Sharif Digital Repository

This paper is concerned with the Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP) in a fleet with customer loyalty. In this work, we consider priority for customers according to their loyalty and try to declare an objective function which concerns customers' satisfaction along other normal VRP objectives like route optimization  

Optical Wireless Communication is believed to have a great potential in establishing point to point connection and have attracted an unexpected growth in research , applications and market. Furthermore, Optical wireless systems have recently emerged as a new means of communication, especially in places where electromagnetic interferences is of utmost concern such as in passenger planes and hospitals and in other communications applications where cost could is of concern. In this thesis we build upon previously introduced wireless optical code-division multiple –access communication. In the context of an OCDMA system we begin our study by considering synchronization circuit via a... 

The type of consumers’ perceptions of brands is a key factor in establishing long-term business-consumer relationships. As a result, building strong brand perceptions is a principal priority for companies today. Research in brand image has long been one of the main areas in marketing research, because it plays a vital role in building brand equity. Concerning the rise in the number of product categories and the number of similar brands, firms have felt a need to know their brand images among competing brands from the consumer’ s point of view in order to invest in their brands and approach their brand images to the consumer’ s preferable image. Because of the fact that the brand image... 

In this research, path planning in unknown environment is considered. It is assumed that the robot’s sensors are the only tools to collect information from the scene. Volume of the information gathered from the environment depends on the capability of the sensor. So, a detour from the optimal path is unavoidable. In this research, the basic robot is equipped with a minimal sensing system that only detects the iscontinuities in depth information (gaps). We present some online search strategies that guide such a robot to navigate unknown streets from a start point s to reach a target point t. Then, we empower the robot by adding a compass to patrol more general classes of polygons. We present... 

This thesis concerns the modeling of precipitation processes aimed at predicting product particle characteristics especially particle size distribution. A mixing-precipitation model (based on SFM) linked to the population balance is used for a single-feed semi-batch precipitation process to describe the mixing effects on the final particle-size distribution (PSD) and mean size, considering the agglomeration mechanism. The model describes mixing on two zones: the feed and bulk zone with different levels of super saturation. To solve a full population balance equation containing nucleation, growth and agglomeration, discretization method was performed witch is more accurate and low... 

The aim of this study is the fabrication of 3D porous PCL scaffolds contain core-shell fibers for cartilage tissue engineering. The novel fabrication method is co-axial wet electrospinning simultaneously. These tablets like scaffolds have superior porosity and pore sizes for cell culturing and cell-cell interaction as they have good mechanical properties for cartilage tissue engineering in comparison to 2D electrospun scaffolds. The structure of these 3D scaffolds is mimicking the ECM of cartilage. This study presents the coaxial electrospinning of PCL nanofibers encapsulated with bovine serum albumin and platelet rich plasma for demonstration of controlled release and bioactivity retention,... 

This dissertation documents the study of Omni-max anchor, and the development of a computational procedure and its application to the analysis of OMNI-MAX anchor behavior under mooring loads. An OMNI-MAX anchor is an offshore anchor designed and developed in recent years, to overcome the uncertainty in the capacity of ordinary offshore anchors.In the process of this research to understand the capacity and mechanisms in which the anchor carries applied loads, the contribution of different parts of the anchor to the total capacity of the anchor is estimated using classical soil mechanics. Then, due to the failure of the used approach to model the dynamic behavior of the anchor and to better... 

It is widely recognized today that excess moisture in pavement layers, when combined with heavy truck traffic and moisture-susceptible materials, can reduce the service life. Temperatures below freezing can also contribute to durability problems of saturated materials. A major objective in pavement design is to keep the base, subbase, subgrade, and other susceptible paving materials from becoming saturated or even being exposed to constant high moisture levels over time. The use of subsurface drainage has gained popularity over the past two decades, and many pavement agencies now routinely specify drainable pavement structures to reduce moisture-related problems in avements. In this... 

Early failure of pavement is one of the most important problems. As the research conclusions in Iran, Non-conformancity is the most important cause of this problem.Quality management system, Audits and expert systems are the solutions. This research provides an Audit system for quality management system of batch-type asphalt plants as the preliminary solution.A state survey conducted and useful part of state programs had been considered. After developing software, The system functionality has been tested  

Magnetic resonance imaging is one of non-invasive methods to measure the hemodynamic and morphologic parameters of tissues, especially brain tissues. Hemodynamic parameters monitoring in brain tissue is of significant importance in many majors such as detection of tumor occurrence, brain abnormalities, and track of treatment procedures. Blood is a suspension, comprised of plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells, platelet, etc. Plasma is a Newtonian fluid which is composed of proteins and has a constant viscosity in body temperature. Rheological properties of blood are highly dependent on mechanical and rheological properties of its cells and this dependence is multiplied in narrow vessels... 

Asphalt concrete is a heterogeneous and multi-phase material that consists of aggregates, asphalt binder, and pores. These components create a complex microstructure. There is no consensus on how to quantify the microstructure and the required parameters from two-dimensional images. The load transfer can be managed by aggregate-aggregate or aggregate-mastic interactions that depend on the gradation, aggregate internal structure, and asphalt binder viscoelastic properties. The most important internal structure indices affecting the behavior of HMA are aggregate orientation, contact orientation, contact length, and number of contact points. In this research, the influence of aggregate... 

The theory of nonlocal gravity is a classical modification of Einstein’s general relativity, that explores nonlocal effects of gravity by putting aside the locality postulate, or the assumption that the non-inertial observer is equivalent to an inertial observer with the same speed at each instant of time. In this research we explore the local limit of this theory, or in other words, we consider nonlocality with only a short-term memory, with the goal of calculating the effects of nonlocality on cosmology in mind. We calculate these effects that are formulated inspired by the effects of materials in electrodynamics, on a homogenous universe in the local limit. We also reproduce the theory of... 

In this piece of work, a gravity model is suggested as Iranian non-fuel export model to OIC countries. The most important results out of this model are the acquired coefficients of two variables, namely “ECO membership” and “Economic and Trade Freedom of Importer”. At first, we expected that for importer, being a member of ECO would increase the amount of trade with iran. Surprisingly, this is not what we see in a model. In fact, as ECO has not achieved any tangible success in increasing trade between its members, eastern Asian Muslim countries has become an important trade partner for iranians. This result is compatible with other pieces of researches about ECO. “Economic and Trade Freedom... 

Today’s growing interest to the underwater explorations and navigations demands to design appropriate underwater communication methods and systems. However, radio frequencies which are widely being used in free space communications, can’t be a good candidate for underwater wireless communications, due to their sever attenuation in water. On the other hand, underwater acoustic communication has been widely studied and implemented in the past decades, inspired by suitable propagation of acoustic waves through the underwater medium. Nevertheless, acoustic communication systems have limited bandwidth, lower propagation speed and lower security than optical counterparts, which suggests underwater... 

Visible light communication (VLC) uses huge license-free spectral bandwidth of visible light for high-speed wireless communication. Since each VLC access point covers a small area, handovers of mobile users are inevitable. In order to deal with these handovers, developing fast and effective resource allocation algorithms is a challenge. this paper introduces the problem of mobility-aware optimization of resources in hybrid VLC and 5G radio access technologies networks using the T-step look-ahead policy and employing the notion of handover efficiency. It is shown that the handover efficiency can correlate the overall performance of the network with future actions based on the mobility of... 

In present research, a cohesive based finite element model has been introduced to estimate median crack depth during mechanical machining on optical glasses. Development of the machining numerical model has been initiated by investigating the indentation process. Experimental results of this step have been calibrated primary numerical model which has been used in the scratch process. Due to differences between the scratch mechanism and indentation one, mathematical bases fracture formulas and cohesive relations have been developed. After extracting primary result, using them in the scratch model and developing the primary model, ultimately numerical model has been evolved to an abstract... 

Hydrothermal supercritical method is one of the most suitable methods for metal oxide nano powder, ceramics and mineral catalyst synthesis. Metal oxides nanopowder in its pure or mixed form has wide potential application as chemical industrial catalyst, hot Superconductors, magnetic material, gas sensors and car catalyst convertors. One of the most important metal oxides aspects of application is uranium oxide as nuclear reactor fuel is used. In addition, UO2 is selective catalyst for converting methane to methanol process and Decomposition of organic Chlorine material. In Supercritical hydrothermal method done in high pressure reactor with critical to fluid, is new method for the... 

Lithium has 9 isotopes which two isotopes are stable and remaining isotopes are unstable and have half-life. Lithium stable isotopes include 6Li and 7Li that their abundance is 7.53% and 92.47% respectively. Importance of lighter lithium isotope appears for its small cross section against thermal neutron and producing fusion reactors fuel in nuclear industries. Thermal neutron absorption cross section for 6Li and 7Li are 950 barn and 37 mbarn respectively. Interesting of these isotopes in nuclear industry is due to the large difference in the absorption cross section.6Li compounds implied for tritium producing in coat of nuclear fusion reactor with DT fuel. Following tritium is used in...