Articles in This Issue
Abstract
Nanoparticles show mechanical, electrical, chemical and optical properties that are different and superior to bulk materials. In the present work, α-Alumina nanoparticles were synthesized using the nonorganic Sol-Gel method under controlled conditions. Because of the low cost of its raw materials, low manufacturing temperature and the high purity of the product, Sol-Gel method is the best in the manufacture of nanostructures like metal oxide nanoparticles. The precursor of the Sol-Gel process was aluminum nitrate with ethanol. The prepared nanopowder was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), electron dispersive spectroscope (EDS) and Malvern Zetasize analyzer.
Abstract
The flow control around the airfoil is widely investigated and utilized in the aircraft industry. The benefit of reducing the separation effect and its impact on the aerodynamic performance made the effort on this area is more desirable as this will impact to enhance the flight control as well as to reduce the fuel consumption during the flight. In this paper, the flow control using leading-edge blowing technique has been conducted for NACA0018 airfoil at Reynolds number 6.85 and 13.7 × 10 5 . A CFD analysis has been conducted to examine several flight parameters and blowing speed to explore the benefit of using the blowing in this wing section. The results indicate that the lift coefficient can be enhanced to be increased by 4-6% as compared with no blowing case. However, this increase ratio is affected by the operational Reynolds number and blowing ratio. Higher speed means less benefit from blowing within the limit of blowing ratio of 1. The benefit of using the blowing could come with an increase in the drag at some angle of attack. It is noticed that the blowing technique can generate positive pitching moment at lower angle of attack and can reduce the negative moment when the separation is happening at higher angle of attack. Also, the lesson learned in this paper is that the blowing benefit is more pronounced when the flight is under low Reynolds number environment.
Abstract
Modern life makes energy, and the source of it is very important. This renewable energy comes from the Earth-Air Heat Exchanger (EAHE) in the soil employed as an air conditioning device for buildings in the climate conditions in Basrah city, south of Iraq. In the present study, the EAHE buried in the soil is simulated numerically using the finite volume method with a soft package. ANSYS: Fluent 2021/R2. A parametric analysis was carried out to determine the effect of three depths ( Z = 1, 2, and 3 m), taking into account the physical properties of the soil in the area under study, which is in the city of Basrah in southern Iraq, at longitude 47.749° and latitude 30.568°, as well as the data and time of 1/6/2023 at 12 p.m., the diameter of the pipe ( D = 7.62, 10.16, and 15.24 cm), and different velocities ( v = 0.5, 1, and 1.5 m/s). The results are presented as a temperature contour and a velocity contour for the performance of EAHE. The important results showed that when the depth of the buried pipe decreases, the temperature of the air outlet and heat exchanger increases; when the diameter decreases, the air outlet temperature from the EAHE and the soil temperature decrease; when the length of the pipe is about 30 m, after this length, the decrease in temperature is very small; and the maximum temperature difference of about 10 °C between the ambient temperature and the outlet temperature of the EAHE was obtained at a depth of 3 m and a velocity of 1 m/s at a diameter of 7.62 cm.
Abstract
Surge pressure is the additional pressure created when pipes move downward, and swab pressure is the pressure reduction that occurs when pipes move upward. When pipes are raised, it can result in a decrease in the pressure at the bottom of the hole due to the influence of pressure. An investigation showed that surge pressure is important for the circulation loss problem produced by unstable processes in Management Pressure Drilling (MPD) actions. Trip margin is an increase of mud density for providing overbalance so as to recompense the swabbing effect through pulling out the pipes of hole. Through trip margin there is an increase in the hydrostatic pressure of mud that compensates for the reduction of bottom pressure due to stop pumping and/or swabbing effect while pulling pipe out of hole. This overview shows suggested mathematical/numerical models for simulating surge pressure problem inside the wellbore with adjustable cross-section parts. To run the analyzed models, input data such as fluid speed around the drill pipe, pipe movement speed, hole diameter, drill pipe diameter, and internal drill pipe diameter are required. These data can be obtained from the drilling rig website. Swab pressures and surge pressures have been the primary causes of wellbore instability and blowouts in the oil industry for many years, resulting in pressure changes. This review focused on the most important basic theories for calculating the optimal factors related to surge and swab pressures and then linking them to the most important programs for calculating them. One of the most important conclusions from this review is that the optimal speed must be determined for the lowering and raising of pipes, to prevent kick or losses.
Abstract
Vehicles usually consist of several essential systems. The performance of the vehicle is evaluated through the efficiency of these systems to perform their duties. The suspension system is one of these systems dedicated to absorbing shocks arising from vehicles passing over road bumps, thus reducing vibrations and achieving passenger comfort while driving. This paper presents a study on enhancing ride comfort in a nonlinear half-car model using a modified Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controller. In this study a half-car model is developed considering the nonlinearities in the suspension system components. A nonlinear half-car model was adopted to increase accuracy and make the overall system closer to reality. Instead of the feed-forward conventional PID controller gains, the proposed controller gains are formed by putting the proportional and derivative gains in the feedback path while keeping the integral gain in the feed-forward path to act as an I- PD controller. The proposed controller is integrated into the model to deal with these nonlinearities effectively and to achieve the optimal performance of the vehicle body. The overall system has been developed and simulated in the Matlab Simulink environment to show the dynamic response. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the I-PD controller in improving the ride comfort and handling stability of the nonlinear half-car model by reducing body acceleration and suspension deflection. A comparison with other study has been conducted to verify the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
Abstract
Van Kármán vortex street is considered an important phenomenon that accompanies fluid flow, especially when exposed to a certain barrier, as periodic vortexes occur on both sides of the body that rotate in two opposite directions. This phenomenon occurs in the atmosphere around mountains, oceans, seas, and islands. Also, this phenomenon makes it possible to induce a fluid flow around a specific body present in the flow path. In this study, a model for fluid flow around a cylinder of a certain diameter was taken, where the flow near the boundary layers of the cylinder surface moves slower than near the free stream. In addition, the pressure distribution was studied, and it was observed that there is a pressure gradient due to the difference in momentum at the surface of the cylinder in distant areas due to friction. The study area was divided into fine meshes with Fluent software, especially in the irregular areas. The simulation was implemented for Reynolds numbers Re = 100 and Re = 1500 for incompressible flows. Consequently, the equations that do not depend on pressure are difficult to solve. Therefore, methods linking pressure and velocity were adopted, where the pressure-velocity coupling simple method was used. The first-order forward difference scheme was adopted in representing the differential equations as a function of time when performing the simulation. From the steady state and upwards to Reynolds number Re = 100, it was observed that a twain of vortices appeared on the body at a certain speed range. When the state was changed from the stable state to the transitional state, the results changed, as the flow became asymmetric and unsteady due to vortex shedding phenomena, which led to the generation of vortexes in different ways. The U-Velocity curve was studied for two different cases, and the results showed a large discrepancy between the first order and the second order, where the second order had better behavior but required great effort to reach accurate results. Also, pressure-velocity was studied to satisfy mass conservation, and numerical techniques were used to c ompute the equations of Navier-Stokes in CFD, such as SIMPLEC, PISO, and SIMPLE. An acceptable convergence was not reached with the PISO; therefore, the SIMPLE method was adopted. The pressure gradient was drawn around the cylinder, where it was observed that the pressure was greatest at the front of the cylinder and its lowest value at the end.
Abstract
Monitoring the health of rotating machinery is essential to ensure system safety, achieve cost savings, and enhance overall reliability. The requirement for a reliable and clear method of identifying defects has prompted the development of several monitoring techniques. They utilize vibration, measurement of the motor's current signature, and acoustic emission data in the process of condition monitoring. The MFS (machinery fault simulator) equipment was used to determine bearing faults using vibration signal analysis. MFS conducts simulations and investigations of many bearing issues, including those occurring in the inner race, outer race, and balls. An accelerometer (type B & K 4366) was connected to a data acquisition device (IDAC-6C) to record vibration signals under different operating conditions. Furthermore, a tachometer equipped with an LCD display is employed to measure the rotational speed. Four types of defects in ball bearing (Koyo 1205C3 type) were studied, the slot in outer race with size 0.196 mm, the slot in inner race with size 0.191 mm, in ball with size 0.196 mm in additional to compound defect. In this paper, spectral correlation technique was employed to detect defects in ball bearings running at varying speed, along with spectral coherence and the corresponding Enhanced Envelope Spectrum (EES) in frequency-order domain and order-order domain. The results show that the adopted methods, that are used to analyze the real vibration signals for diagnosis the defected ball bearings, are suitable, accurate and less processing time for varying speed. The processing time of the FastACP method used to analyze the signals in order- order domain is less than that of the adopted method in the frequency-order domain for any defect type. Overall, using the FastACP method in the order-order domain significantly reduced processing time by approximately 27% compared to the adopted method in the frequency- order domain under varying speed conditions.
Abstract
Smart prostheses hands have seen vast advancement in recent years. Amputees with upper hand loss have better access to intelligent prostheses that help them with their daily life activities. Smart prostheses however are still in development and have a few disadvantages, such as being expensive, complex, require training and being error prone in some cases. In this paper a simple, cost effective, practical upper limb prosthetic device is proposed that uses pressure sensors to acquire the action intent from the amputees. The pressure sensor serves as input signal to the Control Unit (CU). Using a selector keyboard, the amputee can choose between five predefined movements. The advantages of the proposed system compared to other prostheses using EMG, EEG, Voice is design simplicity and cost. The approximate cost of the proposed prosthetic hand is less than 200$. In addition, some of the complexities and error prone properties of the other alternatives are avoided and less probability of use fatigue is achieved.
Abstract
In the realm of cryptography, the Substitution-box (S-box) is a critical component for enhancing the security of encryption algorithms. The inherent characteristics of Chaos, such as sensitivity to beginning conditions and unpredictability, make it a highly suitable choice for encryption applications. In this paper, proposed a method for generating S-Boxes using 3D chaotic maps algorithms including (Cat map, Henon map, Sine map, and Cosine map). The primary focus is on enhancing the security and efficiency of cryptographic systems by leveraging the inherent complexity and unpredictability of chaotic maps. The design methodology focuses on achieving high non-linearity, optimal avalanche effect, and Strict Avalanche Criterion ( SAC ), ensuring that minor changes in plaintext result in significant alterations in the ciphertext. Our study presents a detailed analysis of the generated S-Boxes, demonstrating their robustness against common cryptographic attacks. Key findings include significant improvements in nonlinearity, differential uniformity, and bijectivity compared to traditional methods. The test findings and performance analysis indicate that our proposed S-Box exhibits much lower values of Linear Probability ( LP ) and Differential Probability ( DP ), while maintaining a suitable average value of nonlinearity. Additionally, discussed the broader implications of our findings, emphasizing how the proposed method can be employed to produce high-quality analytical results that enhance the security measures of cryptographic applications. This work adds valuable context to existing research and highlights the potential for our model to outperform conventional S-Box generation techniques.
Abstract
Nowadays, it is crucial to assess power system contingencies resulting from line outages or generator failures, as they might cause breaches of system constraints. This is a vital part of ensuring the security of modern power supplies. Another hindrance to providing electricity to consumers is the increased system losses and voltage fluctuations resulting from increased demand and diminished power generation capacity. The DG connection is a crucial subject regarding these harmful consequences. This study is focused on clarifying the effect of distribution generators (DG) on mitigating congestion in electrical power transmission lines, minimizing power losses, and enhancing the voltage profile of the Iraqi national grid system. An optimization method is used to identify the optimal size and position based on fitness indicators such as voltage, power losses, and line congestion. The PSO algorithm is executed as proposed. The outcomes illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed technique for estimating the optimal size and placement of distributed generators (DG). At the same time, it reduces congestion and improves the voltage level of the bus. The proposed technique was implemented using the MATLAB/R2018a programming language.
Abstract
Solar power systems, also known as photovoltaic (PV) systems, are widely used as a clean and sustainable energy source worldwide. However, these systems can be affected by various factors that contribute to dust accumulation, which have been grouped into five categories: module characteristics, environmental factors, climatic conditions, exposure situations, and soiling properties. Dust accumulation can significantly impact photovoltaic modules' efficiency and power output, leading to a decrease in electricity generation. Airborne dust reduces the intensity of solar radiation by scattering and absorbing it, especially in hot and dry regions such as southern Iraq. This study provides an updated overview of the process of dust accumulation on photovoltaic modules south of Iraq. Moreover, it illustrates the methods used to measure dust accumulation and the performance of solar PV under soiling. Furthermore, it exemplifies the sources of the soiling generation. Additionally, it demonstrates the composition and size of dust particles. Finally, future research perspectives are discussed, and a thorough investigation of the impact of dust is suggested in all regions of Iraq and even in all countries of the world, especially those interested in clean energy. This research aims to understand the effect of dust soiling on PV performance. The outcome of this research will help design the PV module system while considering the most effective method to reduce or prevent dust accumulation in specific areas.
Abstract
Flaring systems used in oil production systems have a significant impact on both the economy and the environment as they discharge large quantities of burned gases of elevated temperature to the atmosphere that have the potential to be used in some applications. This study aims to investigate the economic losses incurred due to the combustion of gases not utilized in the Rumaila oil field in Basrah, the southern region of Iraq. Additionally, the potential to use flare gases for power generation and water desalination was studied. The mathematical models established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) were utilized in this study to estimate and calculate the expected losses and used MatLab Ver. R22 to get result. The result leads to expected annular economic losses to reach $ 347,735,700. Also, the flare gases can be used to produce electric power of 1175 MW per year, it can be used for producing desalinating water of 115,911,900 m 3 for thermal desalination and 173,867,850 m 3 for membrane desalination.
Abstract
Solar desalination uses solar radiation to convert saline or seawater into clean water and is increasingly crucial due to growing pollution from industrial and automotive sources. Although solar stills offer a sustainable solution, they face challenges in terms of production efficiency. This study presents a new structural design for solar stills, which incorporates advanced insulation materials, a well-designed distillate channel, and an inclined base to enhance productivity. The research explores how different climatic conditions such as wind speed, solar radiation, and atmospheric humidity affect solar still performance. Seven experimental setups were evaluated, comparing traditional inclined stills with advanced closed-loop systems. The results demonstrated that closed-loop systems improved productivity by 28.6% compared to open-loop systems. Additionally, moderate wind speeds increased productivity by 20.82%, while partial cloud cover and light rain decreased productivity by 52.15% and 12.9%, respectively. However, light rain also enhanced condensation efficiency by cooling the glass surface. This study highlights the importance of incorporating environmental factors into the design and optimization of solar still systems for improved performance.