Modeling of multi gas-solid reactions; effect of bulk environment parameters on solid conversion

A unified gas-solid reaction model that considers multi gas-solid components is developed for reactions in porous pellets with multiple reactants. The transient variables and properties of the reactants and transport parameters are continually updated in the simulation. Temperature, pressure, solid conversions, and concentration profiles are well predicted. Structural changes are also considered. Heat, mass, and reaction front tracking equations for all the components are solved simultaneously through a combination of solution techniques. Illustrative validation results for the model are presented for hematite/nickel oxide reduction at 608 K. The importance of bulk temperature and pressure on the overall and individual grain conversions is explored for a range of interest. The response of system parameters to dynamic changes in boundary conditions is studied.     

On partial-information optimal singular control problem for mean-field stochastic differential equations driven by Teugels martingales measures

This paper is concerned with partial-information mixed optimal stochastic continuous–singular control problem for mean-field stochastic differential equation driven by Teugels martingales and an independent Brownian motion, where the Teugels martingales are a family of pairwise strongly orthonormal martingales associated with Lévy processes. The control variable has two components; the first being absolutely continuous, and the second singular. Partial-information necessary and sufficient conditions of optimal continuous–singular control for these mean-field models are investigated. As an illustration, this paper studies a partial-information linear quadratic control problem of mean-field type involving continuous–singular control.     

Use of Endostemon tereticaulis (Pear.) M.Ashby and Hyptis spicigera Lam. Plant Extracts as Corrosion Green Inhibitors for Mild Steel in 1M HCl: Electrochemical and Surface Morphological Studies

Protection of Metals and Physical Chemistry of Surfaces - In the present study, we evaluated the effect of corrosion inhibition of ethanol extracts from Endostemon tereticaulis and Hyptis spicigera...     

Robot Dynamic Modeling Using a Power Flow Approach with Application to Biped Locomotion

In this paper, we present a method for robots modeling called bidirectional dynamic modeling. This new method takes into account the gear efficiency and the direction of power transmission in the gears. Epicyclic gearboxes have often different efficiencies in the two directions of power transmission. The characteristics of the chain of transmission must then be taken into consideration in order to describe the dynamic behavior of robots. The two directions of power flow can indeed occur in robot motions. Depending on that direction the dynamic model is different. The bidirectional dynamic modeling is experimentally applied to a bipedal walking robot. Our method exhibits a better accuracy over classical modeling. Moreover, when applied to computed torque control, the bidirectional model increases the tracking performances.     

Mathematical analysis of a disease transmission model with quarantine,isolation and an imperfect vaccine

A new mathematical model for the transmission dynamics of a disease subject to the quarantine (of latent cases) and isolation (of symptomatic cases) and an imperfect vaccine is designed and analyzed. The model undergoes a backward bifurcation, where a stable disease-free equilibrium co-exists with a stable endemic equilibrium when the associated reproduction threshold is less than unity. It is shown that the backward bifurcation phenomenon can be removed if the vaccine is perfect or if mass action incidence, instead of standard incidence, is used in the model formulation. Further, the model has a unique endemic equilibrium when the threshold quantity exceeds unity. A nonlinear Lyapunov function, of the Goh–Volterra type, is used to show that the endemic equilibrium is globally-asymptotically stable for a special case. Numerical simulations of the model show that the singular use of a quarantine/isolation strategy may lead to the effective disease control (or elimination) if its effectiveness level is at least moderately high enough. The combined use of the quarantine/isolation strategy with a vaccination strategy will eliminate the disease, even for the low efficacy level of the universal strategy considered in this study. It is further shown that the imperfect vaccine could induce a positive or negative population-level impact depending on the size (or sign) of a certain associated epidemiological threshold.     

Pattern and antibiotic susceptibility of bacteria in pyogenic meningitis in a children's emergency room population in Maiduguri, Nigeria, 1988-1992

From January 1988 to November 1992, 107 (3.5%) of 3074 postneonatal children admitted to the Children's Emergency Room, University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, Nigeria, had sporadic pyogenic meningitis; 66 (61.7%) were aged < or = 12 months. Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae together were responsible for 77.3% (58) of 75 culture-proven cases, 13.4% (10) had Enterobacteriaceae, 5.3% (4) had Staphylococcus aureus and 4% (3) untyped alpha-haemolytic streptococci. Fifty percent of 62 bacteria were resistant to ampicillin, 47.2% of 36 to penicillin and 10.7% of 56 to chloramphenicol; none of 21 bacteria was simultaneously resistant to all three antibiotics. Up until 1992, we have encountered treatment failure with a regimen containing chloramphenicol in only 2 of 53 patients; the 2 patients had coliform meningitis. Non-meningococcal bacteria are an important cause of sporadic pyogenic meningitis in sub-Saharan Nigeria and chloramphenicol is the most appropriate initial drug of choice at the present time for the management of sporadic meningitis.     

Air Quality Profile of Inorganic Ionic Composition of Fine Aerosols at Two Sites in Mumbai City

The levels of PM ₁₀ , PM _2.5 , and NO ₂ were studied at a kerbsite and ambient site in Mumbai. Measurements were also made for eight inorganic ions (F ^? , Cl ^? , NO ₃ ^? , SO ^2? ₄ , Na ⁺ , K ⁺ , NH ₄ ⁺ , Ca ²⁺ , and Mg ²⁺ ) in the PM _2.5 fraction. During the study period, PM _2.5 , PM ₁₀ and NO ₂ levels ranged between 11–91, 18–125, and 8–64 μ g m ^{? 3} at a ambient site whereas at the kerbsite the ranges were 10–176, 21–189, and 4–55 μ g m ^?3 respectively. Average PM _2.5 values were 42 μ g m ^{? 3} at ambient and 69 μ g m ^?3 at the kerbsite. The measured ions accounted for about 50% of the PM _2.5 mass. Non-sea-salt (nss) sulfate contributed 91% and 85% of the ionic mass at the ambient and kerbsite sites respectively. Due to biomass sources of K, only about 5% of K ⁺ was from seas salt. The average equivalent ratio of NH ₄ ⁺ to nss- SO ² ₄ ^? , and NO ₃ ^? was over 1, indicating high source strength of ammonia.     

微铣刀刀刃轨迹预测模型及影响因素分析

微铣削是一种柔性很强的微加工方法,可对多种材料进行微器件的加工.但由于微铣刀具有独特的几何特征,微铣削时的刀刃轨迹与传统意义上的铣削刀刃轨迹有明显区别.针对2刃微铣刀,开发了一个考虑刀具回转误差和转子振动效应的刀刃轨迹预测模型,并分析了其对加工过程的影响.同时提出了一种基于刀柄测量结果,计算刀尖回转误差和刀具装夹不平衡量的方法.将这两个结果输入刀刃轨迹模型后,可以准确地预测刀尖中心和两个刀刃的轨迹,并以此来计算即时切屑厚度、切削力、铣槽宽度(加工误差)和表面质量.实验结果很好地验证了模型的预测.分析结果表明,在微铣削过程中,单刃切削经常发生;刀刃角和进给角这两个模型参数对加工误差和刀具磨损非常重要,刀刃角的最优值为±90°,进给角可根据加工要求进行选择.     

Chip formation analysis in micromilling operation

In mechanical micromachining, understanding the chip formation mechanism is critical to optimize the machining parameters and improve the workpiece performance. In this work, the entire slot micromilling process on Al6061-T6 by one flute carbide cutter was simulated by means of finite element method (FEM). Under this machining parameters set, the chip was found to be segmented type. The simulation results matched with the experimental results on the burr and chip morphologies and the cutting force. The segmented chip formation process was described from the viewpoint of chip velocity. The variations of the tool chip contact length (l _T ) and the shear band length (l _S ) were studied in detail. The chip formation mechanism was studied quantitatively by means of hybrid analytical-FEM approach. Through calculating the chip moments, “tool rake moment” M _Tool and “shear band moment” M _Work, it has been found that the main reasons of the segmented chip formation are the variations of the l _T and l _S . The Arcona–Dow model (AD model) and Merchant model (MM model) were utilized to calculate the M _Work respectively. The AD model performed better in the microscale than the MM model. In the segment generation occasion, the average chip velocity value in chip bending process was much greater than the one before chip bending, which was about the cutting speed. The chip root velocity was almost constant in the entire micromilling process, and the chip tip velocity increased greatly in the chip bending instant due to the chip angular acceleration. The chip angular acceleration was acquired, respectively, from FEM and the analytical method based on the M _Tool and M _{Work_AD} calculations. The agreement of these two approaches validated the correctness of the chip moments calculations. The results of this work were useful to understand the micromilling mechanism and improve the workpiece performances.     

Isolation and characterisation of locally isolated Gluconacetobacter xylinus BCZM sp. with nanocellulose producing potentials

Recently, attention has been given to nanocellulose produced by bacteria due to its unique properties and environmentally friendly nature when compared with plant cellulose. Bacterial nanocellulose (BNC) producing isolate was successfully isolated from rotten fruits via dilution and spread plates method. Based on the biochemical characterisation and molecular analysis of the 16S rDNA gene, the isolate was identified as Gluconacetobacter xylinus BCMZ sp. Nanocellulose productivity was confirmed by the formation of the white gelatinous layer between air/liquid surfaces when the culture was cultivated under a stationary condition at 30°C. Successful purification of nanocellulose was achieved using alkaline treatment method. The Fourier transformed infrared spectrum showed a characteristics band signature of pure nanocellulose, by displaying strong absorption peaks at 3335.36 and 2901.40 cm⁻¹ representing carbonyl and carbon–hydrogen bonding, respectively. Morphological characteristics of the BNC were determined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Elemental analysis of BNC was determined by energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM/EDX) analysis. The isolates BCZM showed significant nanocellulose production ability with a high degree of purity when compared with plant nanocellulose. BNC purification using 1 M NaOH solution is effective and eco‐friendly with no indication of recalcitrant formation as commonly found in plant nanocellulose purification steps.Inspec keywords: microorganisms, purification, scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray chemical analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, biotechnologyOther keywords: locally isolated Gluconacetobacter xylinus BCZM sp, nanocellulose producing potentials, bacterial nanocellulose producing isolate, BNC producing isolate, rotten fruits, dilution, spread plates method, biochemical characterisation, molecular analysis, white gelatinous layer, air/liquid surfaces, nanocellulose purification, alkaline treatment method, Fourier transformed infrared spectrum, characteristics band signature, scanning electron microscopy, elemental analysis, energy dispersive X‐ray analysis, SEM analysis, EDX analysis, plant nanocellulose, BNC purification, recalcitrant formation