Assessment of convective heat transfer coefficient and mass of water evaporated from a single-slope passive solar still by different thermal models: an experimental validation

In this paper, an effort has been made to evaluate the convective heat transfer coefficient and mass of water evaporated from a single-slope passive solar still for different water depths (0.01, 0.015, 0.02 and 0.025?m) by various thermal models, namely Dunkle’s model, Chen et al.’s model, Clark’s model, Adhikari et al.’s model, Kumar and Tiwari’s model, Zheng Hongfei et al.’s model and Tsilingiris’s model. These models were studied and compared with our experimental work. Also, the energy and exergy efficiency were calculated and the percentage deviation between experimental and theoretical prediction is also listed out. The experimental validation of energy and exergy efficiency of single slope passive solar still using different thermal models was carried out at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. By comparing the theoretical values of the hourly yield with the experimental data it was found that Dunkle’s, Chen et al.’s and Tsilingiris’s models gave better conformity between the forecasted and experimental results. Kumar and Tiwari’s model yield is very high, whereas Clark’s model, Adhikari et al.’s model and Zheng Hongfei et al.’s model predict lower values as compared with our experimental results.     

An efficient approach to an automatic detection of erythemato-squamous diseases

This paper presents a novel approach to automatic detection of the erythemato-squamous diseases based on fuzzy extreme learning machine (FELM). Enormous computational efforts are required to classify these erythemato-squamous diseases. Some of the approaches performed previously are through fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks and neuro-fuzzy models. FELM-based differential diagnosis of these diseases involves decisions made by fuzzy logic and extreme learning machine (ELM) with greater efficiency in both time and accuracy. In this paper, we develop a user-friendly interface and this tool will be useful for a dermatologist to estimate the six types of erythemato-squamous diseases with the help of patient’s histopathological and clinical data. Then, the developed interface is derived inbuilt using neural networks, adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system and FELM. A dataset containing records of 366 patients with 34 features that define six disease characteristics was taken, of which 310 records were used as training data and 56 other records used as testing data. The dataset was preprocessed to obtain fuzzy values as input to get more accurate results in FELM. Given a training set of such records, ELM approach is applied. By combining fuzzy logic and ELM, more accurate results with increased performance are obtained with less computational efforts. Finally, the proposed FELM model proves to be a potential solution for the diagnosis of erythemato-squamous diseases with significant improvement in computational time and accuracy compared with other models discussed in the recent literature.     

Influence of injection timing on performance,combustion and emission characteristics of Jatropha biodiesel engine

The study of effect of injection timing along with engine operating parameters in Jatropha biodiesel engine is important as they significantly affect its performance and emissions. The present paper focuses on the experimental investigation of the influence of injection timing, load torque and engine speed on the performance, combustion and emission characteristics of Jatropha biodiesel engine. For this purpose, the experiments were conducted using full factorial design consisting of (3³) with 27 runs for each fuel, diesel and Jatropha biodiesel. The effect of variation of above three parameters on brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC), brake thermal efficiency (BTE), peak cylinder pressure (P_max), maximum heat release rate (HRR_max), CO, HC, NO emissions and smoke density were investigated. It has been observed that advance in injection timing from factory settings caused reduction in BSFC, CO, HC and smoke levels and increase in BTE, P_max, HRR_max and NO emission with Jatropha biodiesel operation. However, retarded injection timing caused effects in the other way. At 15 N m load torque, 1800 rpm engine speed and 340 crank angle degree (CAD) injection timing, the percentage reduction in BSFC, CO, HC and smoke levels were 5.1%, 2.5%, 1.2% and 1.5% respectively. Similarly the percentage increase in BTE, P_max, HRR_max and NO emission at this injection timing, load and speed were 5.3%, 1.8%, 26% and 20% respectively. The best injection timing for Jatropha biodiesel operation with minimum BSFC, CO, HC and smoke and with maximum BTE, P_max, HRR_max is found to be 340 CAD. Nevertheless, minimum NO emission yielded an optimum injection timing of 350 CAD.     

Interlaminar stresses in laminated composite plates, cylindrical/spherical shell panels damaged by low-velocity impact

Prediction of damage caused by low-velocity impact in laminated composite plate cylindrical/spherical shell panels is an important problem faced by designers using composites. Not only the in-plane stresses but also the interlaminar normal and shear stresses play a role in estimating the damage caused. The work reported here is an effort in getting better predictions of damage in composite plate cylindrical/spherical shell panels subjected to low-velocity impact.

The low-velocity impact problem is treated as a quasi-static problem. First, the in-plane stresses are calculated by 2-D nonlinear finite element analysis using a 48 degrees of freedom laminated composite shell element. The damage analysis is then carried out using a Tsai-Wu quadratic failure criterion and a maximum stress criteria. Interlaminar normal and shear stresses are predicted after taking into account the in-plane damage caused by low-velocity impact. The interlaminar stresses are obtained by integrating the 3-D equations of equilibrium through the thickness. The deformed geometry is taken into account in the third equation of equilibrium (in the thickness direction). After evaluating the formulation and the computer program developed for correctness, the interlaminar stresses are predicted for composite plates/shell panels which are damaged by low-velocity impact.     

Solubilization and functional reconstitution of the human placental taurine transporter

Recent studies have suggested that Lp(a) is implicated in the high incidence of coronary heart disease in diabetic subjects, but data are still controversial. We therefore studied the distribution of plasma Lp(a), assayed by radial immunodiffusion, in a group of 224 diabetics and compared them to 92 non diabetic controls. Besides plasma Lp(a), TG and glucose were evaluated in 16 insulin-requiring diabetic patients before and after 10 days of normoglycaemia. The distribution of plasma Lp(a), as usually skewed to the left, was not different either between diabetic subjects and controls or between Type 1 and Type 2 diabetic subjects. No significant correlation was observed between Lp(a) and glycaemic control expressed by HbA1c. The sequence of normoglycaemia did not affect plasma Lp(a), no significant correlation between the variations of glycaemia and Lp(a) levels and the variations of triglyceridaemia and Lp(a) levels were found. Thus our group of diabetic subjects has a similar distribution of Lp(a) to controls. Lp(a) concentrations do not seem to be affected by chronic hyperglycaemia or rapid normalisation of glycaemic levels. However there is a strong need of standardization of Lp(a) assay before any definitive conclusion. As we have so far no efficient treatment for lowering Lp(a) in daily clinical practice, the energetic care of other associated vascular risk factors is needed.     

Cocaine-sensitive sigma-receptor and its interaction with steroid hormones in the human placental syncytiotrophoblast and in choriocarcinoma cells

The expression and ligand binding characteristics of sigma-receptors in human placental syncytiotrophoblast and choriocarcinoma cells were investigated using haloperidol as a ligand. Haloperidol bound to purified placental brush border membranes with high affinity; the apparent dissociation constant for the process was about 3 nM. These binding sites were not related to dopamine (D2) and serotonin (5-HT2) receptors nor to serotonin and norepinephrine transporters. The ligands of sigma-receptors [3.g. (+)-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl)N-(1-propyl)piperidine, 1,3-di-(2-tolyl)guanidine, clorgyline, rimcazole, and dexromethorphan] were very potent in competing with haloperidol for the binding sites. The binding sites were detected not only in the brush border membrane, but also in intracellular membranes. The rank order of potency of various sigma-receptor ligands to inhibit haloperidol binding indicated that placental sigma-receptors belong to the sigma 1 subtype. Cocaine and its analog RTI-55 [2 beta-carbomethoxy-3 beta-(4-iodophenyl-) tropane] inhibited the binding of haloperidol to placental membranes with appreciable potency. The steroid hormones, progesterone and testosterone, were also potent inhibitors, and the inhibition constant for progesterone was 0.3 microM, a concentration much smaller than that found in plasma during pregnancy. The inhibition was competitive. beta-Estradiol and a number of other steroids were relatively much weaker inhibitors than progesterone and testosterone. Phenytoin and neuropeptide-Y did not interact with sigma-receptors in placenta. The choriocarcinoma cell line JAR was also found to express sigma-receptors in the plasma membrane as well as in intracellular membranes. The characteristics of the receptors in this cell were qualitatively similar to those of the receptors in normal placenta, including subtype identity and interaction with cocaine and progesterone. Interestingly, however, all sigma-receptor ligands interacted with the receptors in the JAR cell with much higher affinity than with the receptors in normal placenta. It is concluded that the placental syncytiotrophoblast and choriocarcinoma cells express cocaine-sensitive sigma-receptors and that progesterone is most likely an endogenous ligand for these receptors.     

A Novel Approach for Network Reconfiguration Based Load Balancing in Distribution Networks

Network reconfiguration for load balancing is the determination of switching-options for a particular set of loads on a distribution system that improves load balancing the most and is performed altering the topological structure of distribution feeders by changing open/closed status of sectionalizing and tie-switches. By transferring loads from the heavily loaded feeders to the lightly loaded ones, network reconfiguration can balance feeder loads and alleviate overload conditions of a network. In this paper a novel method is proposed by formulating an algorithm to reconfigure distribution networks for load balancing. Systematic logical approach is used to determine the feasible switching combinations, select the status of the switches, and find the best combination of switches for maximum improvement in load balancing. The algorithm has been developed in two stages. In the first stage, a limited number of switching combinations is formed by trinary logic principle. A simultaneous switching approach is applied logically to find the best combination by selecting the appropriate switching options, connecting the switches accordingly, and assigning the loads for the newly formed combinations. In the next stage, the search is extended to investigate whether any other switching combination gives rise to maximum improvement in load balancing, compared to the improvement obtained in the first stage. This is carried out by considering one after another, the branches next to the open-branches of the best configuration, and the switching configuration that gives the maximum improvement in load balancing is identified. The proposed method has been tested on a 69-bus test system, and the test results indicate that the algorithm proposed is able to determine the appropriate switching-options of the optimal (or near optimal) configuration with less computation. This paper proposes a scheme to implement the simultaneous switching algorithm for real-time on-line control of three-phase distribution networks, with symmetrical loading per phase.