015231   Koo K M;Kim G Y;Yoo J K;Lee E B (Architectural Engineering Dep, Chungnam National Univ at Daejeon, South Korea, Email: gyuyongkim@cnu.ac.kr) : Properties of adiabatic temperature rise on concrete considering cement content and setting time. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2014, 21(5), 527-35.

Hydration heat of concrete is closely related to thermal stress and crack, and the adiabatic temperature rise test is a typical testing method for measuring hydration heat. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of cement content and placing temperature on adiabatic temperature rise of concrete. To investigate the behavior of adiabatic temperature rise of concrete, it was decided to set binder content taking into account the mixing temperature of concrete and the placing temperature of concrete that are 25°C and 35°C, respectively. Cement content has a linear relation with the maximum value of adiabatic temperature rise (K) and reaction factor (r). The temperature rising ratio of the specimen with placing temperature 35°C rapidly increased compared to that of the specimen with placing temperature 25°C, but the maximum value of adiabatic temperature rise between placing temperatures 25°C and 35°C are not significantly different. Furthermore, it is found that the starting time of hydration heat (t₀) after the placement of concrete has a high correlation with the final setting time. It is necessary to analyze the effect of adiabatic temperature rise by taking the final setting time into consideration.

11 illus, 3 tables, 17 ref

015230   Kaviyarasu A;Senthil Kumar K (Madras Institute of Technology, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 044, Email: isrokavi@gmail.com) : Simulation of flapping-wing unmanned aerial vehicle using X-plane and matlab/simulink. Def Sci J 2014, 64(4), 327-31.

This paper presents the simulation of flapping-wing unmanned aerial vehicle model using X-plane and Matlab/ Simulink. The flapping-wing ornithopter model (i.e. an aircraft that flies by flapping its wings) has been developed in plane maker software and executed in the X-plane environment. The key idea of flapping-wing mechanism in X-plane software is by varying its dihedral angle sinusoidally. This sinusoidally varying dihedral angle of wing creates upward and downward stroke moments inturn this creates a lift and a forward thrust for flying the flapping-wing model. Here pitch, roll, yaw and throttle (flapping rate) is fed as reference input through the user datagram protocol (UDP) port. The difference between the reference inputs, the simulated outputs are again fed back to simulator through UDP port and the gains are observed for the responses of flapping-wing unmanned aerial vehicle in Matlab/Simulink environment. Here various gains are used to monitor the optimized flying of flapping-wing model.

6 illus, 12 ref

015229   Karakurt I (Mining Engineering Dep, Karadeniz Technical Univ, Trabzon-61080) : Application of Taguchi method for cutting force optimization in rock sawing by circular diamond sawblades. Sadhana 2014, 39(5), 1055-70.

In this paper, an optimization study was carried out for the cutting force (F_c) acting on circular diamond sawblades in rock sawing. The peripheral speed, traverse speed, cut depth and flow rate of cooling fluid were considered as operating variables and optimized by using Taguchi approach for the F_c. L₁₆(4^{4) orthogonal array was chosen for the experimental trials based on the operating variables and their levels. The signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios and the analysis of variance (ANOVA) were employed to determine optimum cutting conditions and significant operating variables, respectively. The F_c was also modelled based on the operating variables using regression analysis. The developed model was then verified using various statistical approaches. The results revealed that the operating variables of circular diamond sawblades can be precisely optimized by Taguchi approach for the F_c in rock sawing. The cut depth and peripheral speed were statistically determined as the significant operating variables affecting F_c. Furthermore, the modelling results showed that the proposed model can be effectively used for the prediction of F_c in practical applications.}

7 illus, 10 tables, 34 ref

015228   Jeyanthi S;Janci Rani J (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Jeppiaar Engineering College, Chennai-600 119, Email: jeygan@gmail.com) : Development of natural long fiber thermoplastic composites for automotive frontal beams. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2014, 21(5), 580-4.

Tradition of using natural fibers in automotive exterior and interior components are essential to recover eco-efficiency and renewability. Natural fibers have recently become sociable to automotive industry as an alternative reinforcement for synthetic glass fiber reinforced thermoplastics. Bumper beams are essential in protection of passengers, engine components during frontal collision. The use of steel, aluminum, glass mat thermoplastics (GMT), sheet metal components (SMC) as bumpers becomes higher cost, weight, than long fiber reinforced thermoplastics. The objective of the work is to develop a partially eco-friendly injection moulded hybrid long fiber reinforced thermoplastics with natural kenaf fiber by impregnation process to improve the desired mechanical properties, thermal properties and recycling of the automotive components. This hybrid composite results assured the better performance, weight reduction, economical compared to conventional bumper materials.

6 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

015227   Ganpatrao N G;Ghosh J K (Civil Engineering Dep, Geomatics Engineering Group, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee-247 667, Email: chalakgeogh@yahoo.in) : Information extraction from topograhic map using colour and shape analysis. Sadhana 2014, 39(5), 1095-117.

Work presented in this paper is related to symbols and toponym understanding with application to "scanned Indian topographic maps. The proposed algorithm deals with colour layer separation of enhanced topographic map using k-means colour segmentation followed by outline detection and chaining, respectively. Outline detection is performed through linear filtering using canny edge detector. Outline is then encoded in a Freeman way, the x-y offsets have been used to obtain a complex representation of outlines. Final matching of shapes is done by computing Fourier descriptors from the chain-codes; comparison of descriptors having same colour index is embedded in a normalized scalar product of descriptors. As this matching process is not rotation invariant (starting point selection), an interrelation function has been proposed to make the method shifting invariant. The recognition rates of symbols, letters and numbers are 84.68, 91.73 and 92.19%, respectively. The core contribution is dedicated to a shape analysis method based on contouring and Fourier descriptors. To improve recognition rate, obtaining most optimal segmentation solution for complex topographic map will be the future scope of work.

2 illus, 4 tables, 64 ref

015226   Gad A A M;Mohammed H I (Civil Engineering Dep, Assiut Univ, Assiut-71516, Email: hassanmohamed_2000@yahoo.com) : Impact of pipes networks simplification on water hammer phenomenon. Sadhana 2014, 39(5), 1227-44.

Simplification of water supply networks is an indispensible design step to make the original network easier to be analysed. The impact of networks' simplification on water hammer phenomenon is investigated. This study uses two loops network with different diameters, thicknesses, and roughness coefficients. The network is fed from a boundary head reservoir and loaded by either distributed or concentrated boundary water demands. According to both hydraulic and hydraulic plus water quality equivalence, three simplification levels are performed. The effect of demands' concentration on the transient flow is checked. The transient flow is initialized by either concentrated or distributed boundary demands which are suddenly shut-off or released. WHAMO software is used for simulation. All scenarios showed that both hydraulic equivalence and demands' concentration simplifications increase the transient pressure and flow rate. However, hydraulic plus water quality equivalence simplification produces an adverse effect. Therefore, simplifications of the networks should be done carefully. Also, it was found that pump shut-off gives the same trend of valve shut-off or release.

18 illus, 2 tables, 19 ref

015225   De A K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati-781 039, Email: akd@iitg.ernet.in) : Implicit non staggered Cartesian grid method for incompressible viscous flows in complex geometries. Sadhana 2014, 39(5), 1071-94.

Discrete forcing based Cartesian grid method is presented. The non-staggered arrangement of velocity and pressure is considered. The pressure gradient in localized discrete form is added separately with the velocity making them explicitly coupled. The governing equation is time-integrated implicitly with both linearized and non-linear forms are investigated. Both linear and bi-linear reconstruction techniques are tested for extrapolation of velocity near a complex boundary. The present method is tested for vortical flow in an inclined cavity, flow past circular and inclined square cylinder. Both homogeneous and non-homogeneous Dirichlet forcing problems are tested. The parallelized version of the method is applied to 2D-to-3D transitional flow behind a single and multiple circular cylinders. The present numerical results compare well with the previously documented results.

17 illus, 1 tabele, 55 ref

015224   Danaci H M (Architectural Dep, Akdeniz Univ, FFA, Dumlupinar Boulevard, Campus. 07058 Antalya, Email: hacermutlu@gmail.com) : Ecological assessment of vineyard houses: a case study from Bucak. Envir Conserv J 2014, 15(3), 55-62.

Within cultural landscapes, there exists vernacular architecture that is characteristic in design of its region, construction techniques and materials, but is currently rarely used. Anatolia, a region that encompasses various regions with differing climates and cultures, is considerably rich in architectural splendor. In Southern Turkey, a part of Anatolia, vineyard houses in the Mediterranean Region's Bucak Borough of Burdur Province are prototypical authentic vernacular architecture samples. Vineyard House use is becoming obsolete and these structures are disappearing. These vineyard houses are a cornerstone of the culture that built them, yet they have not attracted sufficient attraction in literature. Examination of sample relief works of vineyard houses within the borders of Bucak Borough placed their importance in an ecological context. Our goal is to ultimately protect these structures for both planning principles and to preserve the material, construction technique and cultural landscape to make vineyard houses usable to summer vacationists coming from the Antalya Province. This study is to ensure the vernacular architecture of vineyard houses in Bucak, they do not have any official protection status, are processed into literature, and to be a guide to any new designs. Vineyard houses' have ecological properties in the framework of ecological criteria encompassing regional architecture, settlement structure, building form, place organization, and material choice.

5 illus, 22 ref

015223   Cai S;Li X;Wang X;Yu D;Ding J;Liao Y (School of Material Science and Technology, Univ of Shanghai for Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200093, China, Email: lixiaoyan@usst.edu.cn) : Preparation of MWNTs/polyaniline composite membranes by filtration and flash welding method. Indian J Engng Mater Sci 2014, 21(5), 567-72.

This paper reports the fabrication of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs)/polyaniline (PANi) composite membranes by a filtration and flash welding method. MWNTs are acid treated to acquire better distribution in the composite membranes. PANi-nanofibers with a unique photothermal property are obtained by chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline. Dense MWNTs/PANi composite membranes are produced by filtration and a subsequent flash welding method. For the strong shear forces during the suction process, partly aligned MWNTs could be found in MWNTs/PANi composite membranes. Owing to the cross-linking structure of PANi nanofibers resulted by flash welding, composite membranes with an improved wettability could be obtained by intensity flash irradiation. Furthermore, the wettability improved with the increasing of flash times.

4 illus, 25 ref

015222   Bhatnagar R M (Defence Academy of United Kingdom, Cranfield Univ Shrivenham, SN6 8LA, USA, Email: rmbhatnagar@gmail.com) : Technique for exterior expansion measurement during autofrettaging for constant fatigue life. Def Sci J 2014, 64(4), 385-92.

In an autofrettage process a given thick cylinder is subjected to such a pressure which gives a specified depth of elasto-plastic boundary. The outside diameter expansion during autofrettage process is a function of depth of autofrettage. To obtain a specified depth of elastic-plastic interface, the applied autofrettage pressure increases in direct proportion to the proof stress of the pressure vessel material. Although this increases the load bearing capacity of the barrel, resulting in enhanced factor of safety, this increases the maintenance cost of a hydraulic autofrettage plant. To assure quality, product safety and manufacturing economy, an optimal autofrettage pressure is defined. The paper proposes that the minimum autoftrettage pressure is the pressure at which the pressure exterior expansion curve intersects line of constant factor of safety. At higher values of 0.2 per cent proof stress of tube material autofrettaging based on line of constant factor of safety will result in a reduction in fatigue life. The point of intersection of exterior expansion curve with line of constant fatigue life has been defined as the optimal pressure because the specifications of factor of safety and fatigue life are simultaneously achieved. The proposed process design based on above concept has been validated using finite element simulation and empirical post-autofrettage measurements. The verification of the shakedown condition for reverse yielding due to the Bauschinger effect (Huang's model) and fatigue life has also been satisfied.

7 illus, 14 ref

015221   Bhaskaran P K;Mangalagiri S;Bonthu S (Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721 302, Email: pkbhaskaran@naval.iitkgp.ernet.in) : Dredging maintenance plan for the Kolkata port, India. Curr Sci 2014, 107(7), 1125-36.

The present study reports on a systematic procedure and maintenance plan for conducting dredging activity at the Kolkata port located in the Head Bay region, east coast of India. It is one of the oldest riverine ports in the country constructed by the British East India Company. The port comprises two docks, viz. Kolkata Dock Complex and the Haldia Dock System under the administrative control of the Kolkata Port Trust. The navigation channel located in the Hooghly River accommodates sea-going vessels with 200 GRT with pilotage assistance cruising upstream almost 145 km from Sagar Islands located in Hooghly estuary. The navigation channel experiences high rates of sedimentation being a riverine port. This study investigates the sedimentation rate throughout the navigation channel, identifying zones of high sedimentation rate. The behavioural pattern of tides and currents is analysed using the state-of-the-art ADCIRC model, and wave conditions are simulated using SWAN model. The hydrodynamic information obtained from ADCIRC and SWAN is input to the SEDTRANS model. Based on the intensity of sedimentation, the maintenance plan is proposed for three dredging seasons. On the basis of this scientific rationale and seasonal dredging maintenance procedure, it is anticipated that huge investments involved in the maintenance dredging of this channel can be minimized.

7 illus, 6 tables, 31 ref

015220   Azarpira M;Sarkardeh H;Tavakkol S;Roshan R; Bakhshi H (Civil and Enviornmental Engineering Dep, Amirkabir Univ of Technology, Tehran P O Box: 15914, Iran, Email: azarpira@aut.ac.ir) : Vortices in dam reservoir: a case study of Karun III dam. Sadhana 2014, 39(5), 1201-9.

Study focuses on the effect of vortex formation on plane velocities in a reservoir. Velocity measurements are performed in the hydraulic model of Karun III dam and hydropower plant. Different vortices were produced at the horizontal intake by changing the submerged depth. Tangential velocities were measured on a rectangular mesh in the reservoir. The results were then processed to plot the contour lines of the plane velocities and study the effect of vortex formation on the flow condition in the reservoir. Contour lines in different submerged depths show that circulation zones are formed in different potential locations over the intakes causing vortex formation. These results were correlated with the location of the appearing vortices observed in the experiments. Experimental data of this study could be useful for numerical modelling of vortex in the reservoirs.

8 illus, 32 ref

015219   Ali M F;Ray S (Electronics and Instrumentation Engineering Dep, Nazrul Centenary Polytechnic, Rupnarayanpur, Burdan-713 335, Email: faruk_ali@rediffmail.com) : FDTD based SAR analysis in human head using irregular volume averaging techniques of different resolutions at GSM 900 band. Indian J Radio Space Phys 2014, 43(3), 235-42.

Specific absorption rate (SAR) induced inside human head in the near-field of a mobile phone antenna has been investigated for three different SAR resolutions using Finite Difference in Time Domain (FDTD) method at GSM 900 band. Voxel based anthropomorphic human head model, consisting of different anatomical tissues, is used to calculate the peak SAR values averaged over 10-g, 1-g and 0.1-g mass. It is observed that the maximum local SAR increases significantly for smaller mass averages.

6 illus, 1 table, 31 ref

015218   Ajith Kumar K;George J;Jagathyraj V P (Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory, Defence Research & Development Organisation, Kochi-680 021, Email: ajithkumar@npol.drdo.in) : Requirements analysis of an integrated sonar suite for surface ships: systems engineering perspective. Def Sci J 2014, 64(4), 366-70.

Modern day combat warships are an integration of a large number of subsystems and components. Each of these systems communicates to a common combat management system. Anti-submarine warfare systems being an integral part of the combat management system, integration of multiple types of sonar systems or integrated sonar suite (ISS) offer complete solutions and tactical advantage against a potential threat. The operational requirements, the environment, the functional requirements and physical configuration of ISS are all discussed in this paper from the systems engineering point of view. Innovative methods are presented to capture the user requirements of ISS without compromising the classified nature of the subject.

1 illus, 14 ref

014206   Zhenglong X;Liping S;Xiaodong Y (School of Information and Electrical Engineering, China Univ of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou 221116, China) : Control strategy of cascade STATCOM under unbalanced grid conditions. IETE Tech Rev 2014, 31(2), 177-85.

Power network imbalance has become an increasingly serious problem, particularly in coal mines. This study presents an improved control strategy of cascade STATCOM under unbalanced grid conditions. This study investigates the balance and control of all DC capacitor voltages, from global balancing control, clustered balancing control and individual balancing control. In addition, a dual current control closed loop is presented to achieve complete compensation of reactive and negative sequence currents. Simulation results and industrial prototype tests show that the improved control strategy of cascade STATCOM not only solves the balance control problem of all DC capacitor voltages under an unbalanced grid condition, but also improves the ability to reject unbalanced disturbance.

12 illus, 2 tables, 18 ref

014205   Zheng Y;Zhou H;Ma T;Zuo G;Li H;Su T;Wu C; Huang H;Wang D;Yin L (Physics Dep, Mudanjiang Normal College, Heilongjiang Province Key Laboratory of New Carbon-Base Functional and Superhard Material, Mudanjiang 157011, China, Email: lihongtao@shciq.gov.cn) : High-temperature thermoelectric properties of Ag_xY_yCa_2.8Co₄O₉ + δ. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 963-7.

Thermoelectric ceramics, Ag_xY_yCa_2.8Co₄O₉ + δ(0 ≤ x, y ≤ 0.15), have been prepared using a sol-gel method, followed by pressureless sintering. The phase structures and microstructures of oxides were investigated at room temperature. Thermoelectric properties including Seebeck coefficient, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity were measured from 303 to 973 K. It was found that the samples contain nanostruc-tured Ag phase with grain size of 100 nm. The Ag_0.05Y_0.15Ca_2.8Co₄O₉ + δ sample has the maximum figure of merit (ZT <126> 0.14 @ 973 K), which is about 27% higher than that of Ca₃Co₄O₉ + δ.

8 illus, 12 ref

014204   Zhao C;Yao Y;He L (School of Architecture & Art Design, Hebei Univ of Technology, Tianjin 300401, China, Email: yaoyingwu@hebut.edu.cn) : Electrodeposition and characterization of Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coatings. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1053-8.

Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coatings were prepared by electrodeposition in Ni-W plating bath containing ZrO₂ nanoparticles. The influences of preparation parameter, such as ZrO₂ nanoparticles concentration, current density and stirring rate, on weight percentage of codeposited ZrO₂ nanoparticles in the nanocomposite coatings were investigated. The surface morphology of Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coating was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The microhardness, wear resistance and corrosion resistance properties of Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coatings were studied. The results indicated that the addition of ZrO₂ nanoparticles leads to an increase in microhardness and wear resistance of the nanocomposite coatings and a reduction in the wear weight loss. The corrosion behaviour of Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coatings was evaluated by the anodic polarization curves and weight loss measurements. The results revealed that Ni-W/ZrO₂ nanocomposite coating has better corrosion resistance than the Ni-W alloy coating.

10 illus, 21 ref

014203   Zeinali M;Shafiee M (Electrical Engineering Dep, Technology Amirkabir Univ, Tehran, Iran) : New method for 2-D moving average model parameter estimation. IETE J Res 2014, 60(5), 364-71.

This paper presents a new method for the causal quarter-plane region of support two-dimensional (2-D) moving average (MA) model parameter estimation. The new approach is based on approximation of 2-D MA by the 2-D AR model. To achieve this aim, the corresponding relations are extended to a 2-D case and the related algorithm is presented. In this method, a 2-D series with the MA model has been approximated by a 2-D AR model with higher order and then the parameters of the AR model are estimated by the new method that is presented. Then the relation between the parameters of the 2-D AR and 2-D MA model is obtained and finally by using this relation, the parameters of the 2-D MA model are obtained. Since the proposed method does not involve complex and time consuming matrix computations, it is computationally efficient. The presented method also has good accuracy in standard deviation and mean value; a fact that has been shown by applying this method to a numerical example and presenting the results of simulation.

7 illus, 6 tables, 33 ref

014202   Yang Q;Jiang Y;Li X;Yang Y;Hu L (Chemistry Dep, School of Science, Xi'an Univ of Architecture and Technology, Xi'an 710055, China, Email: yangjiaxin929@163.com) : Magnetic-supported cucurbituril: a recyclable adsorbent for the removal of humic acid from simulated water. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1167-74.

Magnetic cucurbituril (MQ[n]), a new functional material compound, was prepared via chemical co-precipitation method as a high-capacity adsorbent for humic acid (HA). The material was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively, indicating that Q[n] has been grafted on the surface of Fe₃O₄. Its adsorption-desorption behaviour towards HA from aqueous solution have been investigated. MQ[n] demonstrated good adsorption capacity at pH 7 in adsorption experiments. Adsorption isotherm could be well interpreted by the Freundlich isotherm model. Adsorption kinetic followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, which indicated that the limit factor of adsorption HA was adsorption mechanism. The negative value of thermodynamic parameters showed that adsorption process was spontaneous and exothermic. Moreover, the capacity of MQ[n] was also above 80% after being used for four times, so it may have potential industrial applications.

10 illus, 3 tables, 40 ref

014201   Wu F;Song H;Jia J;Hu X (School of Physical Engineering, Zhengzhou Univ, Zhengzhou 450052, China, Email: xhu@zzu.edu.cn) : Thermoelectric properties of rare earth-doped n-type Bi₂Se_0.3Te_2.7 nanocomposites. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1007-12.

n-Type R_0.2Bi_1.8Se_0.3Te_2.7 (R = Ce, Y and Sm) nanopowders were synthesized by hydrothermal method and the thermoelectric properties of the bulk samples made by hot-pressing these nanopowders were investigated. The Ce, Y and Sm doping have significant effects on the morphologies of the synthesized nanopowders. The thermoelectric property results show that Ce, Y and Sm doping not only help to decrease the electrical resistivity, but also help to reduce the thermal conductivity. Among rare earth elements-doped samples, it seems that the Y_0.2Bi_1.8Se_0.3Te_2.7 bulk has a suitable microstructure, which scatters phonons effectively but does not scatter electronic carriers as much. As a result, the ZT values of Y_0.2Bi_1.8Se_0.3Te_2.7 can reach 1.21 at 413 K, which is higher than those of Bi₂Se_0.3Te2.7 ingots made by zone-melting method.

7 illus, 1 table, 20 ref

014200   Wu F F;Li S T;Zhang G A;Jiang F (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Liaoning Univ of Technology, Jinzhou 121001, China, Email: ffwoo@foxmail.com) : Microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of hypereutectic Al-Si alloy processed by liquid die forging. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1153-7.

The microstructural evolution and mechanical properties of a hypereutectic Al-Si alloy processed by liquid die forging were investigated. It is found that the grain size of the primary Si was significantly reduced by liquid die forging with increased pressure. The volume fraction of eutectic silicon was decreased with increased pressure. By liquid die forging with pressure up to 180 MPa, the average size of the primary Si was reduced to about 18 μm, which results in the remarkable increase in the fracture strength and hardness of the hypereutectic Al-Si alloy.

4 illus, 41 ref

014199   Waware U S;Rashid M;Rahim A;Umare S S (Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Dep, Qatar Univ, 2713 Doha, Qatar, Email: uswaware@gmail.com) : Synthesis and characterization of electroactive novel poly-2-cynoaniline. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1131-6.

Uniform needle-like structures of poly-2-cynoaniline are formed without the use of any template by electrochemical oxidative polymerization method on copper electrode in acidic medium. The structural characterizations are performed by FT-IR, UV-Visible spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction studies. The morphology of the polymer is demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The framework of the needle-like structure, which is seen at low and high magnifications appeared as nanorods of 50-80 nm diameter and of length up to a few micrometres to form a scaffold of interconnected nanorods. Thermogra-vimetic analysis (TGA) indicates that poly-2-cynoaniline is thermally more stable than polyaniline. The conductivity of pressed pellet of the as-synthesized polymer measured at room temperature of 25 °C by four-probe measurement method was found to be 9.1824 x 10^{-5 S/cm. The polymer is easily dispersed in some organic solvents and shows high solubility.}

6 illus, 28 ref

014198   Wang Y;Guo H (School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China Univ of Science and Technology, Shanghai, 200237, People's Republic of China) : Weld defect detection of X-ray images based on support vector machine. IETE Tech Rev 2014, 31(2), 137-42.

Support vector machines (SVM) have received widespread attention for their excellent ability to learn, and have been applied in many fields. The application of SVM in weld defect defection of X-ray images is receiving more and more attention, which has led to the rapid development of weld defect detection automation. In this paper, a method of weld defect detection based on SVM is proposed. First, all potential defects are detected by a novel method based on grey-level profile analysis. Then three feature vectors are extracted from potential weld defects and used to train the SVM. Lastly, the trained SVM is used to distinguish real defects from potential defects. Results show that the proposed method can achieve a high correct defection rate.

10 illus, 2 tables, 22 ref

014197   Vinayaravi R;Kumaresan D;Asraff A K; Muthukumar R;Jayaraj K (NO, Mechanical Design and Analysis Entity LPSC, ISRO, Valiamala Post, Thiruvananthapuram-695 547, Email: rvin_ash@yahoo.com) : Experimental study on performance of impact damper for various mass ratios. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2014, 66(1), 41-7.

Vibration plays a vital role in many structural elements. Excessive vibration can cause failure due to resonance and fatigue, malfunctioning of critical components, etc. Vibration can be controlled using passive, active and hybrid control systems. This paper presents the experimental studies carried out on the behaviour of impact dampers, which belong to the category of passive vibration control devices that are used to attenuate vibration of discrete and continuous systems. Impact damping is a technique for improving damping of a dynamic system by means of dissipation of energy due to collision of a free mass on the main mass. Experimental studies are carried out for forced vibration conditions by giving sinusoidal varying forcing function to the cantilever beam system using an exciter system and the time/frequency response function is determined. Impact mass is placed at free end of cantilever beam and the system is given constant base excitation and the damping of the system is studied by varying the frequency. Experiments are conducted for various mass ratios with different impact mass materials and the results are compared with theoretical predictions.

^ssc9 illus, 10 ref

014196   Velumani M;Nirmalkumar K (NO, K.S. Rangasamy College of Technology, Tiruchengode, Email: mvelumani84@gmail.com) : Feasibility studies of copper slag as fine aggregate replacement in concrete. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 17-21.

Copper slag (CS) is a by-product obtained during the metal smelting and refining of copper. It is one of the materials being considered as a waste and many researchers have investigated the possibility of using copper slag as a replacement of fine aggregate in concrete matrix. This paper reports the results of feasibility studies of copper slag as fine aggregate replacement in concrete. The physical and chemical properties of copper slag were determined experimentally. The concrete mixtures were prepared with the proportions of copper slag as fine aggregate replacement ranging from 0% (for the control concrete) to 100% (copper slag concrete.). The specimens were carried out for testing to determine the compressive strength, tensile and flexural strength for age 7, 28 and 60 days of curing and also to determine the workability by slump test. Adding up to 40% of copper slag as sand replacement yielded more strength with that of conventional M35 grade concrete. However, further additions of copper slag caused reduction in strength with that of control concrete specimens due to the increase of free water content in the mix. Hence it is suggested that 40% weight of copper slag can be used as replacement of fine aggregate for the nominal standard M35 grade concrete for the Construction Industries.

5 illus, 6 tables, 9 ref

014195   Swarnkar P;Jain S K;Nema R K (Electrical Engineering Dep, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal) : Adaptive Control Schemes for Improving the Control System Dynamics. IETE Tech Rev 2014, 31(1), 17-33.

Adaptive control involves modifying the control law used by the controller to cope with the fact that the parameters of the system being controlled change drastically owing to change in environmental conditions or in the system itself. The adaptive control process continuously and automatically measures the dynamic behaviour of plant, compares it with the desired output and uses the difference to vary adjustable system parameters or to generate an actuating signal in such a way that optimal performance can be maintained regardless of system changes. This paper deals with the application of different adaptive schemes in the control system and provides a detailed comparison between the schemes on the basis of their approach to deal with the control problem. A comparative analysis is presented to show the effectiveness of adaptive control techniques during transients in the area of power quality improvement with a shunt active power filter. A classified list of more than 90 publications on this topic is also given for quick reference.

^iia16 illus, 4 tables, 95 ref

014194   Suephatthima B;Paradee N;Sirivat A; Pattavarakorn D (Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn Univ, Bangkok 10330, Thailand, Email: anuvat.s@chula.ac.th) : Effect of electrolytes on electrochromic properties and morphology of poly(2,5-dimethoxy aniline) films. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 975-82.

Poly(2,5-dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) was electrochemically synthesized in oxalic (H₂C₂O₄) nitric (HNO₃) and hydrochloric (HCl) acids and deposited onto flexible indium tin oxide at various synthesis times and deposition potentials as electrochromic materials. The PDMA films were characterized by FT-IR-spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy, UV-Vis spectrophotometry and cyclic voltammetry. All PDMA films show reversible colour changes from yellow to green corresponding to the transition from the fully reduced state to the fully oxidized state under potential switching. The surface morphology and thickness of PDMA films depend critically on the type of acids used in the electrochemical polymerization process. The morphology of PDMA are highly porous microfibres (H₂C₂O₄ and HNO₃), tiny granular aggregate (HCl) and particle agglomerate depending on the polymerization time. The fastest response time observed via colour changing of 3.7 s is obtained from the HC1-PDMA film at 3.5 volt and at the synthesis time of 6 min, as primarily due to the thickness of the film. The flexible PDMA film is demonstrated here as a potential candidate to be used in electrochromic devices.

6 illus, 36 ref

014193   Suarez Gomez A;Sanchez Tizapa M;Castaneda Valderrama R;Carreon Alvarez M A (NO, , CUVALLES-UdG, Crr. GDL-Ameca km 45.5, CP 46600 Ameca, Jalisco, Mexico, Email: amaury.sg@gmail.com) : Influence of chelation ratio of metal alkoxides on aging of PZT 53/47 sol-gel-based precursors. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1123-9.

The high reactivity of metal alkoxides, common starting reagents in sol-gel-based synthesis routes, generally demands the use of chelating agents in order to avoid fast hydrolysis and also to allow an easier manipulation of intermediates as well as final solutions. Under these conditions, stability issues sometimes can be linked to chelation issues that, therefore, should deserve a proper study suited to the material system of interest and, more specially, when considering the use of sol-gel-based precursors in research, small-scale applications and industry. In this work, we explore the sol-gel-based synthesis route of lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr_0.53Ti_0.47)O₃ or PZT 53/47) using acetylacetone-chelated propoxides as intermediate reactants. Our main purpose here is to analyse the influence of the alkoxides:acetylacetone chelation ratio on the time evolution of mean particle size in the resultant organic colloidal dispersion used as PZT precursor. Purposely, we explored three different scenarios for chelation: (i) defective chelation, (ii) optimal chelation and (iii) excessive chelation. The time dependence of mean particle size was recorded by dynamic light scattering (DLS) measurements and aggregation kinetics was then explored by considering a diffusion-limited colloidal aggregations (DLCA) model.

5 illus, 3 tables, 26 ref

014192   Stanly Jones Retnam B;Sivapragash M;Pradeep P (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Noorul Islam Centre for Higher Education, Kumaracoil-629 180, Email: er.stanleybjones@yahoo.co.in) : Effects of fibre orientation on mechanical properties of hybrid bamboo/glass fibre polymer composites. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1059-64.

The usage of natural fibre as reinforcement in polymer composites have widely increased because of its enhanced properties. The usage of plant fibre cannot alone satisfy all the needs of the composites. Hence, introduction of hybrid plays a vital role in enhancing the mechanical properties of the FRP composites. Fibre orientation contributes significant role in improving the mechanical properties of the FRP composites. In this proposal, hybrid bamboo/glass fibre woven in different orientations such as 0°/90° and ± 45° was used and its effect on mechanical properties were studied. Composites containing hybrid fibres found to possess better mechanical properties, when compared to pure bamboo. In order to justify this, the following mechanical properties such as tensile, flexural, impact and hardness were investigated. SEM analysis shows the bonding between the matrix and reinforcement. AH the above test results indicate that the introduction of natural bamboo fibre in glass reduces the overall cost of the composites with no compromise in strength and also attracted several studies covering green technologies.

13 illus, 15 ref

014191   Srinivasan T;Palanisamy B;Jaganathan V; Chellasamy A;Saravananand S V;Kavitha J (NO, Gnanamani College of Technology, AK Samuthiram, Pachal, Namakkal Dt. 637 018) : Root zone technology for sewage treatment. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 197-9.

Root Zone technology has varied application wherever a low-tech low maintenance approach is desirable to pollution problems. The intricacy of micro organisms and their reactions in the root zone of the plants result in cleansing process. Reed bed treatment systems comprise self contained engineered ecosystem that utilize particular combination of plants, soil, bacteria optimize the physical, chemical and biological processes present within the root zone. The paper discusses about the method of installing root zone and planting techniques according to the desired level of pollutants.

1 illus, 1 table, 2 ref

014190   Sridharan K;Sivaramakrishnan R (Production Technology Dep, Anna University, MIT Campus, Chennai-600 044, Email: sridharank_cad@yahoo.co.in) : Compression and deformation of cylindrical rubber blocks. MAPAN 2014, 29(2), 107-14.

In the present study, compression and deformation behavior of vulcanized cylindrical rubber blocks has been examined using imaging techniques. Quantitative measurements of bulge radius and the associated lateral profile of the uniaxially loaded rubber blocks have been carried out experimentally using a newly developed imaging tool. The maximum bulge radius obtained using this method has shown good agreement with the established models. A significant increase in contact area has been observed in the images under large compressive strains. Also, at an intermediate strain level, a unique low intensity band occurred in the image between the outer ring and the center of compressed blocks. The nonlinear characteristics are obvious from the experiments conducted on the bonded cylinders using the developed imaging tool. It is evident from images that the deformed lateral profiles at larger compressive strain does not have parabolic shape and appeared to be more flat. Moreover the reliability of the testing tool has been evaluated and a data measurement technique has been proposed to characterize the behavior of rubber blocks under large compressive strains.

9 illus, 3 tables, 15 ref

014189   Somkuwar N;Kolhe N;Rathod V (Chemical Engineering Dep, Institute of Chemical Technology, N.P. Marg, Matunga, Mumbai-400 019, Email: vk.rathod@ictmumbai.edu.in) : Hydrodynamics of a pulsed sieve plate extraction column. Indian chem Engr 2014, 56(3), 235-57.

Hydrodynamic characteristics, such as drop size, dispersed phase hold-up and flooding have been studied experimentally in a pulsed sieve plate extraction column of 0.076m diameter. Geometrical parameters like perforation diameter, plate spacing and fractional free area (FFA) of sieve plate and operating parameters, such as pulse velocity and superficial velocities of dispersed and continuous phase, were studied using kerosene-water system. The drop size was reduced with decrease in perforation diameter, plate spacing, FFA and pulse velocity. Dispersed phase hold-up was found to be a function of drop size and superficial velocity of dispersed phase. At pulse velocity of 0.025m/s the parabolic behaviour with maxima at the transition from mixer-settler to dispersion regime of flooding curve has been noticed for all the different geometrical conditions. The maximum mass transfer interface together with utmost throughput was obtained at perforation diameter of 0.003 m, plate spacing of 0.05m and FFA of 0.2. The optimal operating parameters were pulse velocity of 0.025 m/s and superficial velocity of 0.006 m/s using organic to aqueous ratio (O/A) of 1:1. The drop size attained at these conditions was 0.0015 m with dispersed phase hold-up of 18%. The correlations developed can be used for the prediction of hold-up and drop size.

13 illus, 26 ref

014188   Singh S;Tripathy M;Anand R S (Electrical Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Roorkee-247 667) : Subjective and objective analysis of speech enhancement algorithms for single channel speech patterns of Indian and english languages. IETE Tech Rev 2014, 31(1), 34-45.

This paper presents a comparative study among the seven single channel speech enhancement techniques such as spectral subtraction, Wiener filtering, minimum mean square error under speech presence uncertainty (MMSE-SPU), p-MMSE, log-MMSE and modulation channel selection (MCS). For the investigation of the capability of these techniques, 12 different practical noises on five different language databases were used. The result was analysed based on subjective and objective measure. In subjective measure SNR, peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), segmental-SNR (SSNR) and mean square error (MSE) were considered, whereas for objective measure speech the intelligibility index was taken. The different language (Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Bengali and English) databases were taken from the Noizeus speech corpus and IIIT-H Indic speech database, while the noise database was obtained from the Noizex-92 noise corpus. The algorithms were implemented in MATLAB. The results obtained are very encouraging and helpful in the selection of single channel speech enhancement technique for practical application-based noise reduction. Further, among all the mentioned methods, MCS shows overall better performance for the five languages and 12 different practical noises.

6 illus, 10 tables, 19 ref

014187   Shanmugapriya T;Uma R N (Civil Engineering Dep, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Email: vijay.nithins@yahoo.com) : Environmental friendly silica fume based high performance concrete with M-sand. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 223-7.

This paper presents the experimental investigation on the effective use of manufactured sand as a fine aggregate and silica fume as a partial replacement of cement on the mechanical properties of High Performance Concrete (HPC). A study has been made to determine the optimum percentage of manufactured sand for making High Performance Concrete. Concrete cubes of size 100 x 100 x 100 mm, Cylinder specimens of size 150 mm diameter and 300 mm height and Prisms specimens of size 100 x100 x 500 mm were prepared for the High Performance Concrete with partial replacement of natural sand by M-sand along with partial replacement of cement by 7.5% Silica fume constantly for all mixes. The compressive strength, Split Tensile Strength and Flexure Strength and were found out at 7, 14, and 28 days. The concrete used in this investigation was proportioned to target a mean strength of 60MPa and W/B ratio was 0.32. The investigation revealed that the concrete exhibits excellent strength with 60% replacement of natural sand by manufactured sand with 7.5% Silica fume.Hence M-Sand can be used in concrete as a viable alternative to natural sand for the Environmental friendly High Performance Concrete in the Construction industry.

3 illus, 4 tables, 11 ref

014186   Selvakumar P;Kannadasan T;Saravanan S V; Varatharaj M (EEE Dep, Sriguru Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, Email: selvaciteee@gmail.com) : Design of BLDC motor for smooth operation using hybrid controllers. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 175-8.

Process control applications need smooth operation and noiseless operation of BLDC motor is required. Owing to many advantages of BLDC motors, they possess a trade off that they exhibit torque pulsations. These pulsations can cause acoustical noise and vibration; this will entirely affect the system in high precision and high stabilization applications. In higher speeds torque pulsations can be filtered out by the inertia of the load itself. However, at low speeds, when they are most noticeable, torque pulsations can greatly limit the performance. Torque ripple is caused by both the BLDC motor and the controller design. A novel approach is presented in this paper to minimize the ripples by developing a Cascaded type hybrid controllers, which will have very good performance which will reduce the ripples in torques.PID controllers and Neural Network controllers are designed and tested in the BLDC motor by using MATLAB.

2 illus, 3 tables, 17 ref

014185   Savio S G;Madhu V;Gogia A K (NO, Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Hyderabad-500 058, Email: geasin@dmrl.drdo.in) : Ballistic performance of alumina and zirconia-toughened alumina against 7.62 armour piercing projectile. Def Sci J 2014, 64(5), 477-83.

Study was carried out to compare the ballistic performance of high purity alumina and zirconia-toughened alumina (ZTA) using depth of penetration (DoP) test configuration against 7.62 mm armour piercing (AP) ammunition. The effect of tile thickness on the differential efficiency factor (DEF) was studied for tile thickness in the range of 3 mm to 6 mm for alumina tiles and 3 mm to 5 mm for ZTA tiles. The DEF is found to increase as tile thickness increases. An analysis on the failed shots showed that the residual shot weight does not follow a single linear relationship with ceramic tile thickness unlike the residual DoP for all thicknesses of tiles. Post-ballistic analysis on ceramic powder for particle size distribution was carried out and the results are presented.

12 illus, 4 tables, 20 ref

014184   Sarma U;Boruah P K (Instrumentation USIC Dep, Gauhati University, Guwahati-781 014, Email: utpalsarma@gauhat.ac.in) : Design and characterisation of a temperature compensated relative humidity measurement system with on line data logging feature. MAPAN 2014, 29(2), 77-85.

A method of relative humidity (RH) measurement with on line temperature correction and data logging feature is described here. The RH sensor is a thermoset polymer capacitive type with on chip conditioning. Output voltage of RH to voltage converter is digitised using a 12-bit A/D converter and it is interfaced with an 8-bit microcontroller. Temperature correction of RH in real time is done using a temperature to digital converter interfaced with the microcontroller. The corrected data is displayed in a liquid crystal display and transmitted for on line monitoring and logging via RS232C. Calibration of the system is performed using standard saturated binary salt solutions. Accuracy and precision are found out. Hysteresis and ageing effect is discussed. The system performance is also compared with a dry/wet bulb psychrometer at different ambient conditions. The performance of the system in an industrial environment is presented.

11 illus, 6 tables, 27 ref

014183   Saravanan S V;Varatharaj M;Ramesh D;Mohanraj R;Sathishkumar N;Nithya Prabha B;Manjula M;Citharthan D (NO, Christ the King Engineering College, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, Email: coimbatoreprincipal@gmail.com) : Experimental setup of a closed loop control of bridgeless CuK rectifier for power factor improvement by using fuzzy logic controller. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 183-5.

Three new bridgeless single-phase ac-dc power factor correction (PFC) rectifiers based on closed loop control of Cuk topology are proposed. The absence of an input diode bridge and the presence of only two semiconductor switches in the current flowing path during each interval of the switching cycle result in less conduction losses and an improved thermal management compared to the conventional Cuk PFC rectifier. The proposed topologies are designed to work in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to achieve almost a unity power factor and low total harmonic distortion of the input current. The DCM operation gives additional advantages such as zero-current turn-ON in the power switches, zero-current turn-OFF in the output diode, and simple control circuitry. Performance comparisons between the proposed and conventional Cuk PFC rectifiers are performed based on circuit simulations. Experimental results for a 150 W/48 Vdc at 100 Vrms line voltage to evaluate the performance of the proposed bridgeless PFC rectifiers is provided. Index Terms-Bridgeless rectifier, Cuk converter, low conduction losses, power factor correction (PFC), rectifier, single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC) converter, total harmonic distortion (THD).

4 illus, 6 ref

014182   Saravanan S V;Varatharaj M;Ramesh D;Mohanraj R;Sathishkumar N;Nithya B;Gokulkumar G;Sivaranjani C (NO, Christ the King Engineering College, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu) : Analysis of a closed loop control of bridgeless CuK rectifier for power factor improvement by using fuzzy logic controller. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 179-81.

Three new bridgeless single-phase ac-dc power factor correction (PFC) rectifiers based on closed loop control of Cuk topology are proposed. The absence of an input diode bridge and the presence of only two semiconductor switches in the current flowing path during each interval of the switching cycle result in less conduction losses and an improved thermal management compared to the conventional Cuk PFC rectifier. The proposed topologies are designed to work in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM) to achieve almost a unity power factor and low total harmonic distortion of the input current. The DCM operation gives additional advantages such as zero-current turn-ON in the power switches, zero-current turn-OFF in the output diode, and simple control circuitry. Performance comparisons between the proposed and conventional Cuk PFC rectifiers are performed based on circuit simulations. Experimental results for a 150 W/48 Vdc at 100 Vrms line voltage to evaluate the performance of the proposed bridgeless PFC rectifiers is provided. Index Terms-Bridgeless rectifier, Cuk converter, low conduction losses, power factor correction (PFC), rectifier, single-ended primary-inductor converter (SEPIC) converter, total harmonic distortion (THD).

3 illus, 6 ref

014181   Saravanakumar A;Senthilkumar K;Sadasivan S (Avionics Div, Aerospace Engineering Dep, Madras Institute of Technology Campus, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 044, Email: saravanakumar_a@yahoo.com) : Localization of low flying aircraft using acoustic vector sensor. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2014, 66(1), 28-34.

This paper addresses a method for estimating the linear flying trajectory of a fixed-wing aircraft based on narrow-band passive acoustical technique, which measures the instantane-ous frequency of the acoustic signal emitted by the target and received by Acoustic Vector Sensor (AVS) placed on the ground. AVS consist of one microphone and three vector sensors orthogonal to each other. The received instantaneous frequency varies due to the acoustical Doppler Effect under the condition that the target flies at a constant velocity and the trajectory is a straight line. A four parameter model was developed to describe the aircraft trajectory. The four parameters are the targets travel speed, the source acoustical frequency, the time at which the target gets to the closest point of approach (CPA) to the sensor, and the CPA slant range to the sensor. Nonlinear least square (NLS) theory was used to estimate these parameters. The three dimensional AVS consists of three orthogonally placed particle velocity sensors and one sound pressure microphone. The four parameters mentioned above are measured using microphone. The particle velocity sensors are used for finding the direction of acoustic source.

6 illus, 14 ref

014180   Sanchez-Vergara M E;Rivera M;Torres-Garcia R A;Perez-Baeza C O;Lonza-Neri E A (NO, Facultad de Ingenieria, Universidad Anahuac Mexico Norte, Avenida Universidad Anahuac 46, Col. Lomas Anahuac, 52786, Huixquilucan, Estado de Mexico, Mexico, Email: elena.sachez@anahuac.mx) : Optical properties on thermally evaporated and heat-treated disodium phthalocyanine derivative thin films. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 991-9.

Thin films were grown on quartz substrates and crystalline silicon wafers using disodium phthalo-cyanine and the organic ligands 2,6-diaminoanthraquinone, 2,6-dihydroxianthraquinone and its potassium derivative salt. The surface morphology of these films was analysed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). IR spectroscopy was employed in order to investigate possible changes of the intra-molecular bonds between the powder compounds and thin films. The optical parameters have been investigated using spectrophotometric measurements of absorbance in the wavelength range of 200-1100 nm and the effects of post-deposition heat treatment were analysed. The absorption spectra recorded in the UV-Vis region for the deposited samples showed two bands, namely the Q and Soret bands. The absorption coefficient in the absorption region reveals non-direct transitions. In addition, the optical gap dependence upon the thickness of these thin films was evaluated.

8 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

014179   Sahaya Ruben J;Baskar G (Civil Engineering Dep, Anna Univ, Chennai-600 025) : Behavioural study on latex treated waste coir fiber in concrete composites. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 233-6.

The overall goal of this research is to investigate the behavioural study of natural fibre in concrete structure. The coir fibre recently attracted an interest as a sustainable fibre composite material, due to some specific mechanical property which can be compared to artificial fibre. The Coir fibre is treated using natural latex before using in concrete, so that it is not be affected by moisture content presented in concrete. In this experimental study of 28 days the compressive strength and split tensile strength are carried out using different coir fibre length of 20mm, 25mm and 30mm respectively of different percentage as 0.5%, 0.75% and 1%. Encouragement should be given for the use of natural fibres which are locally available materials, in the field of civil engineering.Also by considering the case of waste disposal, here an attempt is made to study the possibilities of reusing coir fibre that not only has various applications but also helps in solvingthe problem of waste disposal at least to a small extent.

10 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

014178   Sadasivam P;Mohandas Gandhi N;Saravanan S V; Varatharaj M (Mechanical Engineering Dep, EIT Polytechnic College, Kavindapadi, Erode, Tamil Nadu, Email: sada_eit@yahoo.co.in) : Thermal energy conservation in rotary printing. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 205-8.

Normally the machine which is used to print woven fabric is used to print knitted fabric. But the property of the knitted fabric is different from woven fabric. Tubular knitted fabric is having two layers when flattened. Fabric is elastic in nature. Normal machine can print one side and has to dry the paste second side again and we have to heat the fabric to dry to finish the printing of tubular knitted fabric it has to be printed side by side. But in this present machine both sides can be printed by passing the fabric once. In olden machine paste the fabric by printing one side and again we have to dry the fabric and paste and again we have to dry and print the second side. But in this method printing on both sides can be printed simultaneously. So the fabric can be heated only once to complete the printing. So the thermal energy required to heat the fabric once is conserved and is equal to C_pf(T₂-T₁) per kg of fabric printed.

5 illus, 3 ref

014177   Roy B (NO, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata-741 252, Email: basudevroy@iiserkol.ac.in ) : Enhanced richness of notes bymodulation of boundary conditions in astringed musical instrument. Curr Sci 2014, 107(1), 68-78.

Richness of the sound emanating from a stringed musical instrument can be improved by the making it linger for longer. This has traditionally been perfor-med in sitar and sarod by modification of boundary conditions while introducing a jawari. We try to understand the effectof the jawari by assuming periodic modulation of boundary conditions of the string in a sonometer and find that the lobe-like effect can indeed be observed as an interference between the frequency-modulated sideband of one mode with the next higher-order mode. The contributions from different modes can be added up. The size of the beat signal increases while increasing the depth of modulation.

13 illus, 10 ref

014176   Reddy K S;Kumar M;Maruthi V;Umesha B; Vijayalaxmi;Nageswar Rao C V K (NO, Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Santoshnagar, Hyderabad-500 059, Email: ksreddy.1963@gmail.com) : Climate change analysis in Southern Telangana region, Andhra Pradesh using LARS-WG model. Curr Sci 2014, 107(1), 54-62.

Weather-generating models are widely used for studying the climate change over longer periods. LARS-WG model was evaluated for southern Telangana region (Hayathnagar, Yacharam and Rajendranagar). A 30-year base weather data (1980-2010) was used to generate the long-term weather series from 2011 to 2060. The results of t and Ftests at probability of 5% for comparing means and standard deviations of monthly rainfall and air temperatures indicated that the observed and predicted series for the base period are within acceptable limits. The statistics of model efficiency indicates that mean monthly rainfall and daily air temperature are close to the predicted series over the base period. The model efficiency was highest in the case of Rajendranagar (98.75%). The root mean square error and sum of square error varied from 0.4 to 1.3mm and 615 to 1745mm respectively. The model predicted the maximum increase in average annual rainfall of 5.16% in 2030 and 9.5% in 2060 for Yacharam compared to Hayathnagar and Rajendranagar over the normal annual rainfall of the base period (1980-2010). However, the model predicted increase in average seasonal rainfall for Hayathnagar (6.2% in 2030 and 8.8% in 2060). In case of air temperature, the model predicted increase in maximum temperature in the range 1-1.53% and 2.5% for 2030 and 2060 respectively, for these locations whereas minimum temperature decreased in the range 3.7-10.2% and 6.3-11.7% respectively, for 2030 and 2060. The performance of LARS-WG model was ranked high with maximum model efficiency in all selected mandals of Ranga Reddy district in southern Telangana. This model can be replicated in other mandals of southern Telangana as climate characteristics of the present mandals are similar to other districts in the region.

7 illus, 3 tables, 13 ref

014175   Rasool R;Majid K (Chemistry Dep, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, Hazratbal Srinagar-190 006, Email: kowsarmajid@rediffmail.com) : Synthesis, characterization, thermal and electrical properties of composite of polyaniline with cobaltmonoethanolamine complex. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(5), 1181-90.

The present paper involves the synthesis of polyaniline (PANI) composite with cobaltmono-ethanolamine [Co(mea)₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂] complex via in situ oxidative polymerization by ammonium persulphate. The complex has been synthesized by refluxing method. The composite has been subjected to UV-Visible spectra, FT-IR, X-ray diffraction, SEM and electrical conductivity characterization techniques. Thermal analysis has been done by using TG and DSC techniques. FT-IR absorption peaks confirm the insertion of complex in the backbone of PANI. SEM of the composite also supports its successful synthesis. The XRD of composite also shows crystalline structure hence, proving the successful synthesis of PANI. Thermal analysis shows enhanced thermal stability of polyaniline. In the present composite system, the polymerization of PANI with [Co(mea)₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂] complex causes strong interfacial interactions between PANI and [Co(mea)₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂] complex crystallites, also suggested by the FT-IR and XRD studies, thereby changing the molecular conformation of PANI from compact coil structure to an expanded coil-like structure. As a consequence, there is an enhancement in the conductivity of composite of PANI up to certain dopant concentration. The anticorrosive property of a coating of PANI/[Co(mea)₂(H₂O)₂Cl₂] composite on mild steel coupon in 3 M HNO₃ was evaluated using weight loss measurement and compared with pure polyaniline coating. The said composite has shown anti-corrosive property and can thus, act as a potent dopant for enhancing corrosion resistance of PANI coatings.

8 illus, 2 tables, 25 ref

014174   Rao G V;Ravi B;Gupta A V S S K S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Vardhaman College of Engineering Shamshabad, Hyderabad-501 218, Email: hydrao1944@yahoo.co.in) : Prediction of thermal postbuckling behavior of uniform shear flexible column undergoing large lateral deflections through an intuitive formulation. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2014, 66(1), 12-20.

This paper presents a simple intuitive formulation to predict the thermal postbuckling behavior of uniform shear flexible columns, subjected a uniform temperature rise from its stress free condition, undergoing large lateral deflections. The two ends of the columns are restrained to move axially, so that a mechanical equivalent of the constant compressive load is developed, due to the increase in temperature. The proposed formulation is based on the use of nonlineari-ties existing in both the axial displacement and lateral deflection, which differs from the von-Karman type nonlinearity due to the moderately large lateral deflections only. In this paper, a simple analytical formula is developed to predict the thermal post buckling behavior of columns, considering both the nonlinearities. The numerical results obtained from the developed intuitive formulas match very well, for the slender columns. Since, there are no results available in the literature, to compare the current results with the case of the shear flexible columns, the authors are of the opinion that the trends of these results, given in this paper, show that there is a reasonable probability that the present results are reliable.

1 illus, 7 tables, 10 ref

014173   Rajasekaran S;Kannadasan T;Saravanan S V; Varatharaj M;Suresh L;Raja S;Suresh Babu V (EEE Dep, SVS College of Engineering, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, Email: srsme@yahoo.co.in) : Energy conservation for heat exchangers based on predictive controllers. Pollut Res 2014, 33(1), 229-32.

In this paper an algorithm is developed based on model predictive control for controlling the temperature of a shell and tube heat exchanger. Model predictive and PID controllers are two control algorithm mostly used for controlling the temperature of the heat exchanger. The control parameters of PID controller should be tuned to the process to obtain a satisfactory closed loop process performance and also conserve the energy. The model of the heat exchanger is designed using principles and empirical method. The proposed algorithm is used for controlling a temperature of a shell and tube heat exchanger. The result of proposed controller is compared with conventional PID and model predictive controller. The result shows that PID controller based on dynamic matrix control gives excellent performance.

5 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

014172   Prakash L;Mishra R K;Mistry S N;Srinivasan K (NO, Regional Center for Military Airworthiness (RCMA) (Engines) Center for, Bangalore-560 093, Email: rkmishra_gtre@yahoo.com) : Defect trend analysis for a low bypass turbofan engine. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2014, 66(1), 54-60.

Various defects reported during service of a military low bypass turbofan engine over a period are highlighted and their trend is presented in this paper. Causes of these defects are investigated and remedial measures are incorporated to address these issues. Proper maintenance of the engines at engine factory and at operational base as well as strict adherence to the operational limitations will help in reducing the defects maintaining high reliability and safety.

^ssc10 illus, 12 ref

014171   Pashilkar A A (Flight Mechanics and Control Div, CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) Post Box No. 1779, Bangalore-560 017, Email: apash@nal.res.in) : Trends in simulation technologies for aircraft design. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2014, 66(1), 1-11.

Developments in flight simulation since its inception are reviewed and the latest trends in the use of modeling and simulation for design of flying, vehicles are presented. Mathematical model based system development is now universally recognized as a cost effective way to bring new design concepts into reality. The efforts made at CSIR-NAL in this regard over the years are also described in brief. The design of systems which require scenario based evaluation like the flight control system and avionics benefit from the use of a reconfigurable simulator developed concurrently with the aircraft. A reconfigurable simulator allows for rapid prototyping of the systems during the design phase in an integrated environment. Ideas for the implementation of Systems Engineering concepts in new and existing aircraft programs using mathematical models are discussed.

^iia4 illus, 32 ref