Hall effects on combined free and forced convective hydromagnetic flow through a channel

Hydromagnetic free and forced convection in a parallel plate channel permeated by a transverse magnetic field has been considered taking Hall effects into account. When there is a uniform axial temperature variation along the walls, the primary flow shows incipient flow reversal at the upper plate for an increase in temperature along that plate. Similarly flow reversal at the lower plate occurs for a decrease in temperature along that plate. Hall currents are found to exert a destabilizing influence on the flow. The skin-friction for the cross-flow increases with the Hall parameter. The induced magnetic field and the heat transfer characteristics in the flow are also determined.     

A DSS for distributed computer system design in the presence of multiple conflicting objectives

The design of distributed computer systems (DCS) requires compromise among several desirable and conflicting objectives. Design tools for this purpose should, therefore, facilitate the process of making such tradeoffs. To this end, this paper presents a prototype Decision Support System (DSS) which uses multicriteria decisions making techniques as the underlying methodology to aid the designer in making compromises in a systematic and efficient manner.While there are several isolated subproblems of DCS design that can be modelled and solved quantitatively, there are also, many design aspects that are difficult to quantify and/or formalize. Thus the design process requires a synthesis of analytic model execution and informed judgement on the part of the designer. The DSS aids in this iterative process by executing appropriate models and generating a sequence of ‘Pareto-optimal’ or non-dominated set of solution vectors. The relatively unstructured task of making tradeoffs among the components of each vector is left in the hands of the designer. Efficiency is achieved by avoiding needles search through clearly inferior solutions and focusing on non-dominated ones only. Various details of the prototype, implemented on a UNIVAC 1100 and an IBM PC AT, are highlighted in an example session. The potential advantages of using multicriteria techniques as opposed to the widespread practice of using single criteria optimization methods are also noted in this paper.     

Optimization in CNC end milling of UNS C34000 medimum leaded brass with multiple surface roughnesses characteristics

The present study highlights a multi-objective optimization problem by applying utility concept coupled with Taguchi method through a case study in CNC end milling of UNS C34000 medium leaded brass. The study aimed at evaluating the best process environment which could simultaneously satisfy multiple requirements of surface quality. In view of the fact, the traditional Taguchi method cannot solve a multi-objective optimization problem; to overcome this limitation, utility theory has been coupled with Taguchi method. Depending on Taguchi’s Lower-the-Better (LB) response criteria; individual surface quality characteristics has been transformed into corresponding utility values. Individual utility values have been aggregated finally to compute overall utility degree which serves as representative objective function for optimizing using Taguchi method. Utility theory has been adopted to convert a multi-response optimization problem into a single response optimization problem; in which overall utility degree serves as the representative single objective function for optimization. The study of combined utility theory and Taguchi method for predicting optimal setting. Based on Taguchi’s Signal-to-Noise ratio (S/N), analysis has been made on the overall utility degree and optimal process environment has been selected finally which corresponds to highest S/N Ratio. Optimal result has been verified through confirmatory test. The case study indicates application feasibility of the aforesaid methodology proposed for multiresponse optimization and off-line control of multiple surface quality characteristics in CNC end milling.     

Influence of inlet flow conditions on the performance of a swirl‐stabilized combustor burning liquid fuel spray

A numerical model of liquid fuel spray combustion is developed to study the effects of inlet flow conditions of primary and dilution air on the performance of a swirl‐stabilized axi‐symmetric combustor. The model is based on two‐phase stochastic separated flow approach. A standard k–ϵ model with logarithmic law of the wall for the near‐wall region is adopted for the solution of the gas phase turbulence. The chemical reaction is taken as a single step, irreversible, global one with the rate determined by the kinetically and diffusionally controlled rates. The liquid spray is divided into a finite number of droplet classes with the size distribution following a probability function. It has been observed that an improved pattern factor and better combustion efficiency can be obtained when both the primary and the dilution air streams enter the combustor with swirl, but in the counter‐rotating directions. However, the combustor pressure loss factor increases for the counter‐rotating flow entries of the primary and the dilution air compared to the co‐rotating air entries or to the swirled primary and non‐swirled dilution air entries. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Use of X-ray absorption spectroscopy to speciate manganese in airborne particulate matter from five counties across the United States

The purpose of this study is to characterize manganese oxidation states and speciation in airborne particulate matter (PM) and describe how these potentially important determinants of PM toxicity vary by location. Ambient PM samples were collected from five counties across the US using a high volume sequential cyclone system that collects PM in dry bulk form segregated into "coarse" and "fine" size fractions. The fine fraction was analyzed for this study. Analyses included total Mn using ICP-MS and characterization of oxidation states and speciation using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). XAS spectra of all samples and ten standard compounds of Mn were obtained at the National Synchrotron Light Source. XAS data was analyzed using Linear Combination Fitting (LCF). Results of the LCF analysis describe differences in composition between samples. Mn(II) acetate and Mn(II) oxide are present in all samples, while Mn(II) carbonate and Mn(IV) oxide are absent. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper to characterize Mn composition of ambient PM and examine differences between urban sites in the US. Differences in oxidation state and composition indicate regional variations in sources and atmospheric chemistry that may help explain differences in health effects identified in epidemiological studies.     

How Does Cooking Time Scale with Size? A Numerical Modeling Approach

ABSTRACT:  A mathematical model for a spatially distributed mechanical property such as Young's modulus and texture inside solid food during the cooking process was developed by combining a numerical conduction heat transfer model with the kinetics of property changes. Using the distributed mechanical property obtained from the thermokinetic model, linear elastic stress analysis was performed to determine the effective material property and how it changes during cooking. Spatial variation in the mechanical property is found to be significant for commonly used food sizes in potato. When property varies spatially, volume average property, which is easier to compute than an effective property obtained from mechanical stress analysis, can be a substitute for the effective property. Cooking time based on volume average Young's modulus varies less strongly with size than how temperature varies with size. When activation energy for the property change kinetics is lower, cooking time varies less with size. The scaling of cooking time with size and kinetics and the extent of property variation in a sample during cooking should provide useful guidelines in automating cooking processes.     

Thermosolutal convection in a fluid‐porous composite medium

In the present study analysis has been performed for thermosolutal convection in a fluid‐porous composite medium, consisting of a fluid‐saturated porous medium followed by an overlaying clean medium. The fluid‐porous composite medium is subjected to both a horizontal solutal and a thermal gradient. Top and bottom walls of the fluid‐porous composite medium are assumed to be impermeable and adiabatic. The Darcy‐Brinkman‐Forchheimer model is used to study the flow through the fluid‐porous composite medium. A single domain approach is taken into consideration for numerical simulation. The solution is done by control volume integration. A comprehensive analysis has been performed for various pertinent parameters to delineate their behavior. Results of the transport phenomenon have been provided in graphical and tabular form, for the complete understanding of the complex phenomenon. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21048     

Optimal Short-term Reservoir Operation with Integrated Long-term Goals

A methodology to incorporate long-term goals within the short-term reservoir operation optimization model is proposed. Two conflicting objectives for the management of hydropower generation in two different power plants are incorporated. A chance-constrained optimization model is used to derive long-term (annual) operation strategies. With the time horizon of operation for the short-term optimization model kept equal to a single time-step of the long-term optimization model, the optimum end storages derived from the long-term model are incorporated as constraints (storage lower bounds) within the short-term model. The long-term benefits accrued from such an operation model are illustrated for a small reservoir, in South India. The solutions are compared with the historic operation. These are also compared with the solutions of a short-term optimal operation model ignoring long-term goals. The optimization model is solved using a multi-objective genetic algorithm.