013054   Enlei Z;Guosheng W;Xiaozhu L;Zhumin W (College of Chemical Engineering, Shenyang Univ of Chemical Technology, Shenyang 110142, People's Republic of China, Email: zhange11979@126.com) : Synthesis and influence of alkaline concentration on α-FeOOH nanorods shapes. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(4), 761-5.

α-FeOOH nanorods having uniform morphology were synthesized by water bath process. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the single-crystalline orthorhombic α-FeOOH nanorods are about 10 nm in diameter and hundreds of nanometer in length. The effect of concentration of KOH on morphology of α-FeOOH nanorods was investigated. pH values of solution play an important role in the process of transformation of ferrihydrite into goethite. The inconsistent growth rate along different facets can be effected by pH values of the solution. The influence and growth mechanism of α-FeOOH nanorods were discussed in detail. This method may be widely used as reference to fabricate other inorganic one-dimensional nanostructured materials and easily realized in industrial-scale synthesis.

6 illus, 14 ref

013053   Duc-Tan T;Huynh T H;Roy S;Dao D V (MEMS and Microsystems Dep, VNU Univ of Engineering and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam) : Constrained optimum design of 3-DOF microaccelerometers. IETE J Res 2014, 60(4), 309-18.

This paper presents a technique to optimize with constraints, the performance of three degrees of freedom silicon accelerometers. A flexure configuration has been proposed in order to meet the requirements of small cross-axial acceleration, high sensitivity, and linear sensitivity. The overall chip dimension is 1.5 x 1.5 x 0.5 mm^{3 (L x W x T) and the beam size is 950 x 80 x 10 μm3 (L x W x T). The purpose of this constrained optimization process is to achieve the highest sensitivity or resolution while imposing conditions on other parameters. It has been done based on the considerations of the junction depth, the doping concentration of the piezoresistor, the temperature, the signal to noise ratio, and the power consumption. Such an optimized accelerometer offers a much better performance compared to others.}

12 illus, 4 tables, 24 ref

013052   Das K;Maiti S;Liu D (Centre for Quality Assurance and Non Destructive Evaluation, Sathyabama Univ, Chennai-600 119, Email: kunalchemdas@gmail.com) : Morphological, mechanical and thermal study of ZnO nanoparticle reinforced chitosan based transparent biocomposite films. J Instn Engrs : Ser D 2014, 95(1), 35-41.

Chitosan based biocomposite transparent films reinforced with zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles at different loading i.e. 2, 4 and 6 wt% were successfully prepared by solution casting method. Shape, size and geometry of the zinc oxide nanoparticles were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The biocomposite films were subjected to mechanical characterization, thermal analysis, morphology study and moisture uptake behaviour. The characterization tools used here include wide angle X-ray diffraction study, scanning electron microscopic analysis, differential scanning calorimetric analysis and also UV-visible transmittance behavior. SEM micrographs revealed uniformly dispersed ZnO nanoparticles in biocomposite films. Improvement of the tensile strength about 133% was observed significantly in case of 4 wt% loaded chito-san/ZnO films with respect to the neat chitosan film. 43% higher transparency was observed in case of 2 wt% ZnO loaded biocomposites films, thus indicating the best combination of properties of 2 wt% ZnO loaded biocomposite films.

9 illus, 21 ref

013051   Chen X;Chen Y;Tang Y (School of Materials Science and Engineering, Sichuan Univ, Chengdu 610065, PR China, Email: gxucx@163.com) : Study of magnetocaloric effect iin LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloys prepared by different cooling methods. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(4), 849-54.

LaFen_11.5Si_1.5 alloys are annealed at 1503 K for 5 h and cooled down to room temperature by furnace cooling, air cooling and quenching in ice water, respectively. The main phases are 1:13 phases in those alloys. The impurity phases are α-Fe and the amount of LaFeSi phase is so small that it is hard to observe in their XRD patterns. The powder X-ray diffraction patterns and SEM show that the three cooling methods have little influence on the phase relation and microstructure of those LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 alloys. But the lattice constant of LaFen_11.5Si_1.5 alloy prepared by quenching in ice water is lesser than those of the other two alloys, respectively. For studying the influence of different cooling processes on magnetic properties, the Curie temperature, thermal and magnetic hysteresis, magnetocaloric effect and relative cooling power are investigated. The result shows that the Curie temperature of LaFen_11.5Si_1.5 prepared by quenching in ice water is 197.6 K, about 4 K lesser than those of the other two LaFen_11.5Si_1.5 alloys. The maximum Δ5_M (T, H) of LaFe_11.5Si_1.5 prepared by furnace cooling and quenching in ice water is the most and the least under the field of 0-2 T, respectively.

6 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

013050   Biswas R K;Majumdar M C;Basu S K (NO, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713 209, Email: biswasrobinkumar@yahoo.com) : Vibration and oil analysis by ferrography for condition monitoring. J Instn Engrs : Ser C 2013, 94(3), 267-74.

This paper highlights both vibration and oil analysis by ferrography for condition monitoring of the turbo generator set bearings. After overhauling of the machine i.e. at the start of the machine running or in case of new machine, the vibration dp not give a true picture of the machine condition. Oil analysis by ferrography gives better idea of the machine deterioration, specifically at the early stage of the machine running. In this paper, vibration analysis, Fourier transform infrared technique and image processing of the ferrogram has been done for quantitative assessment of the deterioration. A real life case has been discussed in this paper.

18 illus, 3 tables, 12 ref

013049   Banerjee S;Acharyya A;Mitra M;Banerjee J P (ECE Dep, Academy of Technology, West Bengal Univ of Technology, Adisaptagram, Hooghly 712121) : Four-step iterative design optimization technique for DLHL IMPATTs. IETE J Res 2014, 60(4), 303-8.

A proposed four-step iterative optimization technique has been used to design a double low-high-low (DLHL) impact avalanche transit time (IMPATT) diode based on Si for 60 GHz operation. Initially the position of the charge bumps in both n- and p-epitaxial layers followed by the widths of those and the ratio of high to low doping concentrations have been varied to obtain the maximum large-signal DC to radio frequency (RF) conversion efficiency from the device. Finally the bias current density is varied within a specified range to obtain the optimum value of it for which the DC to RF conversion efficiency of the device is maximum. The above-mentioned four optimization steps have been repeated until the method converges to provide a stable optimized DC to RF conversion efficiency. A large-signal simulation technique based on non-sinusoidal voltage excitation model developed by the authors is used for this purpose. The large-signal properties of the optimized DLHL Si IMPATT have been simulated and those are compared with the experimental results reported earlier. The said comparison shows that the optimized DLHL diode is capable of delivering significantly higher RF power output with greater DC to RF conversion efficiency at 60 GHz as compared to its un-optimized counterpart.

4 illus, 2 tables, 16 ref

013048   Balamurugan K;Saravanan M;Navinesan K;Prem K G;Karthick G (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Institute of Road and Transport Technology, Erode-638 316, Email: drkbalamurugan@yahoo.co.in) : Water hyacinth Briquette making and energy evaluation. J Biofuel 2014, 5(1), 24-31.

Water hyacinths (WHs) are becoming a problem in Jakes, ponds and waterways in many parts of the world. The method to solve this problem is by processing WH into biomass briquette and using it as an energy source. This study describes the process of conversion of WH into biomass briquette and then its energy evaluation. A hydraulic press is used for making WH briquettes for different pressure levels (12, 40, 60, 80 MPa), composition (100% WH, 75% WH+25% Saw dust, 50% WH+ 50% Saw Dust) and grain size (<60>5 μm, 5 /urn to 1 mm, <62>1 mm). In total, 16 samples have been prepared and tested for moisture, ash, volatile, fixed carbon and calorific value (Proximate Analysis) content using ASTM Standards. It is found that the calorific value is above 3100 kcal/kg in all the cases which can be accepted as a biomass briquette for cooking and industrial boiler applications. Further, study on factors influencing densification and quality of the briquette is also made.

6 illus, 3 tables, 8 ref

013047   Arun Kumar A;Santhi A S;Mohan Ganesh G (School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT Univ, Vellore-632 014) : Performance evaluation of eco-friendly green concrete. Nat Envir Pollut Technol 2013, 12(3), 443-8.

Study was aimed to minimize the use of natural river sand which is being used for several years in construction, and to utilize bottom ash from thermal power station as a partial replacement (30%, 60%, 100%) for fine aggregate. An experimental investigation has been carried out to find the compressive strength of the replaced eco-friendly green concrete with different curing methods. An equation recommended by ACI committee for conventional concrete was used to predict 56, 90 and 180 days compressive strength from 28 days compressive strength of the eco-friendly green (bottom ash) concrete that resulted with the difference between the experimental and predicted compressive strength to ± 12%. To minimize the percentage of difference, an empirical relationship was developed between the compressive strength of accelerated curing and normal curing (28, 56, 90,180 days). It is concluded that empirical relationship predicts later age compressive strength with the minimum percentage of difference. This study of predicting later age compressive strength from empirical relationship will ultimately save time, material and most importantly assessing the quality of the design of construction.

2 illus, 9 tables, 16 ref

013046   Aravindh M A;Sreekumar A (NO, Centre for Green Energy Technology, Pondicherry Central Univ, Puducherry-605 014, Email: sreekmra@gmail.com) : Experimental and economic analysis of a solar matrix collector for drying application. Curr Sci 2014, 107(3), 350-5.

This paper explains the development of a solar air heater with wire mesh as absorber of nominal porosity for drying application. A comparative study between open sun-dried and solar-dried samples was done using bitter gourd as drying product. Solar drying showed a faster drying rate, reducing the moisture content from 93% to 6.17% in 3 h less than open sun-drying. Economic analysis shows a lifetime savings of roughly INR 2,746,707 for a period of 20 years, with a payback period of 0.62 years, i.e. 161 drying days.

7 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

013045   Ankamma K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technology, Gandipet, Hyderabad-500 075, Email: k.ankammarao@gmail.com) : Effect of trace elements (boron and lead) on the properties of gray cast iron. J Instn Engrs : Ser D 2014, 95(1), 19-26.

In the present work an effort has been made to correlate the "Effect of trace elements (B and Pb) on the tensile strength, hardness and microstructure of gray cast iron". These elements have a significant effect on the properties and microstructure of gray cast iron. These elements are deliberately added to study their effect on properties and microstructure. Boron up to 0.02% in gray cast iron showed an improvement in tensile strength and hardness values. While beyond this amount it shows a decreasing trend, due to the formation of type B and type D graphitic structure. Lead in gray cast iron shows a decreasing trend in tensile strength and hardness values, even if present in trace amount, due to the formation of spiky or mesh type graphite.

2 illus, 5 tables, 18 ref

013044   Amin M S;Reaz M B I;Bhuiyan M A S;Nasir S S (Electrical Dep, Electronics and System Engineering, Malaysia Kebangsaan Univ, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia, Email: syedu18585@yahoo.com) : Kalman filtered GPS accelerometer based accident detection and location system a low cost approach. Curr Sci 2014, 106(11), 1548-54.

Low-cost accident detection system utilizing cheap ADXL345 accelerometers and GPS receiver is proposed in this communication. The accident detection algorithm was developed based on sudden deceleration. The double integration of the acceleration and heading from the tilt angles of accelerometers were used to determine the location. Kalman filter was utilized to correct the accumulated double integration errors with the trusted GPS data. The field tests demonstrated the correct functioning of the accident detection algorithm and location. The proposed low-cost system can save many lives by the automated accident detection and accurate location even during GPS outage.

5 illus, 1 tables, 22 ref

013043   Alhassan Y;Gautam R;Naveen Kumar;Bugaje I M (Centre for Advanced Studies & Research in Automotive Engineering, Delhi Technological Univ, New Delhi-110 042, Email: lahassan897@yahoo.com ) : Non catalytic in Sity transesterification of Citrus peel waste into biodiesel via supercritical technology: optimisation by response surface methodology. J Biofuel 2014, 5(1), 41-52.

Biodiesel production via supercritical technology has been reported as a novel technology for transesterification of different vegetable oils. However, foods waste materials containing oil and other lingo-cellulosic materials such as waste orange peels have not been widely reported. In this experimental research, direct in-situ supercritical transesterification of waste orange peels into biodiesel was conducted. The reaction conditions for optimal biodiesel yield were determined using response surface Methodology (RSM). Finding from the results revealed that the optimal conversion obtained was 58.95% against 60.77%predicted obtained under the following reaction conditions-reactant molar ratio of 5/70, reaction time was 15 minutes while reaction temperature was 260°C. Temperature was the most significant factor. Predominant fatty acids identified include oleic and stearic acids with highly unsaturated acids identified as well. Fuels properties were within the standard limits except in few cases. It was concluded that supercritical transesterification of fresh Citrus Peel Waste CPW was viable for the production of biodiesel under the conditions stated.

1 illus, 8 tables, 37 ref

012147   Trivedi H;Rathore K;Mali M (NO, Geetanjali Institute of Technical Studies, Udaipur, Rajasthan, Email: himanshu2269trivedi@gmail.com) : Review: dispersion in optical fiber. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 41-2.

In optics, dispersion is the phenomenon in which the phase velocity of a wave depends on its frequency, or alternatively when the group velocity depends on the frequency. Media having such a property are termed dispersive media. Dispersion is sometimes called chromatic dispersion to emphasize its wavelength-dependent nature, or group-velocity dispersion (GVD) to emphasize the role of the group velocity. Dispersion is most often described for light waves, but it may occur for any kind of wave that interacts with a medium or passes through an inhomogeneous geometry (e.g., a waveguide), such as sound waves. A material's dispersion is measured by its Abbe number, V, with low Abbe numbers corresponding to strong dispersion.

8 ref

012146   Sivasailanathan V;Prabhat Kumar;Manoharan N (NO, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, Kalpakkam-603 102, Email: vidhya_bhavini@igcar.gov.in) : Effective dose reduction through ventilation scheme: design philosophy in prototype fast breeder reactor. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 97-102.

Radiation has become inseparable part of the living environment contributing as cosmic rays, terrestrial radiation, fall-out from earlier nuclear accidents and testing, the increased use of diagnostic radiology etc., Since early ages of time, the homosapiens have lived with natural radiation and his system has been adapted for the surrounding radiation and its effects. But still, radiation and its effects gain attraction in the minds of the general public because of the baseless panic registered through passage of time regarding the uncertainties associated with the consequences of radiation and the knowledge inadequacy on handling of the same. Operating nuclear power plants are, preferably considered as the elemental portal to elucidate the effects of radiationas a fairly large quantity of radioactive materials are being used as fuel in the reactors. The main reason of the so called menace is because of the strong reason that radiation is non- ', sensory. Only instruments can detect the presence of radioactivity and measure the level of the radiation field. The dose reduction techniques in the occupational environment involve three major concepts: 1. Time 2. Distance and 3. Shielding. Apart from these control measures and though there are various other protective measures to protect from contamination by using protective clothing, respirators, etc., the dose reduction scheme has to be built in the design of the nuclear power reactor. The intensive practice and strict compliance to the radiation protection aims at bringing the exposure level As Low As Reasonably Achievable (ALARA). The paper brings out the features of ventilation methodology adopted in the prototype fast breeder reactor and the effective identification of radiological zoning to contain the contamination. The paper also tries to justify that the appropriate design strategyhelps in effective dose reduction in operating nuclear power plants.

2 illus, 7 ref

012145   Singh J;Bishnoi I (NO, C.S.A. Univ of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh) : Rural water supply and sanitation programme. Asian J Home Sci 2013, 8(2), 703-7.

The rural population of India is growing rapidly and exerting considerable pressure on rural services. It is evident that rural infrastructure has been unable to keep pace with the growing population. A great challenge for Indian villages is to make villages livable by providing every citizen with basic services of acceptable quality. Rural water infrastructure typically includes water collection and storage facilities at source sites, water transport via aqueducts (canals, tunnels and/or pipelines) from source sites to water treatment facilities; water treatment, storage and distribution systems; wastewater collection (sewage) systems and treatment; and rural drainage. In order to understand what needs to be done to improve the provision of basic services, we need to know the level of provision of these services. It is for this reason I commission a study to assess the Status of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Programme under Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission in District Varanasi.

1 illus, 5 ref

012144   Shanmuga Priya T;Balasubramanian V (Centre for Ocean Research, AMET Univ, Kanathur, Chennai-603 112, Email: baluiisc80@gmail.com) : Critical analysis of harmful gases from fuel gas. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 35-43.

Invention provides a wet, regenerable scrubbing process using ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH) solution to remove acid anhydride moiety gases, and trace amounts of hydrogen chloride gas (HC1J and hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas in a gas-liquid contacting reactor. In particular, the invention uses "aqua ammonia" or an aqueous ammonia scrubbing liquor such as [NH (aq)/ammonium hydroxide (NH₄OH)] to extract certain effluent compounds via acid-base or neutralization reactions. Generally, an effluent gas is subjected to chemical scrubbing with aqueous ammonia or some other ammonia-containing compound in a gas-liquid contactor reactor or a scrubber to remove gaseous acid anhydride moieties. The chemical scrubbing produces ammonium salts of the conjugate bases of the acid anhydride moieties. Thermal regeneration of the ammonia scrubbing liquor occurs in an adjacent vessel or remotely.

4 tables, 28 ref

012143   Rangasamy R G;Prabhat Kumar;Manoharan N (NO, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, Kalpakkam, Chennai-603 102, Email: ranga_bhavini@igcar.gov.in) : Quality management- the key to inherent safety and reliability of prototype fast breeder reactor. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 167-71.

Term "Quality management" has a specific meaning within many business sectors. Quality has metamorphosed from the synonyms of "Customer satisfaction" to "Customer delight", thriving for excellence in every sphere of business with continuous improvements. In today's business scenario, more often quality is perceived as "Fitness for purpose "focusing on the customer. But there is horizon beyond this as, "quality" is always intertwined with "safety and reliability" if the nature of the business is perilous. The prime focus for any nuclear industry is about the safety and reliability which can be accomplished only through the inherent quality. The quality embarks right from the construction phase of the nuclear power plant till the decommissioning and the four main components i.e. quality planning, quality control, quality assurance and quality improvement trek alongside. The high temperature low pressure system of fast breeder reactors using sodium as the coolant demands very high reliability and high degree of Quality during each and every stage of construction of all the individual components for trouble free operation of the reactor for the committed years. The "Quality Assurance (QA)" plan of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is unique. The reactor being first of its kind in India, quality assurance starts right from the raw material procurement and extends through all the stages of plant till commissioning. The principal material of construction being stainless steel for the reactor components shall be handled with care following best engineering practices coupled with stringent QA requirements to avoid stress corrosion cracking in the highly brackish environment. Integranular stress corrosion cracking and hot cracking are additional factors to be addressed for the welding of stainless steel components. The low alloy ferritic steel like 9Cr-lMo (mod) has been extensively deployed and the fabrication requires structured inspection, testing and QA plan. Corrosion protection and preservation during fabrication, erection and post erection is mandatory be it reinforcement bar or a reactor vessel.

2 illus, 2 tables, 2 ref

012142   Rangasamy R G;Kumar Prabhat;Manoharan N (Atomic Energy Dep, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, Kalpakkam-603 102, Email: ranga_bhavini@igcar.gov.in) : Quality management-customization for qualification, inspection and testing during automated braze welding of austenitic stainless steel to electrolytic tough pitch copper for PFBR sodium purification circuit cold traps. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 31-4.

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is sodium cooled, pool type, 500 MWe reactor which is at advanced stage of construction at Kalpakkain, Tamilnadu, India. The heat generated in the reactor core is removed by circulating sodium through the core. This sodium is called primary sodium and becomes radioactive as it passes through the core. The primary sodium then transfers its heal to secondary sodium in IHX which is non radioactive. Besides the primary and secondary circuit, safety grade decay heat removal (SGDHR) circuit also exists for removing the decay heat from the core. All these sodium circuits have cold traps for purifying the sodium. Cold traps works on the principle of temperature dependent solubility and by reducing the temperature of sodium, the main impurities in sodium i.e. Oxygen and hydrogen are removed as oxides and hydrides. All the cold traps are skirt supported (vertical) austenitic stainless steel vessels and consists of an inner shell and outer jacket. Between the inner shell and outer jacket air/nitrogen is used as the cooling medium for reducing the temperature of sodium. Copper fins are provided on the inner shell segment of cold traps for increasing the heat transfer area. These copper fins are distributed over the inner shell segment with very close pitch. Due to certain constraints in fabrication, braze welding of copper fins to stainless steel inner shell segment was adopted in place of brazing. The cold traps are thin walled components. These cold traps were manufactured as per stringent PFBR specification with SS 304 LN stainless steel as material of construction. Materials, Welding, Inspection and Testing of these vessels are more stringent than ASME. Since ASME doesn't provide exact details of braze welding qualifications, based on the functional requirements of cold traps, tensile test, bend test, IGC practice E, macro test and fracture test were stipulated in the Braze welding procedure specification. This paper brings out the Quality management methodologies adopted and customized during dissimilar welding i.e. braze welding of Sodium purification circuit cold traps for PFBR.

5 illus, 2 tables, 4 ref

012141   Ramkumar M A;Gopalakrishnan S (NO, EBET Group of Institutions, Kangeyam, Email: aramkumar.8@gmail.com) : Analysis of project delays in construction industry for client, contractor & consultant related issues. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 23-31.

Risk & problems in every walk of life. Likewise it exists in every construction projects also. Firstly all the risk factors are to be identified, understand the significance of various risks and its possible effects in the construction projects. If they are done so, then it will be so easy to mitigate to above risks, will have benefits in any construction projects productivity. This paper deals with identification & analysis of arious risk factors, classification of risk, quantification of risks and problems by way of conducting a detailed survey among the engineers, contractors, and experts belong to various construction firms in the form of questionnaires. The above questionnaire has been conceived in such a manner that it has the details of profile of construction firm, their understanding about productivity and various risk factors. The collected data through the above survey the ranking has been done to find the greater risk factors which affect the construction project. Finally the relative importance index (RII) formula for productivity risk index has been arrived. The formula arrived from this research paper is implemented in construction projects definitely the major risk factors will size ably get reduced. As a result the productivity will enhance remarkably. Thus optimum solution will be obtained. After determined the top ten risk factors the root cause analysis will be made and solution & suggestion will be given.

5 illus, 12 ref

012140   Prince M J A;Jefferson A (Petroleum Engineering Dep, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: prince466@gmail.com) : Experimental study on core analysis for determination of sand stone resistivity. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 239-42.

The objective of this study includes the determination of porosity, grain density, permeability and resistivity characteristics of the sandstone reservoir. The Technical studies are carried out on eight core samples of the Sandston Reservoir. Then the core processing is done on core samples which include core cutting, core cleaning, core drying and sample preservation. Through which the Basic parameters such as length and diameter of the samples are determined. The effective porosity measured from Helium Porosimeter has been observed to be in the range of 7.2 to 14.4 %. The permeability to air, measured by air permeameter, has been found to be in low range i.e. 0.002 to 0.59md indicating that plugs are from tight sandstone reservoir. Grain density has been found to in between 2.62gm/cc to 2.67gm/cc, which also indicates the sandstone lithology. The resistivity measurement have been carried out at ambient temperature using the equipment known as LCR meter having two electrode system. The experiment has been carried out on eight core samples corresponding to the sub layer S2 of the sandstone reservoir. The brine solution of different salinities has been used for experimental studies that are 15g/l and 200 g/1 as Nacl. The 15g/l brine solution represents the salinity of the formation and 200g/ I brine solution has been taken mainly for removal of effect of clay conductivity during resistivity analysis. The values of tortuosity coefficient 'a' and cementation factor 'm' for both 15g/l as NaCI and 200g/l are also determined.

2 illus, 3 tables, 9 ref

012139   Pradhan J; (NO, , Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre, Atomic Energy Dep, Government of India 1/AF, Bidhan Nagar, Kolkata-700 064, Email: jpradhan@vecc.gov.in) : Basic design and test results of high temperature superconductor insert coil for high - field hybrid magnet. Curr Sci 2013, 104(9), 1142-6.

In view of the development and demonstration of high field (<126> 12 T), a hybrid magnet consisting of the main outer Low Temperature Superconductor coil made from NbTi and High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) insert is developed using commercially available Bi2223/Ag tape. The performance tests were carried out both at 77 and 4.2 K. The HTS-based current lead for the HTS insert is developed and tested considering the diameter of the existing port in the cryostat. Prior to coil manufacturing several measurements were performed on HTS tape under various conditions. Here we describe the design, construction and test results of HTS insert coil.

^ssc6 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

012138   Manoharan N;Selvakumar V (NO, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: vselvakumar75@yahoo.in) : Effect of MWNTs on mechanical properties of PP/MMT nanocomposites. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 135-41.

This article addresses the effect of Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) on the 'mechanical properties of polypropylene (PP)/Montmorillonite (MMT) nanocomposites. PP/MWNT/MMT hybrid nanocomposites have been prepared by melt mixing using maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene (MAH-g-PP) as compatibilizing agents. Melt mixing was achieved using twin screw extruder. The MAH-g-PP used as compatibilizer helped the dispersion of the MWNTs in PP/MMT matrix. The effect of MWCNTs on the PP/MMT nanocomposites was investigated in terms of mechanical properties and morphological using Transmission electron microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), tensile test, flexural test and notched Izod impact test. These were compared with the conventional polypropylene-clay nanocomposite. The resulting composite shows about 33% increase in tensile modulus and 20% in the impact strength when compared with binary combination of PP/MMT nanocomposite.

6 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

012137   Mali M;Trivedi H (Electronics & Communication Dep, Shri USB College of Engineering, Abu Road, Email: Manoj3045@gmail.com) : Review: digital system design by VHDL. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 38-40.

VHDL is the VHSIC Hardware Description Language. VHSIC is an abbreviation for Very High Speed Integrated Circuit. It can describe the behaviour and structure of electronic systems, but is particularly suited as a language to describe the structure and behaviour of digital electronic hardware designs, such as ASICs and FPGAs as well as conventional digital circuits. VHDL is a notation, and is precisely and completely defined by the Language Reference Manual (LRM). This sets VHDL apart from other hardware description languages, which are to some extent defined in an ad hoc way by the behaviour of tools that use them. VHDL is an international standard, regulated by the IEEE. The definition of the language is non-proprietary. VHDL is not an information model, a database schema, a simulator, a toolset or a methodology! However, a methodology and a toolset are essential for the effective use of VHDL. Simulation and synthesis are the two main kinds of tools which operate on the VHDL language. The Language Reference Manual does not define a simulator, but unambiguously defines what each simulator must do with each part of the language. VHDL does not constrain the user to one style of description. VHDL allows designs to be described using any methodology - top down, bottom up or middle out! VHDL can be used to describe hardware at the gate level or in a more abstract way. Successful high level design requires a language, a tool set and a suitable methodology. VHDL is the language, you choose the tools, and the methodology.

6 ref

012136   Karthikeshwaran R (Petroleum Engineering Dep, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: eskrni@gmail.com) : Leakage analysis of metal progressive cavity pump. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 357-61.

Progressive cavity pump is an artificial lifting technique used in oil and gas industries to pump heavy and sandy fluids from the low bottom hole pressure wells. The pump is a positive displacement pump having rotor and stator as the main component of the pump. The performance of pump gets decreased as the clearance between the rotor and stator increases. Increasing fluid viscosity has positive effect on the performance. The performance degradation of the pumpoccurs due to leakage flow through the least clearance gap between the rotor and stator. A computational work has been performed to find the characteristics of the leakage flow and Ansys CFX 12.1 software was used for the simulations. Meshing and solving of the fluid dynamics equation were done by Ansys CFX mesh and CFX solver, respectively. Present article presents the prediction of leakage for different fluid viscosities and diametric clearances.lt was found that the rotor rotation helps in leakage flow if the flow and rotor surface velocity directions are same.

2 tables, 8 ref

012135   Karthikeshwaran R (Petroleum Engineering Dep, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: eskrni@gmail.com) : Progressive cavity pump. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 231-7.

Progressive cavity pump or a PCP is a primary method of artificial lift in sand laden and heavy oil production. It consists of stator and rotor member as the primary component in which the rotor is disposed within a cavity in the stator member. The stator is a resilient elastomer member but the rotor is a rigid metallic member and it fits with stator making interference fit.One of the major drawbacks in this PCP is stator failure due to the action of chemicals in the crude, wear and tear, temperature, pressure and stress developed within the stator cavity. On the other hand, metallic stator is used in the metal PCP and a clearance between rotor and stator is allowed so that rotor can rotate inside stator cavity and the problems related to the elastomer failure are avoided. The negative side of metallic stator PCP is that it can handle only viscous fluid. This paper discusses the pros and cons of the metallic and elastomeric stator PCPs and reviews the technologies.

^iia6 illus, 22 ref

012134   Kalaimathi M B;Keerthana R;Kanimozhi R; Sangeetha R (NO, SNS College of Engineering, Coimbatore, Email: kalaimathi.snsce@gmail.com) : Smart rescue robot. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 11-6.

The decrement in availability of manpower leads every industry to make use of robotics. Smart rescue robots are designed to help the search and rescue team to analyze the situation in the disaster prone area (like terrorist bombing, serious accident leak of dangerous substance) and direct them to collect the information so that the team can make the work less hazardous. This paper presents a maxisized rescue robot whose primary motivation is to save life and more civilian response. The microcontroller that has been used is PIC-16F877A with flash memory. It can navigate autonomously through any rubble and checks the atmosphere temperature using temperature sensor. The real-time locating system is used to automatically identify and track the location of objects or people usually within building debris using GSM. The programming language used is embedded C which is executed by visual basic.

5 illus, 11 ref

012133   Julius P;Vishnu K (Petroleum Engineering Dep, Amet Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: prince466@gmail.com) : Study of hard formation drilling by multiple control micro detonation. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 291-5.

Demand for oil and gas is increasing at a far greater rate than ever before. Geologists across the globe are in search of new reserves. Some of them are easily exploitable some are not. One major problem that we come across in Petroleum industry is Hard formations encountering the successful drilling operation. Drilling through hard formations is time consuming and uneconomical at times. As far as the petroleum industry is concerned time equals money and operations have to be time bound. Here we presented a new technique namely Multiple Control Micro Detonation that can be used to drill through hard rock formations. Multiple Control Micro Detonation (MCMD) will help us to drill through hard rock formations in an effective and time saving manner with minimum expenditure. As for now we have many techniques to drill through hard rock formations, but their effectiveness in terms of money and time is not appreciable and till day hard rock formations are a nightmare for any Drilling Engineer or any Petroleum Engineer. MCMD is very effective and efficient technique when executed with care, precise calculations and also with the help of accurate Geological data. Geological data about proves to be a vital element in the successful completion of this technique at any location. Multiple Control Micro Detonation is a self innovated unconventional drilling technique. As the name suggests this technique uses the power of an controlled explosion or micro detonations to drill through hard formations. Here we use detonators in a controlled manner to make the formation loose. Once the formation becomes loose it can be drilled easily. This paper contains all technical aspects of Multiple Control Micro Detonation. This paper also include Mathematical proofs and calculations involved in this technique. The Mathematical proof given in this paper is a clear evidence of how well this technique can be implemented. This'technique can be effectively applied for formation ranging from Medium Hard, Hard, Very Hard and even in Granite formations. Proper and well calculated implementation of MCMD we can counter any kind of hard formation without compromising the economic and safety aspects. Thus (this technique will help us to overcome a major problem our Petroleum industry faces, and will contribute in solving the oil crisis the World is facing now.

7 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

012132   Julius P;Aishwarya (Petroleum Engineering Dep, Amet Univ, Chennai, Email: prince466@gmail.com) : Water control analysis on production enhancement along with permeability modification by polymers. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 129-33.

Oil and gas production from the reservoirs are often accompanied by huge amount of water production which is the major problem faced in petroleum industry worldwide. Polymer gels have been successfully used for many years to control water production. Most methods involve crosslinking of partially hydrolyzed polyacrylamide-PHPA using organic or metallic crosslinkers. These polymer gels are formed in-situ under the reservoir condition which blocks the water producing zones thereby reducing the water production. This paper attempts to for the selection of suitable polymer and crosslinker concentration for Gandhar field in Cambay basin using gel study and core flooding analysis. Polymer is made gel using organic crosslinkers at stable reservoir temperature 90°C.

3 tables, 10 ref

012131   Jain J;Mcintyre D;Ayyalasomayajula K;Dikshit V;Goueguel C;Yu-Yueh F;Singh J (NO, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA 15236, USA, Email: jinesh.jain@contr.netl.doe.gov) : Application of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in carbon sequestration research and development. Pramana J Phys 2014, 83(2), 179-88.

The success of carbon capture and storage (CCS) programme relies on the long-term isolation of CO₂ from the atmosphere. Therefore, technologies concomitant to physical storage of CO₂ such as reliable measurement, monitoring, and verification (MMV) techniques are needed to ensure that the integrity of the storage site is maintained. We propose the use of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) analytical technique to detect carbon dioxide leaks to aid in the successful application of CCS. LIBS has a real-time monitoring capability and can be reliably used for the elemental and isotopic analysis of solid, liquid, and gas samples. The flexibility of probe design and use of fibre optics make it a suitable technique for real-time measurements in harsh conditions and at hard-to-reach places. Proposed monitoring with LIBS includes terrestrial soil samples, water samples from monitoring wells or from different formations, air samples from monitoring wells or suspected leakage areas. This work details the laboratory scale experiments to measure carbon contents in soil, aqueous, and air samples. The potential of the technology for measurements in high-pressure, high-temperature conditions has been discussed.

4 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

012130   Fofandi Vikas D;Suyani A H;Khalas Vishal B (Instrumentation and Control Dep, Government Engineering College, Gandhinagar Gujarat) : Auto mains failure with diesel generator operation. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 5-6.

Electricity is an indispensible part of modern day life. Our economy, work, healthcare and livelihood all depends upon constant supply of power. Even a temporary of power can lead to chaos and momentary setbacks. Grid Power Loss can effect to the Losses of Production for Industries and also effect to the Home/Office Conditions also. But industrial sector gets affected more with power cut. So an auxiliary power supply is very necessary and switching of mains supply to auxiliary supply within a few seconds is necessary to reduce the downtime. Diesel Generators are mainly used as auxiliary power supply which uses fossil fuel and its costly so power factor correction using capacitors is also considered to create a well maintained switching system.

2 illus, 8 ref

012129   Fayaz B A;Vasan K;Jenith J (NO, BE (Petroleum Engineering) AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: fayaz5s@yahoo.co.in) : Reaming with casing and rotating while cementing. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 173-7.

During Cementing operations, rotating and reciprocating methods plays major role in Casing system. Casing, once landed which cannot be moved prior to cementing, is a positive indication that something is wrong. The use of a single ball launcher and cement plug coupled with a modern casing-running tool allows the casing string to be run, washed, reamed, and cemented as part of a seamless operation. This adds the benefit of getting casing to bottom despite difficult formations, and the ability to transition immediately to cementing operations while retaining the ability to rotate and reciprocate. During Cementation, Pipe movement has recently become a simple operation for any operator to include in a drilling program: there is minimal cost and planning required. A cement plug is attached to the bottom of the proprietary Casing Drive system(CDS) and it is a trademark of TESCO Corporation. A side entry swivel sub is included between the CDS and the top drive. A ball launcher, also provided, is rigged up in line with the chicks an lines running from the cementing pump truck to the side entry swivel sub. The solution allows the operator to go directly to cementing after the casing has been run. It also enables the rotation and reciprocation of the pipe during cementation, which prevents channeling of cement and leads to a notably superior cement job as proven by cement bond logs. Using a hybrid cementing tool with a modern casing running system allows wells to be engineered more aggressively, thus the ensure casing can be run to bottom in difficult formations and guarantee an improved cement job. In turn, this provides greater production and returns for the operator.

3 tables, 7 ref

012128   Fayaz B A;Sunny A;Nazeel (NO, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: fayaz5s@yahoo.co.in) : Bottom hole assembly and mud motor for directional drilling. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 201-6.

Success of any drilling operation especially directional drilling operations upon the selection and design of Bottom Hole Assembly. Therefore, it is very important to know the components and its working in a BHA. Any failure to BHA design may result in complete failure of the drilling operation. For this purpose there should a complete knowledge of what the BHA is compose of and what are the factors that have to considered while design of a BHA. Certain parameters like maximum permissible dogleg severity, maximum bending stress, neutral point of compression and tension etc. has to be calculated for designing a BHA. When there is a miss calculation in any of these factors it may lead to complete or partial failure of the BHA.Down Hole Mud Motors are also another important criterion in directional drilling. Therefore, it is equally important to know the components and its working principle of the down hole mud motor or positive displacement motor. This paper deals with the components of BHA and Down Hole Mud Motor and their working for directional drilling. Proper understanding of the components is critical in design concept of the BHA and mud motor. Knowing what component if required where is vital. So this paper gives a clear idea of all the components and their role in the BHA and mud motor as well.

10 illus, 1 table, 6 ref

012127   Fayaz B A;Huda;Ali A (NO, AMET Univ, Chennai-603 112, Email: fayaz5s@yahoo.co.in) : Directional drilling in 'L' profile. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 221-9.

Directional drilling is a wellbore along a predetermined trajectory to intersect a designated subsurface target. Directional drilling has a long and interesting history. However, it has only been in the past ten years that much of the new innovative technology has been introduced to meet the challenges of onshore and offshore developments.A typical directional well starts off with a vertical hole and the bottom holes location may end up hundreds or thousands of feet or meters away from its starting point. With the use of directional drilling, several wells can be drilled into a reservoir from a single platform.During the past years many innovations have taken place, including computerized well planning, more use of down hole motors and turbines, techniques to drill horizontal wells and the introduction of Measurement While Drilling (MWD).Directional drilling has now become an essential element in oilfield development, both onshore and offshore. It has made great advances over a relatively short period of time. This work deals with different applications of directional drilling and the deflection techniques used in deviation of the well. Three types of well profiles have also been studied with the designing of BHA (Bottom Hole Assembly) and the synchronization of MWD (Measurement While Drilling) with directional drilling.

17 illus, 5 ref

012126   Dubey P;Sarathe A K (NO, NITTTR, Bhopal, Email: dubey.pablo@gmail.com) : Review: distortion patterns during fabrication of header-box of air cooled heat exchanger. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 43-56.

This research work paves the way to explore new avenues in existing and ongoing groundwork in the field of heat exchangers. There is a dire need to address the issues related to air-cooled heat exchangers used in chemicals and energy industry. The distortions found in fully manufactured rectangular/plug header-boxes and flange-type bonnet headers can be adverse. They need to be monitored and resolved. Proper diagnosis throughout their processing and testing only can determine the root cause. This is usually done by non-destructive testing methods. Here a thorough study of the system is presented. An organized approach for the same is also proposed to eliminate the defects.

29 illus, 2 tables, 84 ref

012125   Babar R V;Gaikwad M S;More M U (NO, Sinhgad Institute of Technology(SIT) Lonavala, Pune, Maharashtra, Email: rajendra_babar@yahoo.com) : Complex DPLL using CORDIC professor for I-Q channel demodulator. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2014, 3(4A), 1-4.

The aim of this paper is to present FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) based implementation of CORDIC (Co-ordinate Rotation Digital Computer) processor for complex DPLL(Digital Phase Locked Loop) for use in I-Q channel demodulator includes phase detector for producing a phase error indicative of a difference in phase between a complex digital input signal and complex digital feedback signal. This structure is very suitable for VLSI implementations. In the first part of the paper, we describe operation of the design of pipelined architecture for coordinate rotation algorithm. The design of CORDIC in the vector rotation mode results in high system throughput due to its pipelined architecture. Then a CORDIC realization of a complex phase-locked loop is introduced. Finally we discuss the effects of the number of iterations to the performance of this kind of phase-locked loop.

3 illus, 1 table, 9 ref

012124   Ashutosh Kumar;Prabhat Kumar;Manoharan N (NO, , Jaypee Cement, III Floor, III Block, White House, House No. 6-3-6 1192/1/1, Begumpet, Hyderabad-500 016, Email: ashutosh.dec3@gmail.com) : Launch of new cement brand in existing market. Biosci Biotechnol Res Asia 2014, 11(Spl), 1-8.

3 illus, 8 ref

011228   Ye P;Zeng H;Zhang Q C;Yang K J;Yang G (School of Automation Engineering, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China, 611731, Email: zenghao@uestc.edu.cn) : Study on evaluation method of waveform capture rate of paralleling structure digital oscilloscope. J scient ind Res 2014, 73(8), 530-5.

Waveform capture rate is one of important indicator to evaluate the performance of digital oscilloscopes. In this paper, the theoretical basis of measuring the waveform capture rate of digital oscilloscopes is presented, and the limitation of the third-part measure approach is analyzed. Based on analysis and derivation on theoretical basis for comprehensive test of the capture rate of digital oscilloscopes, a novel comprehensive measuring method for waveform capture rate is presented, called as Stepping Amplitude-Frequency Combined Pulse Testing Method. The experimental results demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach, and it could provide a perfect evaluation system for the waveform capture rate test of digital oscilloscopes with parallel structuare.

3 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

011227   Yang P;Zhang L;Yang H;Liu D;Li X (Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing and Reliability for MEMS/NEMS/OED, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P.R. China) : Experiment and prediction on thermal conductivity of Al₂O₃/ZnO nano thin film interface structure. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 449-54.

Predicted that there is a critical value of Al₂O₃/ZnO nano thin interface thickness based on two assumptions according to an interesting phenomenon, which the thermal conductivity (TC) trend of Al₂O₃/ZnO nano thin interface is consistent with that of relevant single nano thin interface when the nano thin interface thickness is <62> 300 nm; however, TC of Al₂O₃/ZnO nano thin interface is higher than that of relevant single nano thin interface when the thin films thickness is <62> 10 nm. This prediction may build a basis for the understanding of interface between two different oxide materials. It implies an idea for new generation of semiconductor devices manufacturing.

8 illus, 4 tables, 30 ref

011226   Tripati S;Shukla S R;Som V;Sundaresh;Khedekar V;Shashikala S;Sharma S K (NO, CSIR-National Institute of Oceanography, Dona Paula, Goa-403 004, Email: sila@nio.org) : Anatomical studies of timber and EPMA analysis of brass artefacts collected from steam engine shipwreck of Minicoy Island, Lakshadweep, India. Curr Sci 2013, 104(10), 1282-7.

^ssc4 illus, 2 tables, 30 ref

011225   Sharifi K;Ghorbani M (Science and Engineering Dep, Sharif University of Technology, Kish Island, P.O. Box:79417-76655, Iran, Email: kourosh_sharifi@yahoo.com) : Corrosion Behaviour of Ni-Co Alloy Coatings at Kish Island (Marine) Atmosphere. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 713-19.

In this study, the corrosion behaviour of Ni-Co alloys with low Co content, electroplated on steel substrate in sulphate bath, was investigated. The morphology of coatings was studied by optical and SEM microscopy. The corrosion products were analyzed using EDX. The results showed that Ni-1%Co coatings had a better corrosion resistance 0.30, 0.92 and 3.75 mpy for atmospheric, salt spray and polarization tests, respectively. These are 0.41, 1.20 and 5.40 mpy for pure nickel coatings that indicate the least corrosion resistance. Surface analysis revealed the presence of oxides, sulphides and chlorides in corrosion products.

10 illus, 3 tables, 26 ref

011224   Sarkar B C (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad-826 004) : Developments in geostatistics for mineral deposit modelling. SGAT Bull 2014, 15(1), 12-23.

Mineral deposit modeling and evaluation process provides improved estimates by involving the definition of mineralization constraints or geological domains, the statistical and geo-statistical parameters of sample data, and the application of an optimal grade imaging technique for adequate resource estimation. Lot of advancements have been made in recent years using geo-statistics to solve practical problems. The methods are justified for any technical application. There have been enough case studies to show that almost any ore body, simple or complex in terms of geology, which has a definable spatial continuity, would be amenable to geo-statistical evaluation given that it has been suitably sampled. Early kriging techniques catered only for calculating the average grade of a fixed volume of ground which, in geologically complex ore bodies would not reflect ultimate selective mining of the ore body. However, recent improvements in chniques provide a means for estimatingrecoverable reserves from xploration drilling. The most useful tool, at the exploration stage, is the semi-variogram. This quantifies the range and direction of grade ontinuity and lends support to geological interpretations. It can delineate potential problems due to insufficiently close spaced drilling or, indeed incorrectly orientated drilling. The relationship between variability and block sizes, which is quantified by the semi-variogram, allows one to interpret the degree of selectivity possible for given selective mining units. The classification of the resource or reserve is affected by the range of influence of the semi-variograms and also the size of the block chosen for kriging.

31 ref

011223   Sangiamsuk S;Bubphachot B;Watanabe O; Rittidech S (Heat-Pipe and Thermal Tools Design Research Unit (HTDR), Mechanical En, Faculty of Engineering, Mahasarakham Univ, Thailand) : Measurement of internal pressure and thermal performance in a closed-loop oscillating heat-pipe with check valves (CLOHP/CV). Indian J pure appl Phys 2014, 52(8), 531-40.

The internal pressure and the thermal performance as characteristic parameters in a closed-loop oscillating heat-pipe with check valves (CLOHP/CV) under the normal operating condition have been investigated experimentally. The test CLOHP/CV was made of a copper capillary tube with various inner diameters. The inclination angle and the working temperature have been varied in the experiments. The working fluids of distilled water, ethanol and R123 were used with a filling ratio 50% of the total internal tube volume; the number of meandering turns was 40 and the number of check valves was 2. The lengths of the evaporator, adiabatic and condenser sections are all the same. The evaporator section was heated by electric strip heaters. The heat was removed from the condenser section by forced convective flow of ambient air blowing through the sections. The adiabatic section was well insulated by foam insulation. The thermal performance of the CLOHP/CV was evaluated by calculating the rate of heat transferred from the condenser to ambient air. It was found that the thermal performance of the CLOHP/CV has been improved by increasing the working temperature, the inclination angle and the inner diameter. The best performance of all the test CLOHP/CVs occurred for the case of R123 as working fluid, 2.03 mm inner diameter, 90° inclination angle and the working temperature of 200°C, where the maximum internal pressure was 7.53 MPa and the minimum thermal resistance was 0.048°C/W.

17 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

011222   Sahoo A;Sahoo S (Chemical Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela-769 008) : Design modifications for existing spong iron plant with the utilization of stack gas heat. SGAT Bull 2014, 15(2), 38-49.

The present work deals with a suggested approach for utilizing the heat associated with the stack gas of the sponge iron plant. Utilization of this heat in the process may reduce the coal consumption which is the only source of energy for this plant. Heat integration is applied on the actual plant data to check the feasibility of utilization of the heat associated with waste gas exiting from ESP. Certain design modifications has been incorporated without disturbing the SL/RN process technology involved in the sponge iron production. The design modification accounts for the preheating of feed coal and air supplied to the kiln using waste gas exiting from ESP. The additional equipment required are a duct to carry waste gases from electrostatic precipitator to rotary kiln, a Fluidized bed dryer to preheat the kiln feed, Gas-gas heat exchanger for preheating the air and a return duct to carry waste gases back to chimney. Preheating of coal and air reduces the coal consumption by 4.3% and the air requirement by 23.74 tph, in comparison to the existing system.

8 illus, 5 tables, 14 ref

011221   Ramana G V;Padya B;Srikanth V V S S;Jain P K (School of Engineering Sciences and Technology (SEST), University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad-500 046, Email: vvsssse@uohyd.ernet.in) : Rapid mixing chemical oxidative polymerization: an easy route to prepare PANI coated small-diameter CNTs/PANI nanofibres composite thin film. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 585-8.

Composite thin film containing polyaniline (PANI) coated small diameter carbon nanotubes (SDCNTs)/PANI nanofibres (NFs) has been prepared using an easy in situ rapid mixing chemical oxidative polymerization method. SDCNTs thin film was obtained using thermal chemical vapour deposition method in a separate experiment, whilst PANI NFs are formed in situ during the synthesis of composite. In the composite, PANI coated SDCNTs are uniformly distributed among PANI NFs. The presence of SDCNTs during the composite synthesis does not influence the nucleation and growth of PANI NFs. Raman analysis shows a good interaction between PANI and SDCNTs. Room temperature d.c. electrical sheet resistance of SDCNTs/PANI NFs composite thin film surface is three orders lesser than that of PANI NFs thin film (PANI NFs have the same morphology as in the composite) synthesized using the same method but without the presence of SDCNTs.

3 illus, 1 table, 10 ref

011220   Patel P (NO, Kalol Institute of Pharmacy, Kalol, Gujarat, India) : Energy saving by modification in HVAC as a cost saving opportunity for industries. Int J pharm Sci Res 2013, 4(9), 3347-3356.

HVAC maintain both comfort and safety of indoor air quality. The challenge of maintaining high product quality while simultaneously reducing production costs can often be met through investments in energy efficient technologies and energy efficiency practices. The greatest opportunities for energy efficiency exist at the design stage for HV AC systems in new industrial facilities. By sizing components of HV AC systems generally include dampers, supply and exhaust fans, filters, humidifiers, dehumidifiers, heating and cooling coils, ducts, and various sensors properly and designing energy efficiency into a new facility, an industry can minimize the energy consumption and operational costs of its plant HVAC systems from the outset. Optimizing system design and operations, such as minimizing laboratory ventilation, can also lead to significant reductions in energy use. Energy efficiency improvement is an important way to reduce these costs and to increase predictable earnings, especially in times of high energy price volatility. There are a variety of opportunities available at individual plants in the industry to reduce energy consumption in a cost-effective manner.

77 ref

011219   Narendra Kumar A V;Harish S;Joseph J (Electrodics and Electrocatalysis Div, CSIR-Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi-630 006, Email: jameskavalam@yahoo.com) : New route for synthesis of electrocatalytic Ni(OH)2 modified electrodes-electrooxidation of borohydride as probe reaction. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 635-41.

Immobilization of redox species like Ni(OH)₂ onto the electrode surface is important in the application areas such as super capacitor, electrochromic displays and electrocatalysis. Nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) modified glassy carbon could be further derivatized with Ni(OH)₂ by electrochemical cycling in alkali. The electrodeposition of Ni(OH)₂ was usually carried out onto the electrode surface from nickel salt at high interfacial pH. This paper reports the preparation of Ni(OH)₂ from insoluble nickel tetracyanonickelate supported on carbon (NTN/C). This insoluble precursor complex was decomposed by two methods. (1) By potential cycling of modified electrode with the above complex in alkali. (2) By thermal decomposition of the precursor complex (NTN/C) to form metallic nickel followed by cycling in alkali. Ni(OH)₂ modified electrodes formed using both methods were characterized by cyclic voltammetry and also by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Further, electrocatalytic properties of Ni(OH)₂/C modified electrodes formed by the above two methods were studied and compared using borohydride oxidation as probe reaction.

6 illus, 24 ref

011218   Mukherjee R;Mahato B;Ghosh A;Bhuyan S;Suresh Kumar T S (Natural Resources Div, Tata Steel Limited, ) : Diamond drill hole versus reverse circulation drilling : implications in iron ore exploration and deposit evaluation. SGAT Bull 2014, 15(1), 29-36.

In the recent past a paradigm shift in terms of exploration and resource estimation practices is experienced by Indian mining and mineral sector. More so for iron ore, with depleting reserves in today's competitive scenario coupled with stringent quality requirement of the steel plants across the globe, having no other option than to add value to iron ore fines through different agglomeration techniques, especially sintering and pelletisation. It is therefore the need of the day to supply consistent product quality parameters by the mineral processing plants at mines head which in turn demands more efficient mining. Therefore it is important to have resource evaluation with increased confidence level which often necessitates more exploratory drilling to increase sample density across the deposit. Traditionally, iron ore deposits in India are explored by diamond drill holes (core drilling) with 100X100 meter or 200m regular grid spacing. Reasons for using core drilling as standard drilling practice lies in the ease of defining the subsurface geology, spatio-temporal distribution of rock types and their structure underneath so as sampling for assaying as well as geotechnical purpose. However, diamond drill holes, by nature are expensive and slow in its progress, often lead to sub-optimal borehole density, resulting in lesser confidence in grade estimates as one experience during reconciliation of a mineral project. On the contrary, application of Reverse Circulation (RC) drilling in iron ore can improve production rate with lesser cost implications. However, restriction in terms of collecting geological details such as contact, attitude, fractures etc. in RC drilling does not allow it to be considered as a complete tool for exploration so as to prepare a geological model in all respect. Nevertheless, it finds its application in grade estimates and proves to be useful as infill drilling to increase confidence level of block estimates of a deposit, despite the inhibitions across the industry to mix essentially different data sources for such purpose. Efforts have been made to investigate the feasibility of using reverse circulation drilling combined with diamond drill holes in iron ore deposit evaluation through comparing twin holes in one of the iron ore mines in Tata Steel.

11 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

011217   Mohammed O H;Pandey R K (Civil Engineering Dep (Construction and Management Project), Shepherd School of Engineering and Technology, SHIATS, Allahabad-211 007) : Study on safety practices in Construction Industry. Allahabad Fmr 2014, 69(2), 38-47.

Construction industry has traditionally been recognized as one of the major economic forces that has contributed vastly in developing our world and offers tremendous scope for growth and development of human resource. The unsatisfactory safety record of construction industry has always been highlighted since the safety management system is a neglected area and has not been pursued and implemented systematically in the construction industry. This study is focused on identifying the current safety practices in construction industry. The construction industry includes all civil constructions in the area of infrastructures like roads, bridges, highways, dams, ports, low and high rise buildings and others. Data collection is carried out through questionnaire survey. It is also gathered structured interactions conducted with experienced personnel from construction field. A total of 130 respondents were requested out of which 86 responded. Responses on the aspects of safety implementation and management practiced by construction companies were based on 'Yes' and 'No' scale. Responses to the questions on safety levels of awareness, culture, implementation/standard, compliance, enforcement, monitoring and control, safety improvement measures and also investment in safety were based on Likert scale of three ordinal measures of agreement. The 86 responses were analyzed using frequency and relative index analysis. The shows a very good trend in basic safety practices but the commitment and concern towards safety training keeping wk site free from drug and alcohol and handling of emergency situations is low. At an average 43% of the surveyed safety practices are followed in the construction industry. There is a strong need to implement the safety measures to improve safety at workplace. The respondents also tend to strongly agree that safety investment is a viable and worthy efforts to improve the safety in construction industry. Among recommended practices are National Policy on Safety, ISO Certifications, safety rules and targets, promotion of safety training/ campaign and recognition/rewarding of good safety performance of the individuals. The software developed on the data base of 86 responses suggests. the safety practices which should be followed by the construction industry within certain defined parameters.

1 table, 4 ref

011216   Manan A;Qazi I (Physics Dep, Universiy of Science and Technology, Bannu, 28100 KPK, Pakistan, Email: drmanan82@yahoo.com) : Synthesis and microwave dielectric properties of Ca substituted SrLa₄Ti_4.93Zr_0.07O₁₇ ceramics. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 679-83.

Microwave dielectric ceramics in Sr_1-xCa_xLa₄Ti_4.93Zr_0.07O₁₇ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.5) composition series were processed via a solid-state sintering rout. X-ray diffraction revealed single phase ceramics. Ca substitutions for Sr tuned τ_f towards zero with increased Q_uƒ_o values. In the present study, ∈_r ~ 55, Q_uƒ_o ~ 11960 GHz and τ_f ~ 5.2 ppm/°C were achieved for the composition with x = 0.3.

6 illus, 1 table, 14 ref

011215   Li Y;Zhao G;Su J;Shen E;Ren Y (Advanced Material Analysis Center, Xi'an University of Technology, Box 759#, No.5, Jinhua South Road, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710048, China) : Temperature influence and reset voltage study of bipolar resistive switching behaviour in ZrO₂ thin films. Bull Mater Sci 2014, 37(3), 455-60.

Fabricated ZrO₂ thin films by sol-gel deposition and annealed them at 300, 500 and 700°C. Reproducible I-V curves can be obtained for the device Cu/ZrO₂/ATO which is measured at room temperature (300 K). During the RESET operation, R L and R H values can be controlled by the RESET voltage. Moreover, the Cu/ZrO₂/ATO device which the ZrO₂ thin film annealed at 300°C can be measured as resistive switching sweeps at 200, 100 and 50 K. It was found that the ratio of R off/R on reduced when the measured temperature decreased. When the I-V measurement temperature decreases, R on decreases obviously which is typical for electronic transportation in a Cu metal. It is indicated that the Cu metallic conduction filament has been formed in the ZrO₂ films. Besides, the microstructure by high resolution transmission electrical microscopy (HRTEM) was also investigated.

8 illus, 17 ref