Iran atlas of offshore renewable energies

The aim of the present study is to provide an Atlas of IRAN Offshore Renewable Energy Resources (hereafter called ‘the Atlas’) to map out wave and tidal resources at a national scale, extending over the area of the Persian Gulf and Sea of Oman. Such an Atlas can provide necessary tools to identify the areas with greatest resource potential and within reach of present technology development.To estimate available tidal energy resources at the site, a two-dimensional tidally driven hydrodynamic numerical model of Persian Gulf was developed using the hydrodynamic model in the MIKE 21 Flow Model (MIKE 21HD), with validation using tidal elevation measurements and tidal stream diamonds from Admiralty charts. The results of the model were used to produce a time series of the tidal stream velocity over the simulation period.Moreover, to assess the potential of the wave energy in this site, a model was developed based on six-hourly data from a third generation ocean wave model (ISWM-Iranian Sea Wave Model) covering the period 1992–2003.To ensure the information provided to the Atlas is managed and maintained most effectively, all the derived marine resource parameters have been captured in a structured database, within a Geographical Information System (GIS), so enabling effective data management, presentation and interrogation.     

Resorcinol formaldehyde xerogels modified with mercapto functional groups as mercury adsorbent

Resorcinol formaldehyde xerogels are modified by mercaptopropyl‐trimethoxysilane during the sol–gel process used to produce the xerogel. The chemical modification is confirmed by Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy. The xerogel is then used to adsorb mercury ions from aqueous solutions. The effects of the molar ratios of the precursors as well as the catalyst and the modifier are studied on the textural properties of the xerogel and the adsorption efficiency. It is shown that the chemical modification of the resorcinol formaldehyde xerogels creates the chemical sites on the structure of the xerogel to adsorb more mercury ions and increase the adsorption efficiency. At the same time, chemical modification decreases the xerogel surface area which results in a reduction of the mercury adsorption. Therefore, there exists an optimum value for the chemical modification of the xerogel to achieve the highest adsorption efficiency. Adsorption kinetics as well as equilibrium isotherm of xerogels were examined using pseudo‐first‐ and second‐order kinetic equations, and Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models. The adsorption kinetics was found to follow the pseudo‐second‐order kinetic equations. The experimental data was also fitted into the Longmuir model more precisely comparing the Freundlich model. Finally, a series of mercury adsorption–desorption tests proved that the optimized mercapto‐modified resorcinol formaldehyde xerogel was an efficient reusable adsorbent for mercury ions. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2015 , 132, 42543.     

Using Fuzzy Cost‐Based FMEA,GRA and Profitability Theory for Minimizing Failures at a Healthcare Diagnosis Service

This paper proposes an integrated approach to identify, evaluate and improve the potential failures in a service setting. This integrated approach combines Fuzzy cost‐based service‐specific FMEA (FCS‐FMEA), Grey Relational Analysis (GRA) and profitability theory for better prioritization of the service failures by considering cost as an important issue and using the profitability theory in a way that the corrective actions costs are taken into account. Considering profitability with FCS‐FMEA and GRA reduces the losses caused by failure occurrence. Besides, a maximization linear mathematical problem is used to select the best mix of failures to be repaired. We apply our approach to an academic example concerning the potential failures diagnosis of the Internal Medicine service of a hospital located in Seoul, Korea. We applied our approach and solved the associated maximization problem by a commercial solver, producing an optimal solution which indicates the most convenient mix of failures to be repaired by considering available budget. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Wall Smoke Deposition from a Hot Smoke Layer

Smoke deposition from a hot smoke layer onto wall surfaces was studied in a hood apparatus using polymethylmethacrylate, polypropylene, and gasoline as fuels. Based upon prior analysis by Butler and Mulholland, the smoke deposition was expected to be dominated by thermophoresis. The deposited smoke samples were collected on glass filter paper attached to the hood wall and the mass per unit area of smoke deposited was measured gravimetrically. Measurements were made of quantities required for the prediction of thermophoretic smoke deposition. The smoke deposition measured in the experimental program was well predicted by the thermophoretic smoke deposition equation. The thermophoretic smoke deposition equation was found to be suitable for predicting smoke deposition onto wall surfaces exposed to fire environments.     

Mutations Closer to the Active Site Improve the Promiscuous Aldolase Activity of 4‐Oxalocrotonate Tautomerase More Effectively than Distant Mutations

The enzyme 4‐oxalocrotonate tautomerase (4‐OT), which catalyzes enol–keto tautomerization as part of a degradative pathway for aromatic hydrocarbons, promiscuously catalyzes various carbon–carbon bond‐forming reactions. These include the aldol condensation of acetaldehyde with benzaldehyde to yield cinnamaldehyde. Here, we demonstrate that 4‐OT can be engineered into a more efficient aldolase for this condensation reaction, with a >5000‐fold improvement in catalytic efficiency (k_cat/K_m) and a >10⁷‐fold change in reaction specificity, by exploring small libraries in which only “hotspots” are varied. The hotspots were identified by systematic mutagenesis (covering each residue), followed by a screen for single mutations that give a strong improvement in the desired aldolase activity. All beneficial mutations were near the active site of 4‐OT, thus underpinning the notion that new catalytic activities of a promiscuous enzyme are more effectively enhanced by mutations close to the active site.     

Cement take estimation using neural networks and statistical analysis in Bakhtiari and Karun 4 dam sites,in south west of Iran

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - Water seepage from dam foundations causes reservoir water loss and raises the risk of dam instability. One method of remediation for...     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Investigation of Inhibitor Release of the Anticorrosion Sol–Gel Hybrid Nanocomposite Coatings

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - Corrosion protective coatings were developed on 1050 aluminum alloy through the sol–gel process using...     

CFD and artificial neural network modeling of two-phase flow pressure drop

A large number of experiments in a 2 cm diameter and 6 m length tube were carried out in order to study the two-phase flow regimes and pressure drops in it. The two-phase flow in the experimental tube was modeled using commercial CFD code, Fluent 6.2. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with three inputs including gas and liquid velocities and tube slope was designed and trained to predict average pressure drop across the tube. The comparison between CFD and ANN predictions of pressure drops with experimental measurements shows that the CFD results are more accurate than the ANN evaluations for new conditions.     

Experimental Study and Mathematical Modeling of NO Removal Using the UV/H2O2 Advanced Oxidation Process

An experimental study on NO removal via UV/H₂O₂ process was conducted in a semi‐continuous bubble‐column reactor and the effect of some operation parameters including NO initial concentration and gas flow rates on removal efficiency was investigated. Applying UV light increased the efficiency significantly. The steady‐state removal efficiency was found to be higher at the lower gas flow rates. The bubble size as an important factor in mass transfer calculations and modeling procedure was determined at different gas flow rates using bubble photographs and image processing technique. In the ranges of flow rates studied here, the gas flow rate had no significant effect on the bubble diameter. A mathematical model was developed to describe the NO removal process. The model predictions were compared with existing experimental data, confirming a good agreement of the data.