Thermo-Catalytic Upgrading of Pyrolysis Vapors Using Electromagnetic Heating

Electromagnetic heating offers several advantages such as rapid heating rates, accurate temperature control and energy efficiency over conventional reactors. The goal of this study was to design an effective and energy efficient catalytic reactor for pyrolysis vapor upgrading. An induction based catalytic reactor was designed for upgrading of pyrolysis vapors. The effect of catalyst bed temperatures (290°, 330° and 370°C) and biomass to catalyst ratios of 1, 1.5 and 2 was studied. The results were compared to conventional heating reactor. Induction heating reactor performance exceeded that of conventional heater. The biomass to catalyst ratio of 2 in combination with the temperature of 370°C gave the highest aromatics yield. A microwave based catalytic reactor was designed for pyrolysis vapor upgrading. Microwave heating had higher product selectivity and energy efficiency compared to conventional and induction heating reactors. Rate of deterioration of catalyst mainly due to coking was lower for microwave heated catalyst. Higher aromatic hydrocarbon yield, lower oxygen content and high heating value value of bio-oil was obtained by microwave heating of catalyst. A numerical model studying the microwave heating of porous catalyst bed was developed using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.1. The model was validated against the experimental data. The temperature profiles obtained from microwave heating were compared to those obtained from conventional heating. The model was in good agreement with the experimental results. The sample shape, size and position was found to have significant effect on microwave heating of porous catalyst bed

Response Surface Analysis of Trapped-Vortex Augmented Airfoils

In this study, the effect of a passive trapped-vortex cell on lift to drag (L/D) ratio of an FFA-W3-301 airfoil is studied. The upper surface of the airfoil was modified to incorporate a cavity defined by seven parameters. The L/D ratio of the airfoil is modeled using a radial basis function metamodel. This model is used to find the optimal design parameter values that give the highest L/D. The numerical results indicate that the L/D ratio is most sensitive to the position on an airfoil’s upper surface at which the cavity starts, the position of the end point of the cavity, and the vertical distance of the cavity end point relative to the airfoil surface. The L/D ratio can be improved by locating the cavity start point at the point of separation for a particular angle of attack. The optimal cavity shape (o19_aXX) is also tested for a NACA0024 airfoil

Green Criminology and Environmental Criminality in South Asia: A Comprehensive Analysis with Emphasis on India and Neighbouring Nations

Environmental crime is harmful to the environment, other creatures, and humanity. Although though it is one of the most widespread and lucrative types of crime, as is the part played by companies in perpetrating these crimes, both of these facts go unnoticed. Traditional criminology is mostly anthropocentric (human-centred), with theories and research focusing on people as both criminals and victims of crime. Green criminology, on the other hand, expands this concept to encompass non-human animals, such as wild, domestic, and farmed animals, as well as the environment (water, land, air, and plants). A more inclusive view of who might be a victim of crime or injury is taken by green criminology in place of a purely anthropocentric one. The section under "Green Criminology and Victimization" follows expands on our discussion of environmental victimization. The purpose of this Research is to discuss various approaches to environmental crime and the growth of green criminality in South Asian countries. In this region, environmental crime is influenced by social and economic factors that result in the use of the environment as a resource for survival as well as economic forces that result in the use of the environment as a resource for profit. Environmental criminals frequently adapt to changing socioeconomic conditions, use various legal loopholes, and take advantage of enforcement and infrastructure weaknesses in South Asian nations, which allows them to conduct environmental offenses without being prosecuted and punished. Green criminology is still in its early stages in many South Asian countries, but it is focusing on issues that have been identified elsewhere, such as multidisciplinary, collaboration with the natural sciences, and addressing local issues like the exploitation of hunting tourism, the deterioration of marine and coastal ecosystems, and organized crime like timber logging

Empowering Women through SHGs – Evidence from a Case Study of SHGs in Imphal East District, Manipur

In recent years, traditional literature implies that women are empowered when they can exercise choices and are aware of alternatives, microfinance being one of the most important catalysts. However, doubts about the long term viability of SHGs as a model for supply of micro credit to low income groups of women have risen, as for SHGs-Bank linkage model to remain viable as long as long term key support and maintenance services must be provided to individual community group-level bodies, and their costs recovered. It is found that even though women have experienced an increase in income and consumption, they have very little control over resources, assets and do not participate equally in major household decisions. However, they have significant influence on the choices that their children make. The paper made an empirical study of SHGs in Imphal East, Manipur as a case for illustration. The study shows that microfinance and SHG is very closely related and is considered as two sides of the same coin. This study attempts to understand the impact of microfinance on women empowerment through a case study in study of SHGs in Imphal East, Manipur as a case for illustration. The success and failures of SHGs to achieve the goal of socio-economic empowerment of women have been evaluated and lessons and evidences learnt have been incorporated in the paper. The study has covered the specific constraints and challenges of SHGs, and policy prescriptions to address the specific problems are suggested

Authentication Algorithm for Portable Embedded Systems using PUFs

Physical Unclonable Functions (PUFs) are circuits that exploit chip-unique features to be used as signatures which can be used as good silicon biometrics. These signatures are based on semiconductor fabrication variations that are very difficult to control or reproduce. These chipunique signatures together with strong challenge-response authentication algorithm can be used to authenticate and secure chips. This paper expands the security avenues covered by PUF and FPGAs by introducing a new class of concept called 201C;Soft PUFs.201D; This scheme propose robust challenge- response authentication solution based on a PUF device that provides stronger security guarantees to the user than what previously could be achieved. By exploiting the silicon uniqueness of each FPGA device and incorporating a special authentication algorithms in existing FPGA fabric, FPGA based embedded systems can be used for new security-oriented and network- oriented applications that were not previously possible or thought of