HALL EFFECTS ON UNSTEADY FLOW DUE TO NON-COAXIALLY ROTATING DISK AND A FLUID AT INFINITY

An investigation is made on the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flow caused by the non-coaxial rotation of a disk and a fluid at infinity being permeated by a transverse magnetic field. The disk is porous and nonconducting and executes oscillations in its own plane. The Laplace transform method is used to obtain the exact solution of the velocity field. The structure of the steady and unsteady flow fields is investigated. It is shown that the ultimate steady-state blowing solution is established in the presence of Hall current also for resonant frequency, which was not possible in the hydrodynamic case. The combined effects of Hall current, rotation, and suction or blowing are examined. The physical significance of mathematical results is given with various limiting cases.     

Superior Tribological Properties of Particulate Aluminum Matrix Nano Composites

Aluminum is the best metal for producing metal matrix composites which are known as one of the most useful and high-tech composites in our world. Combining aluminum and nano Al₂O₃ particles will yield a material with high mechanical properties. Characterization of tribological properties revealed that the presence of nano particles significantly increased wear resistance of the composite. In case of unreinforced Al alloy, the depth of penetration is governed by the hardness of the specimen surface and applied load. But, in case of Al matrix composite, the depth of penetration of the harder asperities of hardened steel disk is primarily governed by the protruded hard ceramic reinforcement. The hard Al₂O₃ particles act as a protrusion over the matrix, carries a major portion of the applied load and protect the abrasives from penetration into the specimen surface.     

Development of High Strength and Toughness Non-Heated Al–Mg–Si Alloys for High-Pressure Die-Casting

Based on the 3 factors and 3 levels orthogonal experiment method, compositional effects of Mg, Si, and Ti addition on the microstructures, tensile properties, and fracture behaviors of the high-pressure die-casting Al-x Mg-y Si-z Ti alloys have been investigated. The analysis of variance shows that both Mg and Si apparently infl uence the tensile properties of the alloys, while Ti does not. The tensile mechanical properties are comprehensively infl uenced by the amount of eutectic phase(α-Al + Mg_2Si), the average grain size, and the content of Mg dissolved into α-Al matrix. The optimized alloy is Al-7.49 Mg-3.08 Si-0.01 Ti(wt%), which exhibits tensile yield strength of 219 MPa, ultimate tensile strength of 401 MPa, and elongation of 10.5%. Furthermore, contour maps, showing the relationship among compositions, microstructure characteristics, and the tensile properties are constructed, which provide guidelines for developing high strength and toughness Al–Mg–Si–Ti alloys for high-pressure die-casting.     

A genetic programming model for bankruptcy prediction: Empirical evidence from Iran

Prediction of corporate bankruptcy is a phenomenon of increasing interest to investors/creditors, borrowing firms, and governments alike. Timely identification of firms’ impending failure is indeed desirable. By this time, several methods have been used for predicting bankruptcy but some of them suffer from underlying shortcomings. In recent years, Genetic Programming (GP) has reached great attention in academic and empirical fields for efficient solving high complex problems. GP is a technique for programming computers by means of natural selection. It is a variant of the genetic algorithm, which is based on the concept of adaptive survival in natural organisms. In this study, we investigated application of GP for bankruptcy prediction modeling. GP was applied to classify 144 bankrupt and non-bankrupt Iranian firms listed in Tehran stock exchange (TSE). Then a multiple discriminant analysis (MDA) was used to benchmarking GP model. Genetic model achieved 94% and 90% accuracy rates in training and holdout samples, respectively; while MDA model achieved only 77% and 73% accuracy rates in training and holdout samples, respectively. McNemar test showed that GP approach outperforms MDA to the problem of corporate bankruptcy prediction.     

CFD and artificial neural network modeling of two-phase flow pressure drop

A large number of experiments in a 2 cm diameter and 6 m length tube were carried out in order to study the two-phase flow regimes and pressure drops in it. The two-phase flow in the experimental tube was modeled using commercial CFD code, Fluent 6.2. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) with three inputs including gas and liquid velocities and tube slope was designed and trained to predict average pressure drop across the tube. The comparison between CFD and ANN predictions of pressure drops with experimental measurements shows that the CFD results are more accurate than the ANN evaluations for new conditions.     

Removal of mercaptans from a gas stream using continuous adsorption-regeneration

The removal of the mercaptan, 1-methyl-1-propanethiol, from aqueous solutions using a non-porous, electrically conducting carbon-based adsorbent (Nyex 1000) was investigated. The adsorption process was found to be rapid (equilibrium capacity achieved within 5 minutes) with low adsorptive capacity (of the order of 0.4 mg g(-1)) when compared with activated carbon. Electrochemical regeneration of the Nyex 1000 in a simple divided electrochemical cell within a sequential batch treatment unit restored 100% of the adsorbent's adsorptive capacity using treatment times as low as 20 minutes by passing a current of 0.5 A. The sorptive characteristics of a Nyex-water slurry were also modelled and investigated both in a bubble column and in a continuous adsorption-regeneration treatment system. It was demonstrated that the continuous removal-destruction system could achieve a step reduction in challenge gas concentration of approximately 75% for a period of 35 minutes with a current of 5 Amps. This was attributed to mass transfer enhanced by a combination of adsorption and chemical reaction with free chlorine species generated in the electrochemical process.     

Prediction of the maximum spoutable height in spout-fluid beds

The development of the semi-theoretical correlation in Hadzisdmajlovic et al. (1983) for predicting the maximum spoutable height in a spout-fluid bed, is observed to involve certain discrepancies. Based on their experimental data, a new correlation is proposed.     

The role of geometry on the viscoelastic materials properties: tensile and stress relaxation of the yarn

The time-dependent mechanical behavior of textiles has particular importance. One of such behaviors is stress relaxation. When strain is applied constantly, there is a decreased stress with time in viscoelastic materials, which is called stress relaxation. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of knot’s geometry (surgeon, square and eight) and the number of knots on the tensile and stress relaxation properties of the polyester yarn. Significant differences were observed for the tensile characteristics of the yarn in the presence of the knot. Generally, the knotted yarns demonstrated lower tensile stress and strain at failure. Moreover, the results revealed that the stress relaxation behavior of the yarn is affected by the number of knots and their geometry. The yarn without knot exhibited the highest stress relaxation percent while the yarn with the surgeon’s knot displayed the least stress relaxation percent. On the other hand, increasing the number of knots led to a decrease in the percentage of yarn stress relaxation.