An Isothermal Steam Expander for an Industrial Steam Supplying System

Steam is an essential medium used in the industrial process. To ensure steam quality, small and middle scale boilers are often adopted. However, because a higher steam pressure (compared to the necessary steam pressure) is generated, the boiler’s steam pressure will be reduced via a pressure regulator before the steam is directed through the process. Unfortunately, pressure is somewhat wasted during the reducing process. Therefore, in order to promote energy efficiency, a pressure regulator is replaced by a steam expander. With this steam expander, the pressure will be transformed into mechanical energy and extracted during the expansion process. A new type of isothermal steam expander for an industrial steam supplying system will be presented in the paper. The isothermal steam expander will improve the energy efficiency of a traditional steam expander by replacing the isentropic process with an isothermal expansion process. With this, steam condensation will decrease, energy will increase, and steam quality will be improved. Moreover, the mathematical model of the isothermal steam expander will be established by using the Schmidt theory, the same principle used to analyze Stirling engines. Consequently, by verifying the correctness of the theoretical model for the isothermal steam expander using experimental data, a prototype of 100 c.c. isothermal steam expander is constructed

Noise Elimination of a Multi-tone Broadband Noise with Hybrid Helmholtz Mufflers Using a Simulated Annealing Method

Noise control is essential in an enclosed machine room where the noise level has to comply with the occupational safety and health act. In order to overcome a pure tone noise with a high peak value that is harmful to human hearing, a traditional reactive muffler has been used. However, the traditional method for designing a reactive muffler has proven to be time-consuming and insufficient. In order to efficiently reduce the peak noise level, interest in shape optimization of a Helmholtz muffler is coming to the forefront. Helmholtz mufflers that deal with a pure tone have been adequately researched. However, the shape optimization of multi-chamber Helmholtz mufflers that deal with a broadband noise hybridized with multiple tones within a constrained space has been mostly ignored. Therefore, this study analyzes the sound transmission loss (STL) and the best optimized design for a hybrid Helmholtz muffler under a space-constrained situation. On the basis of the plane wave theory, the four-pole system matrix used to evaluate the acoustic performance of a multi-tone hybrid Helmholtz muffler is presented. Two numerical cases for eliminating one/two tone noises emitted from a machine room using six kinds of mufflers (muffler A∼F) is also introduced. To find the best acoustical performance of a space-constrained muffler, a numerical assessment using a simulated annealing (SA) method is adopted. Before the SA operation can be carrie

Automatic waste water treatment, aeration, and retrieval for a hybrid aquarium/plant system

Because of the greenhouse effect, global climate changes will adversely influence the water supply in the future. As can be seen in traditional reservoirs, the crisis will be exacerbated due to the reservoir‘s sedimentation. From a global view, 70 % of freshwater resources are used for agricultural purposes. Thus, water management and infrastructure changes are needed to improve the situation if current climate conditions continue into the future. In order to save water resources, an attempt to reuse a pond‘s wastewater for agricultural irrigation is proposed. Utilizing waste water treatment via nitrification (with nitrifying bacteria) and aeration processes, the plant will receive enough fertilizer extracted from fish dung. Additionally, to assure a safe environment, the temperature, dissolved oxygen, and pH (potential of hydrogen) value of the aquarium will be monitored online and shown on the interface of the server device. Various automatic functions such as an aquarium filtering system, a waste water treatment system, a plant irrigation system, a waste water aeration system, and a water retrieval system are also designed in the hybrid aquarium/plant system. Consequently, a prototype of a PC-based automatic plant/aquarium hybrid system is established

A wireless rainwater collecting, filtering, and storing system using a cell-phone

Because of the greenhouse effect, global climate considerably changes and will worsen the water supply situations in future. Also, as can be seen in traditional reservoir, the crisis of water lacking will exacerbate due to the reservoir sedimentation. In order to widen the storage of water resources, a design of portable rain-collecting system used for irritation and daily use for people is presented. To facilitate the monitoring and manipulating, a rainwater collecting and storing system with green energy/automation /monitoring/control function is established. Considering the electricity shortage in remote island/mountain regions, two kinds of green energy generators (wind electrical generator and solar-board electrical device) are built and linked with the system. Here, a rain detector installed onto the roof can actuate the rainwater collecting board to raise and to collect water when raining event occurs. For the purpose of water purity, water filter is also set at the entrance of the water tank. In order to efficiently store/use the rainwater, several water storage tanks in conjunction with ecological pool are preset and adjusted via the water level gauge sensors and the pipe‘s solenoid valve. To meet the weather-proof ability, PLC is adopted as the controller. Moreover, a human-machine-interface is login on the internet and remotely communicated with the cell phone.Consequently, a prototype of the cell-phone base automatic rainwater collecting and storing system is established

The implement of a remote control system for automated warehouse by ZigBee networking

Excessive raw materials and products in stock unduly increase an enterprise's overhead. However, insufficient raw materials and products will also influence the efficiency and output of the manufacturing process. Therefore, to largely reduce stock cost and facilitate adequate production for plants with multiple manufacturing processes and warehouses, the adjustment of raw material and products between warehouses is necessary. In addition, in order to keep track of current raw materials and products, remote online monitoring and control of the storage/retrieval system is compulsory. To simplify the search in an AS/BS process, a graph-aided strategy that manually selects the location within the stock map is presented. Moreover, to avoid interference from internet wiring allocation with existing equipment, a wireless storage/retrieval system using the ZigBee module is adopted. Consequently, a prototype of the remote wireless monitoring and control storage/retrieval system for sixteen storage spaces is exemplified

A design of toxic gas detecting security robot car based on wireless path-patrol

Because a toxic gas detecting/monitoring system in a chemical plant is not movable, a gas detecting/monitoring system will be passive and the detecting range will also be constrained. This invention is an active multi-functional wireless patrol car that can substitute for humans that inspect a plant's security. In addition, to widen the monitoring vision within the environment, two motors used to rotate a wireless IPCAM with two axes are presented. Also, to control the robot car's movement, two axis motors used to drive the wheel of the robot car are also installed. Additionally, a toxic gas detector is linked to the microcontroller of the patrol car. The detected concentration of the gas will be fed back to the server pc. To enhance the robot car's patrolling duration, a movable electrical power unit in conjunction with a wireless module is also used. Consequently, this paper introduces a wireless path-patrol and toxic gas detecting security robot car that can assure a plant's security and protect workers when toxic gases are emitted

A design of toxic gas detecting security robot car based on wireless path-patrol

Because a toxic gas detecting/monitoring system in a chemical plant is not movable, a gas detecting/monitoring system will be passive and the detecting range will also be constrained. This invention is an active multi-functional wireless patrol car that can substitute for humans that inspect a plant's security. In addition, to widen the monitoring vision within the environment, two motors used to rotate a wireless IPCAM with two axes are presented. Also, to control the robot car's movement, two axis motors used to drive the wheel of the robot car are also installed. Additionally, a toxic gas detector is linked to the microcontroller of the patrol car. The detected concentration of the gas will be fed back to the server pc. To enhance the robot car's patrolling duration, a movable electrical power unit in conjunction with a wireless module is also used. Consequently, this paper introduces a wireless path-patrol and toxic gas detecting security robot car that can assure a plant's security and protect workers when toxic gases are emitted

Design and development of an automatic gas poisoning prevention and ventilation system

As both carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2) exit during a fire, they are obvious indicators for the need to be alert to the possibility of fire. Another problem concerning poisoning by carbon monoxide (CO) is asphyxiation that occurs in houses during winter. The development of an automatic gas poisoning prevention system in conjunction with a ventilation function using carbon monoxide/carbon dioxide sensors would prove beneficial, necessary. As presented here, this system includes two gas sensors, an alarm, a ventilation device, a motor, and a rain-protection louver. The louver is manipulated by a motor. Two thresholds of gas concentration are preset inside the microcontroller via a PC. The louver is opened by the motor as the first threshold of gas is reached. Additionally, an alarm system is triggered and the ventilation fan starts up if the second threshold of gas concentration is reached. Consequently, image-monitoring via the PC is established using an IPCAM