A numerical study on the safety belt-to-pelvis interaction

The slide of the lap belt over the iliac crest of the pelvis during vehicle frontal crashes can substantially increase the risk of some occupant injuries. A multitude of factors, related to occupants or the design of belt, are associated with this phenomenon. This study investigates safety belt-to-pelvis interaction and identifies the most influential parameters. It also explores how initial lap belt position influences the interaction between lap belt and pelvis. A finite element model of the interaction between lap belt with pelvis through a soft tissue part was created. Belt angle, belt force, belt loading rate and belt-to-body friction as belt design parameters, and pelvis angle, constitute parameters of soft tissue, and soft tissue-to-pelvis friction as occupant parameters were inspected. For the soft tissue part, subcutaneous adipose tissue with different thicknesses was created and the effect initial lap belt position may have on lap belt-to-pelvis interaction was investigated. The influential parameters have been identified as: the belt angle and belt force as belt design parameters and the pelvis angle and compressibility of soft tissue as occupant parameters. The risk for the slide of lap belt over the iliac crest of the pelvis was predicted higher as the initial lap belt positions goes superior to the pelvis. Of different submarining parameters, the lap belt angle represents the most influential one. The lap belt-to-pelvis interaction is influenced by the thickness of subcutaneous adipose tissue between lap belt and pelvis indicating a higher risk for obese occupants

On viscoelastic cavitating flows: A numerical study

The effect of viscoelasticity on turbulent cavitating flow inside a nozzle is simulated for Phan-Thien-Tanner (PTT) fluids. Two different flow configurations are used to show the effect of viscoelasticity on different cavitation mechanisms, namely, cloud cavitation inside a step nozzle and string cavitation in an injector nozzle. In incipient cavitation condition in the step nozzle, small-scale flow features including cavitating microvortices in the shear layer are suppressed by viscoelasticity. Flow turbulence and mixing are weaker compared to the Newtonian fluid, resulting in suppression of microcavities shedding from the cavitation cloud. Moreover, mass flow rate fluctuations and cavity shedding frequency are reduced by the stabilizing effect of viscoelasticity. Time averaged values of the liquid volume fraction show that cavitation formation is strongly suppressed in the PTT viscoelastic fluid, and the cavity cloud is pushed away from the nozzle wall. In the injector nozzle, a developed cloud cavity covers the nozzle top surface, while a vortex-induced string cavity emerges from the turbulent flow inside the sac volume. Similar to the step nozzle case, viscoelasticity reduces the vapor volume fraction in the cloud region. However, formation of the streamwise string cavity is stimulated as turbulence is suppressed inside the sac volume and the nozzle orifice. Vortical perturbations in the vicinity of the vortex are damped, allowing more vapor to develop in the string cavity region. The results indicate that the effect of viscoelasticity on cavitation depends on the alignment of the cavitating vortices with respect to the main flow direction

3D CFD Simulation of a Bubble Column with Internals: Validation of Interfacial Forces and Internal Effects for Local Gas Holdup Predictions

CFD Models (Turbulent Models and Interfacial Forces) Incorporated with the Population Balance Model (PBM) Have Been Validated, Azimuthally, with the Gamma-Ray-Computed Tomography (CT) Results to Address the Effect of the Presence of Internals with Different Arrangements and Diameters. the Superficial Gas Velocity Applied Was Varied from 0.05 to 0.45 M/s. the Results Exhibit the Capability to Predict the Hydrodynamics of the Bubble Column, Further Incorporating the Population Balance Model and Promoting the Prediction of Simulation in High Superficial Gas Velocity. the Effect of Internals Revealed that the Gas Holdup Was Significantly Enhanced in the Bubble Column\u27s Wall Region, While the Gas Holdup Was Increased Remarkably in the Center and the Wall Regions of the Bubble Column Equipped by Internals of 1 In. Diameter More Than in Internals of 0.5 In. However, Internals with a Hexagonal Arrangement Increase the Gas Holdup in the Central Region and Less in the Wall Than in the Circular Arrangement

Effects of fish meal replacement by silkworm pupae on growth, survival and body chemical composition of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

Silkworm pupae meal is a non-conventional animal protein feedstuff. It is the by-product after the silk thread has been wound off from the cocoon. To investigate the effects of animal protein on growth and survival of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), a sixty-day feeding experiment was conducted. Four replacement levels (0, 5, 10 and 15 percent) of silkworm pupae meal were compared using a completely random design. We used 360 juvenile rainbow trout (average weight 55±3.42g) divided into 4 groups and 3 replications, each containing 30 trout for 60 days. Sampling for nutritional effects was carried out every 10 days and at the end of the experiment, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, specific growth rate, protein and efficiency ratio were compared which showed no significant differences (P>0.05) among the treatments. Total length and survival rate were not significantly affected in the treatment groups. The highest percentage of carcass protein and the lowest percentage of carcass fat belonged to the control treatment. Our findings showed that silkworm pupae meal could replace 15% of fish meal diet in rainbow trout culture

Modeling and PSO Optimization of Humidifier-Dehumidifier Desalination

The aim of this study is modeling a solar-air heater humidification-dehumidification unit with applying particle swarm optimization to find out the maximum gained output ratio with respect to the mass flow rate of water and air entering humidifier, mass flow rate of cooling water entering dehumidifier, width and length of solar air heater and terminal temperature difference (TTD) of dehumidifier representing temperature difference of inlet cooling water and saturated air to dehumidifier as its decision variable. A sensitivity analysis, furthermore, is performed to distinguish the effect of operating parameters including mass flow rate and streams' temperature. The results showed that the optimum productivity decreases by decreasing the ratio of mass flow rate of water entering humidifier to air ones.Article History: Received: July 12th 2017; Revised: December 15th 2017; Accepted: 2nd February 2018; Available onlineHow to Cite This Article: Afshar, M.A., Naseri, A., Bidi, M., Ahmadi, M.H. and Hadiyanto, H. (2018) Modeling and PSO Optimization of Humidifier-Dehumidifier Desalination. International Journal of Renewable Energy Development, 7(1),59-64.https://doi.org/10.14710/ijred.7.1.59-6