The eXtended Discrete Element Method (XDEM): An Advanced Approach to Model Blast Furnace

The blast furnace iron making is the oldest but still the main method to produce liquid iron through sequential reduction processes of iron ore materials. Despite the existence of several discrete and continuous numerical models, there is no global method to provide detailed information about the processes inside the furnaces. The extended discrete element method known as XDEM is an advance numerical tool based on Eulerian–Lagrangian framework which is able to cover more information about the blast furnace process. Within this platform, the continuous phases such as gas and liquid phases are coupled to the discrete entities such as coke and iron ore particles through mass, momentum and energy exchange. This method has been applied to the shaft, cohesive zone, dripping zone and hearth of the blast furnace. In this chapter, the mathematical and numerical methods implemented in the XDEM method are described, and the results are discussed

The XDEM Multi-physics and Multi-scale Simulation Technology: Review on DEM-CFD Coupling, Methodology and Engineering Applications

The XDEM multi-physics and multi-scale simulation platform roots in the Ex- tended Discrete Element Method (XDEM) and is being developed at the In- stitute of Computational Engineering at the University of Luxembourg. The platform is an advanced multi- physics simulation technology that combines flexibility and versatility to establish the next generation of multi-physics and multi-scale simulation tools. For this purpose the simulation framework relies on coupling various predictive tools based on both an Eulerian and Lagrangian approach. Eulerian approaches represent the wide field of continuum models while the Lagrange approach is perfectly suited to characterise discrete phases. Thus, continuum models include classical simulation tools such as Computa- tional Fluid Dynamics (CFD) or Finite Element Analysis (FEA) while an ex- tended configuration of the classical Discrete Element Method (DEM) addresses the discrete e.g. particulate phase. Apart from predicting the trajectories of individual particles, XDEM extends the application to estimating the thermo- dynamic state of each particle by advanced and optimised algorithms. The thermodynamic state may include temperature and species distributions due to chemical reaction and external heat sources. Hence, coupling these extended features with either CFD or FEA opens up a wide range of applications as diverse as pharmaceutical industry e.g. drug production, agriculture food and processing industry, mining, construction and agricultural machinery, metals manufacturing, energy production and systems biology

The Extented Discrete Element Method (XDEM): An Advanced Approach to Model Blast Furnace

The blast furnace iron making is the oldest but still the main method to produce liquid iron through sequential reduction processes of iron ore materials. Despite the existence of several discrete and continuous numerical models, there is no global method to provide detailed information about the processes inside the furnaces. The extended discrete element method known as XDEM is an advance numerical tool based on Eulerian – Lagrangian framework which is able to cover more information about the blast furnace process. Within this plat- form, the continuous phases such as gas and liquid phases are coupled to the discrete entities such as coke and iron ore particles through mass, momentum and energy exchange. This method has been applied to the shaft, cohesive zone, dripping zone and hearth of the blast furnace. In this chapter, the mathematical and numerical methods implemented in the XDEM method are described, and the results are discussed

Comparative antioxidant potential of kefir and yogurt of bovine and non-bovine origins

The aim of this study was to compare the antioxidant potential of the yogurt and kefir produced from ewe, camel, goat, and cow milk. The antioxidant activity of the samples was assessed by measuring total phenolic content (TPC), 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) radical reducing capacity during 20-day storage at 4 oC. Kefir and yogurt prepared from ewe and camel milk had significantly higher antioxidative potential than samples made from goat and cow milk (P <0.05). Ewe kefir (74.55-80.11 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) showed the highest TPC followed by cow kefir (65-73.15 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)), camel kefir (61.2-69.91 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) and goat kefir (58.31-73.5 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) (P <0.05). Camel yogurt possesses the highest TPC (56.5-68.25 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) followed by ewe (40.32-46.5 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)), cow (29.5-35.5 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) and goat (20.03-26.85 mg GAE 100 mL(-1)) yogurt (P <0.05). According to DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS results, the antioxidant activity of samples was as follows in descending order: ewe kefir, camel kefir, ewe yogurt, camel yogurt, cow kefir, goat kefir, goat yogurt, cow yogurt.Peer reviewe

Conversion analysis of a cylindrical biomass particle with a DEM-CFD coupling approach

Biomass as a renewable energy source has attracted more attention nowadays due to ecological and economical benefits. The main objective of this work is studying the biomass conversion with employing a DEM-CFD coupling approach. In this model, the solid particulates are considered as discrete elements coupled via heat, mass and momentum transfer to the surrounding gas as continuous phase. That is, a comprehensive three-dimensional numerical model is developed and applied to investigate the complex phenomena taking place during biomass conversion in a reactor. In this case, the physical and chemical processes as heat-up, drying, pyrolysis, gasification and combustion are taken into account based on the relevant homogeneous and heterogeneous reactions. This platform predicts the motion of discrete particles based on the newton's equations of motion; and the thermodynamic state of each particle is extended according to the related algorithms. The thermodynamic state estimates the temperature and species distributions inside the particle due to external heat sources and chemical reactions. The reaction rates are described with Arrhenius model, and the reactions in the gas phase are modeled using Partially Stirred Reactor (PaSR) model with the standard k−ϵ turbulent model. The conductive and radiative heat transfer between particles as well as convective heat transfer between particles and gas phase are also observed. Due to layered behavior of biomass materials, the shape of particle is considered as cylindrical rather than spherical to predict more realistic results. In order to improve the numerical modeling of biomass conversion, a shrinkage model is also developed and validated with experimental data in literature

Real-Life Incentives Driving Public-Private Partnership in Diagnostic Services

BACKGROUND: Diagnostic services are highly critical in the success of treatment processes, overly costly nonetheless. Accordingly, hospitals generally seek the private partnership in the provision of such services. This study intends to explore the incentives owned by both public and private sector in their joint provision of diagnostic services under the public-private partnership agreement.METHOD: A qualitative, exploratory study was employed in Tehran hospitals from October 2017 to March 2018. Around 25 face-to-face, semi structured interviews were conducted with the purposively recruited hospital managers, heads of diagnostic services and managers of private companies. Interviews were transcribed and analyzed using conventional content analysis, assisted by "MAXQDA-12".RESULTS: Three main categories and nine sub-categories represented the incentives of public sector, and four main categories and seven sub-categories signified those of private sector. The incentives of public sector included the status-quo remediation, upstream requirements, and personal reasons. As such, the individual, social and economic incentives and legal constraints were driving the behavior of the private sector.CONCLUSIONS: Financial problem and gain were the most noted incentives by the partners. Attention to the either side’s incentives and aims is likely to ensure the durability and effectiveness of such partnerships in the health sector

Epidemiology of West Nile Virus in the Eastern Mediterranean region: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the genus Flavivirus, is one of the most widely distributed arboviruses in the world. Despite some evidence for circulation of WNV in countries summarized by the World Health Organization as the Eastern Mediterrian Regional Office (EMRO), comprehensive knowledge about its epidemiology remains largely unknown. This study aims to provide a concise review of the published literature on WNV infections in the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office of WHO (EMRO). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A systematic review of WNV prevalence studies on humans, animals and vectors in the EMRO region was performed by searching: Web of Science, Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Embase and Google Scholar. Finally, 77 citations were included, comprising 35 seroprevalence studies on general population (24460 individuals), 15 prevalence studies among patients (3439 individuals), 22 seroprevalence studies among animals (10309 animals), and 9 studies on vectors (184242 vector species). Of the 22 countries in this region, five had no data on WNV infection among different populations. These countries include Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, Syria and Somalia. On the other hand, among countries with available data, WNV-specific antibodies were detected in the general population of all investigated countries including Djibouti (0.3-60%), Egypt (1-61%), Iran (0-30%), Iraq (11.6-15.1%), Jordan (8%), Lebanon (0.5-1%), Libya (2.3%), Morocco (0-18.8%), Pakistan (0.6-65.0%), Sudan (2.2-47%), and Tunisia (4.3-31.1%). WNV RNA were also detected in patient populations of Iran (1.2%), Pakistan (33.3%), and Tunisia (5.3% -15.9%). WNV-specific antibodies were also detected in a wide range of animal species. The highest seropositivity rate was observed among equids (100% in Morocco) and dogs (96% in Morocco). The highest seroprevalence among birds was seen in Tunisia (23%). In addition, WNV infection was detected in mosquitoes (Culex, and Aedes) and ticks (Argas reflexus hermanni). The primary vector of WNV (Culex pipiens s.l.) was detected in Djibouti, Egypt, Iran and Tunisia, and in mosquitoes of all these countries, WNV was demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: This first systematic regional assessment of WNV prevalence provides evidence to support the circulation of WNV in the EMRO region as nearly all studies showed evidence of WNV infection in human as well as animal/vector populations. These findings highlight the need for continued prevention and control strategies and the collection of epidemiologic data for WNV epidemic status, especially in countries that lack reliable surveillance systems

A new correlation based on artificial neural networks for predicting the natural gas compressibility factor

Maryam Baniasadi, A. Mohebbi, and Mehdi Baniasad