Diaphragmless shock wave generators for industrial applications of shock waves

The prime focus of this study is to design a 50 mm internal diameter diaphragmless shock tube that can be used in an industrial facility for repeated loading of shock waves. The instantaneous rise in pressure and temperature of a medium can be used in a variety of industrial applications. We designed, fabricated and tested three different shock wave generators of which one system employs a highly elastic rubber membrane and the other systems use a fast acting pneumatic valve instead of conventional metal diaphragms. The valve opening speed is obtained with the help of a high speed camera. For shock generation systems with a pneumatic cylinder, it ranges from 0.325 to 1.15 m/s while it is around 8.3 m/s for the rubber membrane. Experiments are conducted using the three diaphragmless systems and the results obtained are analyzed carefully to obtain a relation between the opening speed of the valve and the amount of gas that is actually utilized in the generation of the shock wave for each system. The rubber membrane is not suitable for industrial applications because it needs to be replaced regularly and cannot withstand high driver pressures. The maximum shock Mach number obtained using the new diaphragmless system that uses the pneumatic valve is 2.125 +/- 0.2%. This system shows much promise for automation in an industrial environment.

Discovery of Application Workloads from Network File Traces

An understanding of application I/O access patterns is useful in several situations. First, gaining insight into what applications are doing with their data at a semantic level helps in designing efficient storage systems. Second, it helps create benchmarks that mimic realistic application behavior closely. Third, it enables autonomic systems as the information obtained can be used to adapt the system in a closed loop.All these use cases require the ability to extract the application-level semantics of I/O operations. Methods such as modifying application code to associate I/O operations with semantic tags are intrusive. It is well known that network file system traces are an important source of information that can be obtained non-intrusively and analyzed either online or offline. These traces are a sequence of primitive file system operations and their parameters. Simple counting, statistical analysis or deterministic search techniques are inadequate for discovering application-level semantics in the general case, because of the inherent variation and noise in realistic traces.In this paper, we describe a trace analysis methodology based on Profile Hidden Markov Models. We show that the methodology has powerful discriminatory capabilities that enable it to recognize applications based on the patterns in the traces, and to mark out regions in a long trace that encapsulate sets of primitive operations that represent higher-level application actions. It is robust enough that it can work around discrepancies between training and target traces such as in length and interleaving with other operations. We demonstrate the feasibility of recognizing patterns based on a small sampling of the trace, enabling faster trace analysis. Preliminary experiments show that the method is capable of learning accurate profile models on live traces in an online setting. We present a detailed evaluation of this methodology in a UNIX environment using NFS traces of selected commonly used applications such as compilations as well as on industrial strength benchmarks such as TPC-C and Postmark, and discuss its capabilities and limitations in the context of the use cases mentioned above.

Study on degradation of H-acid by Alcaligenes latus isolated from textile industrial effluent

This study presents 100% degradation of H-acid under optimized conditions using Alcaligenes latus, isolated from textile industrial effluent. Gene/s responsible for H-acid degradation was/were found to be present on plasmid DNA. Addition of bipyridyl to incubated medium resulted in accumulation of terminal aromatic compound, suggesting that catechol may be terminal aromatic compound in degradation pathway of H-acid by A. latus. SDS-PAGE of cell free extracts showed two prominent bands close to molecular weight of catechol 1,2-dioxygenase.

Combining ``chimie douce'' and green principles for the developing world: Improving industrial viability of photocatalytic water remediation

We highlight the need for a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary approach for the development of cost-effective water remediation methods. Combining ``chimie douce'' and green chemical principles seems essential for making these technologies economically viable and socially relevant (especially in the developing world). A comprehensive approach to water remediation will take into account issues such as nanotoxicity, chemical yield, cost, and ease of deployment in reactors. By considering technological challenges that lie ahead, we will attempt to identify directions that are likely to make photocatalytic water remediation a more global technology than it currently is. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Biodiesel Exhaust Treatment with Dielectric Barrier Discharges Coupled with Industrial Waste Byproducts

Biodiesel run engines are gaining popularity since the last few years as a viable alternative to conventional petro-diesel based engines. In biodiesel exhaust the content of volatile organic compounds, oil mist, and mass of particulate matter is considerably lower. However, the concentration of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) is relatively higher. In this paper the biodiesel exhaust from a stationary engine is treated under controlled laboratory conditions for removal of NOx using dielectric barrier discharge plasma in cascade with adsorbents prepared from abundantly available industrial waste byproducts like red mud and copper slag. Results were compared with gamma-alumina, a commercial adsorbent. Two different dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) reactors were tested for their effectiveness under Repetitive pulses /AC energization. NOx removal as high as 80% was achieved with pulse energized reactors when cascaded with red mud as adsorbent.

Application of Electrical Resistance Tomography System to Monitor Gas/Liquid Two-Phase Flow in a Horizontal Pipe

The Electrical Resistance Tomography (ERT) technique possesses great potential in monitoring widely exiting industrial two/multi-phase flow. For vertical pipe flow and inclined pipe flow, some application studies with exciting results have been reported, but there is rarely a paper regarding the application of ERT to horizontal gas/liquid pipe flow. This paper addresses this issue and proposes a smart method, Liquid Level Detection method, to conventional ERT system. The enhanced ERT system using the new method can monitor horizontal pipe flow effectively and its application is no longer restricted by the flow conditions. Some experimental results from monitoring an air/water slug pipe flow are presented.

An approach to scenario analysis of the sustainability of an industrial sector applied to clothing and textiles in the UK

Companies aiming to be 'sustainability leaders' in their sector and governments wanting to support their ambitions need a means to assess the changes required to make a significant difference in the impact of their whole sector. Previous work on scenario analysis/scenario planning demonstrates extensive developments and applications, but as yet few attempts to integrate the 'triple bottom line' concerns of sustainability into scenario planning exercises. This paper, therefore, presents a methodology for scenario analysis of large change to an entire sector. The approach includes calculation of a 'triple bottom line graphic equaliser' to allow exploration and evaluation of the trade-offs between economic, environmental and social impacts. The methodology is applied to the UK's clothing and textiles sector, and results from the study of the sector are summarised. In reflecting on the specific study, some suggestions are made about future application of a similar methodology, including a template of candidate solutions that may lead to significant reduction in impacts. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Debilidades intrínsecas de las pequeñas y medianas empresas del sector industrial con alto potencial de crecimiento en la zona centro del país

El objetivo fundamental del presente trabajo es demostrar que, a pesar de que las empresas se ven afectadas por el contexto políticoeconómico, la problemática más frecuente en las PyMES ocurre en tres áreas claves, Financiamiento, RRHH y Management y tecnología de la información

Identificación de variables en modelización de líneas de producción industrial y su análisis mediante redes neuronales artificiales

Resumen: En el marco de la integración de etapas en procesos de producción industrial en serie, se identifican, clasifican y caracterizan las variables que permiten modelizar dicho proceso, como estrategia con vistas a su optimización. El estudio se aplica en el ámbito de la industria metalúrgica, a partir de los datos de un conjunto de empresas de la región centro y sur de Santa Fe. La estructura secuencial de un proceso industrial hace que cualquier falla en una etapa cause demoras o reducción de calidad en el producto final obtenido. Como herramienta integradora de análisis, se plantea la implementación de un sistema de redes neuronales artificiales.

Recuperar plásticos desechables a los fines de conformar elementos constructivos de una vivienda económica como respuesta social, analizada como un problema de ingeniería industrial

Resumen: El hecho de seleccionar a los plásticos dentro de nuestro proyecto es porque son en particular, partes abundantes y visibles en la composición de los residuos generados en nuestra sede UCA Campus Rosario. Razonamos que son varias las áreas que los producen en forma cotidiana o de modo transitorio (como es el caso de eventos), a las que podemos sumar un accionar ambientalmente responsable. Ello nos impone la responsabilidad de proponer algún modo de re-utilizarlos en el diseño de ciertos elemento que los integre como materia prima, material de aporte, insumo o material auxiliar, con un amplio campo de posibilidades como es en la construcción, a partir de una mirada desde la ingeniería ambiental. La metodología de trabajo que desarrollamos implica inspeccionar la materia prima con la cual se va a trabajar, a los fines de conocerla fehacientemente, así como internalizar la posible combinación entre los distintos tipos de plásticos de acuerdo a su composición y su respuesta en la integración con otros materiales de uso tradicional, de acuerdo a experiencias reconocidas Desde una mirada lineal la educación sola no alcanza, como tampoco la tecnología ni las medidas parciales son suficientes para aliviar este tremendo desequilibrio que venimos heredando. Ante estos hechos es perentorio comprender la complejidad, actuar desde allí descubriendo la conexión invisible entre el ser humano y el medio, y los seres humanos entre sí. Debido a ello entendemos que para restaurar el medio ambiente en principio hay que comenzar por restaurar los vínculos y los ciclos que los contienen, esto implica re-ciclar.

Overcoming hurdles to sustainable industrial fisheries production

(PDF has 25 pages.)

Application of a new pelletised organic bed for tex biodegradation in conventional biofilters

La problemática de las emisiones de gases contaminados generadas por las actividades humanas ha obligado al desarrollo de distintas tecnologías de tratamiento cuyo objetivo es minimizar el efecto de las mismas sobre el medio ambiente.La biofiltración es una de estas tecnologías de bajo coste que además es respetuosa con el entorno. Básicamente consiste en hacer pasar un gas contaminado a través de un medio poroso donde anida la biomasa que lleva a cabo la degradación de los contaminantes, generando productos no nocivos. El presente estudio se ha centrado en aportar soluciones a una de las principales limitaciones que presentan estos sistemas biológicos: el excesivo tiempo empleado por la biomasa para adaptarse a los contaminantes y degradarlos eficazmente.Se ha desarrollado una sistemática de aclimatación que ha permitido acortar el tiempo de adaptación de la biomasa específica para la eliminación de compuestos orgánicos volátiles (COVs). Estos compuestos, más específicamente los TEX (tolueno, p-xileno y etilbenceno), son uno de los grupos de contaminantes más habituales a nivel industrial, e incluso en ambientes interiores. La optimización de los parámetros de operación que afectan a esta tecnología (el nivel de humedad del soporte, temperatura, la interacción de varios contaminantes presentes en la misma corriente gaseosa, entre otros), ha llevado a la consecución de eficacias de depuración muy elevadas en el biotratamiento en continuo de corrientes gaseosas contaminadas.

Studies of the effects of industrial pollution in the lower Patapsco river area: 1. Curtis Bay Region 1941

Industrial effluents in the lower Patapsco area, which constitutes the navigable portion of the river and includes Baltimore Harbor, are many and include waste acid, distillery waters, tannery wastes and copper as (ferrous sulphate) from pigment and steel industries. (PDF contains 22 pages (2 on 1)

Problems of industrial fisheries development in the Cross River State

The industrial fisheries as opposed to artisanal fisheries in Cross River State, Nigeria, is discussed, considering the prospect of industrial fisheries in the State and identifying the major fish and shrimp resources within the coastal waters. Industrial fishing was introduced in 1973 when the state government invited a Japaneese company to carry out a joint exploratory shrimp fishing venture. The contributions made by the Seastate Seafoods Company, the Eyib's Nutritional Food and the Arawak Fishing Companies towards the increase in the number of fishing fleet in the state are noted.