A PSO-ANFIS framework for prediction of density of bitumen diluted with solvents

One of the important properties in petroleum engineering calculations in heavy oil reservoirs is the density of bitumen diluted with solvents. It is required in newly developed solvent based enhanced oil recovery methods. Hence, developing accurate models for prediction of this parameter is essential. To tackle this issue, this study presents an accurate model based on adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system trained by particle swarm optimization (PSO-ANFIS) for estimation of density of bitumen diluted with solvents and hydrocarbon mixtures using experimental data from literature. The accuracy and reliability of results were evaluated by utilizing various statistical and graphical approaches and comparing the predictions of the developed model with literature models. The analysis showed that the PSO-ANFIS model is capable to predict the experimental data with acceptable error and high accuracy. The predictions of the PSO-ANFIS model were also better than the literature models.     

A new criterion to design reactive coal stockpiles

This paper proposes a new criterion to design the self-heating coal stockpiles. The generated heat can be removed if air is blown to the self-heating stockpile. At the same time, introducing more air to the system boosts the aforementioned chemical reactions. Hence, there is a tradeoff between the two opposing effects. Monitoring such a tradeoff, which pinpoints both qualitatively and quantitatively the safe characteristics (geometry, porosity, and permeability) of a stockpile, can be referred to as a design criterion to be implemented in industry. In order to validate the application of the newly-proposed criterion, two independent numerical solvers are used being a FORTRAN code and the commercially available software CFD-ACE. Different key parameters including approaching wind speed, porosity, and permeability are examined. Finally, application of energy flux vectors for convection visualization is also illustrated for a more comprehensive analysis of the problem.     

Application of high porosity metal foams as air-cooled heat exchangers to high heat load removal systems

A numerical study has been conducted to investigate the fluid flow and heat transfer of an air-cooled metal foam heat exchanger under the high speed laminar jet confined by two parallel walls for which the range of the Reynolds number is 600–1000. Two independent numerical solvers were used and cross-validated being a FORTRAN code and the commercially available software CFD-ACE. The effects of local thermal non-equilibrium, thermal dispersion, porosity, and pore density on the heat transfer augmentation are examined for different Reynolds numbers. Application of energy flux vectors, for convection visualization, is also illustrated for a more comprehensive analysis of the problem. Finally, the performance of the metal foam heat exchanger is compared to that of conventional finned design. It is observed that the heat removal rate can be greatly improved at almost no excess cost.     

Salient object detection using task simulation as a new input

Multimedia Tools and Applications - Saliency or the salient region changes in the human vision system depending on the type of its behavior and task. That is, the salient region in human vision...     

Correction to: Salient object detection using the phase information and object model

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The article Salient object detection using the phase information and object model, written by Hooman Afsharirad and Seyed Alireza Seyedin, was originally...     

Numerical simulation of a supercritical CO2 geothermosiphon

The thermo-hydraulic performance of a CO₂ geothermosiphon has been numerically investigated using the commercially available software CFX. A simple Engineered (or Enhanced) Geothermal System, EGS, consisting of an injection and a production well as well as a reservoir is numerically simulated. Both water and carbon dioxide have been examined as the working fluid. While the former fluid has been very popular for its availability, the latter offers advantages such as favorable thermodynamic properties as well as the inherent possibility of geosequestration. However, detailed analysis of such CO₂ geothermosiphon systems is not available in the open literature. Higher heat extraction rate from the reservoir at lower pressure drops for a CO₂ geothermosiphon, compared to water-based systems, can be achieved and general criteria for that are presented.     

Fabrication of superhydrophobic fiber coatings by DC‐biased AC‐electrospinning

Mesh‐like fiber mats of polystyrene (PS) were deposited using DC‐biased AC‐electrospinning. Superhydrophobic surfaces with water contact angles greater than 150° and gas fraction values of up to 97% were obtained. Rheological study was conducted on these fiber surfaces and showed a decrease in shear stress when compared with a noncoated surface (no slip), making them excellent candidates for applications requiring the reduction of skin‐friction drag in submerged surfaces. We have also shown that addition of a second, low‐surface energy polymer to a solution of PS can be used to control the fiber internal porosity depending on the concentration of the second polymer. Contact‐angle measurements on mats consisting of porous and nonporous fibers have been used to evaluate the role of the larger spaces between the fibers and the pores on individual fibers on superhydrophobicity. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2011     

An Approach to Platform Independent Real-Time Programming: (2) Practical Application

In a previously published companion paper a method for extending programming languages with timing constructs was proposed. It was shown that the extension enables the construction of real-time programs that can be proven correct independently of the properties of the machine that is used for their execution. It also yields a strict division of system construction into two phases: (1) a platform-independent programming phase that includes the expression of timing requirements, and (2) an implementation phase where all platform dependencies are addressed. In this second paper the approach is illustrated using an example problem often quoted in the literature: the mine-pump system. The two mentioned phases are described in detail for this example. First, a program is obtained in a systematic way. Then, realizations of the program under various schemes for distribution and scheduling are considered and analyzed. A comparison with other approaches to real-time programming is given.     

Significant Capacity and Cycle‐Life Improvement of Lithium‐Ion Batteries through Ultrathin Conductive Film Stabilized Cathode Particles

Atomic layer deposition (ALD), as a thin film deposition technique, has been explored as a viable path to improve the performance of lithium‐ion batteries. However, a trade‐off between the species transport (capacity) and protection (lifetime), resulting from the insulating properties of ALD films, is the key challenge in ALD technology. Here we report a breakthrough to overcome this trade‐off by coating an ultrathin conformal cerium dioxide (CeO₂) film on the surfaces of LiMn₂O₄ particles. The optimized CeO₂ film (≈3 nm) coated particles exhibit a significant improvement in capacity and cycling performance compared to uncoated (UC), Al₂O₃ coated, and ZrO₂ coated samples at room temperature and 55 °C for long cycling numbers. The initial capacity of the 3 nm CeO₂‐coated sample shows 24% increment compared to the capacity of the uncoated one, and 96% and 95% of the initial capacity is retained after 1000 cycles with 1C rate at room temperature and 55 °C, respectively. The detailed electrochemical data reveal that the suppression of the impedance rise and the facile transport of the species are the main contributors to the success.