Frustrated limit cycle and irregular behaviour in a nonlinear pendulum

We discuss how the presence of frustration brings about irregular behaviour in a pendulum with nonlinear dissipation. Here frustration arises owing to particular choice of the dissipation. A preliminary numerical analysis is presented which indicates the transition to chaos at low frequencies of the driving force.

Scattering Behaviour of fractal based metallo-dielectric structures

The scattering behaviour of fractal based metallodielectric structures loaded over metallic targets of different shapes such as flat plate, cylinder and dihedral corner reflector are investigated for both TE and TM polarizations of the incident wave. Out of the various fractal structures studied,square Sierpinski carpet structure is found to give backscattering reduction for an appreciable range of frequencies. The frequency of minimum backscattering depends on the geometry of the structure as well as on the thickness of the substrate. This structure when loaded over a dihedral corner reflector is showing an enhancement in RCS for corner angles other than 90◦.

An Evaluation of Business Deals Using Plastic Money in Kerala

School of Management Studies, Cochin University of Science and Technology

Elecrical conduction and dielectric behaviour of thin films of vacuum evaporated amorphous silicon, hydrogenated amorphous silicon and chemically deposited cadmium sulphide

A brief account of the several methods used for the production of thin films is presented in this Chapter. The discussions stress on the important methods used for the fabrication of a-si:H thin films. This review' also reveals ‘that almost all the general methods, like vacuum evaporation, sputtering, glow discharge and even chemical methods are currently employed for the production of a-Si:H thin films. Each method has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, certain methods are generally preferred. Subsequently a detailed account of the method used here for the preparation of amorphous silicon thin films and their hydrogenation is presented. The metal chamber used for the electrical and dielectric measurements is also described. A brief mention is made-on the electrode structure, film area and film geometry.

A Study of the Physical and Engineering Behaviour of Cochin Marine Clays

With the increase in population, housing and construction of various facilities have been a problem with urbanization. Having exhausted all the trouble free hand, man is nowon the lookout for techniques to improve areas which were originally considered uninhabitable. Thus this study is based on the nature and engineering behavior of soft clays covering long stretches of coastal line and methods to improve their geotechnical properties .The main aim of the present investigation is to study in detail the physical and engineering behavior of the marine clays of Cochin. While it is well known that the marine clays have been posing numerous problems to foundation engineers all along, the relevant literature reveals that no systematic and comprehensive study has been attempted to date. The: knowledge gained through the study is suitably used to improve these properties with appropriate additives.

Behaviour of laterised normal and self compacting concrete subjected to elevated temperatures

Concrete is a universal material in the construction industry. With natural resources like sand and aggregate, fast depleting, it is time to look for alternate materials to substitute these in the process of making concrete. There are instances like exposure to solar radiation, fire, furnaces, and nuclear reactor vessels, special applications like missile launching pads etc., where concrete is exposed to temperature variations In this research work, an attempt has been made to understand the behaviour of concrete when weathered laterite aggregate is used in both conventional and self compacting normal strength concrete. The study has been extended to understand the thermal behaviour of both types of laterised concretes and to check suitability as a fire protection material. A systematic study of laterised concrete considering parameters like source of laterite aggregate, grades of Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC) and types of supplementary cementitious materials (fly ash and GGBFS) has been carried out to arrive at a feasible combination of various ingredients in laterised concrete. A mix design methodology has been proposed for making normal strength laterised self compacting concrete based on trial mixes and the same has also been validated. The physical and mechanical properties of laterised concretes have been studied with respect to different variables like exposure temperature (200°C, 400°C and 600°C) and cooling environment (air cooled and water cooled). The behaviour of ferrocement elements with laterised self compacting concrete has also been studied by varying the cover to mesh reinforcement (10mm to 50mm at an interval of 10mm), exposure temperature and cooling environment.

Growth and characterisation of certain organic crystals

The thesis presents the results of the investigations on the crystallisation ‘behaviour, detect structure end electrical properties of certain organic crystals---phthslic snhydride end potsssiun scid phthalate Hollow crystals of phthalic snhydride were grown from vapour. the norpholog of these hollow crystals were studied in detail and s. mechanism for their growth has been proposed. A closed crystal—vapour system was used to study the basal plane growth of the whiskers and the sequential growth, observed, confirmed the mechanism suggested for hollow crystals. The dendritic crystals of phthslic enhydride were grown, both iron the melt and solution. The observed morphologies of these dendrites ere described. Bpherulites of phthalic anhydride have been grown by the artificial initiation of nucleation, from melt and solution. The variation of the substructure oi’ these spherulites with the growth tenperature wee investigated. The spherulitic filll having ribbon substructure were etched to reveal dislocations. A mechanism for the formation of the observed etch pattern has been suggested. the slip occurring in these ribbons were studied and the results are presented

Bionomics, cryopreservation of gametes and captive breeding behaviour of threatened hillstream cyprinid, garra surendranathanii(shaji, arun & easa, 1996)

Garra surendranathanii is a hill stream cyprinid endemic to Kerala. According to IUCN based classification, G. surendranathanii is grouped under the threatened category. This endemic fish is having highly restricted and fragmented distribution and reported only from 5 river systems viz. Chalakudy, Periyar, Pamba, Achenkoil and Bharathapuzha. Categorization of this fish as a potential ornamental candidate can invariably add more pressure on the threat status of this particular species. Hence, this species is considered as one which requires foremost attention for conservation. Hitherto, no infomiation is available on the bionomics, resource characteristics and any conservation attempts of G. surendranathanii. Studies on detailed life history traits and development of captive breeding technique are indispensable for successful fishery management.The present study was undertaken with the following obj ectives: To study the Length-weight relationship and condition factor to ascertain the relationship between length and weight and general wellbeing ofthe fish To study the age and growth to understand the age composition of the exploited stock, age at first maturation and life span of the species. To study the reproductive biology of G. surendranathanii to gain insights in the process of gametogenesis, spawning, sex ratio, fecundity and other related aspects which are essential for developing captive breeding technology of this species. To develop captive breeding technology and cryopreservation ofgametes of G. surendranathanii for conservation

“Seaweed exudates and settlement behaviour of sedentary organisms"

The present investigation has looked exclusively into the aspect of the biological phenomenon of settling behaviour by two serious fouling offenders encountered in the tropical seas mainly on the hulls of ships and stationary structures in the harbours. The cue to study the behaviour was adopted from the observations so far made by scientists on the epizoic growth of these organisms on the surfaces of algal fronds of variegated shape, texture, size etc. The results do indicate that there are sufficient qualities of bioactive substances produced by plants occupying the lowest categories in organic evolution and curiously enough these substances have withstood the test of time.

A Study On The Utilisation Of Plastic Wastes In Stabilised Masonry Blocks

At this era of energy crisis and resource depletion, availability of conventional materials throughout the year in quantity and quality, pose a hectic problem for the builders. Adding fuel to the fire, the demand of these materials increases day by day, since the housing and habitat requirements exponentially increase time to time. There is an international concern over this crisis and researchers are reorienting themselves, so as to evolve appropriate masonry units, using locally available cheap materials and technology. The concept of green material and construction has been well conceived in the research so that marginal materials and unskilled labour can be employed for the mass production of building blocks. In this context, considering earth as a sustainable material, there is a growing interest in the use of it, as a modern construction material. Solid waste management is one of the current major environmental concerns in our country. Our country is left with millions of cubic metre of waste plastics. One of the methods to satisfactorily address this solid waste management and the environmental issues is to suitably accommodate the waste in some form (as fibres). Their employability in block making in the form of fibres (plastic fibre- mud blocks) can be investigated through a fundamental research. Also, the review of the existing literature shows that most studies on natural fibres are focussed on cellulose based/ vegetable fibres obtained from renewable plant resources except in very few cases, where animal fibre, plastic fibre and polystyrene fabric were used. At this context, for the plastic fibre-mud blocks to be more widely applicable, a systematic quantification of the relevant physical and mechanical properties of the fibre masonry units is crucial, to enable an objective evaluation of the composite material’s response to actual field condition. This research highlights the salient observations from the detailed investigation of a systematic study on the effect of embedded fibres, made of plastic wastes on the performance of stabilised mud blocks.

Behaviour of mrigal (cirrihinus mrigala) meat components during the washing process in the preparation of surimi

To elucidate the effect of washing, on flesh components, mrigal flesh was washed through one, two and three washing cycles. Washing resulted in absorption of water (1-3%) and loss of fat (49%). 35% loss of soluble protein (SP) was noticed in the first washing itself and the loss is almost equally shared by the sarcoplasmic (18% of SP) and the myofibrillar proteins (17% of SP). The subsequent washings removed small portions of water-soluble sarcoplasmic proteins resulting in the concentration of myofibrillar proteins. 73% of the soluble protein was retained in the flesh after three washing cycles. The protein had undergone marginal conformational changes as reflected by the decrease in the actomyosin Ca super(2+) ATPase activity The rheological properties of the washed flesh were,however, significantly better than that of the unwashed mince

An efficient scheme for the evaluation of coding performance of high speed links incorporating joint error behaviour based on Monte Carlo Method

While channel coding is a standard method of improving a system’s energy efficiency in digital communications, its practice does not extend to high-speed links. Increasing demands in network speeds are placing a large burden on the energy efficiency of high-speed links and render the benefit of channel coding for these systems a timely subject. The low error rates of interest and the presence of residual intersymbol interference (ISI) caused by hardware constraints impede the analysis and simulation of coded high-speed links. Focusing on the residual ISI and combined noise as the dominant error mechanisms, this paper analyses error correlation through concepts of error region, channel signature, and correlation distance. This framework provides a deeper insight into joint error behaviours in high-speed links, extends the range of statistical simulation for coded high-speed links, and provides a case against the use of biased Monte Carlo methods in this setting

Waste plastic as a stabilizing additive in Stone Mastic Asphalt

The present study investigates the benefits of stabilizing the stone mastic asphalt (SMA) mixture in flexible pavement with shredded waste plastic. Conventional (without plastic) and the stabilized SMA mixtures were subjected to performance tests including Marshall Stability, tensile strength and compressive strength tests. Triaxial tests were also conducted with varying percentage bitumen by weight of mineral aggregate (6% to 8%) and by varying percentage plastic by weight of mix (6% to 12% with an increment of 1%). Plastic content of 10% by weight of bitumen is recommended for the improvement of the performance of Stone Mastic Asphalt mixtures. 10% plastic content gives an increase in the stability, split tensile strength and compressive strength of about 64%, 18% and 75% respectively compared to the conventional SMA mix. Triaxial test results show a 44% increase in cohesion and 3% decrease in angle of shearing resistance showing an increase in the shear strength. The drain down value decreases with an increase in plastic content and the value is only 0.09 % at 10% plastic content and proves to be an effective stabilizing additive in SMA mixtures

A REVIEW OF SOIL CONSTITUTIVE MODELS FOR SOIL STRUCTURE INTEREACTION ANALYSIS

Soils are multiphase materials comprised of mineral grains, air voids and water. Soils are not linearly elastic or perfectly plastic for external loading. Various constitutive models are available to describe the various aspects of soil behaviour. But no single soil model can completely describe the behaviour of real soil under all conditions. This paper attempts to compare various soil models and suggest a suitable model for the Soil Structure Interaction analysis especially for Kochi marine clay.

Conceptualisation Of Model For Studying Consumer Purchase Behaviour Of Passenger Cars

Automobile Industry in India is influenced by the presence of national and multi-national manufacturers. The presence of many manufacturers and brands in the state provides many choices to the customer. The current market for car manufacturers has been transformed from a monopoly of one or two manufacturers in the seventies to oligopoly of many manufacturers in the current marketing scenario. The main objective of the research paper is to explore and conceptualize various parameters and develop a model, which influence the purchase patterns of passenger cars in the State of Kerala. Thus, the main purpose of this paper is to come up with a model, which shall facilitate further study on the consumer purchase behaviour patterns of passenger car owners in the State of Kerala, India. The author intends to undertake further quantitative analysis to verify and validate the model so developed. The main methods used for this paper are secondary research on available material, depth interview of car dealers, car financing agencies and car owners in the city of Cochin, in Kerala State in India. The depth interviews were conducted with the use of prepared questionnaire for car dealers, car customers and car financing agencies. The findings resulted in the identification of the parameters that influence the consumer purchase behaviour of passenger cars and the formulation of the model, which will be the basis for the further research of the author. The paper will be of tremendous value to the existing and new car manufacturers both indigenous and foreign, to formalize and strategies their policies towards an effective marketing strategy, so as to market their models in the State, which is known for its high literacy, consumerism and higher educational penetration