Recent Developments in Integrated Solar Combined Cycle Power Plants

Global concern for depleting fossil fuel reserves have been compelling for evolving power generation options using renewable energy sources. The solar energy happens to be a potential source for running the power plants among renewable energy sources. Integrated Solar Combined Cycle(ISCC) power plants have gained popularity among the thermal power plants. Traditional ISCC power plants use Direct Steam Generation(DSG) approach. However, with the DSG method, the ISCC plant’s overall thermal effici...     

Production and structural characterisation of dextran from an indigenous strain of Leuconostoc mesenteroides BA08 in Whey

In this work, the production of dextran was carried out in whey‐supplemented media using Leuconostoc mesenteroides BA08. Different growth and nutritional parameters were optimised to maximise the dextran production. Batch production in whey‐based media under optimised nutritional and growth conditions yielded a dextran concentration of 17.25 g/L. Structural analysis of the purified polymer by FT‐IR, 1D ¹H and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance methodology revealed that polymer was a linear dextran having 93% α‐(1→6) linkage in the main chain. The morphology of the dried dextran and dextran‐producing cells was also studied by scanning electron microscope which showed a granular and porous or weblike structure, respectively. The results obtained showed that the industrial whey supplemented with nutrients such as sucrose, yeast extract and K₂HPO₄ can serve as an ideal growth medium for dextran production. The optimised fermentation and nutritional parameters can be further scaled up to establish the potential for the commercial production of food‐grade dextran from whey as part of a novel cost‐effective and environment‐friendly approach.     

Mechanistic Modelling of the Catalytic Pyrolysis of Methylcyclohexane

A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism describing the thermal and catalytic cracking of methylcyclohexane over a 12CaO.7Al₂O₃ catalyst is presented. The model is based on balanced equations for both molecular and radical species describing an experimental fixed‐bed reactor system. The mechanistic model is based on overall first‐order decomposition kinetics, which satisfactorily describes experimental data. The simulated product distributions show a reasonably good agreement with the experimental results and confirm the hypothesis that the catalyst does not affect the pyrolysis mechanism and only increases the rate of the initiation steps.     

Data-driven handover optimization in small cell networks

Wireless Networks - Since the advent of 1G through 5G networks, telecommunication industry has gone through phenomenal transformation in the way we communicate, we work, and we socialize. In dense...     

Energy‐efficient data transmission technique for wireless sensor networks based on DSC and virtual MIMO

In a wireless sensor network (WSN), the data transmission technique based on the cooperative multiple‐input multiple‐output (CMIMO) scheme reduces the energy consumption of sensor nodes quite effectively by utilizing the space‐time block coding scheme. However, in networks with high node density, the scheme is ineffective due to the high degree of correlated data. Therefore, to enhance the energy efficiency in high node density WSNs, we implemented the distributed source coding (DSC) with the virtual multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) data transmission technique in the WSNs. The DSC‐MIMO first compresses redundant source data using the DSC and then sends it to a virtual MIMO link. The results reveal that, in the DSC‐MIMO scheme, energy consumption is lower than that in the CMIMO technique; it is also lower in the DSC single‐input single‐output (SISO) scheme, compared to that in the SISO technique at various code rates, compression rates, and training overhead factors. The results also indicate that the energy consumption per bit is directly proportional to the velocity and training overhead factor in all the energy saving schemes.     

Surface runoff estimation over heterogeneous foothills of Aravalli mountain using medium resolution remote sensing rainfall data with soil conservation system‐curve number method: A case of semi‐arid ungauged Manesar Nala watershed

Manesar Nala watershed, having an aerial extent of 71.53 km², was subjected to modelling of its hydrological behaviour for assessing its water resource potential. Modern tools and techniques of Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) were used for assessment of runoff generating potential using the Hydrologic Soil Cover Complex (HSCC) Method [U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)‐Soil Conservation System‐Curve Number (SCS‐CN) approach]. RS and GIS were used in generation and integration of thematic maps [such as Land use/Land cover (using LISS‐III data) and Hydrologic Soil Group (HSG), (using soil map of study area) to derive the Curve Number (CN) for simulating Runoff (R_o)]. The daily rainfall (P) data for the study period 2002–2015 were acquired from NOAA Climate Prediction Center (NCPC). Corresponding R_o from the watershed for intense storm events for 14 years were calculated through RS and GIS. GIS and SCS‐CN model was employed for modelling the runoff production to study its hydrological behaviour. The study showed that the Manesar Nala watershed was having a composite Curve Number – II (CN_II) value of 82.5 for normal conditions. For dry and wet conditions these values were estimated at 66.44 (CN_I) and 91.56 (CN_III), respectively. This investigation showed that Manesar Nala watershed exhibited an annual average (of 14 years, 2002–2015) R_o volume of 4 542 514.37 m³ based on the average annual rainfall (P) of 0.72 m (720 mm). The average annual surface runoff (R_o) was predicted to be approximately 0.21 m with annual runoff coefficient (C_R) of 0.29. During the study, we also found a strong correlation ‘r’ between satellite driven P and R_o from NRCS‐CN method of the order of 0.94. The methodology so developed has the potential to be used in other similar ungauged watersheds in the same agro‐climatic conditions for the purpose of planning of watershed conservation measures and other developmental activities.     

Rightful ownership through image adaptive DWT-SVD watermarking algorithm and perceptual tweaking

In this paper, a tailored blended image adaptive watermarking scheme has been presented, which is based on DWT and SVD. Through this paper an attempt has been made to solve the problem of false positive while maintaining the robustness and imperceptibility with the help of principal component and perceptual tuning of the image. Perceptual tuning is a non-blind technique and based on the objective quality of image. The embedding strength is made dependent on watermark features as well as of host in wavelet domain by using tuning parameter which is user specific. The idea of embedding the principal component of intermediate frequency sub-bands of watermark image into singular values of perceptually tuned intermediate frequency sub-bands of host image have been exploited. The proposed algorithm is providing the adaptive behavior towards the image content for perceptual transparency and at the same time avoiding the possibility of false watermark extraction well supported by a private key, which is necessary at the time of extraction. Thus the proposed watermarking algorithm is a kind of non-blind, image adaptive and suitable for rightful ownership. Various comparative results make the algorithm superior in terms of intentional and non-intentional attacks. Also the algorithm is strong against the print and scan attack.     

Striped nanowires and nanorods from mixed SAMS

We investigate the use of mixed self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) for creating nanoscale striped patterns on nanowires and nanorods. Our simulations predict that SAMs comprised of an equal composition of length-mismatched, thermodynamically incompatible surfactants adsorbed on nanowire surfaces self-organize into equilibrium stripes of alternating composition always perpendicular, rather than parallel, to the nanowire axis. We support the simulation results with preliminary experimental investigations of gold nanorods coated with binary mixtures of ligand molecules, which show stripes roughly perpendicular to the rod axis in all cases.     

Fuzzy bounded least-squares method for the identification of linearsystems

This paper presents the fuzzy bounded least-squares method which uses both linguistic information and numerical data to identify linear systems. This method introduces a new type of fuzzy system, i.e., a fuzzy interval system. The steps in the method are as follows: 1) to utilize all the available linguistic information to obtain a fuzzy interval system and then to use the fuzzy interval system to give the admissible model set (i.e., the set of all models which are acceptable and reasonable from the point of view of linguistic information); 2) to find a model in the admissible model set which best fits the available numerical data. It is shown that such a model can be obtained by a quadratic programming approach. By comparing this method with the least-squares method, it is proved that the model obtained by this method fits a real system better than the model obtained by the least-squares method. In addition, this method also checks the adequacy of linear models for modeling a given system during the identification process and can help one to decide whether it is necessary to use nonlinear models     

Free asymmetric transverse vibration of polar orthotropic annular sector plate with thickness varying parabolically in radial direction

In the present paper, free asymmetric transverse vibrations of a non-uniform polar orthotropic annular sector plate, with parabolically varying thickness in the radial direction, have been studied on the basis of classical plate theory. The circular edges of the plate are elastically restrained against translation and rotation while the straight (radial) edges are simply-supported. Fourth-order linear differential equations with variable coefficients governing the motion have been solved by using the collocation interpolation technique with Chebyshev points as the interpolating nodes. Frequency parameters of the plate with flexible boundary conditions at the circular edges for some typical values of the taper parameters, the rigidity ratios and the radii ratio have been presented.