Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 110-116

Abstract: Diabetes mellitus is a disease which needs constant and continued attention. The treatment of diabetes is patient specific and extreme care and caution is necessary for effective monitoring. The amount of insulin to be given to patients should be exact to their needs for obtaining the best results. The proposed system calculates the insulin required by using patient blood glucose levels and weight using fuzzy analysis. This quantity of insulin can be delivered to the patient using an insulin pump. The process has been simulated in LabVIEW. The insulin levels can be sent to the doctor by online access. It has been implemented and tested using each of the three different protocols web publishing, TCP-IP and datasocket connections separately. The doctor can advise further treatment and also suggest changes to the insulin quantity according to current glucose levels. The patient can also post questions for doctor consultation.

Abstract: To successfully simulate the anaerobic metabolic process of Indigenous Microbial Enhanced Oil Recovery (IMEOR) and reduce the risk of practice test, a new mathematical model was established for porous flow field-microbial field coupling in anaerobic metabolic process according to the study on anaerobic microbe chain composed of fermentative bacteria, nitrate reducing bacteria, sulfate reducing bacteria and methanogen, and the solution of this model was given. The effect of IMEOR in anaerobic metabolic process relies on the regulation of microbe community. Equations about porous flow field affected by microbe in the model not only elaborate the impacts of microbe and three primary metabolic products (bio-surfactant, bio-polymer, bio-gas) on physical parameters, but also reflect the main mechanisms (emulsification, profile modification and viscosity reduction) for microbial enhanced oil recovery. Equations in microbial field influenced by fluid flow could indicate the substance distribution decided by fluid flow and the collaborative metabolism relationship on biological chain formed by microbe community. The coupling of porous flow field and microbial field should be solved together. The model supplies theoretical basis for the study on IMEOR mathematical model software.

Abstract: This work presented new irradiation technique to estimate the impact of radon's progeny deposition on the human blood surface on some blood diseases, using CR-39Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs). The results show that the present design has good efficiency and the loss rate of radon concentration was a little. Amount of the loss of radon concentration during the process of mixing blood component did not affect on the efficiency of exposure technique. Therefore, method of mixing blood component process was successful. As well as, human blood exposure to radon gas (2210±5.1Bq/m³) make thrombocytopenia, and no effect on red blood cell. And rate of radon absorbed dose into the human blood samples is high at 20 minutes.

Abstract: This study presents the development of a drug delivery system using iontophoresis for alopecia treatment. A alopecia is a medical description which means loss of hair from the body. To treat this condition, the drugs for alopecia treatment need to be delivered into the scalp. Therefore, iontophoresis was used in a portable drug delivery system to enhance the penetration of the drug delivery. The designed system consisted of a drug container, iontophoresis circuit board and rechargeable battery. According to the results, the iontophoresis circuit board performed well along with the designed drug delivery system.

Abstract: Facilitating the alteration of the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of variety of drugs, nanoparticles are sort of particulate systems with the potential to minimize their ill-effects and increase the therapeutic benefit of the drug molecules in the human body. These particles deliver the drug at a specific target and help to keep the drug intact in the systemic circulation. According to previous studies, drug delivery system via nanoparticles has application in treatment of tuberculosis. With the understanding of chemotherapy in tuberculosis, the article highlights the considerable potential of nanoparticles in the treatment for MDR tuberculosis. We would also like discuss briefly on nanoDN`A-Biosensors through this article.

Abstract: The gas turbine cycle either as an individual power production cycle or as a part of yet another cycle, is one of the most common industrials till now which, has been ever evaluated and analyzed. In the present research, this cycle has been modeled individually along with a pre-heater and a compressor at two stages with the objective to maximize the exergic efficiency and in the meantime decreasing the costs and environmental pollution. In addition, the isentropic turbine efficiency, the isentropic compressor efficiency, the ratio of the total pressure of the cycle, and the percentage of extra air has been defined as the design variables. Two objective functions are evaluated to be optimized by the genetic algorithm using the Pareto fitness approach as the determining comparison function. Finally, the exergo-economic coefficient of the related components and the amount of their exergy destruction and cost, at the optimum point, has been compared.

Abstract: This paper presents a case study of Weibull and Hargreaves methods used to determine the wind speed characteristic and solar radiation pattern in Perlis the northern part of Peninsular Malaysia. These two methods are then used to analyze the data of wind and solar that recorded using Davis Vantage Pro2 Weather Station. This paper also discusses the correlation of these two methods in determining the wind and solar energy. Through this case study, this paper conclude that these methods is highly recommended to determine and analyze the potential of wind and solar energy.

Abstract: Solar energy systems have emerged as a viable source of renewable energy over the past two or three decades, and are now widely used for a variety of industrial and domestic applications. This paper shows the potential system benefits of simple tracking solar system using a stepper motor and light sensor. This method is increasing power collection efficiency by developing a device that tracks the sun to keep the panel at a right angle to its rays. Such systems are based on a solar collector, designed to collect the sun’s energy and to convert it into either electrical power or thermal energy The output power produced by high-concentration solar thermal and photovoltaic systems is directly related to the amount of solar energy acquired by the system, and it is therefore necessary to track the sun’s position with a high degree of accuracy. The power developed in such applications depends fundamentally upon the amount of solar energy captured by the collector, and thus the problem of developing tracking schemes capable of following the trajectory of the sun throughout the course of the day on a year-round basis has received significant coverage in the literature. A solar tracking system is designed, implemented and experimentally tested. The design details and the experimental results are incorporated in this paper.

Abstract: Recently, attention has been given to water shortage in Iran; especially in areas such as the province of Yazd, which has arid and semi-arid climate and is located in the central plateaus of Iran. In these situations, re-using sewage is one of the ways we can overcome the problem of water shortage. In order to combat the issue of water shortage and protect the environment, the Yazd combined cycle power plant has applied the effluent of the hygienic sewage treatment system (the active sludge system with extended aeration modification) for irrigation, which is the aim of this study. Studies show that every worker of this power plant uses 85 liter of water and produces 30 liter of hygienic sewage in every work shift. According to experiments that have been carried out on samples of raw sewage, pH, BOD₅, COD and TSS were found in 6.9 , 306.45mg/l, 595.85mg/l, 376.35mg/l, respectively. The amounts of the same parameters were 7, 65.80mg/l, 139.1mg/l, 34mg/l in the samples exiting treatment system, which are in accordance with Iran Department of Environment standards and with the irrigation criteria either. The system efficiency in eliminating some parameters is as follows, 76 % COD, 78% BOD₅ and 90 % of TSS. The most important effluent parameters in respect to irrigation water standards are SAR, Cl¯ and EC that have been measured in 6.15meq/l, 10meq/l and 1.882 µ mohs/cm, respectively. Based on comparisons between these amounts and the Wilcox diagram, the treated sewage is categorized as medium according to the quality of water used for irrigation. So it has been used to irrigate the green space within the ambit of the Yazd combined cycle power plant.

Abstract: Intensified agriculture in response to the growing population has led to excessive nutrient discharges to natural waters causing environmental problems in the form of eutrophication and its associated risks. Treatment options for this adverse effect include removal and recovery of soluble phosphorus by chemical precipitation, biological uptake, and struvite crystallisation. Chemical precipitation is the most common method due to its simplicity, but the chemical requirements can be prohibitive and the removed phosphorus is less reusable. Biological uptake requires less chemicals but the process is complex and prone to seasonal variations. Phosphorus removal and recovery from wastewater by struvite crystallisation is an attractive option since the crystallisation process converts phosphorus into struvite crystals, i.e. phosphate minerals which have proved to be good fertilizer, hence potentially reduces fertilizer production and the subsequent greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, struvite crystallisation helps prevent scaling of wastewater treatment facilities. A number of struvite crystallisation projects utilising primarily agricultural wastewater is already operational at industrial scale.