022011   Debnath S;Madhusoothanan M (NO, National Institute of Research on Jute and Allied Fibre Technology (N, 12 Regent Park, Kolkata-700 040) : Compression behaviour of polypropylene needle punched non-woven fabrics. J Instn Engrs-Pt TE 2009, 89(Feb), 34-7.

Study deals with the effect of parallel-laid and cross-laid web of polypropylene needle punched non-woven fabrics on compression properties (initial thickness, percentage compression, percentage thickness loss and percentage compression resilience). The parallel-laid web shows higher initial thickness, percentage compression, thickness loss and lower compression resilience than that of the cross-laid web non-woven fabrics at all levels of needling densities under study. At lower needling density, (150 punches/cm2) the difference is more or less same between percentage compression value of cross-laid and parallel-laid webs. When the needling density increases to 250 punches/cm², cross-laid webs show a steep fall in percentage compression and any further increase in needling density does seem to effect on the percentage compression. In parallel laid web when the needling density increases from 150 punches/cm² to 250 punches/cm², there is not much change in percentage compression. But beyond 250 punches/cm² needling density, there is a fall in percentage compression. The percentage thickness loss also follows similar trend. The range of needling density used in this study has not much influence on the compression resilience in the case of parallel laid-web. The optimum needling density for compression resilience of cross-laid non-woven is 250 punches/cm.

5 illus, 4 tables, 17 ref

022010   Akana C M V S;Naga Raju O;Sirisha K P;Satya Prasad P;Krishnamurthy V (Computer Science & Engineering Dep, A.M.C. Engineering College, Bangalore-83) : Secure authentication of remote user using two-factor authentication. Int J Comp Applic 2008, 3(2), 89-98.

Develops an authentication mechanism by overcoming the limitations of the base paper and using the two-factor authentication technique by using FIPS PUB 197 standard issued by NIST in order to encrypt and decrypt the one time passwords. The system is designed in such a way that it would provide security from both the hacking as well as the phishing attacks, and also tested.

2 illus, 14 ref

020908   Udoh F D (Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Dep, Uyo Univ, Uyo, Nigeria, Email: fudoh@cox.net) : Integrated program for infiltration control of gabbro and waste rock stocklipes at the Dunka mine site. Ecol Envir Conserv 2008, 14(4), 589-94.

Presents a methodological evaluation of techniques used to limit water infiltration into mining stockpiles near Dunka mine, northeastern Minnesota. The methodology employed involved initially screening a large number of materials for their availability, permeability characteristics, and costs as potential cover systems. Analysis of various cover designs was conducted to determine the effectiveness of the selected cover systems to stem infiltration using HELP (Hydrologic Evaluation of Landfill Performance) model. Based on model results and the most cost effective design alternatives, four different barriers were built:Twelve inches of compacted, minus 2/2 inch glacial till (Plot I); Twelve inches of compacted, minus 1/2 inch glacial till (Plot 2); A 20 mil PVC membrane with 6 inches of pit run sand placed above and below the liner (Plot 3); and Glacial till screened to minus 2/2 inch mixed with 5% bentonite with the barrier constructed in two six inch lifts, providing a barrier of 12 inches (Plot 4). Although all the plots significantly reduced the amount of contaminated bottom flow from the stockpiles, the barriers in Plots 2,3, and 4 produced much less bottom flow than Plot I. The bottom flow ranged from 0.5 inches for the 20 mil PVC liner (Plot 3) to 7.5 inches for the minus 2/2 inch till barrier (Plot I). The minus 1/2 inch till barrier (Plot 2) and the minus 2/2 inch till mixed 5% bentonite barrier (Plot 4) had about the same amount of bottom flow, 2.3 and 2.1 inches respectively. The residual drainage from the stockpiles was channeled to wetland treatment systems for metal removal. Nickel removal from the wetland treatment systems exceeded 90% for the first few years of operation. By the time the stockpiles which contributed to the major input to the wetland were capped, both flow and metal concentrations in the drainage were drastically reduced. Presently, there has been no evidence of nickel release from the wetland.

6 tables, 23 ref

020907   Sattar S A;Chenna Keshava Reddy K (Jyothismathi College of Engineering & Technology, Turkapally Shaamirpet., R.R.Dist. Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh) : IEEE 802.11 WLAN security issues. Bull envir Sci 2006, 24(2), 135-140.

Security has always been a problem with wireless technologies, unrestricted by the physical constraints of cabling and walls, wireless LANs have proved tricky to secure the constant release of weakness reports in the WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy) encryption system built into 802.11b, however, security popped into its own group and 802.11e protocol covered both scheduling and security. The industry made simplistic assumptions about how wireless devices could be secured on a network. Today wireless security issues continue, due in part to the fact that wireless technology is being adapted to an infrastructure that was not originally designed to accommodate it. Some fundamental issues continue to haunt the smooth transition to wireless. The IEEE 802.11 standard defines the Wired Equivalent Privacy, or WEP, encapsulation of 802.11 data frames. The goal of WEP is to provide data privacy to the level of a wired network. They go on to say that WEP fails to achieve all three of its security goals, namely confidentiality, access control, and data integrity, i.e. Unsafe at any key size (an analysis of the WEP encapsulation). These were difficult issues to solve, and the IEEE task group spent more than three years investigating solutions and coming up with a rigorous overall security plan that was finally 802.11 i ratified in June 2004. A number of challenges still lie ahead for 802.11 i. There are still some minor security-related issues to resolve but none that affect the security of data. When the 802.11 i task group began its work, there was no consensus that it was important to protect the control messages in a wireless network. The security problems discussed in detail and solutions are listed.

17 ref

020906   Raghava Chari S (NO, , Flat No. 3, Block B Susheel House 19, South Gangal Amman, Koil Street, Choolaimedu, Chennai-600 094) : Gaskets. Indian J Fertil 2008, 4(7), 27-31.

Piping designers aim to minimise number of joints by welding pipelines, direction change joints like elbows, 'T's and even valves in pipelines to minimise leaks sources. However, a minimum number of joints to install control valves, blinds, measuring elements like orifice plates, etc. are unavoidable. Flanged joints are the best. In addition gasketed joints of end covers of Heat Exchangers, vessel manholes, etc., are common. Field engineers must have sufficient knowledge on different types of gaskets - contained, retained, fibre and metallic, besides No-Fastener and No-Gasket joints, proper gaskets selection and their installation to realise long leak free service. Full information on gaskets, common errors committed by field crews and how to avoid these are presented in this article.

11 illus, 3 tables

020905   Misra A (NO, , IFFCO, Kalol Unit, P.O. Kasturinagar-382 423) : Technologies for De-bottlenecking of prilling towers. Indian J Fertil 2008, 4(7), 13-16,19-22,25-.

Most plant operators in India have adopted the de-bottlenecking option for enhancement in capacities of existing plants, typically by 10-50% of their rated capacities, as opposed to new brown-field/green-field projects, largely dictated by the scarcity of the preferred feedstock, that is, natural gas, uncertainties in fertiliser policy of the Government and the lack of incentives for major investments in the fertiliser sector. Highlights the design of Prilling Towers and technologies available currently for de-bottlenecking the limitations in a Prilling Tower with specific reference to the de-bottlenecking of the Urea Plant at IFFCO Kalol unit, where the Finishing Section has been clearly identified as a potential bottleneck forgoing-up in capacity from 1650 MT/day to 1900 + 5% MT/day.

10 illus

020904   Adel V;Yasari E;Alamdari G;Majid (NO, Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Tehran, Iran) : Performance evaluation of three planters and selecting the best one in rapeseed sowing. Ecol Envir Conserv 2008, 14(4), 663-6.

In order to study the common planter's performance and choosing the most appropriate one for mechanized rape-seed sowing, three planters were evaluated on a clay loam soil in the Eastern part of Mazandaran province.A randomized complete block design (RCBD) with 6 replications was used to study and evaluate the treatments. For performance evaluating of planters, factors such as uniformity of planting depth, uniformity of distance to the nearest neighbouring seed, percentage of plant establishment after winter, emergence rate index, percentage of seed damage, percentage of seedling emergence and seed yield were investigated. Results obtained indicated that the Mechanical Planter was superior to the other two planners in many aspects such as producing the maximum uniformity of distance to the nearest neighboring seed (84.23), maximum percentage of plant establishment after winter (94.80), maximum seed yield (3590 kg/ha), although the highest percentage of seed damage (5.13%) and maximum deviation of planted seed from planting row (87.63) resulted with Mechanical Planter as well. On the other hand results showed that maximum uniformity of depth (97.32), highest emergence rate index (8.4) and maximum percentage of seed emergence (67.3) observed when the Grain drill was applied. Minimum percentage of seed damage (1.3%) and maximum uniformity of row spacing (97.82) observed with applying the Pneumatics Planter, which the latter was statistically ranked in the same group with Mechanical Planter (95.91), the minimum (92.66) observed at Grain drill.

1 table, 9 ref

020025   Talla P K;Bawe G N;Fogue M;Fomethe A;Foudjet A (UDETIME/L2MSP, Universite'de Dschang, Cameroun, Email: tapikisito@yahoo.fr) : Dynamics of a plant vibrating under the infulence of wind. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 17-28.

Deals with the study of plants moving in the canopy under wind load. First establish the dynamics of the plant as well as that of the wind. Under the assumption that the amplitude of the load is small, we restrict ourselves to the linear behavior of the plant. Hence, the amplitude of the oscillations of the plant is determined as a function of the different parameters. The domains of stability and instability of the oscillations are then determined as a function of the amplitude of the excitation. When the amplitude of the oscillation belongs to the domain of instability, there is a risk of the plant collapsing.

7 illus, 9 ref

020024   Sitaram M V D;Bora P K (Geoscience Div, Regional Research Laboratory, Jorhat-785 006, Email: pabon_01@yahoo.com) : Signal durations and local richter magnitudes in Northeast India: an empirical approach. J Geol Soc India 2007, 70(2), 323-38.

Twenty four analog seismic stations are operated by the Regional Research Laboratory (Jorhat), National Geophysical Research Institute (Hyderabad) and by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in the Northeastern region (NER) of India. 8000 seismograms of 1992 shallow (5 - 30km) earthquakes recorded by these stations during the period from January 1985 to December 1999, have been used to establish relationships between signal durations and the local Richter magnitudes (M_L). In order to obtain the empirical relations for the determination of duration magnitudes (MD), signal duration estimates have been fitted using regression analysis to models of the form Model -I: M_D = C₀ + C₁ Log₁₀ (S.D) + C₂ Δ + C₃ h Model - II: M_D = C₀ + C₁ Log₁₀ (S.D) + C₂ A + C₃ h + C₄ [Log₁₀ (S.D)]², where S.D is the signal duration in seconds, <69> epicentral distance in degree and h focal depth in km. The models yielded duration magnitudes at each of the 24 stations having standard deviations as low as 0.07. For these stations, station factors are obtained by finding the average of the deviations of network magnitude (i.e. mean estimate of station magnitudes for each earthquake, denoted by M_D A) from station magnitudes (M_D) for the earthquake events in NER. Over - and under - estimations of station magnitudes with respect to M_L are also determined for each station. It has been observed that the estimates of M_D (A) scatter up to about 0.8units with respect to M_L for both the models. Application of these factors reduced scatter down to ± 0.25 units for both the models.

11 illus, 6 tables, 26 ref

020023   Siddharth S;Jamal A;Dhar B B;Rakesh Shukla R (Mining Engineering Dep, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005, Email: susibhu@yahoo.co.in) : Distribution of pyrite in coal and its relation to drainage quality, Chirimiri coalfield, Chattisgarh. J Geol Soc India 2007, 70(2), 313-22.

The mode of occurrence of pyrite in coal, its distribution and content in the three workable coal seams of Chirimiri coalfield, are studied and weathering experiment has been carried out on the physical model to establish a relation between the pyrite content and the mine drainage quality. Petrographical investigation of coal samples confirmed the occurrence of both syngenetic and epigenetic forms of pyrite. The pyrite in coal in the study area has been found to occur in different forms and morphologies. The distribution of pyrite showed both vertical and lateral variations within the seams. The vertical distribution is such that the pyrite contents are lower in the middle section and increase near the top and bottom sections of each coal seam. The simulated weathering experiment was performed in the laboratory to establish a relation between the pyrite content in coal and mine water quality. On the basis of laboratory weathering experiments, it was inferred that in the study area, pH of mine water is mainly governed by the pyrite content, geochemical character and mineralogical composition of the coal-associated rocks.

8 illus, 4 tables, 25 ref

020022   Robinson R G (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, Email: robinson@iitm.ac.in) : Preparation and characterization of model clay ground for cntrifuge tests. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 377-92.

Reduced scale normally consolidated clay beds are often required for centrifuge tests. The centrifuge time required for the preparation of such clay beds is often very long, and may take several days for high plastic clays. An alternate method, using seepage forces, is often used prior to final consolidation in the centrifuge. The required hydraulic gradient is usually generated by high water pressure at the top of the clay bed. This method tends to cause hydraulic fracturing at corners when rectangular containers are used. Another method called suction induced seepage consolidation method is described in this paper. Several site investigation tools are available to obtain the strength profile of a clay sample prepared in the centrifuge. The most commonly used tools are in-flight vane shear apparatus and mini cone penetrometer. The difficulties involved while using these tools are brought out. The present study uses a T-bar penetrometer, which overcomes the limitations of other tools. A procedure to obtain the T-bar factor is suggested. The strength profile obtained on samples obtained by suction induced seepage consolidation is also discussed.

7 illus, 31 ref

020021   Rezai B;Pazoki A (Mining Dep, Lorestan Univ, Lorestan, Iran, Email: a_pazoki@yahoo.com) : Agitation leaching of gold with thiourea and cyanidation methods. Asian J Chem 2008, 20(2), 1211-16.

In the study, preliminary laboratory test work to identify the relative agitation leaching response to cyanidation and thiourea leaching of an oxidized ore have been carried out. The ore deposits of Neishaboor area with gold grade of 4 ppm are rich enough for studies. The characterization studies shows that, the ore is oxidized and gold is present partly in the form of solution in quartz veins as well as in the form of free particles in iron hydroxide specially hematite which is the product of pyrite oxidation. Quartz, hematite, calcite and feldspar are the main minerals present in the order of abundances. Sieve analysis and distribution of gold particles in different sieve fractions shows gold particles are distributed below 2090 p. Based on characterization studies, the potential of an alternative lixiviant like thiourea and cyanide leach have been determined and found that under optimized conditions thiourea leaching of the ore performs (extraction of 96.7 % after 16 h) better than cyanide leaching (extraction of 47.3 % after 16 h).

3 illus, 5 tables, 8 ref

020020   Rao G S;Murthy V B K;Madhu Murthy K;Rao K M (NO, P.V.P. Siddhartha Institute of Technology, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradsh, Email: intjou@yahoo.co.in) : Prediction of mechanical properties of unidirectional fiber reinforced composite with fiber-matrix debonding. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 85-96.

The study aims at prediction of mechanical properties of unidirectional FRP composite for complete range of fiber volume fractions at different levels of fiber-matrix interfacial debonding using micro-mechanical models. Three dimensional finite element models have been developed from the representative volume elements of the composite, which are in the form of square unit cells. Mechanical properties E₁, E₂, E₃, v₁₂, V₂₃, V₃₁, v₂₁, v₃₂, and v₁₃, are determined for fiber volume fractions (V_f) between 0.1 to 0.75. The finite element software ANSYS 10.0 has been successfully executed to evaluate the properties. The results of the present analysis are found to be in close agreement with solutions available in the literature for the cases of perfect bonding and complete debonding at fiber-matrix interface at various fiber volume fractions. The method is successfully extended to various values of circumferential debonding between perfect bonding to complete debonding for entire range of fiber volume fractions and the results are presented in graphs. The effect of debonding on the mechanical properties is discussed.

16 illus, 3 tables, 14 ref

020019   Paul S;Dey A K (Civil Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, Suilchar-788 010, Email: sanjaypaul_76@yahoo.com) : Dynamic properties and ground response analysis of Silchar soil in north-east India. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 393-412.

Effects of earthquake depend on local soil conditions, which include the dynamic properties of soil and the response of different soil layers as earthquake waves travel towards the earth's surface from the source. In the present analysis, behaviour of the soil profile at a particular site at Silchar is considered. Seismologically Silchar is located in zone V and geographically it is located in the southern part of Assam. Earthquakes of magnitude 5 to 6 are common in Silchar because of existence of some active faults in the periphery of the town. Laboratory tests with cyclic triaxial apparatus were carried out to determine the dynamic properties viz. shear modulus and damping ratio of the soil samples. Variations of the said properties with different strain levels were obtained. The response of the profile was calculated from the recorded acceleration-time history data of N.E. India earthquakes of 1988 and 1997 of magnitudes 7.2 and 5.6 on Richter scale with a hypocentral distance of 254.0 km and 65.4 km respectively from Silchar town. The acceleration time history was given as input motion and spectral ordinates at the ground surface were found out. The analyses were carried out using non -linear one dimensional soil models.

17 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

020018   Noorzaei J;Hakim S J S;Jaafar M S (Civil Engineering Dep, Faculty of Engineering, Putra Malaysia Univ, 43400 UPM, Serdang, Selangore, Malaysia, Email: jamal@eng.edu.my) : Approach to predict ultimate bearing capacity of surface footings using artificial neural network. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 513-26.

An approach to predict Ultimate Bearing Capacity (UBC) of surface footings using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is developed in this study. A total of 1660 different data sets were collected from the technical literature. Training data sets comprises 1180 data entries, and the remaining data (480) are divided between the testing and validation sets. A detailed study was carried out. considering one hidden layers for the architecture of neural network. The performance of the 9-15-1 architecture was the best possible architecture for this problem. A comparison between the UBC of soils predicted through the ANN and experimental data showed that the ANN was successful in training the relationship between the input and output data with the mean square error (MSE) of 14.83%. The results indicated that ANNs can be used to predict the UBC of soil.

^ssc8 illus, 3 tables, 26 ref

020017   Niranjan Kumar M S R;Sarcar M M M;Krishna Murthy V Bala;Mohana Rao K (Production Engineering Dep, V.R. Siddhartha Engineering College, Vijayawada-520 007, Email: m_niranjankumar@rediffmail.com) : Analysis of thick skew laminate with elliptical cutout subjected to non-linear temperature distribution : major axis of ellipse vertical. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 97-106.

An effort is made to study the thermo elastic behaviour of a cross-ply laminated composite skew plate with elliptical cutout subjected to non-linearly varying temperature loading has been investigated in the present analysis. Major axis of the ellipse vertical has been taken for the present analysis. A three-dimensional heat conduction analysis in fiber reinforced composite laminates has been simulated by finite element method to get realistic temperature in the laminate under different thermal boundary conditions. A finite element method which works on the basis of three-dimensional theory of elasticity is employed to evaluate the stresses and deformations. The results obtained by varying the skew angle and size of the cutout are discussed. The magnitudes of the in-plane stresses due to temperature loading is greatly affected by the skew angle variation at higher d/1 ratio and their magnitude is observed to be minimum at higher value of the skew angle. The magnitudes of inter laminar stresses are observed to be minimum at lower d/1 ratio. The transverse deflection 'w' decreases with increase in skew angle. The solutions of skew structures considered in the present analysis will be useful for the construction of safe and efficient structures like skew bridges and swept wings of aircraft structures.

9 illus, 1 table, 11 ref

020016   Narayanasamy R;Anbarasi N V (Production Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirapalli-620 015, Email: anra62@rediffmail.com) : Theoretical investigtion of formability of if sheet metals of different grades used in automotive industries. Bull pure appl Sci-Sect E 2008, 27(2), 243-54.

Effect of the parameters m-value (strain rate sensitivity or yield equation constant), p-value (exponential parameter involved in r-value), and r-value (plastic anisotropic ratio or radius of curvature of the neck) on non- linear, linear FLSCs and FLCs are analysed using new yield equation for IF Steels (I) - (III).

6 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

020015   Mustaphaa A;Ramdan B (Laboratoire de Geotechnique, Infrastructure Amenagement hydraulique, Faculty of Civil Engineering/USTHB, B.P. 32 El Alia, Bab-Ezzouar, Algeria, Email: akchiche_m@yahoo.fr) : Some algiers experience on measurement and evaluation of settlement around urbane tunnel reinforced with jet grouting. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 1-16.

The excavation process for a tunnel changes in terms of its ground conditions and the stability of surface buildings in urban areas. This -paper Describes the treatment of tunneling problems at Algiers metro tunnel which was realized according with to the New Austrian Tunneling Methods (N.A.T.M). In this study, a two dimensional finite element analysis was conducted using CESAR-LCPC software to determine the variation of the settlement that is affected by the jet grouting clearance and the coefficient of the deconfinement. Analytical approaches to estimate the tunnel settlement were used. The results obtained by this software were compared with actual field measurement.

14 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

020014   Mulgi S N;Pushpanjali G M;Konda R B;Satnoor S K;Hunagund P V (Department of PG Studies and Research in Applied Electronics, Gulbarga University, Gulbarga-585 106, Email: s.mulgi@rediffmail.com) : Broadband aperture-coupled equilateral triangular microstrip array antenna. Indian J Radio Space Phys 2009, 38(3), 174-9.

The aperture-coupled equilateral triangular microstrip array antenna comprising parasitic element and slot for broadband operation is designed and presented. An experimental study is carried out to see the effect of slot placed in the parasitic and radiating elements for enhancing the impedance bandwidth. The four-element aperture-coupled equilateral triangular microstrip array antenna (FAEMA) using a common parasitic element in the form of gap-coupled between the two radiating element gives an impedance bandwidth of 18.46%. If the slot is placed at the center of all elements of FAEMA, the impedance bandwidth is found to be 18.57%. However, this bandwidth is enhanced to 19.04% by placing the slot at the center of radiating elements of FAEMA. Further, the bandwidth is increased from 19.04 to 19.07% by placing a slot at the center of parasitic element of FAEMA. This bandwidth is 38% more when compared to four-element array antenna without using parasitic elements. The gain, azimuthal radiation patterns and input impedance of proposed antennas are studied and reported. Details of the antenna design are given and experimental results are discussed.

020013   Karki R;Sharma J S (Civil & Geological Engineering Dep, Saskatchewan Univ, 57 Campus Drive, Saskatoon SK S7N 5A9, Canada, Email: J.sharma@usask.ca) : Soil-structure interaction analysis of a braced deep excavation. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 454-82.

Soil-structure interaction mechanisms that affect the behaviour of a deep excavation, supported by a combination of diaphragm wall, tie-back anchors and props, are investigated with the help of finite element analyses. A well-documented case study of a deep excavation in downtown Chicago was selected for back analysis because of the availability of good-quality data on local geology and soil properties. In the finite element analysis, both non-linear elastic and elastoplastic models were used to describe the various soil layers and key aspects of the construction, such as sequential excavation of layers, installation of pre-stressed tie-back anchors and props and dewatering of the excavation, were modelled. Input parameters were first calibrated using the back analysis and then used for establishing key mechanisms of soil-structure interaction. A parametric study was also conducted to identify key parameters that influence the mechanisms of soil-structure interaction. It was found that realistic modelling of construction effects is essential for obtaining accurate estimates of deformation and stresses. Ground movements around the deep excavation were found to be influenced mainly by the stiffness of the soil and the stiffness of the retaining wall.

19 illus, 6 tables, 24 ref

020012   Hamouche A;Bessaih R (Dep de Genie Mecanique, Laboratorie LEAP, Universite' Mentouri-Constantine, Route de Ain El. Bey, 25000, Constantine, Algeria, Email: hamoucheadel@yahoo.fr) : Mixed convection air cooling of electronic components mounted in a horizontal channel. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 53-64.

Presents a numerical simulation of a two-dimensional laminar mixed-convection heat transfer to air from multiple identical protruding heat sources, which simulate electronic components, located in a horizontal channel which is open on both sides. The finite volume method and the SIMPLER algorithm were used to solve the laminar flow equations in mixed convection. Results show that for Pr=0.71, 0 ≤ Ri ≤ 5 and 5 ≤ Re ≤ 30, the heat transfer increases remarkably, where Ri and Re are the Richardson and Reynolds numbers, respectively. It was seen also that the installation of a rectangular plate above the components for the internal flow modification has a considerable enhancement of the heat removal rate from the components, and therefore on the improvement of the heat transfer inside the channel.

17 illus, 15 ref

020011   Gupta K M;Srivastava A (Applied Mechanics Dep, Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology (Deemed University), Allahabad-211 004, Email: kmgupta@mnnit.ac.in) : Experimental characterization of natural palmyra fibres under different conditions. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 41-51.

The raw palmyra fibres (botanical name is boralessus flabellifer ) have been extracted from the tissues of primary stem of palm (toddy) plant, processed, prepared and tested to determine their physical and mechanical properties. Ten individual fibres have been tested in natural (usually wet) condition and straight configuration. Density of different individual fibres of 200 mm length having mean diameter of 0.20 to 0.21 mm, and weight varying from 0.018 gm to 0.022 gm is obtained SIt varies from 606.7 kg/m³ to 789.3 kg/m³ (i.e.0.606 gm/cm³ to 0.789 gm/cm³). The tensile tests have been performed on Hounsfield tensometer using a scale of 0-30 kg (0-300 N) with a least count of 0.2 kg (2 N). Different fibres of 0.42 mm to 0.60 mm diameter have sustained widely varying maximum load of 1.2 kg to 2.2 kg (12 N to 22 N ) and have undergone an elongation of 8 mm to 20 mm. The recorded strains vary from 0.082 to 0.189. The tensile strength is found to vary from 500 kg/cm² to 1923 kg/cm² (50 MPa to 192.3 MPa ). The stress-strain behaviour is plotted in figures. Its nature is widely varying from linear to non-linear. The cause of variation in properties of different fibres is their different age and growth. Finding of this work has been compared with other natural fibres like flax, hemp, jute, coir, sisal and cotton. It is concluded that the density of palmyra is least among all known fibres. It is 0.7 only as compared to 1.25 for coir, 1.33 for sisal, 1.40 for flax, 1.46 for jute, 1.48 for hemp and 1.51 for cotton fibres. This is highly favourable property from the view point of lightweightness. Hence, the palmyra fibres are most suitable for making reinforcement in composite materials.

2 illus, 11 tables, 5 ref

020010   Gopalsamy B M;Mondal B;Ghosh S (NO, Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713 209) : Taguchi method and ANOVA: An approach for process parameters optimization of hard machining while machining hardened steel. J scient ind Res 2009, 68(8), 686-95.

Taguchi method is applied to find optimum process parameters for end milling while hard machining of hardened steel. A L₁₈ array, signal-to-noise ratio and analysis of variance (ANOVA) are applied to study performance characteristics of machining parameters (cutting speed, feed, depth of cut and width of cut) with consideration of surface finish and tool life. Chipping and adhesion are observed to be main causes of wear. Results obtained by Taguchi method match closely with ANOVA and cutting speed is most influencing parameter. Multiple regression equations are formulated for estimating predicted values of surface roughness and tool wear.

020009   Dewaikar D M;Padmavathi S V;Salimath R S (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Powai, Mumbai-400 076, Email: dmde@civil.iitb.ac.in) : Analysis of rigid piles in clays. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 502-12.

A simple method for estimating the ultimate lateral capacity of an unrestrained, vertical rigid pile in cohesive soil is presented. The reliability of this method and some of the widely used methods proposed by Broms (1964), Budhu and Davies (1988) and Rao and Rao (1995) for estimating the lateral load capacity are statistically examined using the data of 69 published pile load tests. Compared to all other methods, the proposed method is in better agreement with the tests data.

6 illus, 2 tables, 15 ref

020008   Deb Nath S K (Nanomechanics, Tohoku Univ, Japan) : Analysis of elastic-plastic field of tire treads by using finite element method. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 73-84.

Firstly numerical and experimental investigation of the elastic plastic material properties of tire tread is carried out. Using the obtained elastic plastic properties of tire treads the elastic plastic stress strain relationships are found numerically. Finite element simulation of tire tread is carried out considering three dimensional solid elements. Von Mises stress strain relationship of the contact surface of the tire tread identifies the elastic and plastic regions separately. At different sections of the tire tread Von Mises stress and different components of stresses are determined and elaborately analyzed. The distribution of the Von Mises stress and different stress components identify the critical sections of the tire tread.

14 illus, 1 table, 26 ref

020007   Chore H S;Ingle R K (Applied Mechanics Dep, Vivesvaraya Nationa Institute of Technology, Nagpur-440 011, Email: hschore@rediffmail.com) : Interaction analysis of building frame supported on pile group. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 483-501.

The effect of the soil-structure interaction on a simple single storeyed and two bay space frame resting on pile groups with flexible cap is examined in this paper by resorting to more a rational approach and realistic assumptions based on three dimensional finite element analysis. Elements of superstructure and that of substructure are descretized using 20 node isoparametric continuum elements while interfaces between the soil and pile are modeled using 16 node isoparametric interface elements. After carrying out an independent analysis for the structure on the premise of fixed column bases, stiffness of the pile foundation are worked out separately and used in the interactive analysis of superstructure frame to quantify the effect of soil- structure interaction on the response of the superstructure. The investigation considers the interaction between pile cap and underlying soil. In the parametric study presented here, effect of pile spacing and pile configuration along with the number and diameter of pile is evaluated on the response of superstructure. Effect of soil-structure interaction is found to be quite significant for the type of foundation used in the study.

9 illus, 3 tables, 36 ref

020006   Chandrasekaran S S;Boominathan A;Dodagoudar G R (Civil Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Chennai-600 036, Email: sschandrasekaran@yahoo.co.in) : Behaviour of 2 x 2 pile group under static and cyclic lateral loading. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 413-32.

The results of cyclic lateral load tests conducted on model single pile and 2x2 pile group embedded in soft clay are presented in this paper and compared with the behaviour under static loading. The effects of spacing number of cycles of loading and cyclic load level on load - deflection behaviour of the pile group are investigated. Group interaction effect under cyclic lateral loading is predominant for groups with spacing less than seven times the diameter of the pile. It is found that when the cyclic load level exceeding 0.5 times of static ultimate capacity, it produce large deflections of the pile group. The effect of cyclic loading is more predominant for the pile group than for the single pile. Block mode of failure occurs for closely spaced pile groups under cyclic lateral loading.

17 illus, 5 tables, 25 ref

020005   Bouchikhi A S;Lousdad A;Megueni A (Faculty of Engineering Sciences, Mechanics Dep, Sidi Bel Abbes Univ - Sidi Bel Abbes (22000), Algeria, Email: asbouchikhi@yahoo.fr) : Induced thermal residual stress analysis at fiber/matrix interface. Int J theor appl mech 2008, 3(1), 29-40.

Thermal residual stresses are important in composite materials. The aim of work is the calculation of thermal residual stresses by finite element method. From The results of the Numerical calculation it is shown that the stresses are important and thus should be taken into account. The interface is affected by thermal stresses. The normal stresses and shear stress value have an influence on the behavior of the composite material during service.

17 illus, 15 ref

020004   Ali Jawaid S M;Madhav M R (Civil Engg. Dep, M.M.M. Engineering College, Gorakhpur, Email: smaj@rediffmail.com) : Skirted granular pile foundation for high water table areas. Indian Geotech J 2008, 38(4), 433-53.

Short rigid composite foundation with granular core is being proposed for lowlands based on the concept of skirted granular pile along with well steining. The proposed foundation is similar to a short pipe pile except that the granular infill is much stronger and stiffer than the original ground. The steining is relatively incompressible and hence settles more than the granular core. Therefore, the outer and inner surfaces of the steining resist the applied load by positive resistance, the granular infill would be subjected to down-drag or negative skin resistance because of which larger loads are transferred through its base. Parametric study quantifies the effects of various parameters on the settlement of the proposed foundation. Model tests were also conducted for the validation of theoretical result. It is observed that there is good agreement between measured and predicted settlements.

17 illus, 2 tables, 33 ref

018974   Viswanath S B;Kalyanaraman D (NO, , 305, Manipallam Road, Pudukottai, Tamilnadu-622 001) : Emission control by after-buring process to reduce HC content in a petrol engine. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 43-5.

Petrol Engines that emit considerable amount of hydrocarbons (unburnt HC) are of great concern. Any measure to reduce the HC content in the emissions is of immense help in mitigating the stress to the environment. This work reports the reduction in the quantity of HC when more amount of air is introduced in the exhaust pipe using an extra arrangement (a diffuser). With a modified experimental set up in the exhaust pipe, more amount of air was introduced for further burning. This helped in the better combustion of the fuel and reduced the hydrocarbon content in the emission. At different speeds of the engine, HC in the emission were reported with and without diffuser set up. Variation of HC in the emission with rpm was plotted. The results indicated that 'after-burning' is an effective method to reduce the HC in the emission, which was found to reduce in proportion to the vehicle speed.

2 illus, 1 table, 4 ref

018973   Veerappan A R;Shanmugam S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, Tiruchirappalli-620 015) : Transient thermo-mechanical analysis for life estimation of steam distribution pipes in thermal power plants. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 53-6.

Power generating units are generally forced to shut down due to the failures in pipes which are subjected to both creep and fatigue loads. Creep-fatigue life of straight pipes is estimated based on a transient thermo mechanical analysis that has been conducted which simulates the past working conditions of straight pipes. The straight pipe was modeled in ANSYS and the model was analysed first for transient conditions and subsequently with structural constraints. The maximum stress intensity was used to determine the fatigue life fraction of the pipe. The structural analysis was done to determine the creep life fraction of the pipe. The life of the pipe under combined creep and fatigue loads thus determined to be 1.75 times the design life for the specified material used for high temperature applications.

6 illus, 2 tables, 6 ref

018972   Usgaonkar G S;Mariappan V;Amonkar U J;Telang A D (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Government Engineering College, Farmagudi, Ponda, Goa-403 401) : Power weibull model for reliability assessment. J Instn Engrs-Pt PR 2008, 89(Sep), 47-50.

In the recent era of globalization, maintenance engineering concepts are being revisited world-wide. In reliability engineering, determination of burn-in plays key role in provisions of warranty. Latest maintenance system like Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) demands rather closer estimation of the parameters pertaining to the failure process of maintenance significant items. Bathtub shaped hazard rate is very much useful in this regard. The traditional. Weibull distribution can cover the profile piecewise only. The power Weibull model discussed. Study helps to resolve this issue. Parameter estimation methods are also studied for this model. Case studies discussed in the paper illustrate the applicability of the model.

4 illus, 3 tables, 6 ref

018971   Thomas B P;Annamala Pillai S (Experimental Mechanics Div, SDEG/STR Entity, Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, ISRO Post, Thiruvananthapuram-695 022, Email: s_annamala@vssc.gov.in) : Digital holographic interferometry for wholefield NDT applications. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2009, 61(2), 334-41.

Holographic interferometry is a non-contact whole field optical technique used as a powerful NDT tool. This technique is highly sensitive and maps the object surface deformation as holographic fringe pattern. Convetional holography technique has practical difficulties in recording and reconstructing'holograms. With the development in imaging sensor technology and fast algorithms in image processing, digital holography has been established. Digital holography uses high-resolution digital camera for recording holograms and does reconstruction of holograms numerically using a computer. This has enhanced the scope and application of holography for NDT many fold. In this paper application of digital holography to non-destructive testing is presented. The basic principle of digital holography and digital holographic interferometry in obtaining double exposure hologram for NDT is described. The software developed in house for numerical reconstruction of holograms is also explained. The advantages of digital holography over conventional holography in NDT applications are highlighted. Extensive experiments were carried out to prove the detectability of defects in both metallic and non-metallic materials and the results are presented. It is shown that digital holography is able to identify defects in a wide range of materials with great ease because of its high sensitivity and whole field nature.

15 illus, 12 ref

018970   Srivastava S K;Parsai M (Physics Dep, Government Post Graduate College, Ambikapur-497 001) : Estimation of attenuation coefficients of microwave signal in sand and dust storms. J Instn Engrs-Pt ET 2009, 89(Jan), 23-6.

The theory of attenuation coefficients by layered sand and dust particles in storm has been discussed, considering both spherical and non-spherical dust particles. It is found that attenuation coefficients of microwave signals are dependent heavily on the frequency, visibility, complex dielectric constant, particle size and incidence angle of dust particles. The non-spherical dust particles show higher value of attenuation coefficients as compared to spherical particles. The predicted values of attenuation coefficients agree with earlier reported data.

5 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

018969   Sriram A T;Mathew J (Aerospace Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560 012, Email: joseph@aero.iisc.ernet.in) : Numerical study of benhmark experiments of supersonic compressor cascades. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2009, 61(2), 355-64.

Benchmark cases of turbulent supersonic flow through compressor cascades were computed using a modern upwind scheme (Roe with MUSCL pre-processing), with the k-ω turbulence model, and the classical Mac Cormack method. The test cases derive from experiments through ARL SL 19 blade cascades at Detroit Diesel Allison (DDA) at the design Mach number, and at an off-design condition from ONERA. A verification of the codes was obtained by computing an inviscid flow through a wedge cascade at similar conditions. Predictions are in very good agreement for the DDA test case for the blade surface pressure distributions. Cleaner solutions were obtained using the Roe scheme. The Mac Cormack solution exhibits oscillations corresponding to oscillations of the shock-induced separating boundary layer on the pressure surface near the trailing edge. Wake flow Mach number distributions were very well predicted, but not flow angle distributions. Predictions are less accurate for the ONERA test case which was at a slightly higher Mach number and which moves shock locations sufficiently to cause a more sensitive response from the suction surface boundary layer.

10 illus, 1 table, 19 ref

018968   Soni D K;Jain A;Goyal R (Civil Engineering Dep, NIT, Kurukshetra) : Strength characteristics of intact rocks. Indian Min Engng J 2008, 47(1), 30-2.

Knowledge of strength characteristics of rocks is very important for realistic and safer design of engineering structures. Researchers have proposed a number of strength criteria to predict non-linear behaviour of rocks under applied stress. In the present study, a number of triaxial compression and unconfined compression tests have been carried out on two types of rocks, viz., sandstone and quartzite. It has been observed that the results of these tests are in good agreement with the strength criterion proposed by Rao et al. (1985) for intact rocks.

2 illus, 2 tables, 8 ref

018967   Sirveiya A K;Thote N R (NO, , Steel Aythority of India Ltd., BSP, Bhilai, Chattisgarh) : Effect of rock mass properties of rock fragmentation. Indian Min Engng J 2008, 47(7), 20-4.

The process of rock fragmentation by explosives due to the variability of the component involved and the difficulties of accurately measuring ephemeral phenomenon in the close region of the blast. The problem is compounded by the often complex nature of the rockmass geology, its characterization requiring the measurement of physical and mechanical properties associated with both the intact rock and the discontinuities of the rockmass, at scale of the production blast. The present of structural discontinuities like joints make it complicated for determining blast design parameters. These discontinuities influence the mechanical behavior of rocks in various stress condition. Result in overbreak, backbreak and boulder formation. The discontinuity planes increase the specific damping capacity of the rock mass. When the rock mass has a combination of elastic and plastic bedding the strain wave propagates through elastic medium with little attenuation, but dissipates quickly into plastic zones resulting into poor fragmentation. The discontinuous rock mass gives poor fragmentation as compared to unjointed rocks due to the insufficient or improper utilization of strain wave energy and gaseous energy. The joints/ discontinuities make the distribution of charge uneven and hence result in poor fragmentation. Paper present the result of a series of experiments carried out to evaluate the effects of rockmass properties on rock fragmentation. Eight experimental blasts were conducted at Iron ore mines exclusive to determine the effect of jointing spacing and orientation of rock fragmentation. In-situ block size and after blasting block size comparison also carried out to determine the efficiency of blasting. WIPJOINT and WIPFRAG software used for joint and fragmentation analysis respectively.

6 illus, 3 tables, 10 ref

018966   Selvaraj N (Manufacturing Simulation Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Warangal-506 004) : Extended Kanban-CONWIP control system (EKCCS)-a comparision and simulation study. J Instn Engrs-Pt PR 2008, 89(Sep), 25-9.

Objective is to develop a simulation model to study the performance of a typical single line multistage pull production system and also to compare the performance of pull production control mechanisms, namely, EKCS, CONWIP and EKCCS. The EKCS and CONWIP control mechanisms already exist, and the author has proposed EKCCS (EKCS+CONWIP) to exploit the combined advantages of the two existing mechanisms. The processing time has taken as exponential distribution of 15 min in each manufacturing stage. The demand rates have considered as exponential distribution between 90 min and 20 min in a step of 10 min. The entire manufacturing line was simulated for 280000 min, which include 40000 min warm-up period with 15 replications. The buffer size is assumed to be 3,5,7 and 10 per manufacturing stage. The performance measures include production rate, average queue length (WIP) and average waiting time. The simulation results indicate that, the proposed EKCCS shows better results than existing control mechanisms.

5 illus, 2 tables, 10 ref

018965   Sarkar J (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu Univ, Varanasi-221 005) : DI diesel engine cycle simulation and validation. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 13-17.

In the investigation, DI diesel engine cycle simulation code, based on steady-state phenomenological model has been developed. The heat loss to the surrounding, blow-by losses and emission model by using chemical equilibrium, reaction kinetics, and calculation of thermodynamics properties based on their mixture composition were included in this model. The model has been developed to predict the temperature, pressure and exhaust species variation and efficiency at various engine loads. The system has been validated with experimental data.

5 illus, 12 ref

018964   Saini J S;Nanda T;Khanna K (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala-147 004) : Stress analysis and optimization of rolling mill housing using CAE. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 35-42.

The work involves the optimization of a rolling mill housing design so as to control its deflection for better gage control of the material being rolled. The problem of failure of rolling mill housing is very common in industry, which can be efficiently solved by using computer aided engineering (CAE). The housing stress distribution has been analyzed using CATIA software from which maximum static stress at critical areas has been calculated. Structural behavior of housing under a given loading and boundary conditions using an analytical model is very difficult; therefore 3D solid model has been chosen in order to predict the detailed stress and strain response.

12 illus, 7 tables, 12 ref

018963   Reddy N S S;Satyam M;Lal Kishore K (Electronics and Communication Engineering Dep, Vasavi College of Engineering, Hyderabad-500 031) : Adiabatic universal gates for hierarchical circuits. J Instn Engrs-Pt ET 2009, 89(Jan), 3-7.

Study describes adiabatic NAND and NOR gates which can be operated on single supply frequency with wave forms like triangular wave form, that exhibits input and output logic levels approximately the same and can be used for building cascaded logic circuits. The reduction in energy dissipation in the proposed adiabatic universal gates is more than 50% compared to that of standard CMOS universal gates. The performance of the circuits has been tested through simulation up to 250 MHz with 0.18 μ device size. Measurements of energy dissipation carried out through simulation are the same as obtained from the theoretical expression.

4 illus, 2 tables, 7 ref

018962   Rajiv B;Ahuja B B (Production Engineering Dep, College of Engineering, Shivajinagar, Pune-411 005) : Analysis of hand and foot forces with respect to industrial chair and assessment of human reliability. J Instn Engrs-Pt PR 2008, 89(Sep), 3-9.

Deals with the kinesiological research, where an attempt has been made to obtain a relationship between the pedal height, vertical tilt, horizontal swing of a chair and abysmal ratio with the force applied by the hand and foot during any industrial operation. Sensitivity analysis has been carried out to determine the percentage error in the foot force and hand force with respect to the parameters and response surfaces have been plotted. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) has been used to determine the criticality of these parameters. Assessment of human reliability has also been done using non-parametric methods.

7 illus, 8 tables, 6 ref

018961   Prakash T;Singha M K;Ganapathi M (Applied Mechanics Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi-110 016, Email: maloy@am.iitd.ac.in) : Nonlinear behavior of FGM skew plates under in-plane load. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2009, 61(2), 325-33.

Nonlinear behavior of Functionally Graded Material (FGM) skew plates under in-plane load is investigated here using deformable eight noded iso-parametric plate bending finite element. The material is graded in the thickness direction according to a power-law distribution in terms of volume fractions of the constituents. The effective material properties are estimated using Mori- Tanaka homogenization method. The nonlinear governing equations for the FGM plate under in-plane load are solved by Newton-Raphson technique to obtain the out-of-plane central deflection and in-plane displacement of the loaded edge. The existence of bifurcation-type of buckling for FGM plates is examined for different boundary conditions, constituent gradient index, and skew angle.

9 illus, 2 tables, 23 ref

018960   Pradhan S C;Murmu T (Aerospace Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur-721 302) : Differential quadrature method for vibration analysis of beam on winkler foundation based on nonlocal elastic theory. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 3-12.

The application of differential quadrature (DQ) method for vibration analysis of beams based on Eringen's nonlocal elastic model. Using nonlocal constitutive relations, expression for vibration of Euler-Bernoulli beam resting on Winkler elastic foundation is being formulated. The obtained differential equations including nonlocal parameters are transformed into a set of algebraic equation. Four set of boundary conditions are considered for the analysis viz. simply supported - simply supported, clamped - simply supported, clamped - clamped and clamped - free boundary. The boundary conditions are implemented in the DQ formulation by modified weighting coefficient matrix method. The results so obtained are compared with those available in literature. It is found that the present numerical analysis exhibit reasonably accurate results with less number of grid points. Furthermore, parametric study on vibration response is being carried out. The parameters include the effect of nonlocal parameter, number of interpolation points, stiffness of Winkler elastic foundation and boundary conditions.

11 illus, 2 tables, 20 ref

018959   Pillai K R;Chattoapdhyaya S (Mechanical Engineering and Mining Machinery Engineering Dep, Indian School of Mines Univ, Dhanbad-826 004) : Assessment of cellular formations through rank order clustering for a rotary blower manufacturing unit. J Instn Engrs-Pt PR 2008, 89(Sep), 36-41.

Cellular manufacturing is an important process for enhancing the operational efficiency of different manufacturing and servicing units. A number of leading organizations engaged in the manufacturing and servicing activities, acknowledged the benefits through implementation of cellular manufacturing techniques. Discusses about the methodology of best possible ceil formation through rank order clustering method for the attainment of lean manufacturing concepts. A critical analysis is made regarding the manufacturing process of the rotary blower production line. To assist the hassle free implementation of minimum possible material movement in the plant at different points of production line, the formed cells are analyzed with an existing production plan. The entire layout is redrawn for the proposed modification. A detailed database is prepared in order to investigate the performance criteria of the minimum possible material movement through weighted travel of materials throughout the plant, The incidence matrix in relation to the production plan in machine engagements is prepared to analyze the critical issues related to the material handling. Cellular manufacturing strategy is adopted for smooth operations of the manufacturing unit and for the better work in process inventory management.

4 tables, 5 ref

018958   Peyada N K;Ghosh A K (Aerospace Engineering Dep, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur-208 016, Email: nkpeyada@gmail.com) : Longitudinal aerodynamic parameter estimation using neural network and Gauss-Newton method. J Aerospace Sci Technol 2009, 61(2), 295-304.

A new parameter estimation method based upon Feed Forward Neural Network is proposed. The proposed method utilizes the universal mapping capability of Feed Forward Neural Network to develop flight dynamic model of aircraft. Gauss-Newton method is used to obtain values of aerodynamic parameters by minimizing a chosen error cost function. The method has then been validated using flight data pertaining to longitudinal dynamics of aircraft. Proof of match approach has been followed to verify the estimated model by the proposed method. The results obtained using the proposed method have also been compared with those obtained using wind tunnel tests, and Filter Error method. Unlike, most of the conventional methods, the proposed method does not require a priori description of the model. It also bypasses the requirement of solving the equations of motion. This feature may have special significance in handling flight data of an unstable aircraft. 

8 illus, 1 table, 22 ref

018957   Paul R C;Asokan P;Jerald J (Production Engineering Dep, National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli-620 015) : Multi-objective facility layout problem using particle swarm optimization. J Instn Engrs-Pt PR 2008, 89(Sep), 30-5.

Facility layout problems are intriguing combinatorial problems that involve determining the location and shape of various departments in a factory based upon inter-department volume and distance measures. Most of the solution methodologies used in the literature were mathematical approaches and heuristics. It is also found that these approaches have their own limitations, such as, size of the problem and computation time. The proposed solution methodology seeks to overcome these limitations. Metaheuristics are unique in nature and they were found to be successful in solving several multi-objective optimization problems, such as, machining and scheduling. The most popular technique particle swarm optimization has been employed and has been proved to be better in solving and benchmarked layout problems.

3 illus, 5 tables, 13 ref

018956   Pandian S S;Devaradjane G (Automobile Engineering Dep, K L N College of Engineering, Tamilnadu) : Theoretical and experimental investigation of the performance of vegetable oil operated CL engine. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 46-52.

A theoretical model was developed to evaluate the performance, characteristics and combustion parameters of vegetable oil esters like Jatropha, Mahua and Neem oil esters. The predicted results of these fuels were compared with the result of diesel fuel. The vegetable oil esters were produced by transesterification method. A four zone model based on the existing two zone model was developed to predict the pressures, various zone temperatures and volumes at various crank angle positions. The combustion characteristics and performance parameters such as heat release, heat transfer, work done, mean effective pressure, thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption and power were predicted for different vegetable oil esters for various injection timing and load. From the predicted results, it was found that the heat release and work done were reduced to about 4% for Jatropha, 6% for Mahua and 8% for Neem oil esters when compared to the diesel. The experimental work was carried out in a single cylinder computerized diesel engine test rig which develops 5.2 kW at 1500 rpm and loaded by eddy current dynamometer at various engine conditions. There was a slight drop in the values of pressure, thermal efficiency, power and mean effective pressure for vegetable oil esters when compared to the diesel. However, specific fuel consumption showed an increase in nature. From the investigation, it was concluded that performance of vegetable oil esters such as Jatropha, Mahua and Neem oil esters were in good agreement with diesel performance. Thus the developed model was highly compatible for simulation work with bio diesel as a suitable alternative fuel instead of diesel.

15 illus, 8 ref

018955   Nibaidi N;Tripathy D P (Mining Engineering Dep, PNG Univ of Technology, LAE, Morobe Province, 411, Papua New Guinea) : Open cut copper mining at OK tedi mining limited: a status report. Indian Min Engng J 2008, 47(6), 19-27.

Presents a synoptic overview of the mining practices at Ok Tedi Mining Limited (OTML), a world class open cut copper mine located in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. It also describes the geology, computerized truck dispatching system, environmental problems, milling and operational constraints faced at Ok Tedi copper mine succinctly.

10 illus, 1 table, 15 ref

018954   Navaneethakrishnan P;Srinivasan P S S; Dhandapani S (Mechanical Engineering Dep, Kongu Engineering College, Perundurai, Erode-638 052) : Effect of flow guide in commercial shop display cabinet. J Instn Engrs-Pt MC 2009, 89(Jan), 18-22.

The CFD analysis of flow and temperature distribution in display cabinets used in bakery shop, to keep the foodstuffs warm, was attempted in the work by using finite volume technique. The display cabinet was modelled as a two-dimensional unsteady state natural convection heat transfer problem. The temperature distribution inside the cabinet was affected by number of parameters. Out of many parameters, flow guide was an important parameter. Flow guide for hot air movement was arranged in three different arrangements. Effects of the flow guide arrangement at 1000 W input power was investigated using numerical and experimental methods. The measurements were made over a period of 150 minutes with foodstuffs. About 7°C-13°C variations among foodstuffs placed at various locations were observed. The numerical and experimental results had good agreement both in magnitude and trend.

9 illus, 18 ref