Prasad G., Abishek P. and Karthick R.
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the special applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the transport of medical goods.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the special applications of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for the transport of medical goods.
Design/methodology/approach
Experimental work has been carried out to predict the performance characteristics of UAVs.
Findings
The results have been obtained to predict the range and endurance of UAVs, which can be optimized based on the payload and source of power.
Originality/value
Real-time applications. As the medical products are necessary in the real time life saving events.
Details
Keywords
Karthick R., Ramakrishnan C. and Sridhar S.
This paper aims to introduce the quasi impedance source inverter (qZSI)-based static compensator (STATCOM), which is incorporated into the hybrid distributed power generation…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to introduce the quasi impedance source inverter (qZSI)-based static compensator (STATCOM), which is incorporated into the hybrid distributed power generation system for enhancement of power quality. The distributed power generation system includes the photovoltaic (PV), wind energy conversion system (WECS) and battery energy storage system.
Design/methodology/approach
The WECS is used by the self-excited induction generator (SEIG) and the flywheel energy storage system (FESS). To regulate its terminal voltage and frequency, the SEIG requires adjustable volt-ampere reactive (VAR). A combination of a STATCOM and a fixed condenser bank usually serves to satisfy the VAR demand. The maximum correntropy criterion-based adaptive filter technique (AFT) is proposed to control the qZSI-STATCOM and to guarantee that the voltage at the SEIG terminal is harmonic-free while providing non-linear three-phase and single-phase loads.
Findings
The coordinated operation of the suggested voltage control and flywheel control systems ensures that load voltage and frequency are retained in their respective values at very low harmonic distortions regardless of wind speed and load variation. The simulation and experimental studies are carried out under different load conditions to validate the efficiencies of the PV-assisted STATCOM.
Originality/value
To improve system stability and minimize total costs, extra load current sensors can also be avoided. This paper proposes to control the SEIG terminal voltage and harmonic elimination in the standalone WECS systems using maximum correntropy criterion-based AFT with a fuzzy logic controller.
Details
Keywords
Karthick Narayanan R. and Meiraba Takhellambam
This paper aims to explore a model of digital language archiving based on a collaboration between under-resourced indigenous communities and an institutional library. The model’s…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to explore a model of digital language archiving based on a collaboration between under-resourced indigenous communities and an institutional library. The model’s effectiveness is assessed in creating resources and digital language archives to support speaker communities and language documentation programmes for endangered and lesser-known languages in India.
Design/methodology/approach
The model of SiDHELA, the first indigenous language archive developed in India at Sikkim University by the Centre for Endangered Languages in collaboration with the Central Library, is described.
Findings
This study finds that localised repositories developed in collaboration with institutional libraries work as a more effective and accessible resource centre for indigenous communities, rather than the centralised data stores that collate all language data, which is the dominant method of language documentation in the world.
Social implications
It is the authors’ belief that the active role of libraries in language documentation and preservation of indigenous knowledge will open future gateways for language revitalization for under-resourced languages of the world.
Originality/value
SiDHELA is a novel attempt at localised digital language archiving in collaboration with indigenous communities of Sikkim and the North Bengal region of India.
Details
Keywords
James Xolani Nyawera and Theodore Conrad Haupt
This paper aims to report on the development of a model to improve process health and safety within the context of a petrochemical environment to achieve a generative health and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to report on the development of a model to improve process health and safety within the context of a petrochemical environment to achieve a generative health and safety culture within that sector.
Design/methodology/approach
A quantitative research methodology and deductive research approach were used in the study. A survey was conducted in a major petrochemical enterprise in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa with 259 returned and duly completed questionnaires. The data was statistically analysed using statistical packages for social science version 25.
Findings
This study found that the key process health and safety critical drivers needed to grow a generative process health and safety culture were leadership commitment, chemical exposure management, health and safety risk assessment, process hazard analysis and permit to work.
Research limitations/implications
This study was conducted in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa within the petrochemical industry. Because of self-reported methods of data collection, there is a probability of bias existing in the results of the study.
Practical implications
The contribution of this research is to understand, based on theoretical assumptions, how health and safety improvement could be institutionalised in an organisation. The developed model can be used as a practical tool.
Social implications
This paper is part of the larger discussion of increasing importance in health and safety policy-making. This study aims at contributing to the literature in the field of health and safety by incorporating the drivers towards a generative process health and safety culture.
Originality/value
This study provides a model to assist senior management to reduce exposure to process health and safety hazards in the petrochemical industry and improve overall performance.
Details
Keywords
Sathish Kumar K., Senthilkumar Chidambaram and Naren Shankar Radha Krishnan
This paper aims to present the jet mixing effectiveness of triangular tabs with semi-circular corrugations to control the subsonic and sonic correctly expanded jets.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the jet mixing effectiveness of triangular tabs with semi-circular corrugations to control the subsonic and sonic correctly expanded jets.
Design/methodology/approach
Three semi-circular corrugated triangular tabs (Tab A, Tab B and Tab C) of equal blockage 5.11% are used, in which the corrugation locations on the tabs are varied. The offset distance between the semi-circular corrugations at the leaned edges of the triangular tabs are 0.0, 0.75 and 1.5 mm for the Tabs A, B and C, respectively. Two identical semi-circular corrugated tabs has been placed exactly 180° apart at the exit of the convergent nozzle. The pitot pressure measurements were taken to study the jet mixing characteristics of the tabs for the jet exit Mach numbers of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0, and it is compared with the free jet.
Findings
The jet centerline pitot pressure decay reveals that, Tab A is very effective than Tab B and Tab C. For the jet exit Mach numbers of 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0, the potential core reduction for the Tab A is found to be 69.1%, 69.7% and 70.8%, respectively, when compared with the free jet.
Practical implications
The semi-circular corrugated triangular tabs were found to be more effective than the plain triangular tabs of equal blockage ratio for reducing the core length with minimum thrust loss.
Originality/value
The offset distance of the semi-circular corrugations are varied along the leaned sides of the triangular tabs, which is the novelty of this study.
Details
Keywords
Senthilnathan T., Sujay Aadithya B. and Balachandar K.
This study aims to predict the mechanical properties such as equivalent tensile strength and micro-hardness of friction-stir-welded dissimilar aluminium alloy plates AA 6063-O and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to predict the mechanical properties such as equivalent tensile strength and micro-hardness of friction-stir-welded dissimilar aluminium alloy plates AA 6063-O and AA 2014-T6, using artificial neural network (ANN).
Design/methodology/approach
The ANN model used for the experiment was developed through back propagation algorithm. The input parameter of the model consisted of tool rotational speed and weld-traverse speed whereas the output of the model consisted of mechanical properties (tensile strength and hardness) of the joint formed by friction-stir welding (FSW) process. The ANN was trained for 60% of the experimental data. In addition, the impact of the process parameters (tool rotational speed and weld-traverse speed) on the mechanical properties of the joint was determined by Taguchi Grey relational analysis.
Findings
Subsequently, testing and validation of the ANN were done using experimental data, which were not used for training the network. From the experiment, it was inferred that the outcomes of the ANN are in good agreement with the experimental data. The result of the analyses showed that the tool rotational speed has more impact than the weld-traverse speed.
Originality/value
The developed neural network can be used to predict the mechanical properties of the weld. Results indicate that the network prediction is similar to the experiment results. Overall regression value computed for training, validation and testing is greater than 0.9900 for both tensile strength and microhardness. In addition, the percentage error between experimental and predicted values was found to be minimal for the mechanical properties of the weldments. Therefore, it can be concluded that ANN is a potential tool for predicting the mechanical properties of the weld formed by FSW process. Similarly, the results of Taguchi Grey relational analysis can be used to optimize the process parameters of the weld process and it can be applied extensively to ascertain the most prominent factor. The results of which indicates that rotational speed of 1,270 rpm and traverse speed of 30 mm/min are to be the optimized process parameters. The result also shows that tool rotational speed has more impact on the mechanical properties of the weld than that of traverse speed.
Details
Keywords
Amin Barzegar, Mohammadreza Farahani and Amirreza Gomroki
Material extrusion-based additive manufacturing is a prominent manufacturing technique to fabricate complex geometrical three-dimensional (3D) parts. Despite the indisputable…
Abstract
Purpose
Material extrusion-based additive manufacturing is a prominent manufacturing technique to fabricate complex geometrical three-dimensional (3D) parts. Despite the indisputable advantages of material extrusion-based technique, the poor surface and subsurface integrity hinder the industrial application of this technology. The purpose of this study is introducing the hot air jet treatment (HAJ) technique for surface treatment of additive manufactured parts.
Design/methodology/approach
In the presented research, novel theoretical formulation and finite element models are developed to study and model the polishing mechanism of printed parts surface through the HAJ technique. The model correlates reflow material volume, layer width and layer height. The reflow material volume is a function of treatment temperature, treatment velocity and HAJ velocity. The values of reflow material volume are obtained through the finite element modeling model due to the complexity of the interactions between thermal and mechanical phenomena. The theoretical model presumptions are validated through experiments, and the results show that the treatment parameters have a significant impact on the surface characteristics, hardness and dimensional variations of the treated surface.
Findings
The results demonstrate that the average value of error between the calculated theoretical results and experimental results is 14.3%. Meanwhile, the 3D plots of Ra and Rq revealed that the maximum values of Ra and Rq reduction percentages at 255°C, 270°C, 285°C and 300°C treatment temperatures are (35.9%, 33.9%), (77.6%,76.4%), (94%, 93.8%) and (85.1%, 84%), respectively. The scanning electron microscope results illustrate three different treatment zones and the treatment-induced and manufacturing-induced entrapped air relief phenomenon. The measured results of hardness variation percentages and dimensional deviation percentages at different regimes are (8.33%, 0.19%), (10.55%, 0.31%) and (−0.27%, 0.34%), respectively.
Originality/value
While some studies have investigated the effect of the HAJ process on the structural integrity of manufactured items, there is a dearth of research on the underlying treatment mechanism, the integrity of the treated surface and the subsurface characteristics of the treated surface.
Details
Keywords
M. Balasubramanian, Thozhuvur Govindaraman Loganathan and R. Srimath
The purpose of this study is to understand the behavior of hybrid bio-composites under varied applications.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to understand the behavior of hybrid bio-composites under varied applications.
Design/methodology/approach
Fabrication methods and material characterization of various hybrid bio-composites are analyzed by studying the tensile, impact, flexural and hardness of the same. The natural fiber is a manufactured group of assembly of big or short bundles of fiber to produce one or more layers of flat sheets. The natural fiber-reinforced composite materials offer a wide range of properties that are suitable for many engineering-related fields like aerospace, automotive areas. The main characteristics of natural fiber composites are durability, low cost, low weight, high specific strength and equally good mechanical properties.
Findings
The tensile properties like tensile strength and tensile modulus of flax/hemp/sisal/Coir/Palmyra fiber-reinforced composites are majorly dependent on the chemical treatment and catalyst usage with fiber. The flexural properties of flax/hemp/sisal/coir/Palmyra are greatly dependent on fiber orientation and fiber length. Impact properties of flax/hemp/sisal/coir/Palmyra are depended on the fiber content, composition and orientation of various fibers.
Originality/value
This study is a review of various research work done on the natural fiber bio-composites exhibiting the factors to be considered for specific load conditions.
Details
Keywords
Rajkumar Rajendran, Karuppuraja Muthukrishnan and Vedhi Chinnapiyan
The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in o-toluidine monomer as a reactant and ammonium persulfate as an oxidant to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to investigate the presence of silicon dioxide (SiO2) nanoparticles in o-toluidine monomer as a reactant and ammonium persulfate as an oxidant to obtain the poly(o-toluidine) (POT)/SiO2 nanocomposites by oxidative polymerization method.
Design/methodology/approach
Fourier transformation infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and field emission scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the structural properties of the composite. POT/SiO2 nanocomposites were mixed with acrylic resin through a solution mixing method and the composites were coated onto the surface of mild steel. Electrochemical measurements were used to determine the corrosion protection efficiency (P.E.%) of polymer composite coatings using 3.5% NaCl solution as corrosion environment.
Findings
The results obtained reveals that the POT/SiO2/acrylic resin composite coatings have got higher corrosion P.E.% than that of POT/acrylic resin coatings.
Originality/value
The formation of uniformly passive layer in the POT/SiO2 composite was used to enhance the P.E.% on mild steel surface. The POT/SiO2/acrylic resin nanocomposites showed effective anticorrosive behavior on mild steel in 3.5% NaCl solution.
Details
Keywords
Narassima Madhavarao Seshadri, Anbuudayasankar Singanallur Palanisamy, Thenarasu Mohanavelu and Olivia McDermott
Globalization and population explosion have worsened postharvest losses (PHL) in developing countries. This study looks to identify numerous controllable variables to reduce these…
Abstract
Purpose
Globalization and population explosion have worsened postharvest losses (PHL) in developing countries. This study looks to identify numerous controllable variables to reduce these losses and make the fresh produce supply chain more efficient.
Design/methodology/approach
The study employs the interpretive structural modelling (ISM) technique to develop a hierarchical model to comprehend the intricate relationships between the variables influencing PHL. These variables are further classified based on the relative levels of importance in terms of their driving and dependence powers.
Findings
The findings of this research provide variables for enterprises operating in fresh food supply chains to understand the specific risks that that supply chain faces and how these risks interact within the system. The fuzzy MICMAC analysis also classifies and highlights critical risk factors in the supply chain to aid implementation of PHL mitigation measures. The study highlights the importance of devising policies, legislation and efforts to regulate and curtail PHL across the global food supply chain.
Research limitations/implications
The efficiency of the food supply chain contributes not only to economic sustainability but also to broader goals such as food security, better utilisation of global resources and sustainability in the supply chain.
Social implications
It also highlights the significance of well-informed government policies, laws and regulations in successfully controlling and reducing PHL.
Originality/value
This study compares factors contributing to PHL in the fresh produce supply chain and emphasises the stakeholders’ critical role in alleviating these losses. It also highlights the significance of well-informed government policies, laws and regulations in successfully controlling and reducing PHL.