The electrical and thermal performance of a typical single pass hybrid photovoltaic/thermal (PV/T) air collector is modeled, simulated and analyzed for two selected case studies in Iraq. An improved mathematical thermo-electrical model is derived in terms of design, operating and climatic parameters of the hybrid solar collector to evaluate its important characteristics: collector flow and heat removal factors, PV maximum power point and its temperature coefficient, and overall power and efficiency. Unlike previous PV/T thermal models, the present model is obtained with some additions and corrections in radiation and convection heat coefficients for the top loss and for the air duct with more applicable sky temperature correlation. The well

Rutting is a predominant distress in asphalt pavements, particularly in hot climatic regions. This study systematically investigated the high-temperature performance of hot mix asphalt modified with five nanomaterials, namely, nano-silica (NS), nano-alumina (NA), nano-titanium (NT), nano-zinc (NZ), and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), under consistent laboratory conditions. Modification dosages were selected up to 10% for NS, NA, and NT, and up to 5% for NZ and CNTs. The experimental methodology comprised the following: (i) binder rheological characterization through rotational viscosity, G*/sinδ, and multiple stress creep recovery (MSCR) to quantify rutting susceptibility; (ii) chemical and microstructural assessments using Fourier transf

Orthogonal polynomials and their moments serve as pivotal elements across various fields. Discrete Krawtchouk polynomials (DKraPs) are considered a versatile family of orthogonal polynomials and are widely used in different fields such as probability theory, signal processing, digital communications, and image processing. Various recurrence algorithms have been proposed so far to address the challenge of numerical instability for large values of orders and signal sizes. The computation of DKraP coefficients was typically computed using sequential algorithms, which are computationally extensive for large order values and polynomial sizes. To this end, this paper introduces a computationally efficient solution that utilizes the parall

The provision of openings in serviceable reinforced concrete beams may result in a substantial decline in the beam's capacity and integrity, indicating the necessity of opening strengthening. The present study investigates the experimental response of reinforced concrete T-beams with multiple web-strengthened openings disposed in shear span to static and impact loads. Fourteen RC T-beams were tested in two groups, each of seven beams. The first group was tested under static loading up to failure, while the second group was tested under repeated impact loading until the width of shear cracks reached 0.3 mm. The residual static strengths of the beams subjected to impact loading were then determined. The test variables considered were

     Water treatment plants play an important role in the purification and distribution of safe drinking water to the public. The present study focused on the performance assessment of the Al-Rasheed water treatment plant [ARWTP]. The main objectives of the assessment were to determine the efficiency of various plant units as well as the quality of inlet water from the Tigris River. Results obtained from the collected data indicated the presence of high concentrations of soluble nitrate and phosphate ions in the filtered water. The removal efficiency of alkalinity, EC, total hardness, SO₄, Cl, NO₃ and PO₄ were found to be (+11.05%), (-0.67%), (-29.33%), (-2.64%), (-6.25%), (-32.13%), and (0%) respecti

This study expands the state of the art in studies that assess torsional retrofit of reinforced concrete (RC) multi-cell box girders with carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) strips. The torsional behavior of non-damaged and pre-damaged RC multi-cell box girder specimens externally retrofitted by CFRP strips was investigated through a series of laboratory experiments. It was found that retrofitting the pre-damaged specimens with CFRP strips increased the ultimate torsional capacity by more than 50% as compared to the un-damaged specimens subjected to equivalent retrofitting. This indicated that the retrofit has been less effective for the girder specimen that did not develop distortion beforehand as a result of pre-loading. From

Acidizing is one of the most used stimulation techniques in the petroleum industry. Several reports have been issued on the difficulties encountered during the stimulation operation of the Ahdeb oil field, particularly in the development of the Mishrif reservoir, including the following: (1) high injection pressures make it difficult to inject acid into the reservoir formation, and (2) only a few acid jobs have been effective in Ahdeb oil wells, while the bulk of the others has been unsuccessful. The significant failure rate of oil well stimulation in this deposit necessitates more investigations. Thus, we carried out this experimental study to systematically investigate the influence of acid treatment on the geomechanical properties of Mi4

Computer vision seeks to mimic the human visual system and plays an essential role in artificial intelligence. It is based on different signal reprocessing techniques; therefore, developing efficient techniques becomes essential to achieving fast and reliable processing. Various signal preprocessing operations have been used for computer vision, including smoothing techniques, signal analyzing, resizing, sharpening, and enhancement, to reduce reluctant falsifications, segmentation, and image feature improvement. For example, to reduce the noise in a disturbed signal, smoothing kernels can be effectively used. This is achievedby convolving the distributed signal with smoothing kernels. In addition, orthogonal moments (OMs) are a cruc

Rutting has a significant impact on the pavements' performance. Rutting depth is often used as a parameter to assess the quality of pavements. The Asphalt Institute (AI) design method prescribes a maximum allowable rutting depth of 13mm, whereas the AASHTO design method stipulates a critical serviceability index of 2.5 which is equivalent to an average rutting depth of 15mm. In this research, static and repeated compression tests were performed to evaluate the permanent strain based on (1) the relationship between mix properties (asphalt content and type), and (2) testing temperature. The results indicated that the accumulated plastic strain was higher during the repeated load test than that during the static load tests. Notably, temperatur

Lacing reinforcement plays a critical role in the design and performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs by distributing the applied loads more evenly across the slab, ensuring that no specific area of the slab is overloaded. In this study, nine slabs, divided into three groups according to the investigated parameters, were meticulously designed and evaluated to study the interplay between the lacing reinforcement and other key parameters. Each slab was crafted for simple support and was subjected to both static and repeated two-point load tests. The lacing reinforcement had an angle of 45° with various tension and lacing steel. The repeated-tested specimens with lacing reinforcement experienced smaller ductility than those of s

Understanding how wing geometry and internal structural configuration influence vibration behavior is essential for ensuring the aeroelastic stability and structural integrity of modern aircraft. This study presents a comprehensive numerical investigation of the modal and deflection characteristics of aircraft wings with different geometries (symmetric tapered planform and swept-back) and spar configurations (box and I-section) using the finite element method (FEM) in ANSYS Mechanical APDL R.15. Six NACA airfoil profiles (0024, 2411, 2416, 2424, 4412, and 4421) with angle of attack 9° under 50 m/s speed and 1,100 kg pay load were analyzed under identical aerodynamic and material conditions using linear elasti

The effect of metal nanoparticles on the anaerobic digestion of sludge and the sludge bacterial community are still not well-understood, and both improvements and inhibitions have been reported. This study investigated the impact of 2, 10, and 30 mg/g TS silver and copper oxide nanoparticles (AgNPs and CuONPs) on the mesophilic anaerobic digestion of sludge and the bacterial community structure. The reactors were monitored for changes in tCOD, sCOD, TS, VS, biogas generation, and cell viability. Also, the relative abundance and taxonomic distribution of the bacterial communities were analyzed at the phylum and genus levels, including the genera involved in anaerobic digestion. Both AgNPs and CuONPs exhibited some inhibition on anaer

Lacing reinforcement plays a critical role in the design and performance of reinforced concrete (RC) slabs by distributing the applied loads more evenly across the slab, ensuring that no specific area of the slab is overloaded. In this study, nine slabs, divided into three groups according to the investigated parameters, were meticulously designed and evaluated to study the interplay between the lacing reinforcement and other key parameters. Each slab was crafted for simple support and was subjected to both static and repeated two-point load tests. The lacing reinforcement had an angle of 45° with various tension and lacing steel. The repeated-tested specimens with lacing reinforcement experienced smaller ductility than those of s