Electricity Generation of Solar Photovoltaic System

The SPV electricity generation employs various cell technologies namely polycrystalline, mono crystalline, amorphous, CIGS cells. To evaluate the performance of SPV plant a mathematical model was generated base on empirical relations and performance was calculated under various conditions. The electrical output was calculated based on various parameters such as tilt angle, cell technology, radiation levels. Sensitivity analysis was also carried out at five different geographical locations namely New Delhi, Ladhak, Jodhpur Mumbai, and Bangalore. The result shows that electrical output is maximum for polycrystalline cell at a give location and at tilt angle of plus minus 50 of location. Jodhpur was found to be the best geographical local followed by New Delhi

Comparison of the Operative Time and Post-Operative Pain with Peek Cage versus Autologous Iliac Crest Bone Graft in Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion

Objective:  To compare the operative time and post-operative pain with PEEK cage method versus autologous iliac crest bone graft in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the cervical spine. Material & Methods:  This randomized control trial study (RCT). 90 patients with cervical disc disease, cervical stenosis with or without myelopathy and cervical trauma (fractures or facet jumps with disrupted disc) were included in the study from the Department of Neurosurgery, LGH, PINS, Lahore. Patients were evaluated with plain X-rays and MRI scans of the cervical spine. All patients underwent anterior cervical decompression and fusion. In 45 patients (group A), cervical fusion was achieved with PEEK cage method and in other 45 patients (group B), autologous Iliac Crest Bone graft was used. Results:  Mean age in group A was 57.1 years and in group B, it was 54.7 years. In group A, 31.1% patients were of cervical disc disease, 28.8% of cervical degenerative stenosis and 40% were of cervical trauma. In group B, 15 patients 33.3% were of cervical disc disease, 24.4% of cervical degenerative stenosis and 42.2% were of cervical trauma. The mean Postoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score for pain was 2.8 in group A and 5.4 in group B patients. Conclusion:  The patients of group A (PEEK cage method) could be easily mobilized within bed and out of bed depending upon their neurological status. Decreased operative time and less post-operative pain makes PEEK cage method superior to autologous iliac crest bone graft in anterior cervical decompression and fusion

A hybrid reactive distillation process with high selectivity pervaporation for butyl acetate production via transesterification

A hybrid reactive distillation system with high selectivity pervaporation was examined to produce butyl acetate and methanol via transesterification of methyl acetate with butanol. High selectivity pervaporation was combined with reactive distillation to eliminate a hitherto required column for the separation of a methanol and methyl acetate azeotrope. The polyamide-6 membrane was used for this purpose because of its high selectivity for methanol while also allowing sufficient permeate flux. The high purity methyl acetate recovered in the retentate stream leads to high conversion in the reactive distillation column, which enhances the energy savings (up to 71%) of this process. The feasibility of the proposed hybrid processes and several alternative designs were evaluated by rigorous simulation and optimization using the Aspen Plus software package. The effects of several designs and operating variables were also investigated for the proposed design. The high potential of the hybrid reactive distillation and pervaporation system for butyl acetate production is very promising; it may not only reduce the total annual costs relative to conventional systems but may also provide an attractive strategy to address problems associated with methanol and methyl acetate azeotropes in the effluent generated in the polyvinyl alcohol industry

Establishing the material parameters of the neonatal porcine ventricular myocardium

Neonatal heart disorders represent a major clinical challenge and congenital heart disease alone affects 36,000 new-borns annually within the European Union. Engineering-based computational modelling is increasingly used in adult cardiology to simulate normal and pathophysiological conditions, leading to the development of new clinical interventions. However, the application of such technologies to advance care in young patients is limited by the need to characterise the structural and biomechanical properties of neonatal tissue in estimating the material parameters. Consequently, this research aims to establish the first material parameters that describe neonatal cardiac tissue. A porcine model was used to perform the microstructural and biomechanical analysis. Established (histology) and emerging—two-photon excited fluorescence and second-harmonic generation (TPEF/SHG) and diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging (DT-MRI)—imaging methodologies enabled quantification of the in-plane and out-plane cardiomyocytes’ and collagen fibrils’ orientation and dispersion, in addition to the cardiomyocytes’ architecture and regional fractional anisotropy. The biomechanical analysis was performed via uniaxial tensile, biaxial and simple shear tests. The analyses identified the regional variations within the anterior and posterior aspects of both ventricles. The surface area analysis quantified the greater ratio of collagen to cardiomyocytes in the posterior wall in both ventricles. TPEF/SHG identified the greater cardiomyocytes rotation in the posterior wall of both ventricles. The anterior ventricular walls were stiffest. The one-day-old porcine tissue was identified as exhibiting one-half the stiffness of adult porcine tissue in uniaxial testing, one-third in biaxial testing, and one-fourth Thesis summary iv stiffness in simple shear testing. Finally, these data were used with the structurally-based Holzapfel–Ogden model of the myocardium to establish the material parameters. The estimated material parameters in this study will enable a simulation that specifically reflects neonatal ventricular tissue behaviour. This will ultimately create new opportunities for researchers, bioengineers and clinicians to identify novel treatments and interventions of neonatal heart diseases