The view from the top

The challenge of integrating large amounts of renewable energy resources into the electric sector requires updated transmission analysis techniques. Economic planning, primarily in the form of value-based planning over interconnectionwide areas, is needed before performing the traditional single-hour, capacity-based reliability analyses.     

Sustainability of Groundwater Resources in the North-Eastern Region of Bangladesh

Water is essential for economic, social, and environmental development. Global water resources are vulnerable due to increasing demand related to population growth, pollution potential, and climate change. Competition for water between different sectors is increasing. To meet the increasing demand, the use of groundwater is increasing worldwide. In this paper, the water-table dynamics of the north-eastern region of Bangladesh were studied using the MEKESENS software. This study reveals that the depth to water-table (WT) of almost all the wells is declining slowly. In many cases, the depth will approximately double by the year 2040, and almost all will double by 2060, if the present trend continues. If the decline of the water-table is allowed to continue in the long run, the result could be a serious threat to the ecology and to the sustainability of food production, which is vital for the nation’s food security. Therefore, necessary measures should be taken to sustain water resources and thereby agricultural production. Demand-side management of water and the development of alternative surface water sources seem to be viable strategies for the area. These strategies could be employed to reduce pressure on groundwater and thus maintain the sustainability of the resource.     

Conversion of amorphous TiO2 coatings into their crystalline form using a novel microwave plasma treatment

Crystalline titanium dioxide (TiO₂) coatings have been widely used in photo-electrochemical solar cell applications. In this study, TiO₂ and carbon-doped TiO₂ coatings were deposited onto unheated titanium and silicon wafer substrates using a DC closed-field magnetron sputtering system. The resultant coatings had an amorphous structure and a post-deposition heat treatment is required to convert this amorphous structure into the photoactive crystalline phase(s) of TiO₂. This study investigates the use of a microwave plasma heat treatment as a means of achieving this crystalline conversion. The treatment involved placing the sputtered coatings into a 2.45 GHz microwave-induced nitrogen plasma where they were heated to approximately 550 °C. It was observed that for treatment times as short as 1 min, the 0.25-μm thick coatings were converted into the anatase crystalline phase of TiO₂. The coatings were further transformed into the rutile crystalline phase after treatments at higher temperatures. The doping of TiO₂ with carbon was found to result in a reduction in this phase transformation temperature, with higher level of doping (up to 5.8% in this study) leading to lower anatase-to-rutile transition temperature. The photoactivity performance of both doped and un-doped coatings heat-treated using both furnace and microwave plasma was compared. The carbon-doped TiO₂ exhibited a 29% increase in photocurrent density compared to that observed for the un-doped coating. Comparing carbon-doped coatings heat-treated using the furnace and microwave plasma, it was observed that the latter yielded a 19% increase in photocurrent density. This enhanced performance may be correlated to the differences in the coatings' surface morphology and band gap energy, both of which influence the coatings' photoabsorption efficiency.     

Application Note a Basic Program for the Transfer of Electrochemical Data From a Digital Oscilloscope To a Personal Computer Through Gpib Interface.

Introduction

The understanding of reaction mechanism on electrode surfaces requires fast perturbation techniques. One such elegant method is cyclic voltammetry where a dc voltage ramp is applied on a working electrode and the current so produced is monitored. This current reflects the electron transfer process and is controlled by the chemical reactions that take place before or after the electrode process. Scan rates of the order of 200 mV/s or higher can not be recorded on a conventional fast X-Y recorder due to inertia problems. It is customary to use oscilloscopes with memory in order to record the current and voltage signals. The advanced features of digital oscilloscope enhanced this data aquisition process and are amenable for use with computers. The software developed in BASIC language makes it possible to transfer the data aquired by the oscilloscope to the disk storage of the IBM PC.     

Studies on the overall safety aspects during irradiation of TeO2 in the central thimble of the TRIGA research reactor

The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed safety analysis of overall system and components in terms of their ability to provide optimum output from the irradiation of TeO₂ in the central thimble of the 3 MW TRIGA MARK II research reactor at Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE), Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh. It identifies safety issues relevant to ¹³¹I radioisotope production and ensures that safety analysis and design are consistent. It evaluates threats developed within the facility during the irradiation process and ultimately ensures establishment of in-core safety limits and conditions at all stages of ¹³¹I production. In-core irradiation safety not only ensures the safe operation of the reactor but also strengthens the production of radioisotopes (RI). This study attempts to review and modify all safety related events and aspects relating to RI production. The three-dimensional continuous energy Monte Carlo code MCNP is used to develop a versatile and accurate full-core model of the TRIGA core. The cross-section library and fission product inventory are generated by using NJOY and ORIGEN computer codes. The methodology to evaluate heat generation and other relevant parameters necessary to provide enough information for thermal hydraulic analysis are discussed. The neutron flux distribution inside the dry and water filled central thimble is determined in order to locate the highest neutron flux trapping position. The thermal hydraulic and safety analysis are performed by elaborate numerical analysis as well as by using GENGTC computer code. A mock-up facility has also been developed to supplement and verify the theoretically predicted results. The total energy generated during irradiation of 50 gm TeO₂ sample in dry condition is found to be 113.84 w of which 75% energy is due to neutron heating and rest of the amount is from gamma heating. Around 11.28 w of heat energy is also generated in the quartz vial. When the total generated-heat transfer is considered through conduction and radiation mechanisms, the calculated temperature of 50 g of TeO₂ reaches at 970 °C. Considering simultaneous heat transfer mechanisms, (conduction, radiation and convection) the calculated maximum temperature of the 50 g of TeO₂ powder comes down at 680 °C. It may be pointed out that very high amount of heat is generated during the irradiation of TeO₂ at 3 MW reactor power in dry condition which is nearly the melting point of TeO₂ and may be termed as unsafe mode of irradiation.     

Effect of phosphoric acid on the performance of low antimony grid of Pb‐acid cell under constant current charging and discharging

Effect of phosphoric acid on the performance of Pb‐1.7%Sb grid of lead‐acid cell is studied in 5 M H₂SO₄ by cyclic galvanostatic polarization and impedance spectroscopy. An increase in capacitance to a maximum is recorded during the initial stages of the electro‐reduction of PbO₂ into Pb(II) compounds and attributed to concurrent compositional and dimensional changes. These changes include removal of O₂ bubbles, insertion of large amounts of H₂SO₄ and H₂O. Efficiency of PbO₂ formation decreases, while its rate of self‐discharge increases with increasing the charging current and in the presence of H₃PO₄. The charge capacity increases with increasing the discharging current due to the decrease in the self‐discharge. The charge capacity is lower in the presence of H₃PO₄. On increasing the cycle number, the corrodibility of the grid increases, because more layers of the surface Pb are involved in the self‐discharge. H₃PO₄ significantly retards the effect of cycle number.     

Effect of particle properties on particle percolation behaviour in a packed bed

Spontaneous inter-particle percolation is a very important phenomenon related to the mixing/segregation of particulate materials. Many studies have been conducted to understand the mechanisms governing the percolation behaviours in the past. However, previous work has a lack of systematic investigation on the effect of particle properties. In this work, a layer of small particles passing through a packed bed under gravity is analysed by means of the discrete element method. Percolation behaviour in terms of percolation velocity and radial dispersion is studied. The effect of percolating particle properties, including sliding friction and damping coefficients between percolating and packing particles, density and diameter ratios of percolating to packing particles and Young’s modulus of percolating particles, on the percolation behaviour is considered. It is observed that the damping coefficient and diameter ratio are the two dominant parameters that significantly affect the percolation behaviour. In particular, increasing the damping coefficient or decreasing the diameter ratio would increase the percolation velocity and decrease the radial dispersion. The sliding friction coefficient, Young’s modulus and density ratio have limited effects on the percolation behaviour. Two formulas have been, respectively, proposed to describe the dependences of percolation velocity and interaction force between percolating and packing particles on damping coefficient and diameter ratio.     

Thermodynamic analysis of the interaction between 3-aminophenylboronic acid and monosaccharides for development of biosensor

The special interaction between 3-aminophenylboronic acid and monosaccharides, particularly glucose, fructose and galactose, has been investigated and used for the development of electrochemical and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based saccharide sensors. The binding constants and thermodynamic parameters of interaction such as free energy of binding (ΔG), enthalpy (ΔH) and entropy (ΔS) were determined for the first time using isothermal titration calorimetry revealed the enthalpic and entropic contributions to the free energies of binding. Effects of pH and buffer on the binding constants (k) between 3-aminophenylboronic acid and monosaccharides were also examined. The binding constant of fructose was found to be six times higher than glucose and four times higher than galactose at pH 11, leading the specific detection of fructose. SPR and potentiometric calibration for fructose were linear in the concentration range of 10–120 mM and 8–84 mM, respectively. Limit of detection of the SPR and potentiometric method were found to be as 8.9 mM and 1.4 mM, respectively.     

Probabilistic Strength at Serviceability Limit State for Normal and SBHS Slender Stiffened Plates Under Uniaxial Compression

International Journal of Steel Structures - Stiffened plates with high slenderness parameters show large out-of-plane deflections, due to elastic buckling, which may occur before the plates reach...     

Mass transfer from outer surface of thin tubes in parallel turbulent flow

The mass transfer coefficients from the outer surface of tubes or cylinders held in parallel turbulent steams have been calculated using integral momentum and mass transfer equations. The solution uses a hydrodynamics independent constant, λ _c which depends only upon Schmidt number. The results exhibit significant effect of curvature. For Schmidt number less than 108, Sherwood number can be predicted by $Sh_d Sc^{ - 1/3} = 0.039Sc^{0.208} \times \left( {\frac{L} {d}} \right)^\alpha \operatorname{Re} _d^{0.8}$Sh_d Sc^{ - 1/3} = 0.039Sc^{0.208} \times \left( {\frac{L} {d}} \right)^\alpha \operatorname{Re} _d^{0.8}, where α = −0.169Sc^−0.0103. The effect of the curvature is insignificant where $\frac{L} {d}\operatorname{Re} _L^{ - 0.2} - 0.033 \times \ln (Sc) \leqslant 0.214$\frac{L} {d}\operatorname{Re} _L^{ - 0.2} - 0.033 \times \ln (Sc) \leqslant 0.214.