• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.259-277
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• 2017

Adsorption is a widely used technique for the removal of dyes from wastewaters by variety of adsorbents. In this work, the main focus is on the potential assessment of anion exchange membrane for the removal of different dyes using batch system and investigation of experimental data by applying various kinetic and thermodynamic models. The removal of anionic dyes i.e., Eosin-B, Eriochrome Black-T and Congo Red by anion exchange membrane BII from aqueous solution was carried out and effect of various parameters such as contact time, membrane dosage, temperature and ionic strength on the percentage removal of anionic dyes was studied. The experimental data was assessed by kinetic models namely pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, Elovich liquid film diffusion, Bangham and the modified Freundlich models equation have been used to analyze the experimental data. These results indicate that the adsorption of these anionic dyes on BII follows pseudo-second-order kinetics with maximum values of regression coefficient (0.992-0.998) for all the systems. The adsorption of dyes was more suitable to be controlled by a liquid film diffusion mechanism. The adsorptive removal of dye Eosin-B and Eriochrome Black-T were decreased with temperature and thermodynamic parameters such as free energy (${\Delta}G^o$), enthalpy (${\Delta}H^o$) and entropy (${\Delta}S^o$) for adsorption of dyes on membrane BII were calculated at 298 K, 308 K and 318 K. The values of enthalpy and entropy were negative for EB and EBT representing that the adsorption of these dyes on BII is physiosorptive and exothermic in nature. Whereas the positive values of enthalpy and entropy for CR adsorption on BII, indicating that its adsorption is endothermic and spontaneous in nature. It is evident from this study that anion exchange membrane has shown good potential for the removal of dyes from aqueous solution and it can be used as adsorbent for dues removal on commercial levels.

• Ocean Systems Engineering
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.179-193
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• 2017

Dynamic response analysis of offshore triceratops with stiffened buoyant legs under impact and non-impact waves is presented. Triceratops is relatively new-generation complaint platform being explored in the recent past for its suitability in ultra-deep waters. Buoyant legs support the deck through ball joints, which partially isolate the deck by not transferring rotation from legs to the deck. Buoyant legs are interconnected using equally spaced stiffeners, inducing more integral action in dispersing the encountered wave loads. Two typical nonlinear waves under very high sea state are used to simulate impact and non-impact waves. Parameters of JONSWAP spectrum are chosen to produce waves with high vertical and horizontal asymmetries. Impact waves are simulated by steep, front asymmetric waves while non-impact waves are simulated using Stokes nonlinear irregular waves. Based on the numerical analyses presented, it is seen that the platform experiences both steady state (springing) and transient response (ringing) of high amplitudes. Response of the deck shows significant reduction in rotational degrees-of-freedom due to isolation offered by ball joints. Weak-asymmetric waves, resulting in non-impact waves cause steady state response. Beat phenomenon is noticed in almost all degrees-of-freedom but values in sway, roll and yaw are considerably low as angle of incidence is zero degrees. Impact waves cause response in higher frequencies; bursting nature of pitch response is a clear manifestation of the effect of impact waves on buoyant legs. Non-impact waves cause response similar to that of a beating phenomenon in all active degrees-of-freedom, which otherwise would not be present under normal loading. Power spectral density plots show energy content of response for a wide bandwidth of frequencies, indicating an alarming behaviour apart from being highly nonlinear. Heave, being one of the stiff degrees-of-freedom is triggered under non-impact waves, which resulted in tether tension variation under non-impact waves as well. Reduced deck response aids functional requirements of triceratops even under impact and non-impact waves. Stiffened group of buoyant legs enable a monolithic behaviour, enhancing stiffness in vertical plane.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.65-84
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• 2020

The potential use of Sargassum boveanum algae for the removal of uranium from aqueous solution has been studied by varying three independent parameters (pH, initial uranium ion concentration, S. boveanum dosage) using a central composite design (CCD) under response surface methodology (RSM). Batch mode experiments were performed in 20 experimental runs to determine the maximum metal adsorption capacity. In CCD design, the quantitative relationship between different levels of these parameters and heavy metal uptake (q) were used to work out the optimized levels of these parameters. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) of the proposed quadratic model revealed that this model was highly significant (R² = 0.9940). The best set required 2.81 as initial pH(on the base of design of experiments method), 1.01 g/L S. boveanum and 418.92 mg/L uranium ion concentration within 180 min of contact time to show an optimum uranium uptake of 255 mg/g biomass. The biosorption process was also evaluated by Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin and Dubinin-Radushkevich isotherm models represented that the experimental data fitted to the Langmuir isotherm model of a suitable degree and showed the maximum uptake capacity of 500 mg/g. FTIR and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the biosorbent and implied that the functional groups (carboxyl, sulfate, carbonyl and amine) were responsible for the biosorption of uranium from aqueous solution. In conclusion, the present study showed that S. boveanum could be a promising biosorbent for the removal of uranium pollutants from aqueous solutions.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.96-102
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of a training program using virtual reality on the balance and lower muscular strength of Parkinson's disease patients. Methods: The study included 22 patients with Parkinson's disease who were arbitrarily classified into 2 groups: 11 patients in the experimental group and 11 patients in the control group. Balance was measured with the Berg balance scale (BBS), the functional reach test (FRT), one-leg stance test (OLST), and the timed up and go test (TUG); whereas, lower muscular strength was measured with the sit-to-stand test (STS). Ping-Pong, bowling, and tennis were selected for virtual reality training for the experimental group, and were performed for 30 minutes 3 times a week for 8 weeks. The control group did not undergo any of the virtual reality training programs. Results: A significant difference was observed in the BBS, FRT, OLST, TUG, and STS results within the experimental group that underwent the virtual reality training program. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed in the BBS, FRT, OLST, TUG, and STS values within the control groups. Conclusion: In conclusion, the virtual reality training program positively affects the balance and lower muscular strength in Parkinson's disease patients. This result indicates the possibility of application of the virtual reality training program to the management for Parkinson's disease patients, and highlights the need for the development and application of more efficient virtual reality training programs in the future.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2014

Rail-mounted cranes can be easily damaged by a sudden gust of wind while working at a running speed, due to the large mass and high barycenter positions. In current designs, working rail-mounted cranes mainly depend on wheel braking torques to resist large wind load. Regular brakes, however, cannot satisfactorily stop the crane, which induces safety issues of cranes and hence leads to frequent crane accidents, especially in sudden gusts of wind. Therefore, it is necessary and important to study the braking performance of working rail mounted cranes under wind load. In this study, a simplified mechanical model was built to simulate the working rail mounted gantry crane, and dynamic analysis of the model was carried out to deduce braking performance equations that reflect the qualitative relations among braking time, braking distance, wind load, and braking torque. It was shown that, under constant braking torque, there existed inflection points on the curves of braking time and distance versus windforce. Both the braking time and the distance increased sharply when wind load exceeded the inflection point value, referred to as the threshold windforce. The braking performance of a 300 ton shipbuilding gantry crane was modeled and analyzed using multibody dynamics software ADAMS. The simulation results were fitted by quadratic curves to show the changes of braking time and distance versus windforce under various mount of braking torques. The threshold windforce could be obtained theoretically by taking derivative of fitted curves. Based on the fitted functional relationship between threshold windforce and braking torque, theoretical basis are provided to ensure a safe and rational design for crane wind-resistant braking systems.

• Advances in environmental research
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.127-137
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• 2017

Cotton is the major fiber crop in Pakistan that accounts for 2% of total national gross domestic product (GDP). After picking of cotton, the dry stalks are major organic waste that has no fate except burning to cook food in villages. Present research focuses use of cotton stalks as feedstock for biochar production, its characterization and effects on soil characteristics. Dry cotton stalks collected from agricultural field of Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan were combusted under anaerobic conditions at $450^{\circ}C$. The physicochemical analysis of biochar and cotton stalks show higher values of % total carbon, phosphorus and potassium concentrations in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The concentration of nitrogen was decreased in biochar. Similarly biochar had greater values of fixed carbon that suggest its role for carbon sequestration and as a soil amendment. The fourier transformation infrared spectroscopic spectra (FTIR) of cotton stalks and biochar exposed more acidic groups in biochar as compared to cotton stalks. The newly developed functional groups in biochar have vital role in increasing surface properties, cation exchange capacity, and water holding capacity, and are responsible for heavy metal remediation in contaminated soil. In a further test, results show increase in the water holding capacity and nutrient retention by a sandy soil amended with biochar. It is concluded that cotton stalks can be effectively used to prepare biochar.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.11 no.4
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• pp.257-274
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• 2020

There are many previous review articles are available to summarize either the characterization methods of effluent organic matter (EfOM) or the individual control treatment options. However, there has been no attempt made to compare in parallel the physicochemical treatment options that target the removal of EfOM from biological treatments. This review deals with the recent progress on the characterization of EfOM and the novel technologies developed for EfOM treatment. Based on the publications after 2010, the advantages and the limitations of several popularly used analytical tools are discussed for EfOM characterization, which include UV-visible and fluorescence spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), size exclusion chromatography (SEC), and Fourier transform-ion cyclotron resonance-mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS). It is a recent trend to combine an SEC system with various types of detectors, because it can successfully track the chemical/functional composition of EfOM, which varies across a continuum of different molecular sizes. FT-ICR-MS is the most powerful tool to detect EfOM at molecular levels. However, it is noted that this method has rarely been utilized to understand the changes of EfOM in pre-treatment or post-treatment systems. Although membrane filtration is still the preferred method to treat EfOM before its discharge due to its high separation selectivity, the minimum requirements for additional chemicals, the ease of scaling up, and the continuous operation, recent advances in ion exchange and advanced oxidation processes are greatly noteworthy. Recent progress in the non-membrane technologies, which are based on novel materials, are expected to enhance the removal efficiency of EfOM and even make it feasible to selectively remove undesirable fractions/compounds from bulk EfOM.

• Advances in concrete construction
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.393-402
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• 2020

The given research focuses on examining the effect of relatively humidity (RH) and curing temperature on the hydrates as well as the porosity of calcium sulfoaluminate (CSA) cement pastes. Numerous tests, which consist of mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP), thermosgravi metric (TG) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were conducted. Various characterization techniques which include, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform microscopy along with X-ray diffraction evaluations were conducted on the samples to examine phase formation and crystallinity, morphology and microstructure along with bond formations and functional groups, respectively. During long-term study, the performance of concrete which consisted of limestone and flash-calcined was close to those from standard Portland cement concrete. Traditional classifications and methods of corrosion were widely used for the assessment of steel in concrete which may get employed to concrete which contains LC3 to recalibrate the range of polarization resistance for passitivity condition. For example, there is up to 79.5% and 146% respective flexural and compressive strengths. Moreover, they developed more advance electrical and thermo-mechanical performance with a substantial reduction in absorption of water of close to 400%. These advantages allow this research crucial to evaluate how these methods can be applied. Additionally, the research evaluates developed and more advanced cement preservation and repair techniques. The conclusion suggests concerted efforts by various stakeholders such as policy makers to enable low-carbon rates.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.615-636
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• 2014

Aluminium Foam Sandwich (AFS) panels are becoming always more attractive in transportation applications thanks to the excellent combination of mechanical properties, high strength and stiffness, with functional ones, thermo-acoustic isolation and vibration damping. These properties strongly depend on the density of the foam, the morphology of the pores, the type (open or closed cells) and the size of the gas bubbles enclosed in the solid material. In this paper, the vibrational performances of two classes of sandwich panels with an Alulight(R) foam core are studied. Experimental tests, in terms of frequency response function and modal analysis, are performed in order to investigate the effect of different percentage of porosity in the foam, as well as the effect of the random distribution of the gas bubbles. Experimental results are used as a reference for developing numerical models using finite element approach. Firstly, a sensitivity analysis is performed in order to obtain a limit-but-bounded dynamic response, modelling the foam core as a homogeneous one. The experimental-numerical correlation is evaluated in terms of natural frequencies and mode shapes. Afterwards, an update of the previous numerical model is presented, in which the core is not longer modelled as homogeneous. Mass and stiffness are randomly distributed in the core volume, exploring the space of the eigenvectors.

• Geomechanics and Engineering
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.417-439
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• 2017

The stone columns are increasingly being used as a soil improvement method for supporting a wide variety of structures (such as road embankment, buildings, storage tanks etc.) especially built on soft soil. Soil improvement by the stone column method overcomes the settlement problem and low stability. Nevertheless, stone column in very soft soils may not be functional due to insufficient lateral confinement. The required lateral confinement can be overcome by encasing the stone column with a suitable geosynthetic. Encasement of stone columns with geogrid is one of the ideal forms of improving the performance of stone columns. This paper presents the results of a series of experimental tests and numerical analysis to investigate the behavior of stone columns with and without geogrid encasement in soft clay deposits. A total of six small scale laboratory tests were carried out using circular footing with diameters of 0.05 m and 0.1 m. In addition, a well-known available software program called PLAXIS was used to numerical analysis, which was validated by the experimental tests. After good validation, detailed of parametric studies were performed. Different parameters such as bearing capacity of stone columns with and without geogrid encasement, stiffness of geogrid encasement, depth of encasement from ground level, diameter of stone columns, internal friction angle of crushed stone and lateral bulging of stone columns were analyzed. As a result of this study, stone column method can be used in the improvement of soft ground and clear development in the bearing capacity of the stone column occurs due to geogrid encasement. Moreover, the bearing capacity is effected from the diameter of the stone column, the angle of internal friction, rigidity of the encasement, and depth of encasement. Lateral bulging is minimized by geogrid encasement and effected from geogrid rigidity, depth of encasement and diameter of the stone column.