Estimation of critical dimensions for a trapezoidal-shaped steel fin using hybrid differential evolution algorithm

This paper deals with the inverse prediction of parameters in a trapezoidal fin with temperature-dependent thermal conductivity and heat transfer coefficient. Three critical dimensions along with the relevant heat transfer coefficient at the fin base have been simultaneously predicted for satisfying a given temperature distribution on the surface of the trapezoidal fin. The inverse problem is solved by a hybrid differential evolution-nonlinear programming (DE-NLP) optimization method. For a given fin material which is considered to be stainless steel, it is found from the present study that many feasible dimensions exist which satisfy a given temperature distribution, thereby providing flexibility in selecting any dimensions from the available alternatives by appropriately regulating the base heat transfer coefficient. A very good estimation of the unknown parameters has been obtained even for temperature distribution involving random measurement errors which is confirmed by the comparisons of the reconstructed distributions. It is concluded that for a given fin material, the hybrid DE-NLP algorithm satisfactorily estimates feasible dimensions of a trapezoidal fin even with random measurement error of 11 %.

     

Operational efficiency of novel SISO shift register under thermal randomness in quantum-dot cellular automata design

Microsystem Technologies - For nano scale logic circuit, device area and power consumption are the major concerns. In this paper, the design of an optimized SISO shift register is explored based on...     

Reversible binary subtractor design using quantum dot-cellular automata

In the field of nanotechnology, quantum dot-cellular automata (QCA) is the promising archetype that can provide an alternative solution to conventional complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuit. QCA has high device density, high operating speed, and extremely low power consumption. Reversible logic has widespread applications in QCA. Researchers have explored several designs of QCA-based reversible logic circuits, but still not much work has been reported on QCA-based reversible binary subtractors. The low power dissipation and high circuit density of QCA pledge the energy-efficient design of logic circuit at a nano-scale level. However, the necessity of too many logic gates and detrimental garbage outputs may limit the functionality of a QCA-based logic circuit. In this paper we describe the design and implementation of a DG gate in QCA. The universal nature of the DG gate has been established. The QCA building block of the DG gate is used to achieve new reversible binary subtractors. The proposed reversible subtractors have low quantum cost and garbage outputs compared to the existing reversible subtractors. The proposed circuits are designed and simulated using QCA Designer-2.0.3.     

IE2M: Design of intellectual energy efficient multicast routing protocol for ad-hoc network

In this paper, an intellectual energy efficient multicast routing protocol is proposed. It achieves enhanced performance over On-Demand Multicast Routing Protocol (ODMRP). The proposed protocol finds energy efficient multicast routes from source node to a group of receivers. Multicast mesh creation involves two phases: a Join Query (J-Q) phase and a Join Reply (J-R) phase. The J-Q phase initiates a route discovery process to find routes of the multicast group. In J-R phase, different routes of the multicast groups are set up. In the proposed protocol, we modify ODMRP and introduce fuzzy inference system to deal with imprecise and partial information during the route discovery phase. The decision maker uses two fuzzy variables such as energy and distance for evaluating reward as an output parameter of each multicast route. This output parameter helps to distinguish different multicast route and it also helps to reduce the effect of mutual interference between routes. The proposed protocol is simulated using the NS-2 simulator. The performance of the proposed protocol is compared with existing multicast routing protocols, and results outperform existing protocols in terms of several network metrics.     

Downscaling Monsoon Rainfall over River Godavari Basin under Different Climate-Change Scenarios

Evaluating the impact of climate change at river basin level has become essential for proper management of the water resources. In the present study, Godavari River basin in India is taken as study area to project the monthly monsoon precipitation using statistical downscaling. The downscaling method used is a regression based downscaling termed as fuzzy clustering with multiple regression. Among the atmospheric variables simulated by global circulation/climate model (GCM) mean sea level pressure, specific humidity and 500 hPa geopotential height are used as predictors. 1^o × 1^o gridded rainfall data over Godavari river basin are collected from India Meteorological Department (IMD). A statistical relationship is established between the predictors and predictand (monsoon rainfall) to project the monsoon rainfall for the future using the Canadian Earth System Model (CanESM2) over IMD grid points under the Representative Concentration Pathways 2.6, 4.5 and 8.5 (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 8.5) scenarios of Fifth Coupled Model Inter-Comparison Project (CMIP 5). Downscaling procedure is applied to all 25 IMD grid points over the basin to find out the spatial distribution of monsoon rainfall for the future scenarios. For 2.6 and 4.5 scenarios results show an increasing trend. For scenario 8.5 rainfall showed a mixed trend with rainfall decreasing in the first thirty years of prediction and then increasing gradually over the next sixty years.     

The Effects of Concentration, Relative Permittivity and Temperature on the Transport Properties of Sodium Polystyrenesulphonate in Methanol–Water Mixed Solvent Media

Precise measurements on the electrical conductivity of solutions of sodium polystyrenesulphonate in methanol–water mixed solvent media containing 8, 16, 25, and 34 wt.% of methanol at 308.15, 313.15, 318.15, and 323.15 K are reported. The degree of substitution of sodium polystyrenesulphonate used was 1, and the concentrations were varied from ∼2.0 × 10⁻⁴ to ∼4.0 × 10⁻³ monomol l⁻¹. The results showed a slight and monotonous increase in the equivalent conductivity with decreasing polyelectrolyte concentration. The applicability of the Manning’s theory for salt-free polyelectrolyte solution was examined and a major discrepancy against the theory was observed. The calculated values of the equivalent conductivity deduced on the basis of this theory were found to be lower than the experimental ones. Possible reasons for this discrepancy have been discussed. The effects of the temperature and relative permittivity of the medium on the equivalent conductivity were also investigated. Estimation of the fractions of uncondensed counterions provides important insight regarding the solution behavior of the polyelectrolyte in methanol–water mixtures.     

Electrochemical determination of the standard Gibbs free energy change of the graphite-Oxygen reactions

A calcia doped zirconia solid oxide electrolyte galvanic cell was investigated in the temperature range of 700–950°C to directly and more accurately measure the standard Gibbs free energy change of the following reactions: $\text{CO(g) +}\text{1}\text{2}\text{O}{}_2\text{(g) = CO}{}_2\text{(g)}$C_(graphite) + CO₂(g) = 2 CO(g). The results obtained in the present investigation are well within the scatter band of the calorimetric and spectroscopic data.     

Electrochemical studies of magnetite coating on carbon steel in ascorbic and picolinic acid

Electrochemical impedance and cyclic voltammetric measurements of magnetite coating formed on carbon steel substrates were carried out in deaerated solutions of 1.0 × 10^–2 M ascorbic acid and 3.5 × 10^–2 M picolinic acid at 28 °C. Impedance data showed that the interaction between magnetite and ascorbic acid is associated with an incubation period, after which reductive dissolution takes place accompanied by oxidation of ascorbic acid. Once the magnetite film loses its thickness and protective properties on prolonged exposure to ascorbic acid, the charge transfer resistance and the capacitance is reduced. Initial dissolution of magnetite in picolinic acid is due to congruent chemical dissolution with little contribution from reduction by the electrons arising from the corrosive attack of acid on the carbon steel. With time the contribution of the latter process increases as more and more of the substrate opens up. Cyclic voltammetric studies showed that there is an adsorption phenomenon leading to the formation of a surface ferric complex that undergoes reduction to the ferrous species and transfers to the bulk solution. The accumulation of the ferrous ion accelerates the dissolution resulting in an increase in current. Dissolution of magnetite in picolinic acid is slow. The better complexing capability of picolinic acid compared to ascorbic acid does not permit the accumulation of the ferrous ion as indicated by the absence of a peak in the voltammogram.     

Standard potentials of the silver/silver-iodide electrode in aqueous mixtures of ethylene glycol at different temperatures and the thermodynamics of transfer of hydrogen halides from water to glycolic media

The standard potentials (E°) of the silver/silver-iodide electrode in aqueous mixtures of ethylene glycol (containing 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 wt-% glycol) have been determined from emf measurements of the cell Pt, H₂(g, 1 atm)/HOAc(m₁), NaOAc(m₂), Kl(m₃), solvent/AgI/Ag at nine temperatures ranging from 5 to 45°C. These E° values have been utilized to compute free energy (Δt_t°), entropy (ΔS_t°) and enthalpy (ΔH_t°) changes accompanying the transfer of HI from water to each of the solvents. These values as well as those for HCl and HBr and obtained earlier have also been utilized to evaluate ΔS_t°(i) for individual ions by a method of ‘simultaneous extrapolation,’ which in turn furnished the values of ΔH_t°(i) for these ions. These quantities and also the ‘chemical’ contributions for the halide ions as obtained by subtracting the ‘electrostatic’ contribution computed with the Born equation, have been examined in the light of ion—solvent interactions as well as the structural changes of the solvents. The observed results conform with what is expected from the competitive effects of the preferential solvating capacities of water towards halide ions and that of other solvents towards hydrogen ions, and also of the effects arising from the structural changes of the solvents that are likely to occur in the over-all transfer process.     

Reinforcing effect of silica on the properties of styrene butadiene rubber–reclaim rubber blend system

Incorporation of silica into styrene butadiene rubber (SBR)–reclaim rubber (RR) blend system was carried out by sol–gel technique and conventional method. A well known silica coupling agent bis(3‐triethoxysilyl propyl) tetrasulfide was found to affect the curing characteristics and mechanical properties of SBR/RR vulcanizate. Here, the effect of RR on silica reinforcement was studied for different SBR/RR blend system. Silica incorporation by conventional mechanical mixing in absence of TESPT showed a much higher tensile properties than that of silica incorporated by the in situ sol–gel reaction of tetraethoxy silane both in presence and absence of TESPT. Studies of equilibrium swelling in a hydrocarbon solvent were also carried out. ATR study indicates that RR forms bond with silica particles due to the presence of active functional site on RR. The amount of silica incorporated by sol–gel reaction was determined through thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies further indicate the coherency and homogeneity in the silica filled SBR/RR vulcanizate. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 957–968, 2006