Performance and exhaust emissions of a biodiesel engine

In this study, the applicabilities of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) have been investigated for the performance and exhaust-emission values of a diesel engine fueled with biodiesels from different feedstocks and petroleum diesel fuels. The engine performance and emissions characteristics of two different petroleum diesel-fuels (No. 1 and No. 2), biodiesels (from soybean oil and yellow grease), and their 20% blends with No. 2 diesel fuel were used as experimental results. The fuels were tested at full load (100%) at 1400-rpm engine speed, where the engine torque was 257.6 Nm. To train the network, the average molecular weight, net heat of combustion, specific gravity, kinematic viscosity, C/H ratio and cetane number of each fuel are used as the input layer, while outputs are the brake specific fuel-consumption, exhaust temperature, and exhaust emissions. The back-propagation learning algorithm with three different variants, single layer, and logistic sigmoid transfer function were used in the network. By using weights in the network, formulations have been given for each output. The network has yielded R² values of 0.99 and the mean % errors are smaller than 4.2 for the training data, while the R² values are about 0.99 and the mean % errors are smaller than 5.5 for the test data. The performance and exhaust emissions from a diesel engine, using biodiesel blends with No. 2 diesel fuel up to 20%, have been predicted using the ANN model.     

An Analysis of the Curling Phenomenon in Viscoelastic Bimaterial Strips

A mathematical analysis is performed to obtain relations for the radius of curvature and flexural moments for initially stretched bimaterial strips in which at least one of the materials exhibits viscoelastic behavior. One practical application of this analysis is for pressure sensitive tapes. Consequently, the radius of curvature and flexural moment relations are obtained as functions of backing and adhesive thicknesses and moduli for typical pressure sensitive tapes. The analysis shows that the flexural moment decreases as the backing thickness and/or backing modulus increase. Furthermore, the flexural moment decreases as the adhesive thickness and/or adhesive modulus decreases.     

The impact of electricity market liberalization in Turkey: “Free consumer” and distributional monopoly cases

Electricity sector has grown substantially in Turkey since the early 1960s as a result of rapid industrialization and urbanization. The vertically integrated state-owned company had a legally established monopoly on the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity in Turkey. With the support and encouragement of international organizations like the World Bank, Turkey has initiated a comprehensive program to liberalize and privatize the electricity market in 2001. The liberalization of the electricity market in Turkey started in the distribution side of the market. The distribution network was divided into 21 distribution regions and in each of these, separate – initially state-owned – distribution companies have been authorized to distribute and sell electricity. The plan envisaged to complete privatization of all distribution companies until the end of 2006. This study compares the welfare implication of privatization of the distribution networks by comparing two extreme cases, a pure regional distributional monopoly case and a representative pure “free” consumer case, with a benchmark case of administered price regulation. For this purpose, we develop a simulation model of the Turkish electricity system, and use the data on generation and distribution costs. Our simulation analysis shows that substantial welfare losses occur if the distributional companies behave as regional monopolists. Our findings reiterate the importance of regulation and market design.     

Broadcast analysis and prediction in the HF band

A comparative study of the commonly used methods for the prediction of the coverage area due to a transmitter operating in the HF band is presented. Those statistical model based tools are: ITU Rec. 533, Ionospheric Communication Analysis and Prediction Program; IONCAP, Voice of America's VOACAP and Ionospheric Communication Enhanced Profile Analysis and Circuit Prediction Program; ICEPAC. The received signal due to a typical transmitter located at Cricklade, England, operating around 7.9-19.1 MHz (HF band I) is computed as a function of frequency, time and the sunspot number. The ray tracing method calculates the virtual height, the calculated results are compared with the experimental data and the discrepancies are examined     

Stationary deterministic flows in discrete systems 1

We consider a deterministic system whose state space is the n-dimensional first orthant. It may be considered as a network of (deterministic) queues, a Karp-Miller vector addition system, a Petri net, a complex computer system, etc. Weak assumptions are then made concerning the asymptotic or limiting behaviour of the instants at which events are observed across a cut in the system: these instants may be considered as ‘arrival’ or ‘departure’ instants. Thus, like in operational analysis, we deal with deterministic and observable properties and we need no stochastic assumptions or restrictions (such as independence, identical distributions, etc.). We consider however asymptotic or stationary properties, as in conventional queuing analysis. Under our assumptions a set of standard theorems are proved: concerning arrival and departure instant measures, concerning ‘birth and death’ type equations, and concerning Little's formula. Our intention is to set the framework for a new approach to performance modelling of computer systems in a context close to that used in actual measurements, but taking into account infinite time behaviour in order to take advantage of the useful mathematical properties of asymptotic results.     

Structural and ionization effects on the adsorption behaviors of some anilinic compounds from aqueous solution onto high-area carbon-cloth

The adsorption of anilinic compounds; aniline, p-toluidine, 1-napthylamine and sodium salt of diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid from solutions in H₂O, in 1 M H₂SO₄ or in 0.1 M NaOH onto activated carbon-cloth was studied by in situ UV spectroscopy. A specially designed adsorption cell was used for this purpose. The adsorption processes were found to follow first-order kinetics and the rate constants were determined. The pH at the point of zero charge of the carbon-cloth surface was measured as 7.4. The highest rates and extents of adsorption were observed from H₂O solutions for aniline, p-toluidine and 1-napthylamine and from solution in 1 M H₂SO₄ for the sodium salt of diphenylamine-4-sulfonic acid. The adsorption behaviors of these four anilinic compounds in the three solutions (in H₂O, in 0.1 M NaOH and in 1 M H₂SO₄) were explained in terms of electrostatic and dispersion interactions between carbon-cloth surface and the anilinic species. The adsorption isotherm data for the anilinic compounds were derived at 30 °C and treated according to Langmuir and Freundlich models. The Freundlich model was found to represent the experimental isotherm data better than Langmuir model.     

Adsorption behaviors of some phenolic compounds onto high specific area activated carbon cloth

Adsorption of phenol, hydroquinone, m-cresol, p-cresol and p-nitrophenol from aqueous solutions onto high specific area activated carbon cloth has been studied. The effect of ionization on adsorption of these ionizable phenolic compounds was examined by studying the adsorption from acidic, basic and natural pH solutions. Kinetics of adsorption was followed by in situ UV spectroscopy over a period of 90 min. First-order rate law was found to be valid for the kinetics of adsorption processes and the rate constants were determined. The highest rate constants were obtained for the adsorption from solutions at the natural pH. The lowest rate constants were observed in basic solutions. The rate constants decreased in the order p-nitrophenol approximately m-cresol>p-cresol>hydroquinone approximately phenol. Adsorption isotherms were derived at 30 degrees C and the isotherm data were treated according to Langmuir, Freundlich and Tempkin isotherm equations. The goodness of fit of experimental data to these isotherm equations was tested and the parameters of equations were determined. The possible interactions of compounds with the carbon surface were discussed considering the charge of the surface and the possible ionization of compounds at acidic, basic and natural pH conditions.     

Dynamics of gravity dam-reservoir systems

The response of a long concrete gravity dam-reservoir system for a harmonic rigid base acceleration normal to the dam axis is investigated.The hydrodynamic pressure acting on the vertical wet surface of the dam is first evaluated in closed form as a function of the unknown deflections of the dam-reservoir interface and the ground acceleration. Employing finite element techniques, the motion of the dam is investigated. The hydrodynamic pressures enter the equation of motion of the dam as loadings in excess of the inertia load.In this approach, the general flexibility of the dam cross-section and the compressibility of water are taken into account. The viscosity of water and the effect of the surface waves are neglected.The coupling between the dam and the reservoir results in changes in the mass and stiffness properties of the dam which depend on the excitation frequency. For an excitation frequency greater than the fundamental frequency of the reservoir, the damping properties of the dam are also modified.     

Electronic transport in n- and p-type modulation-doped GaInNAs/GaAs quantum wells

We present electronic transport in n- and p-type modulation-doped GaInNAs/GaAs quantum well structures. The Hall mobility of electrons in the n-type material decreases dramatically with increasing nitrogen composition. The mobility of 2D holes in p-modulation-doped quantum wells is significantly higher than that of 2D electrons in n-modulation-doped material with similar nitrogen concentration. The mobility of 2D electrons is discussed using a S-matrix model for N-related alloy scattering. The results indicate that the electron mobility is intrinsically limited by scattering from nitrogen complexes. The high mobility of 2D holes is explained in terms of negligible effect of nitrogen on valance band and the absence of scattering with localized nitrogen complexes.     

Temperature-Dependent Phase Behaviors in Cylinder-Forming Block Copolymers

We demonstrate that the temperature-dependent phase behaviors of parallel and perpendicular cylinder-forming block copolymers are governed by domain-domain segregation forces inherently present in block copolymer material itself. With increasing temperature, a parallel cylinder-forming block copolymer experienced a parallel cylinder straightening process before the order-disorder transition (ODT) and did not show long-range composition fluctuations near the ODT temperature due to the weak segregation forces between the block domains. A perpendicular cylinder-forming block copolymer with a strong segregation force between the block domains displayed cylinder orientation transition from perpendicular to parallel below the ODT temperature. On the other hand, a perpendicular cylinder-forming block copolymer material with an exceptionally strong segregation force between the block domains maintained its initial perpendicular cylinder orientation up to near the ODT temperature. In both cases of perpendicular cylinder-forming block copolymers, submicrometer-scale long-range composition fluctuations were observed well above the ODT temperature due to their intrinsically strong segregation forces between the block domains.