Chaos control of a bounded 4D chaotic system

This paper is concerned with the problem of optimal and adaptive control for controlling chaos in a novel bounded four-dimensional (4D) chaotic system. This system can display hyperchaos, chaos, quasiperiodic and periodic behaviors, and may have a unique equilibrium, three equilibria and five equilibria for the different system parameters. An optimal control law is designed for the novel bounded chaotic system, based on the Pontryagin minimum principle. Furthermore, we propose Lyapunov stability conditions to control the new bounded 4D chaotic system with unknown parameters by a feedback control approach. Numerical simulations are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed chaos control scheme.     

Role of morphology in electrochemical hydrogen storage using binary DyFeO3-ZnO nanocomposites as electrode materials

Hydrogen storage technology is one of the most challenging issues due to the increasing demand for fossil fuel replacement and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In the current paper, the main aim is one-step and eco-friendly preparation of DyFeO₃-ZnO nanocomposites using Barberry fruit extract as natural precursor (with the role of both fuel and capping agent) to compare with various conventional carboxylic acids. To further examine, the effect of different parameters like calcination temperature and the type of the chelating agent was scrutinized to acquire optimum shape, structure, morphology and size of the obtained products. This is the first effort on the investigation of the hydrogen storage capacity of DyFeO₃-ZnO nanocomposites in terms of role of morphology. The electrochemical hydrogen storage capacity of obtained DyFeO₃-ZnO nanocomposites was studied mediated by chronopotentiometry charge-discharge methods in KOH medium. The synthesis of nanocomposites in the presence of chemical or natural capping agent (carboxylic acids or Barberry fruit extract) led to different morphologies which affects to the electrochemical performance. As a result, the electrode which is provided by plate-like DyFeO₃-ZnO nanocomposites performed 600.11 mAh/g discharge capacity compared with other samples. Based on the obtained results, DyFeO₃-ZnO nanocomposites can be promising compounds to improve the electrochemical performance of hydrogen storage.     

Integrating a Human Behavior Model within an Agent‐Based Approach for Blasting Evacuation

Several studies on Emergency Management are available in the literature, but most of them do not consider how the human behavior during an emergency can affect the evacuation process. Therefore, the novel contribution of this article is the implementation of an agent‐based model to describe the evacuation, due to a blast in a public area, integrated with a human behavior analytical model. Each agent has its own behavior that is described in a layered framework. The first layer simulates the “agent's features” function. Then, an “individual module” describes dynamically the emotional aspects using (i) the Decision Field Theory, (ii) a stationary stochastic model, and (iii) the results coming from a questionnaire. An agent‐based model with integrated human behavior is proposed to test critical infrastructures in emergency conditions without performing full scale evacuation tests. Analyses could be performed both in real time with a hazard scenario and at the design level to predict the system response to identify the optimal configuration. Therefore, the development of the proposed methodology could support both designers and policy makers in the decision‐making process.     

Thermal Stability Investigation of Synthesized Epoxy-Polyurethane/Silica Nanocomposites

Silicon - In this research, epoxy polyurethane-nano silica nanocomposites have been synthesized using an in-situ method, for which SiO2 nanocomposites had been initially ready in N,...     

Mechanical and morphological properties of poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) and poly(lactic acid) blended with organically modified silicate layers

Poly(butylene adipate‐co‐terephthalate) (PBAT) is a biodegradable polymer with high ultimate elongation but low modulus. This work studied the addition of a rigid bio‐based and biodegradable polymer, poly(lactic acid) (PLA), along with organically modified silicate layers as a conceivable means to improve the modulus of PBAT. Blending with PLA would also reduce both the cost of the ultimate blend and its dependence on nonrenewable resources. Compounds of PBAT with PLA and organically modified silicate layers showed significantly improved tensile and flexural strength resulting in enhanced thermomechanical performances compared to neat PBAT. The state of clay dispersion was evaluated using common analytical techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and rheometry. The clay platelets were partially dispersed in a PBAT and PLA phase and a large portion of the platelets were located at the interface. The incorporation of organoclay reduced the dispersed phase domain (i.e., PLA) size significantly. The smaller PLA size however, did not translate into better elongational properties. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers     

HMR-vid: a comparative analytical survey on human motion recognition in video data

Multimedia Tools and Applications - According to the rapid spread of multimedia data and online observations by users, the importance of researching on machine vision also, analyzing and automatic...     

RCTI工艺——克劳斯尾气装置性能新标准

WorleyParsons公司开发了一种新的克劳斯尾气处理新工艺--RCTI工艺,作为其它尾气处理工艺的替代技术.在RCTI工艺中克劳斯尾气由高压蒸汽或导热油间接加热,然后依次在加氢催化剂、选择性氧化催化剂(如Selectox TM)上进行低温还原及低温H2S氧化,尾气最后放空.由于无需设置还原气发生器,RCTI工艺免除了天然气消耗并且减少了CO2排放,如有必要,所产生的SO2可利用非可再生苛性碱液或可再生溶剂捕集.在比较RCTI工艺及常规工艺的基础上论述了克劳斯尾气处理工艺的选择标准.     

Enhanced photocatalytic activity of Sr7Mn7O19.62-Dy2O3 nanocomposite synthesized via a green method

The removal of pollutants existing in industrial wastewater is one of the worldwide main challenging issues owing to the increasing demands for clean water supplies. The purpose of this study is to investigate the feasibility of new synthesized Sr₇Mn₇O_19.62-Dy₂O₃ nanocomposites for the removal of organic dyes through photo-degradation mechanism from the wastewater. In this regard, for the first time, Sr₇Mn₇O_19.62-Dy₂O₃ nanocomposites synthesized by the sol-gel combustion method using the different green capping agents and final product characterized via X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier-transformed infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), and Ultraviolet (UV)-visible spectroscopy. Furthermore, the photocatalytic activity Sr₇Mn₇O_19.62-Dy₂O₃ nanocomposite investigated in the presence of various parameters such as dye type, the effect of pH, and different values of the green capping agents. The results showed that the best photocatalytic activity and hence the removal of pollutants for the proposed nanocomposite (bandgap ?3.25 eV) achieved using Ficus Carica as green capping agent and calcination temperature of 900 °C in the presence of Eriochorme black T dye (photo-degradation of %94.52). This study conclusively shows the potential regarding the development of Sr₇Mn₇O_19.62-Dy₂O₃ as a novel and effective nanocomposite for wastewater treatment.     

Effects of connection deformation softening on behavior of steel moment frames subjected to earthquakes

In the years since the 1994 Northridge earthquake, the profession has paid significant attention to the potential effects of various forms of deterioration in connection strength and stiffness that steel moment-resisting frames can experience during severe seismic excitations. The brittle connection fractures that a number of welded steel moment-resisting frame structures experienced during recent earthquakes have been the most extensively studied to date. However, cyclic testing of post-Northridge beam-column connections demonstrates that ductile connections may suffer other forms of deterioration. Negative post-yield tangent stiffness or capping, hereafter referred to as deformation softening, is a behavior of particular interest because it may have significant adverse effects on frame system behavior. The effects of deformation softening on frames subjected to pulse excitations were examined as part of an integrated experimental and analytical investigation of the effect of various forms of hysteretic deterioration on the overall system behavior of moment resisting steel frames. Pulse excitations, and the near-field ground motions they represent, can be highly damaging to structures and are therefore the primary focus of the results presented in this paper. The experimental portion of this study consisted of a series of thirty-two shaking table tests, which were performed on a one-third scale, two-story, one bay, steel moment frame with idealized, mechanical connections. These tests and subsequent analytical studies show that, in general, significant loss of connection strength capacity, whether from deformation softening or other types of deterioration, leads to large residual drifts and, for large pulse excitations with durations longer than the fundamental period of the structure, to collapse. In particular, frames with connections exhibiting negative post-yield stiffness tend to have substantially increased peak and residual displacements when subjected to pulse excitations.