A novel method for binarization of scene text images and its application in text identification

Pattern Analysis and Applications - The aim of this article is twofold. First, we propose an effective methodology for binarization of scene images. For our present study, we use the publicly...     

Improved giant dielectric properties in microwave flash combustion derived and microwave sintered CaCu 3 Ti 4 O 12 ceramics

The nanocrystals of CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramic were prepared by microwave flash combustion technique. The microwave sintering of powders was optimized to 1025 − 1075 °C for 20 min with heating and cooling rate of 50 °C/min. Microstructural evaluation of sintered sample was carried out using SEM. The dielectric properties were measured in the frequency range 10–2 × 106 Hz and the temperature range 30–100 °C. The CCTO sample sintered at 1075 °C had giant dielectric constant 53,300 at 100 Hz. It was observed that dielectric constant was greatly increased on a slight increase in sintering temperature. Modulus and impedance analysis were performed to explore the observed unusual dielectric response. Grain and grain boundary resistance were observed as 8 Ω and 350,000 Ω, respectively. The grain boundary activation energy for electro-conduction was calculated as 0.65 eV by using the characteristic frequencies in cole-cole plots. It was noticed that the thermally activated charge carriers had long-range mobility.     

Bilinear Coffin–Manson Relationship in Thin Sheets of Interstitial-Free Steel

Bilinear Coffin–Manson (C-M) as well as cyclic stress–strain (CSS) relationship is observed during low-cycle fatigue study (strain amplitude ?ε _t/2 = 0.0015 to 0.004) of an interstitial-free (IF) steel sheet unlike some of the earlier reports. In this work, an attempt has been made to correlate the observed bilinearity with the evolution of dislocation substructure and the nature of cyclic strain hardening in the selected steel. To achieve this goal, some of the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests were interrupted after the elapse of 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50 pct of fatigue life, and the microstructures at various stages were examined using TEM. Cyclic hardening at low-strain amplitudes (?ε _t/2 ≤ 0.0020) is predominantly due to dislocation–dislocation and dislocation–precipitation interaction. On the other hand, at high-strain amplitudes (?ε _t/2 > 0.0020), subgrains start forming much earlier in fatigue life, and there is an additional contribution of subgrains toward the total hardening. The above phenomenon leads to a difference in the values of cyclic strain-hardening exponents, e.g., 0.24 at low (?ε _t/2 ≤ 0.0020) and 0.45 at high ?ε _t/2, respectively. The above difference is reflected in the bilinear C-M plot around the transition ?ε _t/2 of 0.0020 as also observed in the CSS plot.     

Rapid removal of lead(II) ions from water using iron oxide–tea waste nanocomposite – a kinetic study

Lead (Pb) ions are a major concern to the environment and human health as they are contemplated cumulative poisons. In this study, facile synthesis of magnetic iron oxide–tea waste nanocomposite is reported for adsorptive removal of lead ions from aqueous solutions and easy magnetic separation of the adsorbent afterwards. The samples were characterised by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and Braunner–Emmet–Teller nitrogen adsorption study. Adsorptive removal of Pb(II) ions from aqueous solution was followed by ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectrophotometry. About 95% Pb(II) ion removal is achieved with the magnetic tea waste within 10 min. A coefficient of regression R ²  ≃ 0.99 and adsorption density of 18.83 mg g⁻¹ was found when Pb(II) ions were removed from aqueous solution using magnetic tea waste. The removal of Pb(II) ions follows the pseudo‐second‐order rate kinetics. External mass transfer principally regulates the rate‐limiting phenomena of adsorption of Pb(II) ions on iron oxide–tea waste surface. The results strongly imply that magnetic tea waste has promising potential as an economic and excellent adsorbent for the removal of Pb(II) from water.Inspec keywords: visible spectra, scanning electron microscopy, mass transfer, ultraviolet spectra, X‐ray diffraction, nanocomposites, lead, adsorption, magnetic separation, iron compounds, nanofabrication, Fourier transform infrared spectraOther keywords: FeO, Pb, time 10.0 min, X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transform‐infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, adsorbent, magnetic separation, rapid removal, Braunner–Emmet–Teller nitrogen adsorption, iron oxide–tea waste surface, magnetic tea waste, aqueous solution, adsorptive removal, magnetic iron oxide–tea waste nanocomposite, lead(II) ions     

Kinetics of extraction of Ti(IV) from SO42– medium by Cyanex 301 dissolved in kerosene containing 5% heptan-1-ol

The kinetics of Ti(IV) extraction by Cyanex 301 (HA) were investigated by measuring initial flux of Ti(IV) transfer (F, kmol/m²s), using a Lewis cell, operated at 3 Hz. The empirical flux equation at 298 K is found to be as follows: F (kmol/m²s) = 10^–4.288 [Ti(IV)] (1 + 447 [H⁺])^–1 [HA]_(o) (1 + 1.18[SO₄^2–])^–1. The activation energy, E_a, has been measured to be within 37–60 kJ/mol, depending on experimental parameters and temperature region. The ΔS^± value is always highly negative. Analysis of the flux equation has been done, given various parametric conditions, to elucidate the mechanism of extraction. The rate-determining chemical reaction step, in most parametric conditions, appears to be as follows: TiO²⁺ + A^– → TiOA⁺; and this step occurs via an S_N2 mechanism as suggested by high negative ΔS^± values. However, in certain cases, the extraction process appears as intermediate controlled as supported by E_a value of less than ~48 kJ/mol.     

Annular punch on an elastic layer overlying an elastic foundation

The problem solved here is the axisymmetric mixed boundary value problem of the isotropic homogeneous theory of elasticity, in which the normal displacement is specified inside an annular area $\text{a ≤ r ≤ b}$, the normal stress is zero in $\text{r < a, r \# b}$ and the shearing stress is zero on the whole face $\text{z = ?h}$, the upper face of the elastic layer; the continuity of the normal and radial displacements and the normal and shearing stresses is assumed at the interface $\text{z = 0}$ between the elastic layer and the elastic foundation having different elastic constants. The problem is reduced to the solution of a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. The Fredholm integral equation is further put in terms of four simultaneous Fredholm integral equations of the second kind in four unknown functions. The iterative solution of these integral equations has been obtained for $\text{epsi = b/h ? 1}$, and $\text{λ = a/b ? 1}$ for the case of an annular cylindrical punch. The expressions for the normal stress $\text{σ}{}_{\mathrm{zz}}\text{(r, ?h)}$ for $\text{a ≤ r ≤ b}$ and the total load $\text{P}$ on the punch have been obtained.     

Dynamic participation of doubly fed induction generator in automatic generation control

Increasing levels of wind generation have resulted in an urgent need for the assessment of their impact on frequency control of power systems. The displacement of conventional generation with wind generation will result in erosion of system frequency. The paper analyzed the dynamic participation of doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) to system frequency responses of two-area interconnected power system having variety of conventional generating units. Frequency control support function responding proportionally to frequency deviation is proposed to take out the kinetic energy of turbine blades in order to improve the frequency response of the system. Impacts of different wind penetrations in the system and varying active power support from wind farm on frequency control have been investigated. Integral gains of AGC loop are optimized through craziness-based particle swarm optimization (CRPSO) in order to have optimal transient responses of area frequencies, tie-line power deviation and DFIG parameters.