Water Pipeline Leak Measurement Using Wavelet Packet-based Adaptive ICA

Water Resources Management - The localization of the leaks is estimated using the time difference method in the past decade. Generalized and Basic Cross-correlation techniques are frequently...     

Exploring the role of the spacers and acceptors on the triphenylamine-based dyes for dye-sensitized solar cells

Six triphenylamine-based dyes were explored for their application in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Dyes 1–3 and dyes 4–6 possess cyanoacrylic acid (C-acceptor) and rhodanine-3-acetic acid (R-acceptor), respectively. Stilbene (in dyes 2 and 5) and bis(styryl)benzene (in dyes 3 and 6) were used as π-spacers. There is no π-spacer in the dye 1 and 4. To elucidate the role of π-spacers, optical, electrochemical, and photovoltaic properties of the dyes were studied. Among C-acceptor dyes, dye 2 exhibits the highest light-to-electricity conversion efficiency of 4.45%, followed by dye 3 (4.16%). Similarly, among R-acceptor dyes, dye 5 is the best. These results indicate that stilbene is a better π-spacer over bis(styryl)benzene. Although bis(styryl)benzene could extend the light absorption range (in dye-adsorbed TiO₂ film), its tendency to promote intermolecular π-π stacking is possibly the reason for its poor performance in DSSCs. Furthermore, the conjugation break in the R-acceptor moiety attached to the TiO₂ surface limits the electron injection of R-acceptor dyes poorer than C-acceptor dyes. Density functional theory calculations were performed for the dye-(TiO₂)₈ cluster, assuming a bidentate chelation of a carboxylic acid group with Ti⁴⁺ of TiO₂ anatase. The natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis indicated relatively more electron-accepting ability of cyanoacrylic acid over rhodanine-3-acetic acid.     

Explicit formulas for stability radii of nonnegative and Metzlerianmatrices

We address stability issues pertaining to uncertain nonnegative and Metzlerian matrices. The problem under consideration is the computation of the stability radius when matrix perturbations are both unstructured and structured. We show that the stability radius can be obtained in the former case by computing the largest singular value of a constant matrix and in the latter case by computing the spectral radius of a constant matrix     

Reactive ion etching of trenches in 6H-SiC

In this paper, we report the reactive ion etching (RIE) of trenches in 6H-silicon carbide using SF₆/O₂. The plasma parameters: etchant composition, gas flow rate, chamber pressure, and radio frequency power were optimized to obtain a maximum etch rate of 360Å/min. The etch rate of SiC was found to exhibit a direct correlation with the dc self bias except when the O₂ percentage was varied. Trenches were fabricated using the optimized conditions. It was found that the trench surface was extremely rough due to the aluminum micromasking effect. To overcome this effect, a Teflon^TM sheet was used to cover the cathode during the experiment. The trenches fabricated using this modification were found to have smooth etched surfaces and sidewalls. The angle of anisotropy of these trenches was approximately 80° which is suitable for device applications.     

Cyclohexanone oxime-blocked polyisocyanates

Cyclohexanone oxime-blocked isophorone diisocyanate and cyclohexanone oxime-blocked toluene diisocyanate were synthesized and analyzed by infrared spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance spectra, elemental analysis, etc. Decomposition temperatures of the blocked isocyanates were determined by thermogravimetry. The solubilities of blocked isocyanates in various polyols were tested. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fertilizer requirements for specified yield targets. II. Field verification of mathematical models for the estimation of soil and fertilizer nutrient efficiencies

Sugarcane response data from field experiments conducted between May 1979 and August 1981 on a sandy clay loam soil (Udic Haplustalf) of Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu State, India were used in the present investigation. Soil () and fertilizer () nutrient efficiencies for the amount of fertilizer required for specified cane yield targets were computed from this data by three procedures, viz., conventional deduction procedure, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University Model I [TNAU Model I] and Model II [TNAU Model II].In the case of nitrogen, both TNAU Model I and TNAU Model II gave more realistic estimates of and than those determined by the conventional deduction procedure. The differences in the predicted amounts of fertilizer nitrogen required between these two models were well within the permissible limits of variation indicating that both these approaches can be followed for the amount of nitrogen required for specified yield targets.The Olsen's procedure for available phosphorus estimation was inadequate to explain the relationship between soil available phosphorus and sugarcane response as indicated by results obtained using the TNAU Model II. The incorporation of the term in this model caters for the actual situation in the field in respect of the relationship between soil and fertilizer phosphorus availabilities and phosphorus uptake by sugarcane proving usefulness of this model for assessing the amount of phosphorus required for specified cane yield targets.The results indicated that a considerable amount of potassium from the soil reserve was released into the soil available pool due to a priming effect. This fraction was preferentially absorbed by sugarcane compared to the fractions extracted by 0.1 N HNO₃ as indicated by results obtained using the TNAU Model II. In this case too, the actual situation regarding the relationship between soil and fertilizer potassium availabilities and potassium uptake by sugarcane is catered for by this model proving its superiority over the other two procedures for assessing the amount of potassium required for specified yield targets.     

Synthesis and characterization of polyestermaleamides

Summary Polyestermaleamides have been synthesized from N,N-bisisomaleimide, p-aminophenol, iso-and tere-phthaloyl chlorides. Through ring-opening addition reaction, a bisphenolamide was first formed; it was then polycondensed with acid chlorides to produce Polyestermaleamides, with an ordered sequence. The polymers were fully characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and electronic spectra, solubility in various solvents as well as inherent viscosity measurements. Thermal behaviour of the polymers were determined by thermogravimetric analysis in nitrogen atmosphere.     

Preparation and characterization of poly(ethylene/tetramethylene terephthalate) copolyesters

Random copolyesters were prepared from dimethyl terephthalate (DMT), ethylene glycol (EG) and butane 1,4-diol (BD) by melt-polycondensation techniques, using varying amounts of EG and BD. Compositions have been established by ¹H n.m.r. spectroscopy. Intrinsic viscosity and number average molecular weight ($\text{M}\text{?}{}_{\mathrm{n}}$) were measured. Thermal properties have been studied by differential thermal analysis. Melting and crystallization temperatures and thermodynamic parameters are discussed in terms of structural differences, particularly the effect of composition and chain flexibility. The degree of crystallinity from differential thermal analysis, i.r. and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) are discussed.     

Synthesis and characterisation of poly(N-4'-fluorophenylmethacrylamide)

Summary The monomer, N-4'-fluorophenylmethacrylamide (FPMA) was polymerized for the first time using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. The IR and NMR spectra of FPMA and the polymer, poly(N-4'-fluorophenylmethacrylamide) (PFPMA) are discussed. Viscosity measurements of PFPMA was carried out in dimethylformamide medium at 25°C. The number average molecular weight of PFPMA was determined to be 690 using vapour pressure osmometer. The formation of low molecular weight of PFPMA is explained on the basis of intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the monomer.     

Structural,electrical and magnetic studies on Y-Fe-O system

The compounds of iron substituted yttrium oxide systems have been prepared for the importance in the field of magneto electric materials.The polycrystalline samples of Y2-xFexO3-y(x=0.1,0.2) were prepared by solid-state reaction method.The single-phase formation of these compounds was confirmed by X-ray diffraction studies.It was found that the samples crystallized in tetragonal phase and the lattice parameters were calculated as a=1.0559(7) nm,c=1.0832(9) nm for Y1.9Fe0.1O3-y and a=1.0545(6) nm,c=1.0841(8)...