Combustion monitoring system

Study of combustion process in an internal combustion engine to improve the performance of the engine. Flame speed is used to study the stability of combustion process in the engine. A simplified setup of a non compressed air-gas(LPG) mixture is used in this project . The Idea is to determine the flame speed of the combustion dependent on the Fan speed Ion sensor is used to measure the flame speed.The experimental result is compared with the theoretical book value

Bioconversion efficiency and growth in the white shrimp Penaeus indicus (Milne Edwards), fed with decomposed mangrove leaves

Food conversion efficiency and growth in the white shrimp Penaeus indicus fed with decomposed mangrove leaves of Avicennia marina and A. officinalis were monitored under laboratory conditions. It was observed that test animals fed with the decomposed leaves of A. marina had higher assimilation efficiency (87.96%), gross growth efficiency (10.82%), net growth efficiency (12.3%) and relative growth rate (0.0603 g/day) than those fed with A. officinalis. The relatively higher growth registered in the animals fed with decomposed leaves of A. marina was attributed to its high calorific and protein content

Physical Properties of Normal Grade Biodiesel and Winter Grade Biodiesel

In this study, optical and thermal properties of normal grade and winter grade palm oil biodiesel were investigated. Surface Plasmon Resonance and Photopyroelectric technique were used to evaluate the samples. The dispersion curve and thermal diffusivity were obtained. Consequently, the variation of refractive index, as a function of wavelength in normal grade biodiesel is faster than winter grade palm oil biodiesel, and the thermal diffusivity of winter grade biodiesel is higher than the thermal diffusivity of normal grade biodiesel. This is attributed to the higher palmitic acid C16:0 content in normal grade than in winter grade palm oil biodiesel

Repeated exposure of jacket plum (Pappea capensis) micro-cuttings to indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) improved in vitro rooting capacity

The objective of the trial was to determine an effective propagation protocol for jacket plum (Pappea capensis) tree species. Experiments on in vitro propagation and rooting of stem cuttings were carried out. Dipping stem cuttings in half strength Murashige and Skoog (MS) media for 12 h prior to application of rooting hormones improved bud break and prolonged survival of stem cuttings on a mist bed. Early leaf loss was observed for stem cuttings planted without MS treatment. However, rooting was poor (11% for cuttings pre-treated in MS and 0% for those not pre-treated). For micro-propagation, significant differences (P < 0.05) in shoot multiplication and root regeneration were found. MS media supplemented with 2.0 mg l–1 benzylaminopurine was superior in the number of micro-shoots produced. Rooting capacity of micro-cuttings was improved from 42% to 64% when MS media supplemented with 0.5 mg l–1 IBA were repeated for the micro-cuttings that initially failed to root. There was 70% survival rate of plantlets after hardened off.The financial support from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation (BMZ/GTZ), Germany through the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) Southern Africa Regional Programme, Agro-Forest and Bio Energy Association and Invest North West, South Africa is acknowledged

A contribution to innovative methods for enhancing the economy of steel structures engineering

An engineer in his everyday practice, in addition to the tasks of analyzing, designing, fabricating and erecting structures, is faced with the exigent task of decision making. The process of making decisions becomes even more challenging in the presence of uncertainties. Nevertheless, the presence of uncertainties is inevitable in all forms of engineering and making efficient decisions in the presence of uncertainties is a critical skill that engineers as decision makers must develop. It is a well known fact that decisions made in the early stages of a project have greater economic implications on the project than decisions made in the later stages when changes become more expensive and difficult to make. However, there is a high level of uncertainty associated with the early or conceptual stages of a project. In such stages, while making decisions, the engineer relies on experience when challenged with problems similar to those encountered previously and when faced with uncharted situations, falls back on engineering judgment and first principles. Since the issue of liability is a major concern, it is extremely critical that the engineer supports his decision with proven decision making theories and analyses rather than with the bare tag of "experience". Theories for decision making have already been well recognized in fields such as business and economics and several methods, tools and software are now available and can be used to apply decision making theories in everyday practice. This thesis introduces several theories and criteria that can be used to make rational decisions in situations of risk, uncertainty and incomplete knowledge. The practical implementation of these theories with the help of tools such as Decision Trees, Influence Diagrams, Monte Carlo Simulation, Sensitivity Analysis, Expected Monetary Value (EMV), etc. has also been discussed. It is felt that a proper combination of theories and analytical techniques can greatly rationalize the decision making process and improve the quality of the decisions made. The focus of this report has been on using the decision making tools mentioned above to enhance the economy of steel structures. Examples illustrating the same have been provided and two case studies have been conducted to demonstrate the application of the ideas discussed in real time problems and projects.Applied Science, Faculty ofCivil Engineering, Department ofGraduat