Sharif Digital Repository

The present study is focused on CFD simulation of constrained melting of Phase Change Materials (PCMs) in a spherical container. To investigate the melting process of the PCM, its melting fraction was analyzed at different times. The results indicated the existence of thermally stable layers on the top of the sphere. Moreover, inspection of the calculated temperatures at different points along the vertical axis indicates the existence of some disturbances at the bottom of the sphere due to the natural convection. After the validation of the results, the effects of different parameters such as the surface temperature of the capsule, the initial temperature and the size of the spherical... 

CFD simulation of cylindrical bubble column including air as dispersed phase and water as continuous phase operating in churn-turbulent flow regime with diameter of 0.49 m, height of 3.6 m and gas superficial velocity of 0.14 m/s have been conducted. All simulations have been carried out in a 2D axisymmetric, unsteady and Euler/Euler framework with the aid of commercial software FLUENT v. 14.5. Simulations were validated by our experimental results through residence time distribution (RTD) data. Effect of bubble size distribution at inlet on column hydrodynamic was investigated and results clearly showed that equilibrium bubble size distribution in most parts of column is independent of... 

Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes were prepared from blends of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) via phase inversion method induced by immersion precipitation. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) was used as pore former and hydrophilic polymeric additive. N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and water were used as solvent and coagulant (non-solvent), respectively. The effect of different concentrations of PVP on the morphology and performance of the prepared membranes was investigated. Performance of the membranes was evaluated based on pure water flux and filtration of buffered bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution. The contact angle measurements indicated that the hydrophilicity of... 

Recently, membrane fouling has been one of the most important issues in the field of membrane technology. In this regard, TiO2 nanoparticles blended with polymeric membranes have shown to improve fouling performance. In this study, a new PVDF/PAN/TiO2 ultrafiltration blend membrane was prepared via phase inversion by dispersing TiO2 nanoparticles in the PVDF/PAN casting solutions. The effect of different concentrations of TiO2 on the characteristics of membranes (i.e., morphology, hydrophilicity, permeation performance, and antifouling properties) was investigated. Results of scanning electron microscopy analysis showed the finger-like pores and macrovoids decrease due to the presence of... 

Ultrafiltration membranes were prepared from blend of the poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) with polyacrylonitrile (PAN) via phase inversion method induced by immersion precipitation. N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc) and water were used as solvent and coagulant (non-solvent), respectively. The effect of blending ratio on the morphology and antifouling behavior of the prepared membranes was investigated. The performance of the membranes was evaluated by using cross flow filtration of pure water and buffered bovine serum albumin (BSA) solution as feed. Contact angle measurements indicated that the hydrophilicities of the PVDF/PAN membranes increased by increasing PAN concentration in the casting... 

The soil slurry-sequencing bath reactor (SS-SBR) was studied to treat poorly graded sand with clay (SP-SC) contaminated by aged petroleum hydrocarbons and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with concentrations of 23000 mg/kg and 750 mg/kg respectively. An 8 L bioreactor was operated with a 10% solid concentration (0.1 kg dry soil/L slurry). The fill period was relatively instantaneous, and the draw period lasted approximately 1 minute so the react period comprised essentially the entire cycle time. In the draw period a fraction of slurry (10%) was removed from the SS-SBR weekly and it was replaced with untreated slurry. This volumetric replacement strategy provided 70 days hydraulic... 

In this paper, the transient motion of a three unit intelligent Pipe Inspection Gauge (PIG) while moving across anomalies and bends inside gas/oil pipeline has been investigated. The pipeline fluid has been considered as isothermal and compressible. In addition, the pipeline itself has also been considered to be flexible. The fluid continuity and momentum equations along with the 3D multi body dynamic equations of motion of the pig comprise a system of coupled dynamic differential equations which have been solved numerically. Pig's position and velocity profiles as well as upstream and downstream fluid's pressure waves are presented as simulation results which provide a better understanding... 

Graceful labeling is one of the best known labeling methods of graphs. Despite the large number of papers published on the subject of graph labeling, there are few particular techniques to be used by researchers to gracefully label graphs. In this paper, first a new approach based on the mathematical programming technique is presented to model the graceful labeling problem. Then a “branching method” is developed to solve the problem for special classes of graphs. Computational results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm for different classes of graphs. One of the interesting results of our model is in the class of trees. The largest tree known to be graceful has at most 27 vertices... 

Graceful labeling is one of the best known labeling methods of graphs. Despite the large number of papers published on the subject of graph labeling, there are few particular techniques to be used by researchers to gracefully label graphs. In this paper, first a new approach based on the mathematical programming technique is presented to model the graceful labeling problem. Then a “branching method” is developed to solve the problem for special classes of graphs. Computational results show the efficiency of the proposed algorithm for different classes of graphs. One of the interesting results of our model is in the class of trees. The largest tree known to be graceful has at most 27 vertices... 

Along with the rise in construction with 3D printing technology, 3D printed (3DP) structures also require weight reduction similar to conventional reinforcement concrete (RC) structures. In addition, the behaviour of this type of structure against fire needs to be investigated. The number of printed layers and the time gap between layers for the 3DP specimens were among the variables examined in the tests. The test results demonstrated that as the replacement percentage of natural sand (NS) with expanded perlite (EP) increased, at 25% volume of replacement the interlayer bond strength increased on average by 18.6%, while at the highest replacement level of 75%, decreased on average by 5.8%.... 

Water resources limitation in arid and semi arid regions on one hand and water demand increase on the other, have made the optimum utilization of existing water resources and systems necessary. In this context, researchers are trying to increase the accuracy and lag time of prediction by using various statistic and empirical models as well as different local and long-range variables in the last decades. Karoon River is the greatest and most important river in Iran because of agricultural water demand supply and hydroelectric power production. Therefore streamflow prediction of this river has considerable economical and social benefits. In this study the relationship between Karoon stramflow... 

In this research, an extended finite element model has been investigated. Investigation of opening and closure stress always has been one of the difficult parameters to analysis of results; therefore, the utilization of finite element methods would be a good and logical alternative for this purpose. In addition, linear elastic fracture criteria are used for validation of numerical results from the simulation. In this work, a detailed analysis of the influence of different parameters in the results of a specific specimen with a semi-elliptical tooling groove in terms of closure and opening stress is presented, and the impact of optimum element size in fracture characteristic in various load... 

The capability of backward extrusion (BE) method was assessed to achieve modified structures in AZ80 magnesium alloy. At first, 3D-Deform was employed to simulate the deformation flow through the deformed cup which gives an evidence from the flow behavior of the material. The material was processed via BE method at various temperatures of 250, 350, and 450 °C. Metallographic investigations were conducted in three different regions of the BE-processed cup (wall, bottom, and flow channel). The main feature observed at the wall of the BE cup was the presence of mechanical twins, the frequency of which was reduced by raising the process temperature. The flow localization in the form of shear... 

The capability of backward extrusion (BE) method was assessed to achieve modified structures in AZ80 magnesium alloy. At first, 3D-Deform was employed to simulate the deformation flow through the deformed cup which gives an evidence from the flow behavior of the material. The material was processed via BE method at various temperatures of 250, 350, and 450 °C. Metallographic investigations were conducted in three different regions of the BE-processed cup (wall, bottom, and flow channel). The main feature observed at the wall of the BE cup was the presence of mechanical twins, the frequency of which was reduced by raising the process temperature. The flow localization in the form of shear... 

Petroleum monoaromatics including benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylenes (BTEX) are among the notorious volatile organic compounds that contaminate water and soil. In this study, a surfactant- modified natural zeolite and its relevant granulated nanozeolites were evaluated as potential adsorbents for removal of petroleum monoaromatics from aqueous solutions. All experiments performed in batch mode at constant temperature of 20°C and pH of 6.8 for 48 h. The results revealed that the amount of BTEX uptake on granulated zeolites nanoparticles were remarkably higher than the parent micron size natural zeolite (in the order of four times). The isotherms data were analyzed using five models... 

The feasibility of a mesophilic anaerobic treatment of an alcohol distillery wastewater (beet molasses stillage) was studied in a 1300 I Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) reactor for a period of 180 days. The system was seeded with 600 L of mesophilic anaerobic sludge harvested from the bottom of a dairy anaerobic lagoon. Nutrients were added to acidified effluent and after adjusting the pH in an equalization tank, the system was fed with a diluted effluent containing COD in the range of 1000-11000 mg/L at 30°C. Initially, the system had an OLR of 1 kg COD m-3 d-1 and upflow velocity was maintained at 0.6 m/h (HRT= 6 h) throughout the study. A gradual increase in OLR, through increased... 

A cell migration numerical simulation is presented to mimic the motility of endothelial cells subjected to the concentration gradients of a Forebrain embryoniccortical neuron Conditioned Medium (CM). This factor was previously shflown to induce the directional chemotaxis of endothelial cells with an over-expressed G protein coupled receptor 124 (GPR 124). A cell simulator program incorporates basic elements of the cell cytoskeleton, including membrane, nucleus and cytoskeleton. The developed 2D cell model is capable of responding to concentration gradients of biochemical factors by changing the cytoskeleton arrangement. Random walk force, cell drag force and cell inertial effects are also... 

In this study a more precise formulation of electrical capacitance for a cylindrical capacitive sensor is reported. By using different theoretical models such as Coulomb law, Gauss law and Laplace equation the electrical capacitance is calculated. Based on the given models the relation between the capacitance and the geometrical parameters (e.g., cylindrical length) is formulated and by using suitable software capacitance variation is computed and compared for different methods. In Coulomb method, the electrical potential is first solved numerically by using Mathematica and then the electrical capacitance is computed. It is found that the active capacitor length is crucial parameter in the... 

Alkali-activated fly ash slag (AAFS) has emerged as a novel and environmentally sustainable construction material, garnering substantial attention due to its commendable mechanical attributes and minimal ecological footprint. This investigation delves into the influence of slag incorporation on the strength, pore structure, and transport characteristics of AAFS, encompassing various levels of fly ash replacement with slag. To assess the mechanical properties of AAFS concrete, unconfined compression and ultrasonic pulse velocity tests were conducted. Meanwhile, microstructural and mineralogical alterations were scrutinized through porosity, N2-adsorption/desorption, and SEM/EDX assessments....