Sharif Digital Repository

Thin-layer drying characteristics of pistachio nuts were determined experimentally as a function of temperature, relative humidity and air velocity. Six mathematical models (Page model, modified Page model, exponential model, diffusion model, two term exponential model and Thompson model) for describing the thin-layer drying behavior of pistachio nuts were investigated. Tests were conducted using four air temperatures (25, 40, 55 and 70 °C), three air velocities (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 m/s) and two levels of relative humidity (5% and 20%) and three replications for each treatment. Out of the six models considered, Page model was found to be the most suitable for describing the drying behavior of... 

Using YBa 2Cu 3O 7-δ (YBCO) thin films, pulsed laser deposited on 1-mm-thick LaAlO 3 or SrTiO 3 substrates, we made 4 × 1 pixel arrays of transition edge bolometers with separations between neighboring pixels ranging from 40 μm to 170 μm for testing purposes. We investigated the effects of the YBCO film thickness (200 and 400 nm), substrate material, and back-etching of the substrate, on the crosstalk between the pixels of the arrays. The investigation was based on the analysis of the voltage response of the dc current biased bolometers versus the modulation frequency of a near-infrared laser source. We observed that the bolometer arrays made of 400-nm-thick films had less interpixel thermal... 

Advanced gas turbine cycles use advanced blade cooling technologies to reach high turbine inlet temperature. Accurate modeling and optimization of these cycles depend on blade cooling model. In this study, different models have been used to simulate gas turbine performance. The first model is the continuous model and the second is stage-by-stage model with alternative methods for calculating coolant, stagnation pressure loss and SPR. Variation of specific heat and enthalpy with temperature are included in both models. The composition of gas stream in turbine is changed step by step due to air cooling. These models are validated by two case study gas turbine results, which show good agreement... 

Fine Fe1-xCox grains with various values of × have been grown via the borohydride method in the presence of different magnetic fields, H0. In this method, the presence of magnetic moments at the bcc lattice sites of iron causes the formation of acicular single domain grains with a nearly 0.2 μm length. The magnetic field, H0, sets the magnetic moment of SD grains parallel to each other and forms some chains of these particles. This is equivalent to the presence of an effective internal field that increases the remanent magnetization, Mr. From the SW model point of view, the remanent magnetization of sample is determined by Boltzman distribution function at the two minimum energies. In fact,... 

The reaction kinetics and chemical equilibrium of the reversible catalytic hydrolysis reaction of a methyl acetate to acetic acid and methanol using a strongly acidic ion exchange resin catalyst named Amberlyst 15 were studied. To investigate the different behavior of Amberlyst 15 in the adsorption of reactants and product species, the equilibrium behavior of binary non-reactive liquid mixtures, consisting of one reactant and one product were studied experimentally. The Langmuir model was used to describe the equilibrium condition, quantitatively. Then the employed model was compared with the more complicated thermodynamic models to describe the equilibrium between the catalytic polymer... 

Unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine (UDMH) is a strong propellant, which due to its very good physical properties and high power of repellency has been utilized as a liquid fuel for fighter jet engines for so many years. There are different methods for production of this material. One of the more efficient ones which results in higher yields compared to others is the catalytic hydrogenation of Nitroso Dimethylamine (NDMA). In this work hydrogenation of NDMA to UDMH on a 5% Pd/C in aqueous solution of NDMA was studied experimentally. Experiments were carried out in a Semi-batch three phase STR reactor under constant pressure and temperature in the range of 40 to 70°C, pressures of up to 15 bar... 

Stabilised titania sols were prepared using an additive free particulate sol-gel route, via electrostatic stabilisation mechanism, with various processing parameters. Peptisation temperature, 50°C and 70°C, and TiO2 concentration, 0.1, 0.2 and 0.4 molar, were chosen as processing parameters during sol preparation. Results from TiO2 particle size and zeta potential of sols revealed that the smallest titania hydrodynamic diameter (13 nm) and the highest zeta potential (47.7 mV) were obtained for the sol produced at the lower peptisation temperature of 50°C and lower TiO 2 concentration of 0.1 M. On the other hand, between the sols prepared at 70°C, smaller titania particles (20 nm) and higher... 

Different equations of state (EOSs) have been used to obtain analytical expressions for the ideal curves, namely, the Joule-Thomson inversion curve (JTIC), Boyle curve (BC), and Joule inversion curve (JIC). The selected EOSs are the Redlich-Kwong (RK), Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK), Deiters, linear isotherm regularity (LIR), modified LIR (MLIR), dense system equation of state (DSEOS), and van der Waals (vdW). Analytical expressions have been obtained for the JTIC and BC only by using the LIR, MLIR, and vdW equations of state. The expression obtained using the LIR is the simplest. The experimental data for the JTIC and the calculated points from the empirical EOSs for the BC are well fitted into... 

An instrumented die was used to investigate the behaviour of metal powders during cold (ambient temperature) and warm (up to 140°C) compaction. This instrument enables simultaneous measurement of density, die wall friction coefficient, the triaxial stresses acting on the powder during the course of compaction and ejection pressure. Commercial iron, titanium, aluminium, 316L stainless steel (SS) and aluminium-silicon powders were employed for investigation. The results demonstrated the advantages of powder preheating on the compaction behaviour of metal powders concerning green density, dimensional changes, frictional behaviour, ejection characteristics and compactibiiity. However, the... 

A mesophilic iron oxidizing bacterium, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, has been isolated (33 °C) from a typical, chalcopyrite concentrate of the Sarcheshmeh copper mine in the region of Kerman located in the south of Iran. In addition, a thermophilic iron oxidizing bacterium, Sulfobacillus, has been isolated (60 °C) from the sphalerite concentrate of Kooshk lead and zinc mine near the city of Yazd in the center point of Iran. Variation of pH, ferrous and ferric concentration on time and effects of some factors such as temperature, cell growth, initial ferrous concentration and pH on bioleaching of low-grade complex zinc-lead ore were investigated. The results obtained from bioleaching... 

In this study the thermal calcination of two materials, high purity zinc carbonate hydroxide and the Calsimin zinc carbonate concentrate have been investigated. Isothermal studies have been performed on samples at different temperatures and times. Non-isothermal analysis has been carried out by TGA and DSC. It has been found that the calcination behaviour of both materials corresponds to the shrinking core model. The activation energy for the calcination of zinc carbonate hydroxide is found to be 88.7 kJ/mol, and that for the Calsimin sample is 97.3 kJ/mol. © 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved  

In this report the important factors affecting the levitation melting of nickel are discussed. The relationship between the temperature of a levitated sample to factors such as coil design, gas flow rate, power input, and sample weight are studied. Different coil designs were investigated and compared. It was found that for satisfactory sustained levitation melting, the sample weight, depending on the material, must be within a particular range. Furthermore, increasing the power input would result in a decrease in the droplet temperature; and increasing the weight of the sample results in an increase in the temperature. The flow rate of a cooling gas has a reverse relationship to the... 

Investigation of air distribution and wind effect on a vehicle body from the point of view of underhood heat transfer effect and proper positioning of vehicle elements such cooler, condenser and engine configuration is an important area for engine researchers and manufacturers as well. In this research, the effect of air velocity distribution and wind effect around a vehicle is simulated and temperature and velocity distribution around engine block which is influenced by the wind effect is investigated. Thermal investigation of the engine compartment components is performed using results of underhood air temperature and velocity distribution. The heat transfer from engine surface is... 

In today's global economy, the automotive design engineer's responsibilities are made more complex by the differences between regulatory requirements of the various global markets. This paper compares instrument panel head impact requirements of FMVSS 201 with its European counterparts, ECE 21. The behavior during a head impact test has been studied. Due to the gravity of the cockpit module, the sag has been analyzed to simulate shipping, loading, and assembly conditions. The interior parts of the vehicle cabin are exposed to temperature variations due to radiation effect of sun ray or freezing temperature in winter. Plastic parts appear to be more thermally susceptible than steel parts in... 

This work presents the effect of co-sintering on the densification and microstructural evolution in the two-layer stepwise graded composite of INCONEL 718 and INCONEL 625 superalloys. A pressureless co-sintering method in conjunction with a powder layering technique was used. The sintering was carried out in solid state and liquid phase in temperature ranging from 1260 °C through 1300 °C for 60 minutes in a low pressure of an argon atmosphere. Nonisothermal sintering behavior was also examined by dilatometric analysis. Similarly, the sintering response of the individual layers was characterized. The results reveal an enhanced densification rate during co-sintering of the composite layers.... 

We determine thermal entanglement in mean-field clusters of N spin one-half particles interacting via the anisotropic Heisenberg interaction, with and without external magnetic field. For the xxx cluster in the absence of magnetic field we prove that only the N=2 ferromagnetic cluster shows entanglement. An external magnetic field B can only entangle xxx antiferromagnetic clusters in certain regions of the B-T plane. On the other hand, the xxz clusters of size N>2 are entangled only when the interaction is ferromagnetic. Detailed dependence of the entanglement on various parameters is investigated in each case. © 2006 The American Physical Society  

This paper presents the densification and microstructure of bilayer structures made from 316L and 17-4PH stainless steels powders during sintering. The requirements for such objects could be magnetic properties at one area of the part and non-magnetic properties at another area of the object. A pressureless solid state sintering method in conjunction with a powder layering technique was used. The sintering was carried out at temperatures ranging from 1100 to 1340 °C for 120 min in hydrogen and vacuum atmospheres. Non-isothermal sintering behavior was also examined by dilatometric analysis. It was found that the strain rate of 17-4PH stainless steel powder is higher than that of 316L during... 

In this study, hot rolling behavior of a low alloy steel in the dual-phase region is studied. The effects of various process parameters such as initial temperature, soaking time, rolling speed and the cooling conditions are investigated. Then, mechanical testing and microstructural studies are performed and the effects of process parameters are studied and finally the optimum rolling program is determined based on the achieved results. The results show that rolling speed significantly alters the final microstructures and mechanical properties. Higher rolling speed results higher volume fraction of ferrite phase. In addition, the optimum dual-phase microstructure for this steel can be... 

In this research, the properties of Dolomite Graphite refractories with different additives were evaluated. The samples were prepared with various amounts of Graphite and resin content. After preparation of the samples, the physical, mechanical properties, slag corrosion and thermal shock resistance were evaluated. The properties of the samples were evaluated up to 11% total Carbon (10% Graphite and 1% residual Carbon from resin) in the system. The reduction in MOR of the specimens, before and after heat treatment was measured, as a measure for the thermal shock resistance evaluation. The slag corrosion test was conducted based on the crucible test, at 1600°C for 5 hr. Then, the depth of... 

We studied the effect of target annealing temperature on optical and structural properties and composition of CdS thin films prepared by pulsed Nd:YAG laser. Deposited samples from annealed targets at 300 °C showed a mixed cubic and hexagonal structure, a band gap of about 2.56 eV and Cd/S ratio equal 1. This ratio increased to 2.40 and its band gap decreased to 2.46 eV when the sample was annealed at 500 °C for 1 h in air. However, films prepared from annealed targets at 500 °C became dark due to existence of polymorphous phase of CdO. Films changed to transparent yellow color with a hexagonal CdS structure and some peaks related to CdO after annealing above 250 °C in air. Its band gap...