RHEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION of COFFEE MUCILAGE

Rheological behavior of mucilage obtained from two varieties of coffee grown in Colombia (Caturra and Colombia) was studied as a function of ripe cherry content (RCC) and postharvest time (PHT). A Brookfleld HB DV-III viscometer was used in concentric cylinder geometry over a shear rate range of 4.8 to 120 s⁻¹. the power-law model was used to describe the shear stress versus shear rate data, and the consistency index (K) and flow behavior index (n) were determined. the mucilage is a highly viscous and pseudoplastic (n < 0.3) fluid. the K increased and n decreased as the RCC and PHT increased. the mucilage of the Caturra variety was more viscous and shear thinning than that of the Colombia variety. Microstructural examination of the mucilage revealed that certain weak structures as phloem vessels found in the mucilage may be destroyed upon application of shear stress and may contribute to the pseudoplastic nature of the mucilage. Diffusion of tannin from the pulp to mucilage with delay in postharvest processing may be responsible for increased apparent viscosity with increased PHT.     

Technology Trends in the Extractive Metallurgy of Zirconium,Titanium, Tantalum and Niobium

The reactive and refractory metals zirconium, titanium, tantalum and niobium have been in commercial production and industrial application over the last 30 years and more. With growing experience, there has been progressive improvement in process and equipment designs in the industrial practice. There has also been a continuous drive to develop entirely new processes, and to diversify the applications of these metals. The paper reviews the present status and the emerging trends, and places the Indian work in the global perspective.     

False topography perception phenomena and its correction

The remote sensing data of a rugged terrain always suffer from topographic effects and, in such cases people frequently perceive valleys as ridges, and vice versa in the optical imagery of Sun-synchronous satellite. The appearance of inverse topography can be termed as false topography perception ( FTP) FTP has been observed in various satellites images such as Landsat, IRS, and SPOT The problem of FTP becomes more severe in high altitude areas of hilly terrain, such as Himalayan terrain. FTP is usually caused by the combination of various interrelated factors; among them are topographic relief, Sun elevation, the azimuth angle, viewing angle, and hatching or engraving features present on the slopes. Once satellite data of rugged terrain are acquired, then all FTP-influencing factors are fixed, except for the viewing angle of the observer. Hence, the correction of FTP becomes straightforward. There are two ways to correct satellite dala for FTP effects: ( a) rotate the image by between 135° -180° i.e changing the viewing angle of the observer; or (b) inverse the image data by making a negative of the whole image (255-image) which will bring change in the Sun' s illumination by 1807deg; The present paper discusses the FTP phenomena and its causes, and suggests methods of correction.     

The preparation of quick-cooking dehydrated vegetables by high temperature short time pneumatic drying

The technique of high temperature short time (HTST) pneumatic drying, when applied to a variety of vegetables as a pre-treatment prior to conventional modes of hot air drying, brought about porosity in the products and resulted in considerable reduction in their drying and rehydration times with improvements in texture and other rehydration characteristics. The HTST dried vegetables had lower bulk density and superior rehydration characteristics. A starchy cell structure was essential for satisfactory expansion by the technique and low starch vegetables failed to expand.     

Theoretical prediction and validation of global horizontal solar irradiance for a tropical climate in India

This paper aims to propose monthly models responsible for the theoretical evaluation of the global horizontal irradiance of a tropical region in India which is Sivagangai situated in Tamilnadu. The actual measured global horizontal irradiance hails from a 5 MW solar power plant station located at Sivagangai in Tamilnadu. The data were monitored from May 2011 to April 2013. The theoretical assessment was conducted differently by employing a programming platform called Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Express. A graphical user interface was created using Visual Basic 2010 Express, which provided the evaluation of empirical parameters for model formulation such as daily sunshine duration (S), maximum possible sunshine hour duration (S₀), extra terrestrial horizontal global irradiance (H₀) and extra terrestrial direct normal irradiance (G₀). The proposed regression models were validated by the significance of statistical indicators such as mean bias error, root mean square error and mean percentage error from the predicted and the actual values for the region considered. Comparison was made between the proposed monthly models and the existing normalized models for global horizontal irradiance evaluation.     

Mathematical models to predict surface finish in fine turning of steel. Part II

This paper outlines further experimental development of mathematical models for predicting RMS surface finish in fine turning operation using TiC coated and cemented tungsten carbide throwaway cutting tools. The five independent variables included are: cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, time of cut of tool, nose radius. Using these five variables at different levels an experimental approach, predictive models for tungsten carbide and titanium coated tungsten carbide tools were developed. A sixth variable, 'the type of cutting tool,' was used to develop a single model for both the TiC coated and cemented carbide cutting tools. AIS1 4140 steel was used as workpiece specimen in the experimental work. Stepwise regression analysis was used in developing the models.     

An application of goal programming technique in metal cutting

This paper outlines the use of the goal programming technique in selecting levels of machining parameters in a fine turning operation on A1S1 4140 steel using cemented tungsten carbide tools. Goals that are proposed to be achieved are: (i) to finish turning the required depth in one pass, mid (ii) to finish turning within a stipulated time. Constraints used are: R.M.S. surface finish values, cutting horse power of the machine, ranges for cutting speed, feed and depth of cut. A predictive equation to predict the R.M.S. Surface roughness values from the machining variables, cutting speed, feed, depth of cut, and time of cut was used. This mathematical model was developed using stepwise regression analysis on the experimental data for 1/64 in. nose radius cemented tungsten carbide cutting tool. Experiment with the machining variables at different levels were performed to obtain the data. A statistically designed experiment called the rotatable design was used for the experimental design