Availability of the feeding system in the sugar industry

In this paper reliability analysis of the crushing system, the main part of a sugar mill, is given. Taking constant failure rates and general repair distribution the reliability of the system and mean time to system failure (MTSF) are evaluated. The problem is formulated using supplementary variable technique and is solved using Lagrange's method for partial differential equations. Steady state results are also given.     

Quick-VDR: out-of-core view-dependent rendering of gigantic models

We present a novel approach for interactive view-dependent rendering of massive models. Our algorithm combines view-dependent simplification, occlusion culling, and out-of-core rendering. We represent the model as a clustered hierarchy of progressive meshes (CHPM). We use the cluster hierarchy for coarse-grained selective refinement and progressive meshes for fine-grained local refinement. We present an out-of-core algorithm for computation of a CHPM that includes cluster decomposition, hierarchy generation, and simplification. We introduce novel cluster dependencies in the preprocess to generate crack-free, drastic simplifications at runtime. The clusters are used for LOD selection, occlusion culling, and out-of-core rendering. We add a frame of latency to the rendering pipeline to fetch newly visible clusters from the disk and avoid stalls. The CHPM reduces the refinement cost of view-dependent rendering by more than an order of magnitude as compared to a vertex hierarchy. We have implemented our algorithm on a desktop PC. We can render massive CAD, isosurface, and scanned models, consisting of tens or a few hundred million triangles at 15-35 frames per second with little loss in image quality.     

Synthesis and characterization of chitosan‐g‐methacrylic acid and studies of its additional physicochemical properties,such as swelling,metal‐ion sorption,and flocculation behavior

The aim of this study was to examine the synthesis of a graft copolymer of chitosan and methacrylic acid (MAA) by free‐radical polymerization with a potassium peroxymonosulfate/cyclohexanone (CY) redox system in an inert atmosphere. The optimum reaction conditions affording maximum grafting ratio (%G), grafting efficiency (%E), add on (%A), and conversion (%C) were determined. The grafting parameters were found to increase with increasing concentration of MAA up to 24 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. With increasing concentration of peroxymonosulfate from 0.6 × 10^?2 to 1.2 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, %G, %A, and %E increased continuously. All of these grafting parameters increased with increasing concentration of CY up to 1.2 × 10^?2 mol/dm³, but beyond this concentration, the grafting parameters decreased. With various concentrations of chitosan from 0.6 to 1.4 g/dm³, the maximum %G, %A, and %E were obtained at 1.4 g/dm³. %G, %A, and %C decreased continuously with various concentrations of hydrogen ions from 2 × 10^?3 to 6 × 10^?3 mol/dm³. The grafting parameters increased with increasing temperature up to 35°C, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. With increasing time period of reaction from 60 to 180 min, %G, %A, and %E increased up to 120 min, but thereafter, these parameters decreased. The graft copolymer was characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2009     

Functional phase grading of ζ-Ta4C3-x: Kinetics and properties

Phase-graded carbides that exhibit high hardness and corrosion resistance on the surface and high fracture toughness in the bulk are useful in severe wear applications. A method for producing hard γ-TaC_y layer on the surface of a tough ζ-Ta₄C_3-x substrate by carburization is described in this study. The γ-TaC_y layer exhibited parabolic growth kinetics in the temperature and gas-flow regimes investigated in this study. Analyses of the rate constants using a model of mass transport through two phases in equilibrium at the interface indicated diffusion of carbon through the product layer was the rate-controlling step with diffusivities (1-5 × 10⁻¹⁵ m²/s in the 1623-1773K range) and enthalpy (213-217 kJ/mol) matching those for carbon diffusion in γ-TaC_y. Nanohardness of the transformed γ-TaC_y layer increased as a function of distance from the carburized surface, with a maximum hardness occurring near the γ/ζ interface. Measurements of lattice parameters at different depths in the γ-TaC_y layer indicated that the hardness increase with depth was related to the increasing carbon deficiency of the γ-TaC_y phase through the thickness.     

Creep performance of CNT reinforced glass fiber/epoxy composites: Roles of temperature and stress

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been emerged as a potential nanofiller to reinforce polymeric materials to improve their mechanical properties, like strength and modulus. However, time-dependent deformation of such materials under a constant load and elevated temperature is a matter of concern for long-term durability of these materials. The present article primarily demonstrates the effects of creep temperature and stress on the reinforcement efficiency of CNT in a glass fiber/epoxy (GE) composite. Two types of materials were investigated in this study—GE which was used as a control material, as well as CNT embedded GE composite. To elucidate the impact of CNT on the long-term durability of GE composite, creep tests have been performed at different temperatures (50, 80, and 110 °C) under bending loading. As applied stress has also significant contribution toward the elevated creep deformation of materials, creep tests have also been carried out under different stresses (5, 10, and 40 MPa). The strength of the CNT-GE composite exhibited 8.7 and 18.3% higher than that of control GE composite under tensile and bending load, respectively. Results suggest CNT reinforcement to be beneficial for low temperature applications, both in terms of creep strain and strain rate. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2019 , 136, 47674.     

Review on recent advances of zinc substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles: Synthesis characterization and diverse applications

Researchers have taken a prodigious consideration in characterizing and synthesizing zinc substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles because of their substantial applications across diverse technological and industrial fields. Zinc substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles are a class of lenient magnetic nanomaterials, which have potentially high magnetic, optical, electrical, and dielectric properties. These properties include a high value of permeability, low power losses, permittivity, saturation magnetization, coercivity, resistivity, and other beneficial properties that make them promise candidates for applications in various fields. These ferrites are also used in biomedical areas such as MRI and cancer treatments. In electronic fields, zinc substituted cobalt ferrite nanoparticles are used to make transducers, transformers, biosensors, and sensors. Apart from these advantages, they are found in our everyday electronic and electrical appliances like LED bulb, refrigerator, mobile charger, TV, microwave oven, juicer, washing machine, mixer, iron, printer, laptop, mobile, desktop, etc. Hence, the current review reports some properties of these spinel ferrites and emphasizes the different synthesis techniques that can be used to prepare them. Afterward, the impact of dopant on the materials' properties, the characterization techniques, and the momentous application in the present era have been well discussed.     

Lentiform fork sign: Uremia alone or multifactorial causation?

Neurological complications are common in patients with acute or chronic renal failure, especially when there is marked reduction in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). One such clinical syndrome, uremic encephalopathy (UE), occurs due to widespread dysfunction of central nervous system (CNS). It manifests with myriad clinical features and usually is suggested by bedside elicitation of asterixis (flapping tremor). Symptomatic involvement of the basal ganglia manifesting as choreoathetosis and clinical and radiological resolution with hemodialysis has been reported in the medical literature, but only rarely. The present report details such a case.     

Synthesis,Characterization and Wire Electric Erosion Behaviour of AA7178-10 wt.% ZrB2 Composite

Silicon - In this work, AA7178-10 wt.% ZrB2 Metal Matrix Composite was produced using stir casting route and the mechanical properties of the composites were studied. The microstructure and...