Effects of Acidity and Method of Preparation on Nucleate Pool Boiling of Nanofluids

Past research has shown contradicting trends in the rate of heat transfer during pool boiling of nanofluids, which could be attributed either to their stability or to their method of preparation or to both. An experimental study has been conducted to investigate the effects of electrostatic stabilization and preparation method of nanofluids on their pool boiling rate of heat transfer. Nanofluids made from water and alumina nanoparticles at 0.1 vol% concentration were used. The effect of electrostatic stabilization was investigated by changing the pH value from 6.5, neutral, to 5, acidic. The effect of preparation method has been investigated by using nanofluids prepared from dry particles and from ready-made suspensions. Compared with water, all nanofluids investigated resulted in deterioration in the rate of heat transfer during pool boiling. Neutral nanofluids made from ready-made suspensions and from dry particles resulted into almost the same deterioration in the rate of heat transfer of 49% and 45%, respectively, with respect to that of pure water. The most significant effect of electrostatic stabilization was found in the case of acidic nanofluids made from dry particles, which resulted in deterioration in the rate of heat transfer of 31%. However, acidic nanofluids made from ready-made suspensions resulted in a deterioration of 46%, which is almost the same as that of suspension-made and dry particles-made nanofluids. These results indicate that electrostatic stabilization using acid addition is most effective with nanofluids made from dry particles.     

A NEW AGENT MATCHING SCHEME USING AN ORDERED FUZZY SIMILARITY MEASURE AND GAME THEORY

In this paper, an agent matching method for bilateral contracts in a multi-agent market is proposed. Each agent has a hierarchical representation of its trading commodity attributes by a tree structure of fuzzy attributes. Using this structure, the similarity between the trees of each pair of buyer and seller is computed using a new ordered fuzzy similarity algorithm. Then, using the concept of Stackelberg equilibrium in a leader–follower game, matchmaking is performed among the sellers and buyers. The fuzzy similarities of each agent with others in its personal viewpoint have been used as its payoffs in a bimatrix game. Through a case study for bilateral contracts of energy, the capabilities of the proposed agent-based system are illustrated.     

Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic and AC electrical conductivity studies of chitin and its derivatives

The vibrational modes and the purity index of chitin and its derivatives as biopolymers are studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy in the wavenumber range from 4000 to 400 cm^?1. The absorption bands of chitin and its derivatives are assigned. New bands appeared at 1419, 1209, 915, and 800 cm^?1 for chitin derivatives due to the change of vibrational modes. The purity indexes are calculated from the ratio of the absorption band of C = O at 1662 cm^?1 and OH at 3443 cm^?1. Generally, the purity indexes of chitin derivatives are higher than that of chitin, which is due to the decrease of OH. The dielectric properties such as the real part of the dielectric constant (ε′) and loss tangent tan (δ) are measured as a function of temperature at different frequencies ranging from 200 to 2000 kHz. The increase of (ε′) and tan (δ) with increasing temperature is discussed on the basis of increasing polarizability and the decrease with increasing frequency can be attributed to the dielectric dispersion. AC electrical conductivities as a function of the reciprocal of the absolute temperature are also discussed. The mechanism of the charge carrier is discussed as a tunneling model in the temperature range from 300 to 360 K. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 98: 936–943, 2005     

Crosslinking of ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) by buckminsterfullerene

An EPDM (ethylene-propylene-ethylidene norbornene terpolymer) rubber has been dissolved in o-dichlorobenzene with 1 phr of C₆₀. When cast onto a glass slide and dried, an insoluble film exhibiting reversible elasticity forms. Received: 10 December 1996/Revised: 13 January 1997/Accepted: 17 January 1997     

Coordinated tuning of power system stabilizers in multimachine power systems

In this paper a new approach to simultaneously tuning the power system stabilizer (PSS) settings in a multimachine electric utility system is presented. The approach is based on eigenvalue assignment, which is treated as a problem of solving a set of non-linear equations. The possibility of meeting additional specified performance criteria is discussed. The flexibility of the proposed method is demonstrated using an operating utility system.     

Radon emanation from radium specific adsorbents

Pilot studies were undertaken to quantify the total activity of radon that is eluted following no-flow periods from several Ra-226 adsorbents loaded to near exhaustion. The adsorbents studied included two types of barium sulphate impregnated alumina (ABA-8000 and F-1) and Dowex MSC-1 resin treated by either barium hydroxide or barium chloride. In parallel, radium loaded plain activated aluminas and Dowex MSC-1 resin were similarly investigated. The results revealed that radon was quantitatively eluted during the first few bed volumes of column operation after no-flow periods. Although similar radon elution profiles were obtained, the position of the radon peak was found to vary and depended on the adsorbent type. Radon levels up to 24 and 14 kBq dm⁻³ were measured after a rest period of 72 h from radium exhausted Dowex MSC-1 treated with barium chloride and F-1 impregnated alumina with barium sulphate, respectively. The eluted radon values measured experimentally were compared to those calculated theoretically from accumulated radium quantities for the different media. For plain adsorbents, an agreement better than 10% was obtained. For treated resin-types a consistency within 30% but for impregnated alumina-types high discrepancy between respective values were obtained.     

Morphological,mechanical, and rheological studies of PVC/ABS blends in the presence of maleic anhydride

A novel method of enhancing compatibility in PVC/ABS blends is the use of ABS‐grafted‐(maleic anhydride) (ABS‐g‐MAH) as a compatibilizer. In this study, maleic anhydride was grafted onto ABS (initiated by peroxide) in an internal mixer. Grafting degree was determined by a back‐titration method, and certain amounts of the resultant ABS‐g‐MAH were added to PVC/ABS blends during their melt blending in the mixer. The weight ratio of PVC to ABS was kept at 70:30. Evaluation of compatibilization was accomplished via tensile and notched Izod impact tests, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and rheological studies. According to the SEM micrographs, better dispersion of the rubber phase and its finer size in properly compatibilized blends were indications of better compatibility. Besides, in the presence of a proper amount [5 parts per hundred parts of PVC (php)] of ABS‐g‐MAH, PVC/ABS blends showed significantly higher impact strengths than uncompatibilized blends. This result, in turn, would be an indication of better compatibility. In the presence of 5 php of compatibilizer, the higher complex viscosity and storage modulus, as well as a lower loss modulus and loss factor in the range of frequency studied, indicated stronger interfacial adhesion as a result of interaction between maleic anhydride and the PVC‐SAN matrix. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers     

Characteristics of low-level smokers.

Average daily cigarette consumption has decreased, and some evidence suggests that the rate of "some day" smoking has increased; however, relatively little is known about low-level smokers. The present analysis describes and compares low-level versus heavier smokers, using cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Data from the Community Intervention Trial for Smoking Cessation (COMMIT) were used in this analysis. Population-based cross-sectional tobacco use telephone surveys were performed in 22 North American communities in 1988 and 1993, and the prevalence and characteristics of low-level smoking and reasons for quitting are reported from the 1993 prevalence survey. In addition, a cohort of 6,603 smokers was identified in 1988 and interviewed again in 1993 and 2001 to assess patterns of low-level smoking over time and its association with smoking cessation. In 1988, 7.6% were low-level smokers; in 1993, 10.7% were low-level smokers. Compared with heavier smokers, low-level smokers were more likely to be female, older, not married, Black or Hispanic; to have a 4-year college degree; to have no other adult smokers in the household; and to wait longer in the day to have their first cigarette. Low-level smokers also were less likely to report trying to quit because of the expense of smoking or physician advice to quit. They were more likely to try to quit because of trying to set a good example; concern for second-hand smoke; and factors such as bad breath, smell, or the taste of smoking. Those who smoked full-priced premium brands and who worked in a completely smoke-free worksite were more likely to be low-level smokers. Compared with heavier smokers, low-level smokers had similar rates of making a future quit attempt, lower use rates of nicotine replacement therapy, and higher cessation rates. Low-level smokers may be a growing segment of the smoker population and have different characteristics, health risks, and intervention needs compared with their heavier smoking counterparts.