In the present study, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) with outside diameters of< 8 nm and 20−30 nm were covalently functionalized with β-Alanine using a novel synthesis procedure. The functionalization process was proved successful using Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, and TEM. Utilizing the two-step method with ultrasonication, the MWCNTs treated with β-Alanine (Ala-MWCNTs) with weight concentrations of 0.025%, 0.05%, 0.075%, and 0.1% were dispersed in distilled water to prepare water-based nanofluids. The aqueous colloidal dispersions of pristine MWCNTs were unstable. While for Ala-MWCNTs and after> 50 days from preparation, higher colloidal stability was obtained up to relative concentration of 0.955 and 0.939 for the 0.075-wt% samples of Ala-MWCNTs < 8 nm and Ala-MWCNTs 20−30 nm, respectively. The measured values of thermal conductivity were in very good agreement with the model of Nan, Birringer, Clarke and Gleiter and increased as temperature, specific surface area (SSA), and weight concentration increased, up to 14.74% for Ala- MWCNTs < 8 nm and 12.29% for Ala-MWCNTs 20−30 nm. The viscosity increased as weight concentration increased, up 25.69% for 0.1-wt% Ala-MWCNTs 20−30 nm, and decreased with the increase in temperature. Since the matching between the measured values of viscosity and the classical models of Batchelor, Brinkman, and Einstein was bad, a correlation was developed and revealed good agreement. The density and specific heat decreased as temperature increased. As weight concentration increased, the density slightly increased up to 0.065% for Ala-MWCNT < 8 nm while the specific heat decreased down to 0.95% for Ala-MWCNTs 20−30 nm, in comparison with water. The equations of (Pak and Cho) and (Xuan and Roetzel) were in good agreement with the measured values of density and specific heat, respectively. The aqueous colloidal dispersions of Ala-MWCNTs that were prepared in this work displayed robust candidature as successful substitutes for the conventional heat transfer fluids in different engineering applications for enhanced thermal performance.
A comparison between the resistance capacity of a single pile excited by two opposite rotary machines embedded in dry and saturated sandy soil was considered experimentally. A small-scale physical model was manufactured to accomplish the experimental work in the laboratory. The physical model consists of: two small motors supplied with eccentric mass 0·012 kg and eccentric distance 20 mm representing the two opposite rotary machines, an aluminum shaft with 20 mm in diameter as the pile, and a steel plate with dimensions of (160 × 160 × 20 mm) as a pile cap. The experimental work was achieved taking the following parameters into consideration, pile embedment depth ratio (L/d; length to diameter) and operating freq
... Show MorePolyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are a group of aromatic compounds that contain at least two rings. These compounds are found naturally in petroleum products and are considered the most prevalent pollutants in the environment. The lack of microorganism capable of degrading some PAHs led to their accumulation in the environment which usually causes major health problems as many of these compounds are known carcinogens. Xanthene is one of the small PAHs which has three rings. Many xanthene derivatives are useful dyes that are used for dyeing wood and cosmetic articles. However, several studies have illustrated that these compounds have toxic and carcinogenic effects. The first step of the bacterial degradation of xanthene is conducted by d
... Show MoreDoxorubicin (DOX) is an efficient antineoplastic agent with a broad antitumor spectrum; however, doxorubicin-associated cardiotoxic adverse effect through oxidative damage and apoptosis limits its clinical application. Cafestol (Caf) is a naturally occurring diterpene in unfiltered coffee with unique antioxidant, antimutagenic, and anti-inflammatory activities by activating the Nrf2 pathway. The present study aimed to investigate the potential chemoprotective effect of cafestol on DOX-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. Wistar albino rats of both sexes were administered cafestol (5 mg/kg/day) for 14 consecutive days by oral gavage alone or with doxorubicin which was injected as a single dose (15 mg/kg intraperitoneally at day 14) to i
... Show MoreThe earth-air heat exchanger (EHX) has a promising potential to passively save the energy consumption of traditional air conditioning systems while maintaining a high degree of indoor comfort. The use of EHX systems for air conditioning in commercial and industrial settings offers several environmental benefits and is capable of operating in both standalone and hybrid modes. This study tests the performance and effectiveness of an EHX design in a sandy soil area in Baghdad, Iraq. The area has a climate of the subtropical semi-humid type. Ambient air temperatures and soil temperatures were recorded throughout the months of 2021. During the months of January and June, the temperatures of the inlet and outflow air at varying air veloci
... Show MoreCatalytic reduction is considered an effective approach for the reduction of toxic organic pollutants from the environment, but finding an active catalyst is still a big challenge. Herein, Ag decorated CeO2 catalyst was synthesized through polyol reduction method and applied for catalytic reduction (conversion) of 4-nitrophenol (4-NP) to 4-aminophenol (4-AP). The Ag decorated CeO2 catalyst displayed an outstanding reduction activity with 99% conversion of 4-NP in 5 min with a 0.61 min−1 reaction rate (k). A number of structural characterization techniques were executed to investigate the influence of Ag on CeO2 and its effect on the catalytic conversion of 4-NP. The outstanding catalytic performances of the Ag-CeO2 catalyst can be assigne
... Show MoreExcessive water production is a persistent challenge in oil and gas wells, with polymer and gel solutions commonly employed for water control. This study investigates the rheological behaviour of cross-linked polyacrylamide gels and their impact on water shutoff treatment in gas wells. Rheological measurements, coreflooding experiments using Berea sandstone samples, and micromodel flow visualizations were conducted to evaluate gel performance. Results showed that during water injection, the water residual resistance factor ( Frrw ) decreases with increasing flow rates, mainly due to gel shear thinning behaviour and reduced residual gas saturation. Higher polymer concentrations in the gel enhance water permeability reduction. In contrast, un
... Show MoreKurdistan power system is expanded along years ago. The electrical power is transmitted through long transmission lines. The main problem of transmission lines is active and reactive power losses. It is important to solve this issue, unless, the most of electrical energy will lost over transmission system. In this study, High Voltage Direct Current links/bipolar connection were connected in a power system to reduce the power losses. The 132kV, 50 Hz, 36 buses Kurdistan power system is used as a study case. The load flow analysis was implemented by using ETAP.16 program in which Newton-Raphson method for three cases. The results show that the losses are reduced after inserted HVDC links.
This paper presents a novel inverse kinematics solution for robotic arm based on artificial neural network (ANN) architecture. The motion of robotic arm is controlled by the kinematics of ANN. A new artificial neural network approach for inverse kinematics is proposed. The novelty of the proposed ANN is the inclusion of the feedback of current joint angles configuration of robotic arm as well as the desired position and orientation in the input pattern of neural network, while the traditional ANN has only the desired position and orientation of the end effector in the input pattern of neural network. In this paper, a six DOF Denso robotic arm with a gripper is controlled by ANN. The comprehensive experimental results proved the appl
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