Gas-Solid Interaction, Flow Behavior analysis and Development of a Design Basis equation for the Dense Entry Region of an Asymmetrically Loaded Cold Flow CFB Riser

The dispersion of a gas tracer was used to indicate the effectiveness of the mixing process of an injected flow of solids into the dense bed region of NETL\u27s cold flow CFB riser in three distinctly different fluidization regimes. NETL\u27s cold flow test facility mimics commercial scale transport reactors with side entry of solids into the vertical riser. Pure CO2 was used as the tracer gas and was introduced continuously into the injected flow of solids and it was assumed to essentially remain in the injected flow stream. The tracer gas would be released from the injected flow stream as the as the flow stream begins to disintegrate. As the stream loses its identity the remaining tracer gas would be released. The tracer gas distribution was measured using inline IR CO2 detectors across the cross-sectional area of the riser at four different elevations, two near the injection point and two further downstream. Due to the high solids hold up and high reactant concentrations, a significant portion of the reaction can take place in the dense bed region. The effectiveness of a Transport Reactor depends on its ability to adequately mix the incoming flows of reactants: fuel, sorbent and air. These reactants have to be dispersed across the reactor\u27s cross-sectional area by the different mixing mechanisms. A good description of the flow behavior is also essential in developing and validating predictor reactor models as well as in developing crucial gas and solids mixing relationships that will can be incorporated and validated for CFD codes (MFIX). In addition there are several operational variables (independent variables) that influence this mixing behavior. Multivariable analysis of variance (MANOVA) model were developed for the NETL cold flow CFB riser based on the dispersion data. The mixing process as a function of the operating parameters is empirically proposed outlining the independent variables (operating and system parameters) which significantly influenced the dispersion of the tracer gas. Since the contacting between the gas and solid phases in a fluidized bed is mainly governed by the degree of gas mixing, the equations governing the gas mixing in fast-fluidized beds is useful in reactor design. The results from this work have been presented at the 2010 Multiphase Flow Workshop organized by NETL at Pittsburgh

Design of a gear driven anti-twister mechanism for a seal-less blood processor

This thesis presents the design of a gear driven anti- twister mechanism for a blood cell separator. The anti- twister mechanism allows for continuous feed and discharge lines that are rigidly attached to the rotating centrifuge head, thus eliminating the need of rotating seals. It is anticipated that the device using a gear driven anti-twister mechanism will have smoother power transmission and closer rpm tolerances. In addition, a procedure for the dynamic analysis of the existing device, which uses a belt-driven anti-twister mechanism, is developed. The experimental values obtained from the device are compared with the theoretical values obtained by analytical methods. This comparison demonstrates that the procedure employed can be used in prognosis of natural frequencies for devices with similar configuration. Such a dynamic analysis is important to ensure that the separator designed will not have any natural frequencies near to the operating frequencies

Harnessing Digital Transformation: A Pathway to Achieving the 2030 UNSDGs and Ensuring Sustainable Corporate Performance

This chapter explores the essential intersection of digital transformation and sustainability within the context of contemporary business enterprises. It is based on the urgent need for the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs) 2030, and it underscores the transformative potential of digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, and blockchain in reshaping sustainable business practices. This focuses on the switch from traditional, profit-driven models to models that prioritize people, profits, and the planet. The critical conclusion is the emancipation of stakeholders who have evolved from being passive receivers of CSR activities to become active collaborators in sustainability initiatives enabled by digital advances. In addition to that, the barriers that naturally occur because of the digital divide and ethical hurdles must be collectively resolved. Ultimately, it reverts back to the narrow, yet arduous path that leads to the shared value; cooperation and innovation as a way forward to a sustainable digital future

An Effective Pixel-Wise Approach for Skin Colour Segmentation- Using Pixel Neighbourhood Technique

This paper presents a novel technique for skin colour segmentation that overcomes the limitations faced by existing techniques such as Colour Range Thresholding. Skin colour segmentation is affected by the varied skin colours and surrounding lighting conditions, leading to poorskin segmentation for many techniques. We propose a new two stage Pixel Neighbourhood technique that classifies any pixel as skin or non-skin based on its neighbourhood pixels. The first step calculates the probability of each pixel being skin by passing HSV values of the pixel to a Deep Neural Network model. In the next step, it calculates the likeliness of pixel being skin using these probabilities of neighbouring pixels. This technique performs skin colour segmentation better than the existing techniques

PREDICTING CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND ITS IMPACT ON PURCHASE INTENTION FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MARKET

The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of customer perceived value on customer purchase intention in the residential property market in Malaysia. The research proposes extension of Seth et al., 1991 model for property market by including relational aspect of the value as an added new parameter. Explanatory research design approach is used in this study with primary data collection through questionnaire survey of 172 respondents using convenience sampling method. The collected data and results are then analysed using SPSS 22 for Demographic analysis, Normality and Reliability test, Data Distribution. Finally, Pearson correlation analysis and Regression test is done to find the correlation between any two variables and relationship among the variables. The analysis indicated overall positive significant relationship with epistemic value being the highest among all. Regression analysis indicated functional value, social value, relational value, conditional value, and epistemic value shows positive significant effects on customer purchase intention while emotional value shows positive insignificant effect on customer purchase intention.The research is useful for marketers and researchers to understand perceived value based customer purchase intention for residential property sector among Malaysians and the tested model will be of great utility to property developers to devise appropriate value proposition based on consumer perceived value.Â

Reinvestigating Key Factors of Customer Satisfaction Affecting Customer Retention for Fast Food Industry

It is an undisputed fact that the cost of Customer Retention is far lesser than that of acquiring fresh ones. Customer satisfaction is undoubtedly one of the strong factors ensuring customer retention. Several researches have been done in the past to identify factors influencing customer satisfaction and in turn leading to customer retention. With changing perceptions, preferences and markets, we find a need to reinvestigate what are the key factors of customer satisfaction affecting customer retention in Malaysian fast food industry. Product quality, service quality, prices, facility and emotional factor are selected as factors of customer satisfaction (independent variables) based on extensive literature review. The research uses primary data collected from 180 Malaysian fast food customers using a multi-factor questionnaire with a Likert-scale from 1 to 5. To ensure reliability and validity the questionnaire was checked by Cronbach’s Alpha and principal components analysis was carried out. Correlation and regression analysis is conducted using SPSS 21 to identify influence and impact of selected factors on customer retention. Descriptive statistics show that the most significant key factor of customer satisfaction is emotional factor followed by store facility, service quality and prices and the lease poor is product quality. Emotional factor and facility plays important role in customer satisfaction that ensures customer retention in Malaysian fast food industry

Assessment of Extended E-S-Qual Model in an M-Commerce Setting

The research goal is to fill the current research gap by determining the service factors that influence M-commerce Apps customer satisfaction and loyalty in Malaysia by adopting e-service quality (e-SQ) model and relationship quality theories in the context of mobile commerce apps. A framework proposed by Zeithaml, et al., (2005) for e-service quality (e-SQ) and its extension is used to study the influence of service quality on customer satisfaction and loyalty in the context of M-commerce. The data is collected through administered online survey with sample of 152 respondent selected using convenience sampling in order to test the hypotheses of the proposed framework model. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) as well as path analysis is carried out using AMOS 22. The results of this study show that, out of all service quality elements, only fulfilment has the highest significant influence on customer satisfaction, while privacy has the highest significant impact on customer loyalty. This also mean, adopting e-SQ model as it is for mobile businesses can be erroneous. This research is useful and has important implication for marketers, businesses that are looking to improve M-Commerce by understanding customer satisfaction and customer loyalty in relation with e-SQ among Malaysian working professionals. Academically, it uncovers need to investigate service quality factors specifically for mobile businesses

Success Factors for e-Learning Satisfaction during COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

The research investigates effect of IT characteristicsfactors on students’ e-learning satisfaction during the period of COVID 19 pandemic lockdown. Selected factors of IT characteristics are IT complexity, IT pace change and IT presenteeism. The study also investigatesmediating role of perceived value as a second order construct comprising of perceived ease of use, perceived behavioural control and perceived usefulness. The data was collected from 470 student sample selected using convenience sampling through online questionnaire in Malaysia during Movement Control Order (lockdown) period when universities moved classes to online learning platforms. The data was then subjected to purification, normality and reliability assessment followed by confirmatory factor analysis, validity assessment and finally structural equation modelling using IBM SPSS AMOS 24.0. The findings show that all three factors have significant impact on e-learning satisfaction. IT complexity has the most prominent impact on e-learning satisfaction among selected variables. In addition, perceived value fully mediates relationship among all three independent variables and learning satisfaction. Implications, limitations and future research avenues are then discussed

Impact of Service Quality Dimensions on Internet Banking Adoption, Satisfaction and Patronage

Banking, a demand-driven industry is vastly growing to date by consistently expanding its client network via internet banking. The rendered service quality by banks has nevertheless been the essential tool for attracting prospective customers. Although, impact of service quality on satisfaction and patronage is well researched, investigating the same for internet banking and in Malaysian context is a definite research gap. This study is conducted to see the impact of service quality on the adoption of internet banking and then to identify if the service quality dimensions of reliability, responsiveness, communication, access and security leads to customer satisfaction and subsequently leads to patronage in Malaysia. The data is gathered from 202 bank customers using judgmental sampling through two sets of questionnaires viz. User of Internet Banking and Non-User of Internet Banking. Based on the determined results produced using SPSS 20 indications were obtained that the customers place great emphasis towards the service quality dimension of security and accessibility of internet banking respectively. The service quality has been found to significantly influence the adoption of internet banking in Malaysia. Service quality aspects, specially access and security, impact satisfaction and satisfaction impacts patronage, therefore, in accelerating the adoption rate, the banks should further enhance their offering in internet banking and concurrently provide a more efficient and easy to user interface

Irrigation and tillage effects on soil nitrous oxide emissions in maize monoculture

Irrigation and soil management can impact soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Flood and sprinkler irrigation systems together with conventional tillage are the main practices used in the high yielding maize systems in Mediterranean Spain. The objective of this field work was to quantify the effect of the irrigation system (i.e., flood, F; and sprinkler, S) and the soil tillage system (i.e., conventional tillage, CT; no‐tillage maintaining the maize stover, NTr; and no‐tillage removing the maize stover, NT) on the N2O emissions from the soil during 3 yr (2015, 2016, and 2017). S irrigation, with mean values of 1.35 kg N2O‐N ha−1 yr−1 throughout the 3 yr, obtained 42% lower N2O emissions than F irrigation. On average of the three growing seasons, yield‐scaled N2O emissions by grain yield and by grain N uptake in F irrigation were two‐fold higher than in S irrigation. Moreover, in one out of three growing seasons (2017), no‐tillage systems (i.e., NTr and NT) showed greater yield‐scaled N2O emissions compared with CT. The higher maize grain yield with the S irrigation compared to F irrigation, as well as the lower N2O emissions reported under S irrigation resulted in the reduction of the yield‐scaled N2O emissions. Our findings highlight the role of sprinkler irrigation decreasing N2O emissions in comparison to flood irrigation in Mediterranean agroecosystemsComisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología. Grant Number: AGL2013‐49062‐C4‐4‐R; Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación. Grant Numbers: AGL2015‐68881‐REDT, FJCI‐2014‐19570, IJCI‐2016‐27784, PhD fellowship BES‐2014‐06917