Effect of Iron sulfate as electrolyte additive on plasma electrolytic oxidation of aluminum alloy

This study has been carried out to investigate the incorporation of Iron(II) sulfate as an additive of electrolyte on formed AA1010 aluminum alloy, using plasma electrolytic oxidation method in silicate-based electrolytes containing Iron(II) sulfate. In order to fabricate nanocomposite coating, silicon nitride nanopowder was added to electrolyte. The effects of iron(II) sulfate additive on the voltage-time trend, microstructure, compositions, wear, and corrosion resistances of PEO coatings were investigated. In addition, current density and concentration of additive were studied as parameters that were effective on coating. Results showed that although FeSO₄ enters to the coating structure, but it does not develop a new phase. The corrosion and wear behavior of coated samples with FeSO₄ indicate an improvement as compared to those without additive.     

High Gain Modified Dual-Band and Dual-Circularly Polarized Array Antenna

Wireless Personal Communications - A novel design of double-layer dual-band circularly polarized array antennas (DDCPAAs) is presented in this paper. First, a DDCP single antenna is introduced as...     

Dynamic modeling and CPG-based trajectory generation for a masticatory rehab robot

Human mastication is a complex and rhythmic biomechanical process which is regulated by a brain stem central pattern generator (CPG). Masticatory patterns, frequency and amplitude of mastication are different from person to person and significantly depend on food properties. The central nervous system controls the activity of muscles to produce smooth transitions between different movements. Therefore, to rehab human mandibular system, there is a real need to use the concept of CPG for development of a new methodology in jaw exercises and to help jaw movements recovery. This paper proposes a novel method for real-time trajectory generation of a mastication rehab robot. The proposed method combines several methods and concepts including kinematics, dynamics, trajectory generation and CPG. The purpose of this article is to provide a methodology to enable physiotherapists to perform the human jaw rehabilitation. In this paper, the robotic setup includes two Gough–Stewart platforms. The first platform is used as the rehab robot, while the second one is used to model the human jaw system. Once the modeling is completed, the second robot will be replaced by an actual patient for the selected physiotherapy. Gibbs–Appell’s formulation is used to obtain the dynamics equations of the rehab robot. Then, a method based on the Fourier series is employed to tune parameters of the CPG. It is shown that changes in leg lengths, due to the online changes of the mastication parameters, occur in a smooth and continuous manner. The key feature of the proposed method, when applied to human mastication, is its ability to adapt to the environment and change the chewing pattern in real-time parameters, such as amplitudes as well as jaw movements velocity during mastication.     

Fabrication and characterization of highly efficient three component CuBTC/graphene oxide/PSF membrane for gas separation application

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) with marvelous properties have aroused enormous attention for different application especially gas adsorption and separation. In this regard, fabrication of MOF hybrids with carbon based materials is new strategy to upgrade MOF performance. In this study CuBTC (Copper benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylic acid)/graphene oxide (GO) composite was synthesized and characterized by BET, SEM, TGA, XRD and FT-IR techniques. Then CuBTC and CuBTC/GO composite were incorporated into polysulfone (PSF) polymer to construct mixed matrix membranes (MMMs). The obtained membranes were characterized by SEM, TGA, XRD and tensile tests and their gas permeability was measured. The results were compared to those of CuBTC/PSF MMMs. It was revealed that CuBTC/GO composite as filler showed superior performance relative to CuBTC. For instance, 15 wt% loading of CuBTC/GO in PSF represented outstanding gas separation behavior while the same loading of CuBTC in PSF deteriorated performance of MMM. Well particle dispersion and favorable polymer-filler interaction were responsible for such observed difference. A high H₂/CH₄ and H₂/N₂ selectivity of 80.03 and 70.46 were recorded for CuBTC/GO in PSF (15 wt%) compared to 44.56 and 40.92 for CuBTC in PSF (15 wt%).     

Colour and ergonomics: On the selection of a “colour of the year”

The key role of colour in ergonomics has been emphasized by a number of researchers and design professionals. Although several research studies have been published regarding the use of colour in ergonomics, there are still some areas that need to be considered. The issue of deciding a “colour of the year” is an example, which represents a new challenge for researchers in the field of ergonomics. This is of particular interest considering the fact that the nature of research on the selection of a “colour of the year” is generally based on user experience. This paper argues that ergonomics should play a more prominent role in this field to ensure better user experience and performance. This paper highlights specific areas that need further study and development.     

One-pot synthesis of hematite-alumina hollow sphere composite by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique with high adsorption capacity toward PAHs

A hybrid nanocomposite of alumina and hematite was synthesized by ultrasonic spray pyrolysis technique. The study of microscopic images, mapping analysis, and XRD patterns revealed that the Al₂O₃ – Fe₂O₃ nanocomposite was composed of separated spherical particles with a thin layer ball-shaped structure that metal oxides are uniformly distributed in the wall of hollow sphere particles, led to a coherent and monotonous construction. A series of coefficients of equilibrium sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) as hazardous materials were measured on the prepared composite material in a batch technique. The free or pure Al₂O₃ or Fe₂O₃ showed negligible removal efficiency for the mentioned analytes. The various significant variables, such as initial analyte concentration, solution pH, adsorbent dose, and contact time to remove analyte, were studied in the aqueous solutions. Adsorption data were modeled to Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherms, and a good correlation found in the case of Langmuir isotherm and adsorption capacity for anthracene, phenanthrene, and naphthalene were 370, 333, and 322 mg g^?1, respectively. Investigation of the kinetic models proved a pseudo-second-order, and the prepared adsorbent can be reused more than 7 times without a significant decrease of adsorption performance.     

On the dynamical thermoelasticity problem for a hollow funtionally graded cylinder

A thermoelasticity problem of a pressurized infinite cylinder made of functionally graded material is solved analytically where material properties vary with radial position. Time dependent thermal and mechanical boundary conditions are assumed to act on the inner and outer surfaces of the cylinder. For thermal boundary conditions, temperature is prescribed on both surfaces, whereas for mechanical boundary conditions, tractions are prescribed on the boundaries. Obtaining distribution of temperature throughout the cylinder, the dynamical structural problem is solved and closed form relations are extracted for distributions of stress components.     

Quantifying the effects of crack width,tortuosity, and roughness on water permeability of cracked mortars

The existing service-life prediction models rarely account for the effect of cracks on mass transport and durability of concrete. To correct this deficiency, transport in fractured porous media must be studied. The objective of this paper is to quantify the water permeability of localized cracks as a function of crack geometry (i.e., width, tortuosity, and surface roughness). Plain and fiber-reinforced mortar disk specimens were cracked by splitting tension; and the crack profile was digitized by image analysis and translated into crack geometric properties. Crack permeability was measured using a Darcian flow-thru cell. The results show that permeability is a function of crack width square. Crack tortuosity and roughness reduce the permeability by a factor of 4 to 6 below what is predicted by the theory for smooth parallel plate cracks. Although tortuosity and roughness exhibit fractal behavior, their proper measurement is possible and results in correct estimation of crack permeability.