ASPEN plus modelling of air-steam gasification of biomass with sorbent enabled CO2 capture

The work deals with the modelling and simulation of carbon dioxide capture in air-steam gasification of saw dust using ASPEN Plus process simulator. The proposed quasi-steady state model incorporates pyrolysis, tar cracking and char conversion using existing experimental data. Prediction accuracy of the developed model is validated by comparing with available experimental results. Effects of CaO addition in air-steam gasification are analysed through key operating parameters such as gasification temperature, equivalence ratio, steam to biomass ratio and gasification efficiency. Maximum H2 mole fraction of 31.17% is obtained at a temperature of 900 K, equivalence ratio of 0.25, and steam to biomass ratio and sorbent to biomass ratio of unity. The H2 and CO2 mole fractions are found to be increased and decreased by 28.10% and 42.6%, respectively, when compared with the corresponding non- sorbent case

Early warning system for shallow landslides using rainfall threshold and slope stability analysis

A combined cluster and regression analysis were performed for the first time to identify rainfall threshold that triggers landslide events in Amboori, Kerala, India. Amboori is a tropical area that is highly vulnerable to landslides. The 2, 3, and 5-day antecedent rainfall data versus daily rainfall was clustered to identify a cluster of critical events that could potentially trigger landslides. Further, the cluster of critical events was utilized for regression analysis to develop the threshold equations. The 5-day antecedent (x-variable) vs. daily rainfall (y-variable) provided the best fit to the data with a threshold equation of y = 80.7–0.1981x. The intercept of the equation indicates that if the 5-day antecedent rainfall is zero, the minimum daily rainfall needed to trigger the landslide in the Amboori region would be 80.7 mm. The negative coefficient of the antecedent rainfall indicates that when the cumulative antecedent rainfall increases, the amount of daily rainfall required to trigger monsoon landslide decreases. The coefficient value indicates that the contribution of the 5-day antecedent rainfall is ∼20% to the landslide trigger threshold. The slope stability analysis carried out for the area, using Probabilistic Infinite Slope Analysis Model (PISA-m), was utilized to identify the areas vulnerable to landslide in the region. The locations in the area where past landslides have occurred demonstrate lower Factors of Safety (FS) in the slope stability analysis. Thus, rainfall threshold analysis together with the FS values from slope stability can be suitable for developing a simple, cost-effective, and comprehensive early-warning system for shallow landslides in Amboori and similar regions

Environmental set-up and tidal propagation in a tropical estuary with dual connection to the sea (SW Coast of India)

The Kochi Backwater (KB) is the second largest wetland system in India. It is connected to the sea at Fort Kochi and Munambam (Pallipuram) (30 km north of Kochi). As the tide is forced through two openings, its propagation in the backwater system is very complicated, particularly in the northern arm of the estuary. Using synchronous water level (WL) and current measurements in the KB from a network of stations during 2007-2008, it was convenient to demarcate the northern KB into two distinct regions according to the tidal forcing from the north (Pallipuram) and south (Vallarpadam). This demarcation is useful for computing the propagation speeds of the dominant tidal constituents in the northern branch of the KB with dual opening for opposing tides. WL variations indicated that M 2 tide (Principal lunar semidiurnal constituent) dominated in the sea level variance, followed by the K 1 constituent (Luni-solar declinational diurnal constituent). The M 2 tidal influence was the strongest near the mouth and decayed in the upstream direction. The propagation speed of the M 2 tide in the southern estuary was ~3.14 m/s. The ratio of the total annual runoff to the estuarine volume is ~42 that indicates the estuary will be flushed 42 times in a year. KB can be classified as a monsoonal estuary where the river discharge exhibits large seasonal variation

Seasonal Variability of the Observed Barrier Layer in the Arabian Sea

The formation mechanisms of the barrier layer ( BL) and its seasonal variability in the Arabian Sea ( AS) are studied using a comprehensive dataset of temperature and salinity profiles from Argo and other archives for the AS. Relatively thick BL of 20-60 m with large spatial extent is found in the central-southwestern AS ( CSWAS), the convergence zone of the monsoon wind, during the peak summer monsoon ( July-August) and in the southeastern AS ( SEAS) and northeastern AS ( NEAS) during the winter ( January-February). Although the BL in the SEAS has been reported before, the observed thick BL in the central-southwestern AS during the peak summer monsoon and in the northeastern AS during late winter are the new findings of this study. The seasonal variability of BL thickness ( BLT) is closely related to the processes that occur during summer and winter monsoons. During both seasons, the Ekman processes and the distribution of low-salinity waters in the surface layer show a dominant influence on the observed BLT distributions. In addition, Kelvin and Rossby waves also modulate the observed BL thickness in the AS. The relatively low salinity surface water overlying the Arabian Sea high-salinity water ( ASHSW) provides an ideal ground for strong haline stratification in the CSWAS ( during summer monsoon) and in NEAS ( during winter monsoon). During summer, northward advection of equatorial low-salinity water by the Somali Current and the offshore advection of low-salinity water from the upwelling region facilitate the salinity stratification that is necessary to develop the observed BL in the CSWAS. In the SEAS, during winter, the winter monsoon current ( WMC) carries less saline water over relatively high salinity ambient water to form the observed BL there. The winter West India Coastal Current ( WICC) transports the low-salinity water from the SEAS to the NEAS, where it lies over the subducted ASHSW leading to strong haline stratification. Ekman pumping together with the downwelling Kelvin wave in the NEAS deepen the thermocline to cause the observed thick BL in the NEAS

Experimental and numerical study of stenotic flows

Atherosclerosis has been leading cause of deaths in several countries. Recent technical advances have allowed the investigation of stenotic flows and in understanding the implications with increased severity. Such studies shall provide detailed understanding of flow across stenosis and its progression. In the present study, a large artery representing segment of aorta is considered as test specimen. Experimental study is carried out by generating the pulsatile flow through pulsatile duplicator. Flow across normal and various severities of stenosis such as 25%, 50% and 75% are studied. Numerical simulation using CFD is also carried out in similar normal and stenosed models. A novel concept of using pulse duplicator to generate pulsatile waves and investigate the different stenosed models has been adopted. Results obtained experimentally and numerically are compared and agree well with that of clinical observations. This study demonstrates significant variation of haemodynamic in post-stenotic region with increased stenosis. Increased pulse pressure, phase lag is observed with increased severity. It is also observed that stenosis greater than 75% is significant as flow complexity is induced with considerable disturbance even in early and latter part of pulse cycle. Such study shall be useful in understanding the flow changes in stenosis and enhance clinical observation

Structural, magnetic and transport properties of Ni-Fe-Al alloys

Melt spun ribbons (MSR) of the Ni55Fe20Al25 alloy exhibit a first-order martensitic transition (MT) in the vicinity of a second-order ferromagnetic-to-paramagnetic phase transition. Contrasted with a sharp, complete and thermoelastic MT in MSR, a partial, sluggish and non-thermoelastic MT occurs in annealed Ni55Fe20Al25 alloy that possesses a much higher degree of atomic order. However, the annealed samples have stronger local magnetocrystalline anisotropy and higher Curie temperature (TC) than MSR. Negative magnetoresistance, Δρ|/ρ, is two times larger in MSR than in the annealed case. Δρ|/ρvs. H isotherms in MSR change curvature from concave-upwards to concave-downwards as the temperature is raised through TC whereas concave-downward curvature persists over the entire temperature range in the annealed counterpart

In vivo effects of traditional ayurvedic formulations in Drosophila melanogaster model relate with therapeutic applications

Background: Ayurveda represents the traditional medicine system of India. Since mechanistic details of therapy in terms of current biology are not available in Ayurvedic literature, modern scientific studies are necessary to understand its major concepts and procedures. It is necessary to examine effects of the whole Ayurvedic formulations rather than their “active” components as is done in most current studies. Methods: We tested two different categories of formulations, a Rasayana (Amalaki Rasayana or AR, an herbal derivative) and a Bhasma (Rasa-Sindoor or RS, an organo-metallic derivative of mercury), for effects on longevity, development, fecundity, stress-tolerance, and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) levels of Drosophila melanogaster using at least 200 larvae or flies for each assay. Results: A 0.5% (weight/volume) supplement of AR or RS affected life-history and other physiological traits in distinct ways. While the size of salivary glands, hnRNP levels in larval tissues, and thermotolerance of larvae/adult flies improved significantly following feeding either of the two formulations, the median life span and starvation resistance improved only with AR. Feeding on AR or RS supplemented food improved fecundity differently. Feeding of larvae and adults with AR increased the fecundity while the same with RS had opposite effect. On the contrary, feeding larvae on normal food and adults on AR supplement had no effect on fecundity but a comparable regime of feeding on RS-supplemented food improved fecundity. RS feeding did not cause heavy metal toxicity. Conclusions: The present study with two Ayurvedic formulations reveals formulation-specific effects on several parameters of the fly's life, which seem to generally agree with their recommended human usages in Ayurvedic practices. Thus, Drosophila, with its very rich genetic tools and well-worked-out developmental pathways promises to be a very good model for examining the cellular and molecular bases of the effects of different Ayurvedic formulations