Evaluation of nickel-titanium oxide-niobium pentoxide metal ceramic composite as interconnect for solid oxide fuel cell

With increasing importance for clean energy, fuel cells have gained great significance in recent decades. Solid oxide fuel cells are easy to transport due to presence of solid electrolyte and also have requisite electrical properties,but have been obstructed by their limitation to be used at only temperatures greater than 600⁰C and less than 800⁰C. To construct a stack of cells, materials that are good electrical conductors and having necessary mechanical strengths at that temperatures are being considered as interconnects between the cells. Evaluation of Nickel-Titanium dioxide-Niobium pentoxide (NTN) as interconnect and comparison to Stainless Steel 441 alloy has been made in this research. The criteria for evaluation are the resistance, long-term stability and the power density characteristics of the cell for each interconnect. Electrical measurements by impedance spectroscopy techniques were conducted at various working temperatures using a gas mixture of 10 % hydrogen and 90% nitrogen to evaluate both interconnect materials in the working range of fuel cells. Scanning Electron Microscopy images of Lanthanum Strontium Manganite paste before and after the fuel cell measurements are shown.The results showed that both NTN and Stainless Steel 441 interconnects exhibit similar electrical properties under operating conditions of the fuel cell. Since the NTN interconnect is less prone to corrosion and does not have the effect of chromium poisoning, it can be considered as a viable interconnect material for solid oxide fuel cells. --Abstract, page iii

A Clinical Study on the Homoeopathic Management of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

BACKGROUND: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a medical diagnosis that is applied to children, young people and adults who are suffering from significant behavioral and cognitive difficulties in various aspects of their lives. The causes, prevalence and the effect of interventions are still controversial. During the last 10years ADHD has been one of the most widely discussed, observed, described, debated, studied and treated childhood disorder. However Homoeopathy has its scope in managing ADHD symptoms. METHODS: A clinical study on thirty cases with ADHD was done at Sarada Krishna Homoeopathic Medical College Hospital and its Peripheral Health centers. The study cases were selected randomly as per inclusion criteria and diagnosis was mainly based on the clinical presentation and criteria as per Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale. Improvement criteria were based on the symptomatic relief according to Vanderbilt ADHD Diagnostic Parent Rating Scale score chart. RESULTS: Thirty cases were analyzed. There was a significant difference in the pre and post assessment scores in all the cases in which 57% (17 cases) showed marked improvement. Sulphur was the medicine most used for managing the symptoms. 200c potency was the most used potency of all the 30 cases. According to the study maternal grief during pregnancy may be attributed to the risk factor for developing ADHD. Higher incidence of developmental delay is also a finding. CONCLUSION: The result of the study drawn that Homoeopathy is very effective in managing patients with ADHD. Homoeopathy treats the patient as a whole and it annihilates the symptoms at the earliest so that the quality of life of the individual, the family and the society can be improved

Design and Fabrication of a Suspension Rig

Owing to its placement under the vehicle body, the suspension system is one of the parts of the vehicle which are difficult to comprehend completely, albeit being a vital component. For demonstrating the working of a suspension system, a physical model in which one can actually see the movement of all the components would be a great tool. A Mustang II independent front suspension system was purchased from Heidts Engineering Performance and a rig that can emulate some of the real world situations of vehicle suspension action was designed and fabricated. All the components are accessible and conditions like bounce, rebound and roll can be emulated manually using two jack screws. The rig was instrumented to measure the roll angle, the angle of the upper arm and the steering rotation. Motion simulation study of bounce, rebound and roll was done using NX 10 and the results were compared with the data obtained from the rig

Effect of stress history on stress-strain and volumetric response of laterite soil under undrained and drained conditions

by T K AbhijithM.Tech

The ragpicker with a social cause

Green Worms is a social enterprise on a mission to sustainably and scientifically tackle solid waste menace in the world. We envision a world free of solid waste. Jabir Karat, a post graduate in History from Delhi University lives in Thamarassery. He chose his career in waste management even though it was not his subject. On completion of his studies, he was offered the meritorious Gandhi Fellowship. He opted to work at the Andheri Slum in Mumbai and there the concept of garbage processing struck him. He also found an entrepreneur who transforms garbage into compost in TV show ‘ Satyamev Jayate’ produced by Aamir Khan. The show discusses and provides possible solutions to address social issues in India. He realized that waste is a misplaced resource. Later on he underwent training with the Environmental Protection and Service Organization led by Vellore Srinivasan near Coimbatore. Back home, he failed in establishing his new ideas. People of Thamarassery agreed to everything but were reluctant to pay nominal fees for the waste management services offered. It was easier to throw away

Exploration and estimation of gravel resource potential in southeast Chukchi Sea continental shelf off Kivalina, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2005Frequent storm surges in the Alaskan arctic result in washovers and high erosion of barrier islands. The village council of Kivalina has resolved to relocate from its present location on a barrier island in Northwest arctic Alaska to an adjacent onshore site. The relocation plan envisages excavation of upper 4 meter of the 25 km² onshore permafrost ground and construction of a foundation pad. The objective of this research is to estimate the gravel resource potential in the continental shelf off Kivalina. In this context seismic surveys and sediment sampling were conducted. The seismic surveys were of limited use as they failed to resolve the upper 1-2 m of the seafloor. The lithostratigraphy indicated dominance of the 2.4-3.4 mm size fraction in the region north of Kivalina. The geostatistical analysis indicated an omnidirectional variogram fit to the data with ordinary kriging producing the best kriging estimate of the gravel resource potential. At least 20 x 10⁶ m³ of gravel above the 90 % cut-off is present in the upper 0.5 m of the seafloor. The regional Pleistocene glaciation has affected the lateral variations in gravel abundance in the nearshore southeast Chukchi Sea