A Stream Water Availability Model of Upper Indus Basin Based on a Topologic Model and Global Climatic Datasets

Integrated water resources management at river basin scales and evaluation of effects of climate change on regional water resources require quantitative estimates of space-time variability of monthly discharges within a river network. This study demonstrates that such estimates, which can be called stream water availability, for regional river basins with meager or nonexistent gauge data, can be obtained by combining continuity models of hydrological processes, flow routing, and topology of the river basin. The hydrologic processes can be adequately modeled using high quality databases of hydrologic significance. A stream water availability model is presented for Upper Indus Basin (UIB) utilizing the most up-to-date datasets for topography, temperature, precipitation, net radiation, land cover, soil type, and digital atlas. Multiple datasets have been evaluated and the ones with best accuracy and temporal coverage have been selected for the final model. Upper Indus River and its major tributaries are highly significant in regional water resources management and geopolitics. However, UIB is a poorly studied and largely ungauged river basin with an area of 265,598 km² and extremely rugged topography. Several factors, the chief ones being the challenging terrain and the trans-boundary nature of the basin, have contributed to this knowledge gap. Hydro-climatologically it is a complex basin with a significant cryospheric component. The spatial and temporal variation of the principal climatic variables, namely precipitation, net radiation, and temperature has been thoroughly accounted for in the development of a stream water availability model based on a process model coupled with a topologic model and a linear reservoir model of river flow routing. Model calculations indicate that there are essentially two hydrologic regimes in UIB. The regime that is truly significant in contributing stream flows, originates from the UIB cryosphere containing outstanding glaciers and snowfields. The other regime, generated from wet precipitation and melt water from seasonal snow covers is insignificant due to high rates of infiltration and evaporation in the semi-desert environment prevailing at elevations below perennial snow and ice covers. In general, the modeled stream flow characteristics match with the sparse discharge measurements that are available. Flow in the Indus considerably increases at its confluence with Shyok River and further downstream where other tributaries form the north join the main stem. At or near the outlet of the basin stream flow can vary from less than 800 m³ s^− 1 in the winter and spring to nearly 8,000 m³ s^− 1 in the peak summer and can persist to over 1,500 m³ s^− 1 in the autumn. The importance of snow and glacial melt in Indus River discharge is apparent and any global or regional climate change affecting the equilibrium line elevation of the snow fields in the Karakoram will have a profound influence on the water availability in the Indus. Estimates are made for per capita water availability in Ladakh and Gilgit-Baltistan territories, controlled by India and Pakistan respectively. Geopolitical significance and climate change effects are discussed briefly.     

Convenient Synthesis of Mesoporous Aluminosilicates by Using Pre-heated Sodium Aluminosilicate Gel

Hydrothermally stable Al-MCM-48 with variety of Si/Al ratios and Al-MCM-41 with tunable pore sizes were successfully obtained from pre-heated aluminosilicate gel precursor. They showed the higher acid strength and hydrothermal stability comparing with conventional ones. Thus, this synthetic strategy offers a straightforward and convenient access to mesoporous aluminosilicates with zeolite-like acidity and stability.     

Synthesis of a novel imidazolium-based electrolytes and application for dye-sensitized solar cells

A series of new imidazolium-based oligomers with different length of a poly(ethylene glycol) moiety as a linker were synthesized and studied as electrolytes for dye-sensitized solar cell (DSSC). These oligomeric molecules are expected to have an intra- or inter-molecular hydrogen bonding interaction through its urethane and urea bonds. They can be used to prepare the liquid-type electrolytes for DSSC by dissolving them into conventional solvent system or to develop solvent-free electrolytes by incorporating an extra redox mediator and other functional materials together as additives. It was found that these oligomers could replace the cationic component of the conventional electrolytes and became the source of redox species when iodine is added. The photocurrent-voltage characteristics of DSSCs with the electrolytes containing these oligomers demonstrated that they can successfully replace the conventional ionic liquid-type electrolytes such as 1-methyl-3-propyl imidazolium iodide (PMII) in 3-methoxypropionitrile (MPN) if the length of the linker is optimized.     

Segregated targeting for multiple resource networks using decomposition algorithm

A generalized decomposition technique is presented for determining optimal resource usage in segregated targeting problems with single quality index (e.g., concentration, temperature, etc.) through pinch analysis. The latter problems are concerned with determining minimal resource requirements of process networks characterized by the existence of multiple zones, each consisting of a set of demands and using a unique external resource. However, all the zones share a common set of internal sources. The decomposition algorithm allows the problem to be decomposed into a sequence of subproblems, each of which can in turn be solved using any established graphical or algebraic targeting methodology to determine the minimum requirement of respective resource. This article presents a rigorous mathematical proof of the decomposition algorithm, and then demonstrates its potential applications with case studies on carbon‐constrained energy sector planning, interplant water integration, and emergy‐based multisector fuel allocation. © 2009 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2010     

Temperature-stable parallel-plate dielectric cell for broadband liquid impedance measurements

A liquid impedance cell for broadband impedance measurements up to 110 MHz is presented. The design incorporates temperature control and minimizes parasitic capacitance and inductance. The cell is simple to fabricate and uses chemically resistant materials, stainless steel, and Teflon. This dielectric cell can be used in a variety of liquid measurements, particularly those related to impedance measurements of biological objects in solution. Temperature control is illustrated in measurements of the permittivity of deionized water from 5 to 55 °C. Numerical fitting procedures employed on the relaxation curves indicate good agreement with previous studies on beta-lactoglobulin and hen lysozyme. Titration capability is demonstrated through dielectric titration of hen lysozyme and beta-lactoglobulin.     

MIMO model of an interacting series process for Robust MPC via System Identification

This paper discusses the empirical modeling using system identification technique with a focus on an interacting series process. The study is carried out experimentally using a gaseous pilot plant as the process, in which the dynamic of such a plant exhibits the typical dynamic of an interacting series process. Three practical approaches are investigated and their performances are evaluated. The models developed are also examined in real-time implementation of a linear model predictive control. The selected model is able to reproduce the main dynamic characteristics of the plant in open-loop and produces zero steady-state errors in closed-loop control system. Several issues concerning the identification process and the construction of a MIMO state space model for a series interacting process are deliberated.     

Wavelet Analysis of Signals in Agriculture and Food Quality Inspection

Food quality and safety have become the top priorities for agriculture and food processing industry due to the increasing consumer demand for high-quality healthy food. The food processing industry is currently focusing on using fast, precise, and nondestructive automated quality inspection techniques. Near-infrared spectroscopy, image processing, hyperspectral imaging, X-rays, and ultrasonic techniques have been researched and shown to have high potential for automated inspection. The biggest challenge in the automated inspection systems deals with signal pre-processing, denoising, feature extraction, and its re-synthesis for classification purposes. Several research studies have established that the technique of wavelet analysis can very well resolve these issues of signal processing in many systems used for quality inspection of agricultural and food products. The objective of this paper is to discuss the theory of wavelet analysis and review its application in signal processing and feature extraction for quality monitoring of agricultural and food products.     

Kinetics of thermolysis of some transition metal nitrate complexes with 1,6-diaminohexane ligand

Metal nitrate complexes of general formula [M(dah)(2)](NO(3))(2) (where M=Zn, Cu and Ni; dah=1,6-diaminohexane) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and gravimetric method. The thermal decomposition has been studied using thermogravimetry (TG). Simultaneous thermogravimetry-differential thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis (TG-DTG-DTA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were done in N(2) atmosphere. Isothermal TG of initial decomposition of all these complexes, have been carried out to evaluate the kinetics of early thermolysis. Both, model fitting and isoconversional method have been used for the evaluation of the kinetics of thermal decomposition. Model fitting method have given the single value of activation energy (E) whereas, isoconversional method yields a series of E-value, which vary with extent of conversion. Ignition of the complexes was measured to see the response towards rapid heating with varying amounts. The thermal stability of the complexes was found to be in the order as [Zn(dah)(2)](NO(3))(2)>[Cu(dah)(2)](NO(3))(2) approximately [Ni(dah)(2)](NO(3))(2).     

Sorption and transport of methanol in poly(ethylene terephthalate)

This paper reports the sorption and diffusion characteristics of methanol vapor in polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Amorphous PET, semicrystalline, biaxially oriented annealed and non-annealed samples have been studied for equilibrium sorption and kinetics of methanol. At activities of methanol less than 0.30, uptake shows Fickian kinetics and isotherm follows the Dual Mode model. Diffusion coefficients increase with penetrant concentration and are of the order of 10⁻¹⁰ cm²/s. Hysteresis during desorption and increase in solubility during resorption suggest methanol induced conditioning effects which may have detrimental effects on the barrier efficacy of PET. At activities greater than 0.30, swelling and relaxation effects occur and the isotherms show Flory-Huggins behavior for all three samples. Uptake follows two-stage kinetics fit by the Berens-Hopfenberg model. Greater polymer chain stability due to annealing reduces the extent of relaxation and improves the barrier efficacy over amorphous and non-annealed, oriented PET. For amorphous PET, at 80% activity and above, an induction time is observed which is absent in the semicrystalline films, suggesting strong relaxation effects in the amorphous phase of PET.