PREPARATION OF WATERBORNE ULTRAFINE PARTICLES OF EPOXY RESIN BY PHASE INVERSION TECHNIQUE

Waterborne ultrafine particles of epoxy resin were prepared by phase inversion technique. The results of SEM revealed that the particles diameter was in the range of 50 to 100 nm and the effects on amount of water required at phase inversion point were also discussed.

Applied the Large Scale Particle Image Velocimetry Technique for Measurement the Velocity of Gravity Currents in the Laboratory

This study includes a series of laboratory experiments for investigated the gravity current of fresh water with density ρ-?ρ, and initial speed u0 upon the free surface of an ambient liquid (salty water) with density ρ at rest in a basin. It’s have been presented to illuminate the dominant flow and transport phenomena in the presence of river, stream and wetland ecology, stream corridor restoration, in the case of accidental pollution spills. The characterized of the local kinematic field, i.e. the local velocity and vorticity fields, the measurement methods include particle image velocimetry (PIV) at the water surface using a technique similar to large scale of particle image velocimetry (LSPIV).

An Improved Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm Based on Ensemble Technique

An improved particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm based on ensemble technique is presented. The algorithm combines some previous best positions (pbest) of the particles to get an ensemble position (Epbest), which is used to replace the global best position (gbest). It is compared with the standard PSO algorithm invented by Kennedy and Eberhart and some improved PSO algorithms based on three different benchmark functions. The simulation results show that the improved PSO based on ensemble technique can get better solutions than the standard PSO and some other improved algorithms under all test cases.

Image-Aided Analysis of Ballast Particle Movement Along a High-Speed Railway

As a core infrastructure of high-speed railways,ballast layers constituted by graded crushed stones feature noteworthy particle movement compared with normal railways,which may cause excessive settlement and have detrimental effects on train operation.However,the movement behavior remains ambiguous due to a lack of effective measurement approaches and analytical methods.In this study,an image-aided technique was developed in a full-scale model test using digital cameras and a colorbased identification approach.A total of 1274 surface ballast particles were manually dyed by discernible colors to serve as tracers in the test.The movements of the surface ballast particles were tracked using the varied pixels displaying tracers in the photos that were intermittently taken during the test in the perpendicular direction.The movement behavior of ballast particles under different combinations of train speeds and axle loads was quantitatively evaluated.The obtained results indicated that the surface ballast particle movements were slight,mainly concentrated near sleepers under low-speed train loads and greatly amplified and extended to the whole surface when the train speed reached 360 km.h-1.Additionally,the development of ballast particle displacement statistically resembled its rotation.Track vibration contributed to the movements of ballast particles,which specifically were driven by vertical acceleration near the track center and horizontal acceleration at the track edge.Furthermore,the development trends of ballast particle movements and track settlement under long-term train loading were similar,and both stabilized at nearly the same time.The track performance,including the vibration characteristics,accumulated settlement,and sleeper support stiffness,was determined to be closely related to the direction and distribution of ballast particle flow,which partly deteriorated under high-speed train loads.

Optimal Placement and Sizing of Distributed Generations for Power Losses Minimization Using PSO-Based Deep Learning Techniques

The integration of distributed generations (DGs) into distribution systems (DSs) is increasingly becoming a solution for compensating for isolated local energy systems (ILESs). Additionally, distributed generations are used for self-consumption with excess energy injected into centralized grids (CGs). However, the improper sizing of renewable energy systems (RESs) exposes the entire system to power losses. This work presents an optimization of a system consisting of distributed generations. Firstly, PSO algorithms evaluate the size of the entire system on the IEEE bus 14 test standard. Secondly, the size of the system is allocated using improved Particles Swarm Optimization (IPSO). The convergence speed of the objective function enables a conjecture to be made about the robustness of the proposed system. The power and voltage profile on the IEEE 14-bus standard displays a decrease in power losses and an appropriate response to energy demands (EDs), validating the proposed method.

Improving Association Rules Accuracy in Noisy Domains Using Instance Reduction Techniques

Association rules’learning is a machine learning method used in finding underlying associations in large datasets.Whether intentionally or unintentionally present,noise in training instances causes overfitting while building the classifier and negatively impacts classification accuracy.This paper uses instance reduction techniques for the datasets before mining the association rules and building the classifier.Instance reduction techniques were originally developed to reduce memory requirements in instance-based learning.This paper utilizes them to remove noise from the dataset before training the association rules classifier.Extensive experiments were conducted to assess the accuracy of association rules with different instance reduction techniques,namely:DecrementalReduction Optimization Procedure(DROP)3,DROP5,ALL K-Nearest Neighbors(ALLKNN),Edited Nearest Neighbor(ENN),and Repeated Edited Nearest Neighbor(RENN)in different noise ratios.Experiments show that instance reduction techniques substantially improved the average classification accuracy on three different noise levels:0%,5%,and 10%.The RENN algorithm achieved the highest levels of accuracy with a significant improvement on seven out of eight used datasets from the University of California Irvine(UCI)machine learning repository.The improvements were more apparent in the 5%and the 10%noise cases.When RENN was applied,the average classification accuracy for the eight datasets in the zero-noise test enhanced from 70.47%to 76.65%compared to the original test.The average accuracy was improved from 66.08%to 77.47%for the 5%-noise case and from 59.89%to 77.59%in the 10%-noise case.Higher confidence was also reported in building the association rules when RENN was used.The above results indicate that RENN is a good solution in removing noise and avoiding overfitting during the construction of the association rules classifier,especially in noisy domains.

The Concept of Randomized Particles as the Basis of Cluster and Associate Theory Viscosity and Flow

Using thermal barriers at the melting point?Hm and RTm,it is shown that the latter directly reflects the chaotic process,since it is equal to the kinetic energy reserve of chaotic(thermal)particle motions,and the first additionally takes into account the energy expenditure for overcoming the potential energy of the interconnection of particles,which is typical for inorganic compounds.Therefore,to determine the share of crystal-mobile particles responsible for the viscosity of the melt,the chaotization barrier of RTm should be used,since in the virtual clusters the potential binding energy is conserved,thereby compensating for the heat expense of breaking these bonds upon melting.Therefore,to analyze the share of crystal-mobile particles,it is necessary to use the formula of their share in the form:Pcrm=1-exp(-tm/t).On the basis of the distribution of clusters previously found by the authors in terms of the number of crystal-mobile particles included in them,it was shown that all non-single crystal-mobile particles are responsible for the viscosity,and for flowability all single particles,including crystal-mobile,liquid-mobile and vapor-mobile.This ensures the superiority of the share of single particles over the share of crystal-mobile particles arranged in non-single clusters at the melting point,and thereby the fluidity of the melt.Based on the share distribution of clusters in terms of the number of particles entering into them,the share of non-single clusters responsible for the viscosity of the melt is expressed as:Pct=p2crm=[1-exp(-Tm/T)2].The probabilistic meaning of the formation of clusters from non-single crystal-mobile particles is extended to the formation of associates,which made it possible to disclose the meaning of the second level of the exponential dependence of viscosity in the cluster and associate model:η=η1(T1/T)a2(T2/T)b,where the first level is responsible for the formation of clusters,and the second—for associates.This form corresponds to the physical hierarchy when combining crystal-mobile particles.The previously proposed method for processing viscosity data for the cluster and associate model assumed the use of three reference points from the available experimental array of values of viscosity at different temperatures.This method is supplemented by using the entire set of data on the viscosity with the preservation of two reference points and processing the rest to determine the exponent b,which has the meaning of aggregation degree of associates,from the linearized dependence:ln in(η/η1)in(T1/T2)/IN(T1/T)in(η/η1)=bin(T1/T).The new method was tested on reference data and showed its high statistical adequacy.

Application of several optimization techniques for estimating TBM advance rate in granitic rocks

This study aims to develop several optimization techniques for predicting advance rate of tunnel boring machine(TBM)in different weathered zones of granite.For this purpose,extensive field and laboratory studies have been conducted along the 12,649 m of the Pahang-Selangor raw water transfer tunnel in Malaysia.Rock properties consisting of uniaxial compressive strength(UCS),Brazilian tensile strength(BTS),rock mass rating(RMR),rock quality designation(RQD),quartz content(q)and weathered zone as well as machine specifications including thrust force and revolution per minute(RPM)were measured to establish comprehensive datasets for optimization.Accordingly,to estimate the advance rate of TBM,two new hybrid optimization techniques,i.e.an artificial neural network(ANN)combined with both imperialist competitive algorithm(ICA)and particle swarm optimization(PSO),were developed for mechanical tunneling in granitic rocks.Further,the new hybrid optimization techniques were compared and the best one was chosen among them to be used for practice.To evaluate the accuracy of the proposed models for both testing and training datasets,various statistical indices including coefficient of determination(R^2),root mean square error(RMSE)and variance account for(VAF)were utilized herein.The values of R^2,RMSE,and VAF ranged in 0.939-0.961,0.022-0.036,and 93.899-96.145,respectively,with the PSO-ANN hybrid technique demonstrating the best performance.It is concluded that both the optimization techniques,i.e.PSO-ANN and ICA-ANN,could be utilized for predicting the advance rate of TBMs;however,the PSO-ANN technique is superior.

Approximations of the Scattering Phase Functions of Particles

Based on anomalous diffraction theory and the modified Rayleigh-Debye approximation, a physically realistic model in bridging form is described to approximate the scattering phase function of particles. When compared with the exact method, the bridging technique reported here provides a reasonable approximation to the Mie results over a broader range of angles and size parameters, and it demonstrates the advantage of being computationally economic. In addition, the new phase function model can be essentially extended to other shapes and conveniently used in more complicated scattering and emission problems related to the solutions of the radiative transfer equations.

Simulation of the 3D viscoelastic free surface flow by a parallel corrected particle scheme

In this work, the behavior of the three-dimensional （3D） jet coiling based on the viscoelastic Oldroyd-B model is investigated by a corrected particle scheme, which is named the smoothed particle hydrodynamics with corrected symmetric kernel gradient and shifting particle technique （SPH_CS_SP） method. The accuracy and stability of SPH_CS_SP method is first tested by solving Poiseuille flow and Taylor-Green flow. Then the capacity for the SPH_CS_SP method to solve the viscoelastic fluid is verified by the polymer flow through a periodic array of cylinders. Moreover, the convergence of the SPH CS_SP method is also investigated. Finally, the proposed method is further applied to the 3D viscoelastic jet coiling problem, and the influences of macroscopic parameters on the jet coiling are discussed. The numerical results show that the SPH_CS_SP method has higher accuracy and better stability than the traditional SPH method and other corrected SPH method, and can improve the tensile instability.

Measuring the velocity of sand particles in an air/particle two-phase flow:A comparison of several commonly used methods

The velocity of blown sand particles is an important parameter in aeolian movement （a special case of gas particle two-phase flow） and has ever been a topic of interest. At present, several techniques have been applied in measuring velocity of the blown sand particles. This paper reviews the measurement results of several commonly used methods： photoelectric cell method, high-speed photographic method, Particle Dynamics Analyzer （PDA） method and Particle Image Velocimetry （PIV） method. Photoelectric cell method, high-speed photograph method and PDA method are useful in studying the velocity distribution of particles. PIV is a whole-flow-field technique and a useful tool to study the average velocity field in a target area. These methods got some similar results but considerable differences also exist. They have come to similar conclusions on the velocity distributions at a single height but direct measurement results with respect to the velocity distribution very close to the surface are still scarce except some PDA results. The magnitude of measured mean particle velocity differs greatly. The relationship obtained by different methods between mean particle velocity and wind velocity, particle size and possibly other influencing factors also differs considerably. Although several authors have proposed similar power functions to describe the variation with height of the mean particle velocity, the predicted results have wide differences. Each technique is based on some unique principles, and has its advantages and disad- vantages. To make full use of different techniques, a lot of work needs be done to validate them. Developing a reliable technique to measure the velocity of blown particles is still a necessary task in aeolian research.

Varying of up-conversion nanoparticles luminescence from the muscle tissue depth during the compression

The current work is focused on the study of optical clearing of skeletal muscles under local compression.The experiments were performed on in vitro bovine skeletal muscle.The time dependence of optical clearing was studied by monitoring the luminescence intensity of NaYF_(4)∶Er,Yb upconverting particles located under tissue layers.This study shows the possibility to use upconverting nanoparticles(UCNPs)both for studying the dynamics of the optical clearing of biological tissue under compression and to detect moments of cell wall damage under excessive pressure.The advantage of using UCNPs is the presence of several bands in their luminescence spectra,located both at close wavelengths and far apart.

Precision Tension Control System Using Magnetic Particle Clutch

The control of the stability of the filament tension is one of the crucial techniques ensuring the component quality of the composite materials. The open-loop tension control system, with industrial control computer as the core, magnetic particle clutch as the actuator, equipped with compensation technique is researched and manufactured. It can assure the tension control stability of the yarn in filament winding process and increase the control precision of the whole system.

Preparation technique of SiCp reinforced Al matrix composite

A new preparation technique-"block dispersal and cast" method is introduced, and three kinds of powder mixing methods, vertical, horizontal and inclining styles, are compared. The results demonstrate that the inclining style is the best way to mix powders. The Al and nano SiC powders are pressed into blocks, dipped into molten Al, stirred into mold so that SiC/Al matrix composites can be obtained at last. The microstructure of SiC particle reinforced Al matrix composite prepared by "block dispersal and cast" method have been studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Phase analysis has also been conducted by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results show that nano SiC particles can be dispersed uniformly in Al matrix. Thus, it is feasible to prepare SiC particle reinforced Al matrix composites by this method.

The curve of ion exchange ratio(%)-pH of the interaction between suspended particles with Cd(Ⅱ) in the Yellow River

The curve of ion exchange ratio(%) pH of the interaction between suspended particles with Cd(II) in the Yellow River was studied. The effects of lysine on this curve have been also investigated. The results showed that (1) Cadmium in Cd(OH) + form in the suspended particles exchanges with the cations. The exchange ratio of Cd 2+ is nearly at its greatest value in the range of pH (8.0—8.5) in natural aquatic system; (2) Ion exchange ratio decreases as the concentration of Cd 2+ raises from 8.9×10 -6 mol/L to 2×8.9×10 -6 mol/L; (3) At the lysine concentration of 6 8×10 -6 mol/L, it can promote the ion exchange ratio; (4) Adsorption of the suspended particles to cadmium is weaker in seawater and Jin Sha River than in the Yellow River.

Finite element analyses of slope stability problems using non-associated plasticity

In recent years, finite element analyses have increasingly been utilized for slope stability problems. In comparison to limit equilibrium methods, numerical analyses do not require any definition of the failure mechanism a priori and enable the determination of the safety level more accurately. The paper compares the performances of strength reduction finite element analysis(SRFEA) with finite element limit analysis(FELA), whereby the focus is related to non-associated plasticity. Displacement-based finite element analyses using a strength reduction technique suffer from numerical instabilities when using non-associated plasticity, especially when dealing with high friction angles but moderate dilatancy angles. The FELA on the other hand provides rigorous upper and lower bounds of the factor of safety(FoS) but is restricted to associated flow rules. Suggestions to overcome this problem, proposed by Davis(1968), lead to conservative FoSs; therefore, an enhanced procedure has been investigated. When using the modified approach, both the SRFEA and the FELA provide very similar results. Further studies highlight the advantages of using an adaptive mesh refinement to determine FoSs. Additionally, it is shown that the initial stress field does not affect the FoS when using a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion.

Feasibility-Guided Constraint-Handling Techniques for Engineering Optimization Problems

The particle swarm optimization(PSO)algorithm is an established nature-inspired population-based meta-heuristic that replicates the synchronizing movements of birds and sh.PSO is essentially an unconstrained algorithm and requires constraint handling techniques(CHTs)to solve constrained optimization problems(COPs).For this purpose,we integrate two CHTs,the superiority of feasibility(SF)and the violation constraint-handling(VCH),with a PSO.These CHTs distinguish feasible solutions from infeasible ones.Moreover,in SF,the selection of infeasible solutions is based on their degree of constraint violations,whereas in VCH,the number of constraint violations by an infeasible solution is of more importance.Therefore,a PSO is adapted for constrained optimization,yielding two constrained variants,denoted SF-PSO and VCH-PSO.Both SF-PSO and VCH-PSO are evaluated with respect to ve engineering problems:the Himmelblau’s nonlinear optimization,the welded beam design,the spring design,the pressure vessel design,and the three-bar truss design.The simulation results show that both algorithms are consistent in terms of their solutions to these problems,including their different available versions.Comparison of the SF-PSO and the VCHPSO with other existing algorithms on the tested problems shows that the proposed algorithms have lower computational cost in terms of the number of function evaluations used.We also report our disagreement with some unjust comparisons made by other researchers regarding the tested problems and their different variants.

Optimal Allocation of a Hybrid Wind Energy-Fuel Cell System Using Different Optimization Techniques in the Egyptian Distribution Network

This paper presents an optimal proposed allocating procedure for hybrid wind energy combined with proton exchange membrane fuel cell (WE/PEMFC) system to improve the operation performance of the electrical distribution system (EDS). Egypt has an excellent wind regime with wind speeds of about 10 m/s at many areas. The disadvantage of wind energy is its seasonal variations. So, if wind power is to supply a significant portion of the demand, either backup power or electrical energy storage (EES) system is needed to ensure that loads will be supplied in reliable way. So, the hybrid WE/PEMFC system is designed to completely supply a part of the Egyptian distribution system, in attempt to isolate it from the grid. However, the optimal allocation of the hybrid units is obtained, in order to enhance their benefits in the distribution networks. The critical buses that are necessary to install the hybrid WE/ PEMFC system, are chosen using sensitivity analysis. Then, the binary Crow search algorithm (BCSA), discrete Jaya algorithm (DJA) and binary particle swarm optimization (BPSO) techniques are proposed to determine the optimal operation of power systems using single and multi-objective functions (SOF/MOF). Then, the results of the three optimization techniques are compared with each other. Three sensitivity factors are employed in this paper, which are voltage sensitivity factor (VSF), active losses sensitivity factor (ALSF) and reactive losses sensitivity factor (RLSF). The effects of the sensitivity factors (SFs) on the SOF/MOF are studied. The improvement of voltage profile and minimizing active and reactive power losses of the EDS are considered as objective functions. Backward/forward sweep (BFS) method is used for the load flow calculations. The system load demand is predicted up to year 2022 for Mersi-Matrouh City as a part of Egyptian distribution network, and the design of the hybrid WE/PEMFC system is applied. The PEMFC system is designed considering simplified mathematical expressions. The economics of operation of both WE and PEMFC system are also presented. The results prove the capability of the proposed procedure to find the optimal allocation for the hybrid WE/PEMFC system to improve the system voltage profile and to minimize both active and reactive power losses for the EDS of Mersi-Matrough City.

Surface Modification of NaCl Particles with Metal Films Using the Polygonal Barrel-Sputtering Method

In this study, the surfaces of NaCl particles were modified with metal films using the polygonal barrel-sputtering method. When Pt was sputtered on NaCl particles, the individual particles changed from white to metallic. Characterization of the treated samples indicated that thin Pt metal films were uniformly deposited on the NaCl particles. Immersion of the treated NaCl particles in water revealed that they floated to the surface of the water with the increase in the immersion time, although their original cubic shapes remained unchanged. The floating phenomenon of the Pt-coated NaCl particles, as mentioned above, suggests that NaCl was dissolved by the permeation of water through invisible defects such as grain boundaries in the Pt films, leading to the formation of hollow particle-like materials. It should be noted that uniform film deposition on the NaCl particles could also be achieved by sputtering with Au or Cu. Based on the obtained results, our sputtering method allows uniform surface modification of water-soluble and water-reactive powders that cannot be treated by conventional wet process using water.