Mile R. Vujičić and Cvetko Crnojević
To provide an analysis of turbulent flow in plane diffusers for graduate and postgraduate students (researchers) which can help them to understand turbulent flows and turbulence…
Abstract
Purpose
To provide an analysis of turbulent flow in plane diffusers for graduate and postgraduate students (researchers) which can help them to understand turbulent flows and turbulence modelling.
Design/methodology/approach
Steady, incompressible, turbulent flow in two‐dimensional plane diffusers, where Reynolds averaged Navier‐Stokes (RANS) equations were simplified using the theory of turbulent boundary layers in integral form adjusted for the internal flow. To close the RANS equations, the mixing length model proposed by Michel et al., which was previously used for the calculation of turbulent flow in a straight channel with a uniform cross section, is applied for the calculation of the turbulent flow in plane diffusers. Also, in this paper, the velocity profile is approximated in every cross‐section of the diffuser by a six‐order polynomial, whose coefficients depend upon the three form parameters. Using this transformation, the system of governing equations was reduced to the three ordinary differential equations which were solved numerically.
Findings
A comparison between results obtained (velocity profiles) and experimental data obtained using HWA and LDA shows very good agreement. The method of integral equations of boundary layer is a relatively old method and tends to be forgotten since more advanced methods have been introduced. However, the results obtained using this method for the calculation of turbulent flow in a plane diffuser show a very good agreement with experimental data. Therefore, in engineering applications when simplicity and low‐cpu times are required, the integral method can still be applied successfully.
Originality/value
This paper offers practical help to an individual starting his/her research in the computational fluid dynamics (turbulence modelling).
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Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the…
Abstract
Gives a bibliographical review of the finite element methods (FEMs) applied for the linear and nonlinear, static and dynamic analyses of basic structural elements from the theoretical as well as practical points of view. The range of applications of FEMs in this area is wide and cannot be presented in a single paper; therefore aims to give the reader an encyclopaedic view on the subject. The bibliography at the end of the paper contains 2,025 references to papers, conference proceedings and theses/dissertations dealing with the analysis of beams, columns, rods, bars, cables, discs, blades, shafts, membranes, plates and shells that were published in 1992‐1995.
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Alhamzah Alnoor and Abbas Gatea Atiyah
Companies seek to increase the percentage of acquisitions in different parts of the world by expanding operations. Many companies are adopting strategic mergers to expand their…
Abstract
Purpose
Companies seek to increase the percentage of acquisitions in different parts of the world by expanding operations. Many companies are adopting strategic mergers to expand their influence. However, most strategic change programs fail to achieve their objectives. This study aims to investigate employees’ reactions after strategic mergers through the mediating role of the employees’ psychological context. It was necessary to identify the most prominent postmerger employees’ behaviors. The study addressed this gap by investigating the outcomes of strategic mergers.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this study were collected from 30 family businesses. Accordingly, 341 questionnaires were collected with an overall response rate of 64%. The structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) approach and the nonlinear relationships approach were adopted by implementing artificial neural network (ANN) analysis.
Findings
The results confirm that there is a clear impact of strategic mergers on employees’ postmerger behavior because of the change at the hierarchical level and the process of distributing roles. Employees’ psychological context (individual incentives, anxiety and individual mobbing) mediates the relationship between strategic mergers and postmerger employees’ behavior. In addition, individual incentives are considered the main contributor to retaining or not retaining employees in family businesses after strategic merger.
Research limitations/implications
Policymakers in organizations must pay attention to employees’ possible reactions to the internal and external policies of the organization by increasing individual incentives and reducing individual mobbing toward strategic merger. This study has theoretical implications that are critical guidelines for academics in mitigating the negative consequences for employees’ postmerger behavior. This study captured linear and nonlinear relationships to discover the determinants and antecedents of a strategic merger in family businesses. However, future studies should focus on using more robust statistical methods by adopting decision-making methods to determine the best and worst companies in terms of adopting strategic mergers.
Originality/value
The scarcity of literature on the most important determinants of postmerger employees’ behavior is considered an encouragement to conduct the current study. To this end, this study enriches the ongoing and future literature by examining the most important factors influencing the strategic merger of family businesses. Family businesses have changed the economic landscape of many countries. The investigation of the strategic merger of these companies is considered a worthy matter of study to improve the nation’s economy.
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Hasmadi Bin Mamat, Yeoh Wan Chen, Mansoor Abdul Hamid, Jahurul Md Haque Akanda, Arif Kamisan Pusiran and Mohamad Khairi Zainol
This study aims to investigate the effects of incorporating seaweed composite flour on soft roll dough rheological characteristics and quality.
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to investigate the effects of incorporating seaweed composite flour on soft roll dough rheological characteristics and quality.
Design/methodology/approach
In this study, wheat flour was substituted with seaweed powder obtained from red seaweed (Kappaphycus alvarezii) at varying proportions (100:0; 99:1; 98:2; 97:3; 96:4; 95:5, 94:6, 93:7 and 92:8) and applied in soft roll production. The effects of seaweed composite flour were evaluated in terms of rheological characteristics, proximate composition and physical properties. The sensory characteristics of the soft rolls was evaluated by 40 untrained panellists by using a hedonic scale.
Findings
Farinograph analysis of the soft roll doughs showed that the incorporation of seaweed powder promoted an increase in water absorption, development time and mixing tolerance index, whereas it decreased stability time. Analysis of the proximate composition of the soft rolls showed that protein and carbohydrate contents decreased, but moisture, ash and crude fibre contents substantially increased. Dietary fibre increased with the increase in the proportion of seaweed powder added. The specific volume, bulk density and firmness of the soft rolls ranged from 3.01 to 5.48 cm3/g, 0.18 to 0.33 g/cm3 and 1.86 to 20.63 N, respectively. Sensory evaluation results showed that the mean score of sensory attributes decreased as the proportion of seaweed powder added was increased in the formulations. With regard to the overall acceptability, the panellists preferred the soft rolls with the least amount of seaweed powder added. The results of hedonic tests revealed that the panellists' acceptance decreased as higher amounts seaweed powder were added in the formulations.
Originality/value
This study showed that the seaweed powder of K. alvarezii can be utilised as an ingredient to improve the nutrient composition of baked products.
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A. Kumaravel, N. Ganesan and Raju Sethuraman
The paper deals with the investigation of linear buckling and free vibration behavior of layered and multiphase magneto‐electro‐elastic (MEE) beam under thermal environment. The…
Abstract
The paper deals with the investigation of linear buckling and free vibration behavior of layered and multiphase magneto‐electro‐elastic (MEE) beam under thermal environment. The constitutive equations of magneto‐electro‐elastic materials are used to derive finite element equations involving the coupling between mechanical, electrical and magnetic fields. The finite element model has been verified with the commercial finite element package ANSYS. The influence of magneto electric coupling on critical buckling temperature is investigated between layered and multiphase magneto‐electro‐elastic beam. Furthermore, the influence of temperature rise on natural frequencies of magneto‐electro‐elastic beam with layered and different volume fraction is presented.
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Jitender Kumar, Garima Rani and Vinki Rani
Electricity theft is a chronic issue that undermines the power quality and reduces the financial stability of power distribution companies. This study aims to empirically…
Abstract
Purpose
Electricity theft is a chronic issue that undermines the power quality and reduces the financial stability of power distribution companies. This study aims to empirically investigate the factors affecting electricity theft and its impact on power quality in rural and urban regions of India.
Design/methodology/approach
This research involves two cross-sectional surveys using self-administered questionnaires: Study R comprises 480 rural respondents, while Study U comprises 461 urban respondents to assess the causes of electricity theft. Data analysis was conducted using the statistical package for social science and the partial least squares-structural equation modelling technique.
Findings
The findings revealed that corruption, economic and government factors significantly influence electricity theft, while technology factors insignificantly influence electricity theft in both studies. However, in Study R, social factors had a statistically significant impact, but in Study U, it had an insignificant impact on electricity theft. Furthermore, the findings also reported a substantial link between electricity theft and power quality deterioration.
Practical implications
The study is unique and more generalisable, providing valuable insights to the government to develop a well-planned stringent law to enhance electricity service quality and reduce electricity theft cases that can benefit the entire community. Further, this study shed light on contributing factors of electricity theft to improve power quality that can assist in achieving the (sustainable development goal 7 – reliable, affordable and sustainable energy) mission of the Indian Government.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the present study represents the initial study to examine the notion of Indian electricity users regarding power theft and quality deterioration among India’s rural and urban regions. That would provide a base for the government and electricity board to combat power theft and provide a quality power supply. Moreover, this study offers a robust theoretical model with the new latent variable for a current and pertinent topic.
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Alhamzah Alnoor, Abbas Gatea Atiyah and Sammar Abbas
Organizations deal with digital technologies to achieve their strategic goals. The shift toward digitization is a major challenge because it requires companies to create a…
Abstract
Purpose
Organizations deal with digital technologies to achieve their strategic goals. The shift toward digitization is a major challenge because it requires companies to create a digital outlook that influences organizational design. As a result, investigation of institutional theory and entrepreneurial orientation theory in the European food industry has become the focus of research in recent times.
Design/methodology/approach
To this end, data were collected from 83 companies related to the food industry in the European context. By applying a hybrid phase of the partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods, this study captured the causal–non-linear relationships among the study constructs.
Findings
The findings revealed that the variables of institutional theory and entrepreneurial orientation theory affect the adoption of the digital strategy. There is also a dual interaction role for e-business capabilities and digital transformation. The results of non-linear relationships confirmed that digital strategy adoption is highly influenced by digital transformation, followed by risk-taking, digital leadership, e-business capabilities, organizational agility, proactiveness and innovativeness.
Research limitations/implications
The authors provided significant implications for practitioners and academics about the most influential determinants of digital strategy – businesses must move swiftly toward digitization across its various units to achieve their objectives. An organization’s leadership must realize that equipping the employees with necessary skills is the first step toward digitalization.
Originality/value
The current study underscores the digital strategy, which is usually an overlooked area of investigation, in the food industry. The study identifies some important predictors of digital strategy adoption with the interaction’s role of digital transformation and e-business capabilities. Such relationships have been rarely discussed. In addition, the adoption of a hybrid SEM-AAN approach makes the study an original one.
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Nour Mani, Nhiem Tran, Alan Jones, Azadeh Mirabedini, Shadi Houshyar and Kate Fox
The purpose of this study is therefore to detail an additive manufacturing process for printing TiD parts for implant applications. Titanium–diamond (TiD) is a new composite that…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is therefore to detail an additive manufacturing process for printing TiD parts for implant applications. Titanium–diamond (TiD) is a new composite that provides biocompatible three-dimensional multimaterial structures. Thus, the authors report a powder-deposition and print optimization strategy to overcome the dual-functionality gap by printing bulk TiD parts. However, despite favorable customization outcomes, relatively few additive manufacturing (AM) feedstock powders offer the biocompatibility required for medical implant and device technologies.
Design/methodology/approach
AM offers a platform to fabricate customized patient-specific parts. Developing feedstock that can be 3D printed into specific 3D structures while providing a favorable interface with the human tissue remains a challenge. Using laser metal deposition, feedstock powder comprising diamond and titanium was co-printed into TiD parts for mechanical testing to determine optimal manufacturing parameters.
Findings
TiD parts were fabricated comprising 30% and 50% diamond. The composite powder had a Hausner ratio of 1.13 and 1.21 for 30% and 50% TiD, respectively. The flow analysis (Carney flow) for TiD 30% and 50% was 7.53 and 5.15 g/s. The authors report that the printing-specific conditions significantly affect the integrity of the printed part and thus provide the optimal manufacturing parameters for structural integrity as determined by micro-computed tomography, nanoindentation and biocompatibility of TiD parts. The hardness, ultimate tensile strength and yield strength for TiD are 4–6 GPa (depending on build position), 426 MPa and 375 MPa, respectively. Furthermore, the authors show that increasing diamond composition to 30% results in higher osteoblast viability and lower bacteria count than titanium.
Originality/value
In this study, the authors provide a clear strategy to manufacture TiD parts with high integrity, performance and biocompatibility, expanding the material feedstock library and paving the way to customized diamond implants. Diamond is showing strong potential as a biomedical material; however, upscale is limited by conventional techniques. By optimizing AM as the avenue to make complex shapes, the authors open up the possibility of patient-specific diamond implant solutions.
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Leonid A. Dombrovsky and Wojciech Lipinski
The aim of this paper is to present advanced experimental–numerical methods for identification of spectral absorption and scattering properties of highly porous ceria ceramics in…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to present advanced experimental–numerical methods for identification of spectral absorption and scattering properties of highly porous ceria ceramics in the range of semi-transparency at room and elevated temperatures.
Design/methodology/approach
At room temperature, a period of quasi-steady oscillations of the sample surface temperature generated in response to recurrent laser heating at fixed values of the maximum and minimum temperature of the irradiated surface is measured along with the normal-hemispherical reflectance. Radiative properties are then identified using a combined heat transfer model. At elevated temperatures, an analytical solution proposed in an earlier study for zirconia ceramics is used to retrieve spectral absorption coefficient of ceria ceramics from the measured normal emittance.
Findings and Originality/value
This method can be used to obtain small absorption coefficient of ceria ceramics at room temperature. The required measurements of both the normal-hemispherical reflectance and the period of quasi-steady oscillations of the irradiated surface temperature of the ceramics sample between fixed values of the maximum and minimum temperatures can be readily conducted using thermal laboratory equipment. Another method has been suggested for identification of the spectral absorption coefficient of ceria ceramics at elevated temperatures. This method is based on a relation between the measured normal emittance of an isothermal sample and the absorption coefficient.