023673   DE T, SIKDER J, NARAYANAN C M (Chemical Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur- 713 209, Email: cmn_recd@yahoo.co.in) : Biodiesel synthesis and bioreactor design. Indian J Chem Technol 2017, 24, 575-92.

Biodiesel, an alternate, renewable, environment-friendly engine fuel, is making significant contribution to the world energy demand, particularly in the light of the diminishing petroleum reserves. In this paper, biodiesel synthesis from different feedstocks and use of different types of catalysts (both homogeneous and heterogeneous) has been reviewed. These feedstocks have been compared with respect to availability (yield of oil per unit area of cultivation), ease and fastness of transesterification, yield and purity of produced biodiesel. The comparison between homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts including enzyme catalysts and relative superiority of each have been analysed and highlighted with respect to catalyst activity, formation of uncontaminated product and cost of downstream processing. The design features of different types of industrial bioreactors such as fluidised bed, semifluidised bed, diverging–converging fluidised bed and inverse fluidised bed reactors have been surveyed. Recommendations for future investigations have also been presented in this paper.

5 illus, 6 tables, 61 ref

023672   PATEL A R, ACHARYA G D (Production Engineering Dep, Atmiya Institute of Technology and Science, Gujarat, Email: patelamitr95@gmail.com) : Effect of post weld heat treatment on mechanical properties and microstructure of P11 weld. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 43-7.

Post weld heat treatment (PWHT) is a process of reducing residual stresses and enhancing material properties of any material after welding. The process depends on many parameters like type of material, thickness of material, PWHT temperature, soaking time, heating and cooling rate, etc. Post weld heat treatment is a process of material that could result detrimental effects on tensile strength, yield strength, impact toughness, hardness, elongation, etc. If the process of post weld heat treatment is performed incorrectly, residual stresses in material combine with external loads which may exceed material’s design limit. In the present study, different post weld heat treatment failure and its effects on material properties and microstructure is studied in detail.

4 illus, 1 table, 16 ref

023671   SAHITHI N S S, CHANDRASEKHAR K N V, RAO T M (Civil Engineering Dep, CVR Coll of Engineering, Telangana, Email: biml.koralla1@gmail.com) : Isogeometric topology optimization of continuum structures using evolutionary algorithms. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 28-36.

Isogeometric analysis is a popular method for the analysis of problems involving complex geometry and governed by differential equations. Meta-heuristics are widely used to determine the optimum distribution of material within the given design domain. The focus of this study is to perform isogeometric topology optimization of continuum structures using meta-heuristics nature inspired firefly algorithm. NURBS basis functions are used to construct the geometric model and to calculate the displacements as well. In this paper, a two dimensional plate structure is modeled using NURBS basis functions and analyzed for the given loading and boundary conditions. ESO technique is used to identify the elements which carry the material and penalize the remaining elements which do not carry any stress. Few examples have been solved and the results are presented. The results clearly show that the distribution of material using isogeometric analysis is similar to the distribution of material using FEA.

10 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

023670   VYAS S M, SHAH S I, ACHARYA G D (Production Engineering Dep, Atmiya Institute of Technology and Science, Gujarat, Email: vyassameer654@gmail.com) : Minimization of distortion during gas metal arc welding process. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 23-7.

The gas metal arc welding (MIG) process is widely used in many appliances because of its versatility. For GMAW process, metals like carbon steel, stainless steel, aluminium, copper, low-alloy steel are widely used in all positions. Butt joint, lap joint, T-joint, edge joint, corner joint are the common types of joints used in welding. The change of shape and dimensions that occur after welding is known as distortion that leads to undesirable results. And to overcome this, it requires mitigation of distortion within the limits. A large number of resources are used now a day for reworking the welds. But it causes higher cost of production and delay for completing the work. Higher amount of residual stresses may generate if the distortion is controlled physically during welding. This work is aimed to predict and reduce distortion with MIG welding process parameters. Using various designs of experiments methods, straight and indirect effects of the process parameters can be determined and process parameters can be optimized.

9 illus, 1 table, 12 ref

023669   THAWAIT A K, SONDHI L, VERMA R K, JANGDE P K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya, Chhattisgarh, Email: amkthawait@gmail.com) : An investigation of stress and deformation states of rotating functionally graded spherical pressure vessels. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 19- 22.

The present study deals with the analysis of rotating spherical pressure vessels made of functionally graded materials (FGMs). Material properties are graded along the radial direction, which is achieved by varying volume fractions of the constituting materials according to Mori-Tanaka scheme. Shells are subjected to hydrostatic internal pressure and have free boundary condition at the outer surface. Governing equations are derived using principle of stationary total potential. The effects of grading parameter and thickness parameter on stress and deformation behavior of the shells are investigated for ceramic-metal shell. Results obtained show that there is a significant reduction in stresses and deformation of the FGM shells as compared to homogeneous shell.

10 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

023668   ROY M R, RAMANAIAH N, RAO B S K S S, RAO M S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Anil Neerukonda Institute of Technology and Sciences, Andhra Pradesh, Email: anitsrajaroy@gmail.com) : Mechanical and tribological properties of Cr₃C₂-NiCr coated Ti6Al4V implant alloy. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 11-8.

Ti6Al4V alloys are widely used in medical and aerospace applications due to their superior mechanical properties. But, Ti6Al4V alloys are poor in tribological properties such as wear. Poor wear resistance consequences in the formation of wear debris in human implants and leads to inflammation and pain. In this work, Cr₃C₂-NiCr coatings were applied to improve the mechanical properties such as tensile strength, hardness and tribological properties such as wear resistance. Cr₃C₂-NiCr coatings are deposited on the substrate with 100 ?m, 200 ?m, 300 ?m, 400 ?m thickness using detonation spray (DS). Implants are generally placed inside the human body; hence, wear behavior was studied in the simulated body environment using Hank’s solution. Tensile tests are carried out with ASTM E-8 standard specimens and improvement was observed. Pin on disc wear tests have been carried out with ASTM G-99 standard specimens. Wear and surface roughness were studied using Taguchi design of experiments. Grey relational analysis was done and obtained the combined optimal factors for wear and surface roughness. Improvement was observed in hardness, surface roughness and wear resistance for the Cr₃C₂-NiCr coated Ti6Al4V alloy.

11 illus, 19 tables, 18 ref

023667   SINGH R, SONDHI L, THAWAIT A K (Mechanical Engineering Dep., Shri Shankaracharya College of Engineering and Technology, Chhattisgarh, Email: akumarthawait@gmail.com) : Stress and deformation analysis of rotating cylindrical pressure vessel of functionally graded material modeled by Mori-Tanaka scheme. J Expl Appl Mech 2017, 8(3), 1-10.

The present study deals with the linear elastic analysis of rotating cylindrical pressure vessels. The vessels are made up of one directional functionally graded material (FGM), in which mechanical and physical properties are varying along the radial direction. The analysis is carried out using finite element method which is based on the principle of stationary total potential (PSTP). Material properties are graded according to the Mori-Tanaka distribution law and ceramic-metal as well as metal-ceramic both the types of FGMs are considered. The effects of the gradation of material properties on the stress and deformation behavior of the vessels are investigated and a comparison of deformation and stresses for different values of grading index is presented. The results obtained are in good agreement with the established reports and show that there is a significant variation in stresses and deformation behavior of the FGM vessels as compared to homogeneous vessels. Further it is observed that metal- ceramic FGM vessel having n = 0.5 has the lowest overall stresses, and therefore can be most effectively employed for the rotating cylindrical pressure vessels.

10 illus, 8 ref

023666   DUBEY T, SAHU G, KUMARI S, YADAV B S, SAHU A N (Pharmaceutical Engineering & Technology Dep., IIT (BHU), Varanasi, Email: ansahu.phe@iitbhu.ac.in) : Role of herbal drugs on neurotransmitters for treating various CNS disorders: A review. Indian J Tradit Know 2018, 17(1), 113- 21.

Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers in the human body and are associated with several CNS disorders. Plant drugs can be used as agonist/antagonist/modulator to neurotransmitters to treat CNS disorders like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease etc. The current review comprises the role of various neurotransmitters in CNS diseases and plants to treat them. This review compiles most of the scientific research related to the role of neurotransmitters and potential plants to treat various CNS disorders. Authors hope that researchers will utilize this current knowledge to explore and establish the potential herbal drugs to treat CNS disorders. This review has been compiled using references from major databases such as Chemical Abstracts, Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Abstracts, ScienceDirect, SciFinder, Google Scholar, Scopus, PubMed, Springer Link, and books, without limiting the dates of publication. General web searches were also carried out using Google and Yahoo search engines by applying some related search terms (e.g., Neurotransmitters, herbal drugs, pathophysiology and CNS disorders). The articles related to agriculture, ecology, and synthetic works and those using languages other than English or Persian have been excluded. Neurotransmitters play an important role in the pathophysiology of various CNS disorders. Plants can be used as potential drugs to treat various CNS disorders as confirmed by various pharmacological studies illustrated in this review. This review discusses the current knowledge of neurotransmitters, their role in CNS disorders and herbal drugs that can be used to treat these diseases.

2 illus, 1 table, 40 ref

023665   JOSHY P J, SANJID C S, BABY N, JACOB A (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Cochin Univ of Science and Technology, kerala, Email: pjjoshy1969@gmail.com) : Elimination of air-core vortex in a cylindrical tank by dual ports. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2018, 70(1), 58-63.

The liquid drain from a cylindrical tank subjected to rotation forms a depression on the free surface of the liquid. This depression transforms into an air-core vortex which subsequently enters the drain port. The reduced cross-sectional area of the drain port thus lowers the discharge of the fluid. This phenomenon is of practical interest, especially in the case of space vehicles as similar flow patterns exists in the storage tank during draining of liquid propellants. The current study focuses to extirpate such vortex generation using dual port cylindrical tank. In the present work, the effect of initial rotation and center to center distance between the ports on the air-core vortex is studied by keeping the initial height of liquid layer, drain port diameter and tank diameter are constant. It may be noted that complete suppression of vortex with reduced drain time is the remarkable feature of this analysis.

6 illus, 11 ref

023664   SHRINIVASAN L, RAOL J R (Electronics and Communication Engg Dep, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore, Email: lakshmi1312@gmail.com) : Formation flying recognition with dual layer interval type 2 fuzzy logic. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2017, 69(4), 606-14.

Formation flying of aircrafts is critical in aviation especially in combat situations. The existing type 1 fuzzy logic system (T1FLS) used for formation-flight recognition, though very useful and successful may exhibit some inaccuracy in presence of uncertainties and/or noise. To overcome this and to design robust real time systems, this paper introduces an interval type 2 fuzzy logic system for decision fusion (IT2FLSDeF) for formation recognition. The performance of the proposed decision system is evaluated under ideal and realistic conditions. The results indicate that better performance of compared to its type 1 counterpart for the cases studied is achieved.

6 illus, 4 tables, 14 ref

023663   SHANMUGANATHAN H (Application Engineer Dep, Siemens Industry Software India Pvt Ltd, Chennai, Email: hariram.s@siemens.com, skhari86@gmail.com) : A more accurate systems modelling and simulation framework in design and optimization of a system during the conceptual phase. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2017, 69(4), 597-605.

Modelling and simulation of complex mechanical systems involving multi-simulation environment, with great accuracy is essential as part of the conceptual design phase of a system under design. The co-simulation between system level model with various subsystems based on Model Based Design (MBD) and component level model is a perfect example. These mathematical models have distinct features such as the type of differential equations used to represent its physics, boundary conditions etc. In this study we use MBD methodology to develop a simulation model that can drive product development and optimization of mechanical systems. We also incorporate a 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model as one of its subsystem into the System Level (SL) model architecture. This is done by creating a co-simulation interface between these two different modelling environments and exchange boundary conditions via a specific interface. The interaction between multi-domain models through system simulation together with the detailed fluid flow and thermal analysis of the component through CFD is finally explained. Finally, the dynamic behaviour of the complete system and its temporal and spatial scales is shown to be captured in more detail.

9 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

023662   DIXIT S, KUTTAN K K A, SRIVASTAVA R (Biological Sciences and Engineering Dep, Maulana Azad National Institute of Technology, Bhopal, Email: manitbiotech@gmail.com) : Isolation and characterization of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria from manganese mining area of Balaghat and Chhindwara. Curr Sci 2017, 113(3), 500-4.

Plants require optimum amount of available phosphorus to support their growth and development. Phosphorus is known to have significant role in root subdivision, vitality and disease resistance of plants. Different types of bacteria involved in phosphorus solubilization can be used as biofertilizer in reclamation of mining area. The present study deals with isolation and identification of phosphorus solubilizing bacteria from the manganese mining area of Balaghat and Chhindwara districts of Madhya Pradesh, India. rDNA (16s) based molecular identification was performed assisted by MEGA phylogenetic analysis. Pseudomonas putida, Bacillus licheniformis, Pseudomonas taiwanensis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were explored as potential phosphorus solubilizers from the selected sites.

3 illus, 4 tables, 28 ref

023661   PATHAK P D, MANDAVGANE S A, KULKARNI B D (Chemical Engineering Dep., Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur, Email: sam@che.vnit.ac.in) : Fruit peel waste: characterization and its potential uses. Curr Sci 2017, 113(3), 444-54.

Globally, India is the leading producer of fruits. Fruits after consumption leave a peel which is a nuisance to the environment as a solid waste. In this article, commonly available large volume-fruit peels (FP) (viz. banana, orange, citrus, lemon and jackfruit) were investigated for surface, physical and chemical characteristics with a view to propose their valorization in detail. Each FP was characterized by proximate and ultimate analysis, porosity, particle density, bulk density, point of zero charge (pHpzc), surface pH, surface charges, water absorption capacity, BET surface area, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and TGA/derivative of thermogravimetric. The BET surface area of FP is very less, between 0.60 and 1.2 m 2 /g. The pHpzc and surface pH values of orange peel (OP), citrus peel (CP), lemon peel (LP) and jackfruit peels (JFP) are in the range of 3–4. The pHpzc value and surface pH of banana peel (BP) is closer to 7. The order of surface acidity is OP > LP > CP > JFP > BP. From TG curves it is clear that FPs are stable below 150°C. The results will be useful for rational design, when FP is used as a substrate for bioactive compounds, phenolic antioxidants, organic acids, enzymes, biofertilizer, production of energy and as adsorbents.

4 illus, 6 tables, 73 ref

023660   KUMAR U T S, SHRIVASTAVA R L (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Yeshwantrao Chavan Coll of Engineering, Nagpur-441110, Email: sunil_ut2004@yahoo.co.in) : Critical success factors and organizational performance: A study on citrus industry. Agric Sci Digest 2017, 37(3), 209-15.

Quality management of citrus fruits is the top priority as the demand for the fruits is increasing tremendously. In order to investigate the effect of critical success factors (CSF,s) or predictors on the performance measurement factors of citrus industry, an exploratory type of study was conducted with 100 valid responses collected from citrus stake holders. Specially prepared questionnaire consisted of 102 items clubbed in to ten groups for performance improvement Input factors and 24 items clubbed in to four groups for performance measures. The questionnaire is prepared in consultation with experts of industry and 1-5 Likert scale is being used for data collection. The data obtained is tested for normality, validity and reliability then, ANOVA and multiple regression analysis is performed. The ANOVA test revealed that the perceptions associated with the findings were in conformity with the hypothesis. Quality improvement frame work or model is derived from the current study. The study revealed that business environment and resources leads to Economic, Quality, Non financial and Innovation, technology performance of the citrus industry. Post harvest process control and post harvest pest and disease control measures improved economic performance and technology and innovation performance. Critical factors like marketing and distribution contributed to non-financial performance. It is further seen that socio economic aspects lead to innovation and technology performance.

4 illus, 5 tables, 21 ref

023659   KAUR H, SATPUTE S, RAHEJA A (Soil and Water Engineering Dep, Punjab Agricultural Univ, Ludhiana-141 004, Email: harmanjot.khaira@mail.mcgill.ca) : Blockwise assessment of crop evapotranspiration in central Punjab, India. Agric Sci Digest 2017, 37(3), 171-8.

Punjab, the major riparian State, has a limited share in its three perennial rivers (Sutlej, Ravi and Beas). A systematic planning of groundwater exploitation using modern technologies needs to be adopted for the proper utilization and management of groundwater resource. The present study was aimed to estimate the blockwise crop evapotranspiration (ET) during kharif and rabi season in Central Punjab and to develop a GIS based maps of crop evapotranspiration. The results revealed that the blocks namely Makhu and Zira of Ferozepur district had the maximum (747 mm) crop water demand whereas block Fatehgarh Churian of Gurdaspur district had the least (445 mm) crop water demand. The outcome of the study revealed that crop water demand varies from 450 mm to 750 mm in kharif and rabi season in Central Punjab. The ET maps derived in the study were useful in determining areas with highest water demands.

5 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

023658   BEYAZ A (Agricultural Machinery and Technologies Engineering Dep, Ankara Univ, Turkey, Email: abeyaz@ankara.edu.tr) : Posture determination by using flex sensor and image analysis technique. Agric Sci Dig 2017, 37(4), 257-62.

In the sense of safety, searching solutions for the problems of farmers may face during their work in the field of agriculture is important. For this reason, in this research, developments in sensor technology and price declines are also considering, a safety tracking system with an audible warning support developed for any threshold value that selected during a posture angle measure of agricultural work. To achieve this goal the low cost, 11.25 cm long flex sensor is used with Arduino UNO R3 Development Board. In this way, human motion information for different purposes determined with flex sensors which placed on the various joints as a biometric application. Posture measurement also evaluated with image analysis technique. The system performance revealed the relationship between flex sensor and image analysis measurements, the regression coefficient between the angle change and the voltage output of the flex sensor found as 88.9 %, also it is seen that the regression relation between the angle change and the voltage output of the flex sensor fort he arm angle measurement is 80.7 % and the regression value for the leg angle measurement is 79.9 %.

14 illus, 9 ref

023657   KUMAR U T S, RAKESH L, SHRIVASTAVA, KHADSE A (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Yashwantrao Chavan College of Engineering, Nagpur-441 110, Email: sunil_ut2004@yahoo.co.in) : Quality management and post harvest processing in citrus. Agric Rev 2018, 39(1), 22-30.

So far little and most likely no previous study had tried to investigate the relationship between Total Quality Management (TQM) practices and organizational performance particularly in post harvest processing of Indian citrus industry. Implementation of quality management in post harvest processing of citrus may take longer time to implement, and requires major changes in cultural aspects as well as stake holder mindset in citrus industry. Leadership, management, finance, organizational culture, skills and expertise are considered as the generic factors critical for the successful implementation within SMEs environment like citrus industry. Judgmental process of grouping similar requirements led to the classification of all these requirements into ten separate categories. Items identified for the purpose of measuring the performance of post harvest processing aspect and the items were clubbed in four categories. In this review paper several new critical factors pertinent to citrus industry have been identified and basic explanation has been provided, which may help in successful implementation of quality management and contribute to the success of the citrus processing entity.

97 ref

022775   Vinith Kumar;Raikar P K;Nagendra K (NO, , ) : Wind and astral power usage for generation of electricity in a vehicle. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(1), 31-4.

Use of abundantly available renewable resources of energy is one of the most interesting areas of research. Harnessing this available energy in a methodical and meaningful way helps us to realize generation of electricity and reducing the carbon footprint of the fossil fuels. The astral energy is the source of all available energy on earth. Wind is another manifestation of astral energy reaching the earth surface. This paper presents a simple and clever utilization of both astral and wind energies to generate electricity by a moving vehicle without altering the performance and aerodynamic aspects of the vehicle.

022774   Tiwari A;Bajpai S C (NO, , ) : Insulation test (leakage current test) on 1KWP PV array at real time condition. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(1), 25-30.

The study is based on the insulation test of 1 kWp solar photovoltaic array on real time condition. The insulation resistance is the dielectric property of the module and is defined as amount of insulation material provided in between solar cells and metallic frame. While installing the solar photovoltaic module, we must consider about the safety criteria, since safety is the first key element for all types of systems. Since, module arrays work on a high voltage in power plants, hence, their behavior is sometimes abnormal. Theoretically from the observation, it was found that the leakage current increased as the humidity increased in the environment. When module is covered by a sheet, there is a decrease in the insulation resistance i.e. an increase in leakage current. Insulation resistance goes on decreasing as the number of modules is increased from 250 Wp to 1 kWp in series and parallel both.Keywords: Insulation test, leakage current, PV array, insulation resistance.

022773   Tanuja D V;Chandrasekhar K N V (NO, , ) : Topology optimisation of continuum structures in civil engineering using firefly algorithm-III. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 33-8.

This paper is in continuation of the ongoing research work on topology optimization in structural engineering. Metaheuristics are widely used for structural optimization and firefly algorithm has been consistently giving better designs. In this paper, a few civil engineering structures are designed and analysed. The results were compared with those existing in the literature.

022772   Subash Raidu Y;Ajay Y G;Reddy B S K (NO, , ) : Design of air cushion vehicle. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(2), 26-33.

In this research we made an attempt to design a hovercraft vehicle. This vehicle is different from other conventional and terrestrial of this kind that uses the single directional control as rudder. Major consideration is that the hovercraft should weigh less than the conventional crafts. This design uses a double duct motor for both the lift and thrust moments. The air is continuously forced under the vehicle by a fan, generating the cushion that greatly reduces friction between the moving vehicle and surface. The air is passed through ducts and injected at the periphery of the vehicle in downward and inward direction. The air from the duct is made to flow to the periphery using an L-BEND this produces a downward force. This type of vehicle can equally ride over ice, water, marsh or relatively level land.

022771   Srinivasacharya D;Bindu K H (Mathematics Dep, National Institute of Technology, Warangal-506 004, Email: dsrinivasacharya@yahoo.com) : Entropy generation of micropolar fluid flow in an inclined porous pipe with convective boundary conditions. Sadhana 2017, 42(5), 729-40.

The objective of this paper is to examine the nature of irreversibilities in the form of entropy generation for micropolar fluid flow through an inclined porous pipe with convective boundary conditions. The governing equations are non-dimensionlized and then linearized using a quasilinearization method. The resulting linearized equations are solved by Chebyshev spectral collocation method. The velocity, microrotation and temperature profiles are presented graphically for various values of governing parameters. Further, these profiles are used to evaluate the entropy generation and Bejan number.

6 illus, 1 table, 29 ref

022770   Sowjanya B;Hebbal M S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Yenepoya Institute of Technology, Moodbidri) : Root fillet stress reduction in spur gear having undercut. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 64-7.

Generally the gear tooth fails due to high stress at root region. Even a slight reduction in the stress results in greater increase in life of the gear. For a compact design of a gear box, it is necessary that the number of teeth of the pinion should be less. For a given pressure angle there is a limiting value on minimum number of teeth below which undercut occurs. The spur gear with undercut suffers in - 213 - strength severely. Therefore the gears with undercut are generally avoided. The present work explores the possibilities of increasing the strength of spur gear having undercut thereby reduce the overall size of the gearbox. A systematic study is conducted to understand the effect of introducing circular stress relief features on stress distribution in a statically loaded spur gear. Circular stress relief features of various sizes at different radial distance and angular position are placed around the end point on critical section on loaded side of the gear tooth profile. Effect of these stress relief feature on maximum stress are investigated.

5 illus, 5 tables, 13 ref

022769   Singh J;Singh C;Goyal K;Goyal D K (NO, , ) : Experimental investigations of mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints of aluminium alloys AA6063 and AA6082. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 45-52.

One of the advantages of friction stir welding process is its ability to join dissimilar metals and alloys. The objective of this study was to study the possibility of joining two dissimilar Al alloys, typically A6082 and A6083 using in FSW. In this experiment, joint properties of A6082 and 6063 were studied. Three parameters considered were tool rotation speed, welding speed, depth of cut with three levels; and nine runs were used to run experiment. Analysis of variance was then performed to check the adequacy of developed models. Finally, optimal parameters setting was identified by performing optimization through desirability approach functions.

022768   Singh H (NO, Allenhouse Institute of Technology, Rooma, Kanpur) : Compatibilization of ABS/PA6 blends using SAGMA copolymer: study of the mechanical properties. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 57-63.

The Mechanical properties of five different compositions of compatibilized blends of ABS and PA6 in varying ratios from PA6 15 wt% incorporating styrene-acrylonitrile-glycidyl methacrylate (SAGMA) copolymer as compatibilizer were explored. DMTA analysis evidences partial dissolution of the blend components by the shifts of the damping peaks (Tg) of PB rich phase, SAN and PA6. Broadening of the damping peak of PB rich phase of ABS is attributed to increasing interfacial region due to PA6-g-SAGMA molecular layer at the interface. It is observed that while there are gradual positive modifications in physico-mechanical properties with increasing PA6 content, the most significant improvements are observed for room temperature izod impact strength and break elongation effected in the region of phase inversion on to the formation of a co-continuous phase. The low temperature impact strength at - 40°C essential remains comparable to that of control ABS.

10 illus, 2 tables, 26 ref

022767   Singan A;Ranade V V (Akshay Singan is in the Chemical Engineering and Process Development D, CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory, Pune-411 008, Email: v.ranade@qub.ac.uk) : Deployment of underground coal gasification in India. Curr Sci 2017, 113(2), 218-27.

Globally, the sheen of coal-based energy production is slowly wearing, with few exceptions of developing novel technologies that aid in coal gasification and gas clean-up. Underground coal gasification (UCG) is one such tool that can be used for extracting energy contained in otherwise inaccessible reserves. UCG involves the injection of steam and oxidant directly in the seam of coal, which is ignited through different methods. Post-ignition, coal reacts with steam and oxygen to produce a combustible synthesis gas (syn-gas). This syn-gas can be used to generate electricity or utilized as feedstock to take - 212 - different routes to manufacture chemicals. This paper seeks to briefly outline some aspects in the deployment of underground coal gasification in the Indian subcontinent, along with a discussion on the current status of research in the field. The different stages of identifying and understanding key features and potential roadblocks, based on which decisions on the implementation of large scale UCG in a potential site in India are taken, are briefly outlined. We share our thoughts and experiences on the methodology, to model and understand the process and put forth our suggestions on the path forward.

5 illus, 5 tables, 69 ref

022766   Sharma B L (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208 016, Email: bls@iitk.ac.in) : Continuum limit of discrete Sommerfeld problems on square lattice. Sadhana 2017, 42(5), 713-28.

A low-frequency approximation of the discrete Sommerfeld diffraction problems, involving the scattering of a time harmonic lattice wave incident on square lattice by a discrete Dirichlet or a discrete Neumann half-plane, is investigated. It is established that the exact solution of the discrete model converges to the solution of the continuum model, i.e., the continuous Sommerfeld problem, in the discrete Sobolev space defined by Hackhusch. A proof of convergence has been provided for both types of boundary conditions when the imaginary part of incident wavenumber is positive.

5 illus, 54 ref

022765   Shaktawat N;Patel C M (NO, , ) : Design, analysis and modification in pattern design using the combination of aluminium and acrylic parts in wooden pattern. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 13-32.

Foundry industries are still facing lots of problems regarding casting product and their productivity. Here, the attempt is made for the modification of pattern. During the ejection of mold from the pattern, the worker needs to rap hammer on the wooden pattern that causes breakdown of the pattern. Lot of time is required for repairing wooden pattern. So, it needs some modification in the existing pattern for its strength. In order to reduce the time in repairing pattern, complicated parts and delicate parts are replaced by combination of aluminium and acrylic parts in the wooden pattern, to prevent it from breakdown. By doing this, cast product requires less machining process, which ultimately reduces the cost and time. Complicated parts, mounting section and under-cut parts are built with the loosely fitting section of aluminium and acrylic because thin, small and fin sections of wood get easily broken down and have less period of time. Here, a striking section of acrylic is used for striking hammer over it, instead of directly striking on the pattern. In the modified pattern, a guide lock is also developed to help worker during the placement of cope over the drag. Till now, there is no device for core pattern to separate mold cavity from core pattern. So, to overcome this problem, two conceptual designs of the pneumatic device are mention in this paper. Finite element analysis of modified pattern is also carried out with ANSYS, which concludes that modified pattern sustains more than the existing pattern.

022764   Sarmah R;Barua G (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Meghalaya, Shillong-793 003, Email: ratan@nitm.ac.in) : Analysis of three-dimensional transient seepage into ditch drains from a ponded field. Sadhana 2017, 42(5), 769-93.

An analytical solution in the form of infinite series is developed for predicting time-dependent three-dimensional seepage into ditch drains from a flat, homogeneous and anisotropic ponded field of finite size, the field being assumed to be surrounded on all its vertical faces by ditch drains with unequal water level heights in them. It is also assumed that the field is being underlain by a horizontal impervious barrier at a finite distance from the surface of the soil and that all the ditches are being dug all the way up to this barrier. The solution can account for a variable ponding distribution at the surface of the field. The correctness of the proposed solution for a few simplified situations is tested by comparing predictions obtained from it with the corresponding values attained from the analytical and experimental works of others. Further, a numerical check on it is also performed using the Processing MODFLOW environment. It is noticed that considerable improvement on the uniformity of the distribution of the flow lines in a three-dimensional ponded drainage space can be achieved by suitably altering the ponding distribution at the surface of the soil. As the developed three-dimensional ditch drainage model is pretty general in nature and includes most of the common variables of a ditch drainage system. It is hoped that the drainage designs based on it for reclaiming salt-affected and water-logged soils would prove to be more efficient and cost-effective as compared with designs based on solutions developed by making use of more restrictive assumptions. Also, as the developed model can handle three-dimensional flow situations, it is expected to provide reliable and realistic drainage solutions to real field situations than models being developed utilizing the two-dimensional flow assumption. This is because the existing two-dimensional solutions to the problem are actually valid not for a field of finite size but for an infinite one only.

12 illus, 60 ref

022763   Sanghani C R;Korat M M (NO, , ) : Performance analysis of abrasive water jet machining process for aisi 304 stainless steel. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 53-5.

Abrasive waterjet machining (AWJM) is a non-conventional machining process capable to machine wide range of difficult-to-cut materials such as ceramics, alloys, composite materials, etc. This paper investigates the effect of various process parameters on kerf taper, surface roughness and power consumption which are important performance measures in abrasive waterjet machining. The variable process parameters considered here include water pressure, traverse speed, stand-off distance and abrasive flow rate. Experiments were conducted by varying these parameters for cutting AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel using abrasive waterjet machining process. The result showed that kerf taper and surface roughness increases while power consumption decreases with increase intraverse speed, stand-off distance and abrasive flow rate as well as reduction in water pressure.

022762   Sadanandam P;Ramesh U;Tamerat S (School of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Dire Dawa Institute of Technology, Dire Dawa, Ethiopia) : Design and analysis of pressure vessel using finite element method. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 1-3.

Pressure vessel is used to carry liquids such as petrol, kerosene, aviation fuel etc and these fuel tanks are used to transport fuel. Finite element method is a mathematical technique used to design a fuel carrying vessel and performing the stress analysis. In this the geometrical model is created and the model is sub divided into smaller elements. It is subjected to internal pressure and these Boundary conditions are applied at specified points. The aim of this paper is to design a model and analysis of fuel carrying tank using finite element analysis software and also select a proper material composition for pressure vessel. Designing is validated according to maximum principal stress theory and Distortion theory by taking design factor or factor of safety. The comparisons also made between the - 210 - calculation results and software results.

4 illus, 6 ref

022761   Reddy Y R;Subrahmanyam U;Thajoddin S;Khan A (OR & SOC Dep, Rayalaseema University, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh) : Estimation of reliability indices of two component identical system in the presence of CCS. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 46-50.

Progress in science & technology has made engineering systems more powerful than ever. The intensity of sophistication in high-tech industrial producers emerged with reliability problems. Therefore the problem of reliability continue to exist and more likely to require complex solutions. Consequently, the field of reliability analysis and statistical probability modeling of the systems and components were growing. Ever since the theory of reliability was formally recognized statistical and modeling of the components / systems analysis was used to develop various reliability measures that are important to assess the system performance. In this research paper, an attempt is made to find an approach of estimation method, which could establish a formal estimation procedure to estimate the reliability measures and also developed estimates of the system reliability indices practically under the influence of common cause shock failures as well as intrinsic failures. From the results, it is seen that maximum likelihood approach used was found useful in the estimation process to find estimate for the reliability measures of the system, where small sample is essential point of interest in the case of reliability analysis. The estimates so derived using empirical procedure do possess the property that MSE in each case is well within the prescribed error, i.e. coincides even to the three decimal places are more.

1 illus, 5 ref

022760   Raj S;Pillai S (Nanotechnology Dep, Christian College of Engineering & Technology, Bhilai (C.G.)) : Photocatalytic properties of (Cd_0.8-Zn_0.2)S Nanocomposites prepared by chemical precipitation method at different temperatures. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 51-54.

Graphene oxide - (Cd_0.8-Zn_0.2)S nanocomposite material was synthesized by the simple and economically viable chemical precipitation method at different temperatures and its photocatalytic properties were investigated. Measurement of - 209 - photocatalytic degradation of Rhodamine B dye was carried out under visible light. The photocatalytic efficiency of the synthesized nanocomposites was calculated and the effect of bath temperature on the photocatalytic efficiency was studied. The studies suggest that the prepared nanocomposites exhibit reasonably good photocatalytic properties. Better photocatalysis is observed at lower bath temperatures for preparation of the nanocomposites. Photocatalytic efficiency close to 70% has been obtained for the synthesised GO-(Cd_0.8-Zn_0.2)S nanocomposites which can be further improved by optimizing the preparative conditions.

9 illus, 7 ref

022759   Pramod Kumar K;Rani S;Naganagouda H (NO, , ) : Hybrid system (wind and solar) for rural lighting applications. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(2), 21-5.

Standalone wind with solar photovoltaic is known as the best hybrid combination of all renewable energy systems and suitable for most of the applications taking care of seasonal changes. They also complement each other during lean periods, example additional energy production by wind during monsoon months compensates less output generated by solar. Similarly, post winter months when wind is dull, SPV takes over. The hybrid system provides more continuous all year-round renewable energy production. These systems are modular and can be expanded easily. A hybrid renewable energy system utilizes two or more energy production methods, usually solar and wind power. Hybrid wind and solar systems provide more consistent year-round performance and reduce the need for back-up generation. The major advantage of solar/wind hybrid system is that when solar and wind power production is used together, the reliability of the system is enhanced. Additionally, the size of battery storage can be reduced as there is less reliance on one method of power production. Often, when there is no sun, there is plenty of wind. The packaged systems are ideally suited to remote homes, schools, clinics and other off-grid applications. They can also be retrofitted to existing diesel-generator systems to save on high fuel costs, minimize noise and provide up to 24 h power. The standard hybrid systems are available to meet power needs. We can also tailor a system to suit should you have a smaller or larger power requirement.

022758   Prakash L;Sundaram A M;Jesudaiyan S (Electrical and Electronics Engineering Dep, Anna University, Chennai-600 025, Email: lenin.prakash.s@gmail.com) : Simplified time-domain design and implementation of cascaded PI-sliding mode controller for dc-dc converters used in off-grid photovoltaic applications with field test results. Sadhana 2017, 42(5), 687-99.

A time-domain design methodology for voltage regulation control of dc-dc boost and buck-boost converters - 208 - based on multi-loop controller with PI regulator for the outer loop and an inner loop with sliding mode current controller has been developed for renewable energy applications such as photovoltaic (PV)-fed dc-dc converters. This paper proposes a new method for the design of PI regulators in such multi-loop control scheme. The proposed design presents a simple analytical method for selecting controller grains and has been validated by simulation as well as hardware implementation. Also, this paper presents an illustrative example based on the proposed design for the voltage regulation control of PV-fed boost converters for off-grid applications. The simulation results for varying irradiation, temperature and load along with stability analysis have been presented in this paper. The proposed controller is implemented in hardware for a 1.1 kW PV-array-fed boost converter. Performance analysis based on field test results using real-time weather data validates the proposed design. Therefore the proposed controller could be considered as an attractive solution for off-grid renewable energy applications like PV- or fuel-cell-fed dc-dc converter, where the variations are stochastic in nature.

17 illus, 3 tables, 20 ref

022757   Prajapati P;Pandey R (NO, , ) : Design and analysis of different delay lines with different performance parameters. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(1), 1-6.

In this article, an analysis of different delay lines (DL) based on CMOS (Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) architecture has been done. Comparison has been made on these delay lines in terms of propagation delay, power dissipation, area, and power delay product.After the analysis of those performance parameters, the tradeoff has been made for better performance of delay lines. There are 10 stage tapped delay lines which are used. A process used for calculation of area is clearly described in this article. A 350 nm technology node is used for simulation. Simulation is done with T-SPICE tool.

022756   Pipatjaturon N;Ma-a-Lee A;Tongkumchum P; Ueranantasan A (Mathematics and Computer Science Dep, Faculty of Science and Technolog, Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, 94000, Thailand, Email: phattrawan.t@psu.ac.th) : Estimating liver cancer death in Thailand: methodologies to optimize the use of verbal autopsy data. Far East J mathl Sci 2016, 100(10), 1595-610.

Mortality statistics are essential for national policies on intervention and resource allocation. Mortality statistics derived from death registration (DR) in Thailand need to be estimated because the DR is currently considered both incomplete and inaccurate. Verbal autopsy (VA) survey is carried out to verify cause of death in the DR and thus VA-assessed cause is more reliable than the registered cause. In this paper, we describe statistical methods used to estimate liver cancer deaths. The methods involve analysis of the VA data with liver cancer deaths as an adverse outcome using logistic regression. A categorical variable of registered causes for liver cancer deaths is a predictor. Demographic factors (age and gender) and locality of the deceased (province) are covariates. The models with and without demographic factors are compared. The Goodness of Fit of the models is assessed using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The estimates are applied to number of death in the DR data and thus the estimated numbers of liver cancer deaths are obtained. The misreported cases are mainly for deaths outside hospital and more likely to be reported as digestive disease, other digestive cancer and other cancers. Regional variations for liver cancer are observed and suggest that liver cancer deaths are more frequent in the both north and northeast. The methods enable health professionals to estimate any specific causes of death when DR causes of death are inaccurate.

7 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

022755   Onah C I;Mbamara U S;Favour P M (NO, , ) : Design and construction of a three level clearance security system. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(1), 7-19.

Authors designed a three level clearance system using key card access, hardware keypad password authentication and biometrics finger print scanner based framework that will provide user authentication and authorization. Authentication means that a principal can prove his identity. This is done by means of secrets, usually cryptographic keys. This standard security mechanism will enhance more consistent security policies. The hardware peripherals are directly interfaced with a computer software which coordinated and analyzed all the verification processes and execution of other hardware peripheral controls like opening of an electronic door, granting access to a restricted file in the computer, automatic triggering of alarm on bridge of security, simultaneous multi-user verification etc. The security system will also afford expansion when the need arises. If input password is correct, after analyzing it and comparing it with those in the database; access will be granted by activating the third level security for final verification using the personnel's finger - 207 - print biometrics. This stage cannot be bridged even if the first and second levels were successful accessed illegally. On final verification, an unrestricted access will be granted to the personnel.

022754   Nandan A;Chakraborty M (Architecture Dep, BIT Mesra, Ranchi, Jharkhand) : Symbiotic housing: a more tangible approach for resolving the deteriorating existing housing conditions in Indian urban settings. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 36-40.

Housing is one of the most important needs of a human being. The recent years, condition of existing housing localities in many of the Indian towns has deteriorated drastically due to growing population, ill maintenance, increasing encroachments, inappropriate basic amenities and also due to ill effects of practices of construction industries. There is a difference between "How people are living" and "How they are supposed to live". With the pace of time, new innovations, technology and new concepts in architecture are required to mitigate the existing social, environmental and spacial needs in the housing sector. Symbiotic housing is such as new concept in the development of a better planning mainly experimented and researched in Japan. This paper includes investigations showing the possibilities of improving those existing housing colonies on an average medium sized town of India which are approximately 40 years old and which show better/apt conditions for incorporating Symbiotic housing concepts. The investigation and the proposal, both are based on the concept of Symbiotic housing. The investigation was mainly performed in two phases. First phase demonstrated the existing conditions of planned and unplanned localities as compared to those conditions of a Symbiotic housing which can be achieved in the present scenario of study area. Second part of the study is based on the previous study of phase 1. A more tangible approach was aimed at capturing, assessing and portraying aspects of an anticipated quality of symbiotic housing in any midsized Indian Town.

6 illus, 2 tables, 14 ref

022753   Mevcha V B;Patel C M (NO, , ) : Design and analysis of single angle expanding collets. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 1-12.

The subject of production deals with the use of fixtures that ensures repeatability to the work piece to be manufactured. The fixture is clamping device that mounts parts at a perfect location and gives stability, which leads to mass production. Thus types of clamping play a decisive role in getting the good reliability of the product. Collet is one of the clamping devices which have long slits around its periphery, widely used for clamping any kind of shape (cylindrical, hexagonal, and square etc.) in manufacturing industries. As there is an increase in demand for mass production and accuracy of parts being made, use of collet is also increased. This research paper is about determining deflection and clamping force required for collet to clamp an object. To find this, one needs to find elastic deformation of an object by deriving mathematical model and by using software tools. Formulation of the - 206 - mathematical model and its solution is carried out. Deflection and clamping force is found. The mathematical model determines the elastic deformation analytically while finite elemental analysis using software tools validates the analytical design. There is a greater match between the results given by analytical method and FEA. Finite element analysis is carried out using ANSYS and MATLAB code is used to solve second order differential equation.

022752   Mathai R;Theepan T K (NO, , ) : Development of online hot oven repair methodology in JSW non-recovery. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(2), 12-15.

JSW Steel Limited (JSWSL), Salem Works, is the largest special alloy steel plant in India; the only integrated steel plant in Tamil Nadu, and operates two blast furnaces with a combined production capacity of 1.0 million tons per annum of hot metal to cater the fuel requirement of blast furnaces, has a captive coke oven plant of waste heat recovery type batteries comprising of 120 ovens with capacity of 0.5 million tons per annum of metallurgical coke and generates 34 MW power. The waste recovery Chinese type coke oven batteries with silica brick refractories were commissioned in 2007 and have an operational life of 15-18 years approximately. The healthiness of ovens depends on maintaining temperature and refractory. This case study describes about diagnosis methodology to repair problematic oven with in-house made insulated cage for online repair of damaged silica brick oven in short span without compromising inside wall temperature and workman's safety.

022751   Karthikeyan M;Asha B;Abirami U (Civil Engineering Dep, M.I.E.T Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu) : Cement concrete behaviour with replaced of sewer water. Indian J envir Prot 2016, 36(9), 721-4.

Water is an important source to induce the concrete, which almost widely used in construction area around world and consuming large quantities of fresh water for mixing. With the current water crises in India there is the need to look for an alternative sources of water. The goal was to search for the optimal specifications to maximize the replacement of potable water with an alternative source. In India treated wastewater is discharged in natural water bodies, which can be used in construction industry. This study investigates the feasibility of incorporating the treated wastewater as a partial substitute for tap water in concrete. Parameters of water were tested which was found well as per IS456-2000 limits. Using treated wastewater tests were conducted on cement, fresh and harden concrete. The concrete specimens were casted with 0%, 30%, 35%, 40% and 100% of treated domestic wastewater for testing compressive strength of concrete cubes for 7 and 28 days. The results suggested that it is appropriate for using in construction industry.

7 illus, 12 ref

022750   Kalfalla S;Sulieman M;Alreahe M (NO, , ) : Validation of creep damage constitutive equations of bar 257 steels at 650 a. J expl appl Mech 2017, 8(2), 39-44.

Validation of creep damage constitutive equations under the future loads, the left over lifetime is predicted to be quite limited. The main objective is to make prediction about the lifetime left because a growing stage of damage is encouraged by the previous history of loading. The ultimate goal is to render a loading spectrum that is complete in nature and predict about the time of keeping the material in the loading sequence, prior to facing any complexities related to catastrophic failure. All these damages and lifetime conditions are considered as responsible factors under a specific condition that is termed as 'creep failure condition'. This kind of creep failure condition matches with the enveloped polymers, as well as, with other high temperature conditions.

022749   Juneja P;Sharma S;Jain S;Anand R;Sharma S (Electronics and Electrical Dep, Maharaja Agrasen Institute of Technology, Delhi) : Travsafe - an electronic security monitoring system using GPS-GSM and RF communication. Int J latest Technol Engng Mgmt appl Sci 2017, 6(5), 28-32.

Nowadays Travel baggage safety has become the need of the hour. Monitoring and tracking are the two key parameter for any safety mechanism. Loosing the baggage in the absence of passenger's attention is increasing day-by-day. This study considers receiver's ability to act in the absence of signal from transmitter using RF communications. A micro-controller is used to process the signals from receiver. Accordingly an SMS will be send to the owner using Global system for mobile communication (GSM). The proposed methodology produced significantly favourable results.

11 illus, 7 ref

022748   Jayanth J;Shalini V S;Ashok Kumar T;Koliwad S (Electronics and Communication Engineering Dep, GSSS Institute of Engineering an Technology for Women, Mysuru-570 016, Email: jayanthnov8@gmail.com) : Classification of remote sensed data using - 204 - hybrid method based on ant colony optimization with electromagnetic metaheuristic. Curr Sci 2017, 113(2), 284-91.

In this study, a hybrid configuration of electromagnetic metaheuristic algorithm (EM) with Pachycondyla apicalis (API) ant algorithm (inspired by the behaviour of real ant colony Pachycondyla apicalis) belonging to ant colony optimization (ACO) called EMAPI algorithm is presented for remote sensing data classification. The traditional per-pixel classification method identifies the classes using spectral variance and ignores the spatial distribution of pixels. It requires training data to be normally distributed in the pixels corresponding to land use/land cover classes and creates a lot of confusion between classes within a remote sensed (RS) data. The proposed algorithm is an integrated strategy structure to achieve advantages of global and local search ability of EM and API algorithms respectively. The objective consists of improving overall accuracy of the classified results of RS data. This method can overcome intermixing with regard to scrub land with cultivated areas and build-up land with palm groves. The proposed algorithm is tested on objective functions well used in the literature and EMAPI is used for supervised land cover classification. Results of EMAPI algorithm over 6 classes showed an improvement of 8% in overall classification accuracy (OCA) for EM technique and improvement of 3% in OCA for API algorithm.

6 illus, 3 tables, 31 ref

022747   Goyal R;Goyal S;Mukherjee A (Civil Engineering Dep, Thapar Univ, Patiala-147 001, Email: shweta@thapar.edu) : Pultruded fibre reinforced polymer planks as stay-in-place formwork for concrete structures. Curr Sci 2017, 113(2), 245-52.

A feasibility study in which a pultruded fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) plank was used as stay-in-place (SIP) form serving as formwork during wet stage and as reinforcement during hardened stage is presented here. First, the strength and stiffness of the FRP plank serving as formwork for concrete casting under construction stage was verified by sand-filling test. Then shear tests were carried out to develop proper bond technique between FRP and concrete, so that they can perform as composite structural member. Thirdly, static tests on beams were conducted to evaluate the load-carrying capacity and failure modes of the proposed hybrid beam. The overall investigation showed the feasibility of using the FRP plank as a SIP formwork.

7 illus, 2 tables, 31 ref

022746   Fang F;Yang G;Liu Z (NO, , ) : Digital proximity sensing technology and innovation. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(2), 16-20.

This document first provides fundamental digital proximity sensing principle and its benefits to asset protection. Then the background of Internet of Things (IoT) is briefly examined. Further the authors review the IoT technology and prospective sensors for IoT. At the end, two IoT paradigms are proposed, one for traditional digital proximity sensing devices and the other for next generation sensors.

022745   Ebenezer J;Baghyalakshmi D;Daiya V;Jehadeesan R (NO, , ) : Pre-deployment tests of signal conditioning boards for wireless sensor network deployment. J Instrum Technol Innovation 2017, 7(2), 1-11.

Diversity in signal measurement and transmission increases signal availability. Various well known stabilized technologies are available to use to achieve diversity in signal measurement. But to achieve transmission diversity, the wireless technology is a truly diverse mechanism of wired transmission. Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is the practical implementation of such technology. To implement WSN for nuclear reactor signals, it requires stringent testing, qualification, verification and validation of WSN nodes and it's Signal Conditioning Boards (SCBs). Calibration of sensor and its signal conditioning board is the basic requirement for any plant sensor or instrument. The other most important concern is that the measuring system should not load the sensor or any other existing measuring device. This loading effect may lead to unsafe conditions. With this aim to use WSN in nuclear reactors, this paper discusses about the calibration and loading effect of the SCBs designed for interfacing WSN nodes to sensors. Finally, to observe the network performance and signal behavior, a wireless sensor node has been deployed in fast breeder test reactor which transmits accurate measurements without affecting the normal functionality of wired measurements.

022744   Bhagwat S;Dani R;Goswami P;Kerawalla M A K (Chemical Engineering Dep, Institute of Chemical Technology, Nathalal Parek Marg, Matunga, Mumbai-400 019, Email: bsaily361@gmail.com) : Recent advances in optimization of photoanodes and counter electrodes of dye-sensitized solar cells. Curr Sci 2017, 113(2), 228-35.

Since 1991, dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs) have emerged as a potential alternative to conventional silicon photovoltaics for conversion of solar energy to electric power, due to their advantages of costeffectiveness, sustainability and ease of fabrication among others. As the functioning of DSSCs depends on the sum of the functions of individual components, effective understanding and optimization of these components is important for the optimization of the device itself. Therefore, this review focuses on the recent developments made in the fabrication of two particular components of DSSCs, viz. photoanode and counter electrode.

5 illus, 1 table, 29 ref

022743   Andrushia A D;Thangarajan R (NO, Karunya University, Coimbatore-641 114, Email: andrushia@gmail.com) : Efficient visual saliency detection model based on Ripplet transform. Sadhana 2017, 42(5), 671-85.

Even though there have been great advancements in computer vision tasks, the development of human visual attention models is still not well investigated. In day-to-day life, one can find ample applications of saliency detection in image and video processing. This paper presents an efficient visual saliency detection model based on Ripplet transform, which aims at detecting the salient region and achieving higher Receiver Operating Characteristics (ROC). Initially the feature maps are obtained from Ripplet transform in different scales and different directions of the image. The global and local saliency maps are computed based on the global probability density distribution and feature distribution of local areas, which are combined together to get the final saliency map. Ripplet-transform-based visual saliency detection is the novel approach carried out in this paper. Experimental results indicate that the proposed method based on Ripplet transformation can give excellent performance in terms of precision, recall, F measure and Mean Absolute Error (MAE), and is compared with 10 state-of-art methods on five benchmark datasets.

13 illus, 1 table, 43 ref