Optimizing the operation safety and performance of an axial compressor using fluid-structure coupling and high-performance computing

In this study, the impact of blade radial and axial deformations on the operation safety and performance of an axial compressor is analyzed using a partitioned fluid-structure coupling approach. High performance computing (HPC) clusters and the Message Passage Interface (MPI) parallelization method are utilized to optimize the mesh quality and computation time balance. The chosen high-resolution tip-clearance mesh is validated through a mesh convergence study on the fluid domain. Three turbulence models (k-ε, k-ω, and k-ω SST) are compared and the k-ε turbulence model is found to be the best option for agreement with experimental data. A multilevel factorial design of experiments (DOE) is conducted to investigate the influence of tip-clearance variation on the operation safety and performance of the compressor. A parametric study for several tip-clearance values and materials is performed using ANSYS Workbench, and the maximum deformation in the blade tip was predicted to be 0.7 mm, and the optimum design point is determined based on the weight and importance of the factors, which leads to an increase over 33% in the operation safety and a negligible loss in efficiency. The study also highlights the 42 times computational time savings obtained through the use of super-processors with high quality mesh in both solid and fluid domains in comparison with a personal computer. Future work could investigate the impact of other factors such as blade geometry, or operating conditions on the performance and safety of the compressor in a two-way strongly coupled transient manner

Spatio-temporal variations and genetic diversity of Anaplasma spp. in cattle from the North of Tunisia

International audienceIn cattle, anaplasmosis is a tick-borne rickettsial disease caused by Anaplasma marginale, A. centrale, A. phagocytophilum, and A. bovis. To date, no information concerning the seasonal dynamics of single and/or mixed infections by different Anaplasma species in bovines are available in Tunisia. In this work, a total of 1035 blood bovine samples were collected in spring (n=367), summer (n=248), autumn (n=244) and winter (n=176) from five different governorates belonging to three bioclimatic zones from the North of Tunisia. Molecular survey of A. marginale, A. centrale and A. bovis in cattle showed that average prevalence rates were 4.7% (minimum 4.1% in autumn and maximum 5.6% in summer), 7% (minimum 3.9% in winter and maximum 10.7% in autumn) and 4.9% (minimum 2.7% in spring and maximum 7.3% in summer), respectively. A. phagocytophilum was not detected in all investigated cattle. Seasonal variations of Anaplasma spp. infection and co-infection rates in overall and/or according to each bioclimatic area were recorded. Molecular characterization of A. marginale msp4 gene indicated a high sequence homology of revealed strains with A. marginale sequences from African countries. Alignment of 16S rRNA A. centrale sequences showed that Tunisian strains were identical to the vaccine strain from several sub-Saharan African and European countries. The comparison of the 16S rRNA sequences of A. bovis variants showed a perfect homology between Tunisian variants isolated from cattle, goats and sheep. These present data are essential to estimate the risk of bovine anaplasmosis in order to develop integrated control policies against multi-species pathogen communities, infecting humans and different animal species, in the country

Road Profile Identification Using Estimation Techniques: Comparison Between Independent Component Analysis And Kalman Filter

This paper focuses on the identification of a road profile disturbance acting on vehicles. Vehicles are subjected to many kinds of excitation sources such as road profile irregularities, which constitute a major area of interest when designing suspension systems. Indeed, determining the road profile is important for passive suspension design on the one hand and for determining an appropriate control law for active suspensions on the other. Direct measurement techniques of the road profile are expensive, so solutions based on estimation theory are needed. The aim of this paper is to characterize the road excitation using the Independent Component Analysis (ICA). This proposed method can reconstruct original excitation sources by using physically measurable signals of the system under study. Here, the estimation of road disturbances is considered as output sources and identified from dynamic responses of the vehicle. These responses can be measured via sensors or can be numerically computed. In our case, they are numerically simulated using the Newmark method and consider different types of road profiles. The obtained results are validated after using a comparison with the Kalman filtering. The robustness of the ICA is confirmed via parametric study.WoSScopu

Novel pathogenic mutations and further evidence for clinical relevance of genes and variants causing hearing impairment in Tunisian population

Introduction: Hearing impairment (HI) is characterized by complex genetic heterogeneity. The evolution of next generation sequencing, including targeted enrichment panels, has revolutionized HI diagnosis. Objectives: In this study, we investigated genetic causes in 22 individuals with non-GJB2 HI. Methods: We customized a HaloplexHS kit to include 30 genes known to be associated with autosomal recessive nonsyndromic HI (ARNSHI) and Usher syndrome in North Africa. Results: In accordance with the ACMG/AMP guidelines, we report 11 pathogenic variants; as follows; five novel variants including three missense (ESRRB-Tyr295Cys, MYO15A-Phe2089Leu and MYO7A-Tyr560Cys) and two nonsense (USH1C-Gln122Ter and CIB2-Arg104Ter) mutations; two previously reported mutations (OTOF-Glu57Ter and PNPT1-Glu475Gly), but first time identified among Tunisian families; and four other identified mutations namely WHRN-Gly808AspfsX11, SLC22A4-Cys113Tyr and two MYO7A compound heterozygous splice site variants that were previously described in Tunisia. Pathogenic variants in WHRN and CIB2 genes, in patients with convincing phenotype ruling out retinitis pigmentosa, provide strong evidence supporting their association with ARNSHI. Moreover, we shed lights on the pathogenic implication of mutations in PNPT1 gene in auditory function providing new evidence for its association with ARNSHI. Lack of segregation of a previously identified causal mutation OTOA-Val603Phe further supports its classification as variant of unknown significance. Our study reports absence of otoacoustic emission in subjects using bilateral hearing aids for several years indicating the importance of screening genetic alteration in OTOF gene for proper management of those patients. Conclusion: In conclusion, our findings do not only expand the spectrum of HI mutations in Tunisian patients, but also improve our knowledge about clinical relevance of HI causing genes and variants