Measuring Environmental Efficiency of Industry: A Case Study of Thermal Power Generation in India

Technical and environmental efficiency of some coal-fired thermal power plants in India is estimated using a methodology that accounts for firm’s efforts to increase the production of good output and reduce pollution with the given resources and technology. The methodology used is directional output distance function. Estimates of firm-specific shadow prices of pollutants (bad outputs), and elasticity of substitution between good and bad outputs are also obtained. The technical and environmental inefficiency of a representative firm is estimated as 0.10 implying that the thermal power generating industry in Andhra Pradesh state of India could increase production of electricity by 10 per cent while decreasing generation of pollution by 10 percent. This result shows that there are incentives or win-win opportunities for the firms to voluntarily comply with the environmental regulation. It is found that there is a significant variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement or shadow prices of bad outputs across the firms and an increasing marginal cost of pollution abatement with respect to pollution reduction by the firms. The variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement and compliance to regulation across firms could be reduced by having economic instruments like emission tax.environmental and technical efficiency; shadow prices of bad outputs; air pollution

Synthesis and Characterization of Neodymium Oxide in Silica Matrix by Solgel Protocol Method

Formation of nanocrystalline rare earth was prepared by solgel route, using tetra-ethoxysilane and Nd (NO3)3 as precursor materials and HCl as a catalyst. The prepared samples were submitted to thermal treatments at temperature 500∘C (5 hours) and 800∘C (10 hours). Structural changes were investigated by XRD, FTIR spectroscopy, and SEM. At 800∘C (10 hours) resulted in the formation of cubic Nd2O3 nanocrystallites with average size ∼ 20 nm

Advanced Driver Assistance and Safety Warning System for Car Driving

The quick advance in technology and infrastructure has made of lives more easy. Most accidents are occurring by making mistakes like rash driving, driving the vehicles without noticing traffic signs. In this work, efficient driver assistance system is developed by making use of ultrasonic sensors, MEMS, RF, GPS and GSM modules. An ultrasonic sensor is used to detect the obstacle in front of the vehicle and the vehicle gets stopped immediately to avoid the accident, alert the diver regarding the blind spots. Intimate the driver about the traffic signs (School ahead, Speed limit) to prevent the accident to occur. DOI: 10.17762/ijritcc2321-8169.150713

Neutrino Mass Matrices with a Texture Zero and a Vanishing Minor

We study the implications of the simultaneous existence of a texture zero and a vanishing minor in the neutrino mass matrix. There are thirty six possible texture structures of this type, twenty one of which reduce to two texture zero cases which have, already, been extensively studied. Of the remaining fifteen textures only six are allowed by the current data. We examine the phenomenological implications of the allowed texture structures for Majorana type CP-violating phases, 1-3 mixing angle and Dirac type CP-violating phase. All these possible textures can be generated through the seesaw mechanism and realized in the framework of discrete abelian flavor symmetry. We present the symmetry realization of these texture structures.Comment: To appear in Phys. Rev.

Regression Models For Prediction Of Water Quality In Krishna River

The River Krishna and its tributaries drain three important states of South India. The river water plays a very important role in the overall socioeconomic development of Andhra Pradesh.  In large river basins monitoring non-point sources pollution is rather difficult and expensive and is subjected to analytical errors. Hence, modeling water quality using land use data of the basin is attempted in the present study. The contribution from non-point sources (runoff from the river basin) is quiet considerable as the river drains various type of land uses. In this context, it is necessary to make a detailed study of the water quality of the river, to estimate the level of pollution and also main sources of pollution. Correlation studies explain the relationships, between dissolved solids concentration and land use of the basins. The multiple regression models accounted for significant variation in concentrations for majority of dissolved solids. The predicted concentrations are in good agreement with the observed values. The proposed models can be useful for planning land use controls in integrated water quality management program. As water quality of flowing water is closely linked to the land use in the basin, it is essential to include land use management in future river basin planning. Carefully designed land use studies to identify characterized and quantity of non point sources is essential elements to be emphasized to plan water quality management programme. The results of study indicate relative importance of non point sources pollution in addition to point sources pollution. Keywords: Dissolved solids, Land use planning , Regression models, Water quality

Leptogenesis in a Hybrid Texture Neutrino Mass Model

We investigate the CP asymmetry for a hybrid texture of the neutrino mass matrix predicted by $Q_8$ family symmetry in the context of the type-I seesaw mechanism and examine its consequences for leptogenesis. We, also, calculate the resulting Baryon Asymmetry of the Universe (BAU) for this texture.Comment: Accepted for publication in Mod. Phys. Lett.

Double magnetic transitions and exotic field induced phase in the triangular lattice antiferromagnets Sr3_3Co(Nb,Ta)2_2O9_9

Two triangular lattice antiferromagnets Sr$_3$Co(Nb,Ta)$_2$O$_9$ with an effective $j_{\rm eff}=1/2$ of Co$^{2+}$ are synthesized and their magnetic properties are investigated via magnetization and heat capacity measurements. The leading in-plane antiferromagnetic exchange coupling is estimated to be $J/k_{\rm B} \simeq 4.7$ K and 5.8 K, respectively. Both the compounds feature two-step magnetic transitions at low temperatures [($T_{\rm N1} \simeq 1.47$ K and $T_{\rm N2} \simeq 1.22$ K) and ($T_{\rm N1} \simeq 0.88$ K and $T_{\rm N2} \simeq 0.67$ K), respectively], driven by weak easy-axis anisotropy. Under magnetic field Sr$_3$CoNb$_2$O$_9$ evinces a plateau at $1/3$ magnetization. Interestingly, the high field magnetization of Sr$_3$CoTa$_2$O$_9$ reveals an exotic regime (between $H_{\rm S1}$ and $H_{\rm S2}$), below the fully polarized state in which the heat capacity at low temperatures is governed by a power law ($C_{\rm p} \propto T^{\alpha}$) with a reduced exponent $\alpha \simeq 2$. These results demonstrate an unusual field induced state with gapless excitations in the strongly frustrated magnet Sr$_3$CoTa$_2$O$_9$. The complete $T-H$ phase diagram is discussed for both the compounds.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, 2 table

Measuring Environmental Efficiency of Industry: A Case Study of Thermal Power Generation in India

Technical and environmental efficiency of some coal-fired thermal power plants in India is estimated using a methodology that accounts for firm’s efforts to increase the production of good output and reduce pollution with the given resources and technology. The methodology used is directional output distance function. Estimates of firm-specific shadow prices of pollutants (bad outputs), and elasticity of substitution between good and bad outputs are also obtained. The technical and environmental inefficiency of a representative firm is estimated as 0.10 implying that the thermal power generating industry in Andhra Pradesh state of India could increase production of electricity by 10 per cent while decreasing generation of pollution by 10 percent. This result shows that there are incentives or win-win opportunities for the firms to voluntarily comply with the environmental regulation. It is found that there is a significant variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement or shadow prices of bad outputs across the firms and an increasing marginal cost of pollution abatement with respect to pollution reduction by the firms. The variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement and compliance to regulation across firms could be reduced by having economic instruments like emission tax

Measuring Environmental Efficiency of Industry: A Case Study of Thermal Power Generation in India

Technical and environmental efficiency of some coal-fired thermal power plants in India is estimated using a methodology that accounts for firm’s efforts to increase the production of good output and reduce pollution with the given resources and technology. The methodology used is directional output distance function. Estimates of firm-specific shadow prices of pollutants (bad outputs), and elasticity of substitution between good and bad outputs are also obtained. The technical and environmental inefficiency of a representative firm is estimated as 0.10 implying that the thermal power generating industry in Andhra Pradesh state of India could increase production of electricity by 10 per cent while decreasing generation of pollution by 10 percent. This result shows that there are incentives or win-win opportunities for the firms to voluntarily comply with the environmental regulation. It is found that there is a significant variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement or shadow prices of bad outputs across the firms and an increasing marginal cost of pollution abatement with respect to pollution reduction by the firms. The variation in marginal cost of pollution abatement and compliance to regulation across firms could be reduced by having economic instruments like emission tax

Synthesis, phase composition, Mossbauer and magnetic characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles

The present work describes the synthesis of iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of Fe-precursors in argon and vacuum environments with control over particle size distribution, phase composition and the resulting magnetic properties. The Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction data revealed the crystallinity as well the single-phase of g-Fe2O3 nanoparticles prepared under vacuum, whereas the argon environment leads to the formation of multi-phase composition of g-Fe2O3/Fe3O4 (90%) and wustite (10%). Synchrotron X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) indicates that the predominant phase in both the samples is g-Fe2O3, which is subsequently verified from the Mo¨ssbauerspectra. DC magnetic measurements indicate behavior typical of a superparamagnetic system validated by Mo¨ssbauer analysis. However, further investigation of ac susceptibility by typical Ne´el?Arrhenius andVogel Fulcher magnetic models suggests an influence of interparticle interactions on the overall magnetic behavior of the system.Instituto de Física La Plat