software is carried out in a afterburner model by comparing axial, radial and circumferential velocities at various axial locations. The agreement between the prediction and experimental data are quite reasonable. The analysis is extended to the flow in a practical afterburner system. The afterburner system consists of an annular diffuser, a complex three-dimensional flame stabilizer, a liner with chute, screech and cooling rings holes and a convergent nozzle. The wall static pressures are compared with experimental data obtained from rig results for both core and bypass casing. The agreement between CFD prediction and experimental data are in close agreement. The predicted length of the re-circulation zone of the lower radial gutter is larger (2.7 times width of the gutter) than upper radial gutter, which is about 2.3 times width. This is due to combined effect of annular diffuser and lower radial gutter. But the length of the re-circulation zone of the annular ring is slightly less than (0.94 times) the width of the v-gutter. The effect of different mass flow rates on the afterburner performance is also evaluated and it is observed that mass flow rate does not affect the re-circulation zone characteristics. An increase of 20% in mass flow rate increases the exit nozzle velocity by 35%.

13 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

011697   Feroz S;King P;Prasad V S R K (Dep of Chem Engng, RVR and JC Coll of Engng, Guntur-522 019) : Treatment of metallic effluents using activated charcoal. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 12-5.

Study investigates the effect of various parameters on the removal of metal ions (zinc and cadmium) by adsorption using activated charcoal. The parameters study are time of contact, initial metal ion concentration, adsorbent dosage, volume of the adsorbate solution and the effect of the presence of another metal at various concentrations. The adsorption isotherms so obtained followed the Freundlich and Langmuir equations showing a marginal average deviation.

6 illus, 9 ref

011696   Dubey S P;Singh P;Manjunath H V (NO, Birla Inst of Technol and Sci, Pilani-333 031, Email: spd1020@yahoo.com) : A neural network based harmonic suppression scheme for three-phase four-wire system. Energy Fuel Users J 2005, 55(2), 22-30.

There has been a continuous proliferation of nonlinear type of loads due to the intensive use of electronics control in all branches of industry as well as by general consumers. Without proper compensation, the quality of power in transmission/distribution systems can deteriorate. In the proposed work parallel hybrid active power filter is used for harmonic suppression with neural network based control scheme. The neural network extracts fundamental frequency component from non-sinusoidal & unbalanced currents and then generates required reference signals. It has been shown that the proposed neural controller is simple, fast and accurate. Simulation results obtained under unbalance & non-sinusoidal source and load have been presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of proposed controller.

14 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

011695   Devendra Kumar;Kumbhar B K;Gufran M (NO, Baba Saheb Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar Coll of Agril. Engg. & Tech., Etawah-206 001) : Optimization of machine parameters on milling of enzyme treated pigeonpea grain for higher percentage of finished product and hulling efficiency. New Agric 2004, 15(1,2), 101-6.

Effect of machine parameters i.e. roller speed (12 to 16 m/s), roller inclination (4.5 to 6.5 deg.) and roller length (22.5 to 37.5 cm) on milling of enzyme treated pigeonpea was optimized for obtaining maximum percentage of finished product and hulling efficiency using response surface methodology. The multiple second order models for finished product percentage and hulling efficiency represented data very well. The optimum values of these machine parameters for the experimental set-up (emery roller dhal mill) having the roller diameter of 15 cm were found to be 15.50 m/s, 5.14 deg. and 33.58 cm respectively for maximum percentage of finished product (81.09) and highest hulling efficiency (95.24%) for enzyme treated pigeonpea milling.

2 illus, 2 tables, 11 ref

011694   Deogirikar A A;Bhatt Y C;Narkhede N N;Arulkar K P (NO, Coll of Agric Engng and Technol Dr. PDKV, Akola, Maharashtra) : Studies on cone type rotary nozzle for air assisted spraying. New Agric 2004, 15(1,2), 1-4.

Cone type rotary nozzle with tractor mounted air assisted sprayer was studied in open space at ASPEE Research Institute (ARI), Mumbai. The spray producing characteristics of the nozzle were studied at 1250, 1500, 1750 and 2000 rpm blower speeds. The spray spectrum was studied at 6, 9, 12 and 15 m distance from the outlet and at 850, 2000, 2600 and 3400 ml/min discharge rate of coloured spray fluid. Over spraying was observed on the target, which was placed nearer to the sprayer than that of the distant target. The velocity generation of the sprayer and spray spectrum on the target was found satisfactory at 2000 rpm blower speed and 850 ml/min discharge rates.

1 table, 2 ref

011693   Dahasahasra S V (NO, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran, Thane-400 603) : Managing water supply in flood crisis. J Indian Wat Wks Ass 2005, 37(3), 165-73.

Mumbai received a record-breaking 944 millimeters of rain in a twenty-four hour period on 26th July, 2005. The heavy monsoon rains sparked off deadly floods, which have claimed more than 1100 lives in the Maharashtra state, with 418 fatalities in Mumbai alone. The torrential rains were so devastating that a number of water supply schemes were jeopardized and the water supply of almost all suburban towns was totally in danger. The water supply authorities activated their entire working staff for facing the emergency situation. They were able to rise above situation and handle the emergency with exemplary speed and professionalism. Objective of the study was to describe how water supply was restored in the calamity.

16 illus, 2 tables, 3 ref

011692   Chakraverty S;Jindal R;Agarwal V K (B.P.P.P. Div, Cent Bldg Res Inst, Roorkee-247 667) : Flexural vibrations of non-homogeneous elliptic plates. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2005, 12(6), 521-8.

Effect of non-homogeneity of material for complex shaped plates on their vibration frequencies is analyzed. Corresponding mathematical model has been developed. The results have been included for the first few frequencies of the plate element that are important to know before finalizing the design of a structure. Rayleigh Ritz method with generation of orthogonal polynomials using Gram-Schmidt process is used. In the numerical results, present solution is carefully examined by a convergence test and comparison with known results for special cases are carried out.

7 illus, 11 tables, 17 ref

011691   Bhattacharya T K;Chandan Kumar;Mishra T N (Dep of Fm Machinery and Pwr Enginneering, Coll of Technol G B Pant Univ of Agric and Technol, Pantnagar-263 145) : Exhaust emission characteristics of a constant speed SI engine on denatured anhydrous and aqueous ethanol of different proofs. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 8-11.

Denatured anhydrous and aqueous ethanol of 200°, 190°, 180° and 170° proof has been burnt in a constant speed SI engine designed to operate on kerosene. The effect of water content in the fuel on engine exhaust emissions has been studied. The emission of carbon monoxide is found to be 14.0%-23.7% lower and a decrease in unburnt hydrocarbon emission from 99% to 29% is observed on denatured ethanol of different proofs as compared to that observed on kerosene. The emission of NO_x is found to be higher on denatured ethanol of different proofs. However, it is comparable with kerosene when engine is operated on 170° proof ethanol.

3 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

011690   Bhattacharjee S;Datta S;Bhattacharjee C (Dep of Chem Engng, Jadavpur Univ, Kokata-700 032) : Water quality parameters during ultrafiltration of kraft black liquor. J Instn Engrs-Pt CH 2005, 86(Sept), 1-7.

Kraft Black Liquor (KBL) is assessed for different water quality parameters (namely, BOD, COD, turbidity, pH, total solid, oil and grease, etc.). Pretreatment methods like centrifugation followed by microfiltration (MF) have been used prior to ultrafiltration (UF) to remove any traces of suspended solids to minimize the chances of membrane fouling. These pretreatment steps proved to be highly efficient in restoring the water flux completely in all the cases of experimentation. The performance of KBL ultrafiltration using batch stirred rotating disk module has been analyzed in the study under different sets of working conditions. The flux enhancement and the reduction of concentration polarization phenomena have been observed with membrane rotation in this shear enhanced dynamic UF module and correlations have been drawn with different operating variables like trans-membrane pressure (TMP), stirrer speed and membrane rotation speed. Asymmetric cellulose triacetate membrane of 5000-molecular weight cut-off has been used for the purpose of experimentation. A very good reduction in each of the aforementioned water quality parameters including non-biodegradable BOD has been observed and it has been concluded that at one hand, ultrafiltration of KBL with necessary pretreatment can produce good disposable quality water and at other hand, can provide a potent method for recovery of ligninn.

9 illus, 1 table, 17 ref