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Aims and Scope
Editorial Board

1. CFD model for ventilation assessment in poultry houses with different distribution of windows

Eva H. Guerra-Galdo¹, Salvador Calvet Sanz¹, Fernando Estellés Barber¹, P. Amparo López-Jiménez²

1 Institute of Animal Science and Technology, Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n. 46022 Valencia. Spain.

2 Hydraulic and Environmental Engineering Department. Universitat Politècnica de València. Camino de Vera s/n. 46022 Valencia. Spain.

Abstract: The design of structures for animal husbandry has energy and environmental implications. Particularly, the design of broiler houses should consider the comfort of animals in different situations, which is crucial for their proper development. Building geometry and distribution of fans and windows determine critically the ventilation flows and temperature distribution. The use of fluid analysis techniques can be of valuable help in the initial phases of the design of farms, because potential alternatives may be explored. In this study, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations were used to evaluate the ventilation and temperature distribution in three tunnel, mechanically ventilated broiler houses with identical geometry but different distribution of inlet windows and exhaust fans. The three distributions were: (1) Tunnel (fans at the end of the building); (2) Semitunnel (fans at the middle of the building); and (3) Improved Semitunnel (with improved window distribution). For each distribution, air velocity and temperature at the height of the broilers are evaluated at different outdoor conditions. The Index of Temperature and Velocity (ITV) was used as an indicator of animal comfort. Improved tunnel presented more homogeneous values of velocity and air temperature, with average velocity of 0.89 ± 0.30m.s-1 and average temperature of 23.37 ± 0.79ºC. This distribution had the highest comfort area considering air velocity and temperature (88.45% and 94.52% of the area, respectively). The lowest average ITV corresponded to tunnel type (23.24 ± 1.54ºC) but the highest proportion of comfort zone considering ITV (ITV less than 25) corresponded to the improved semitunnel (90.35% of the area). The three configurations maintained a productive environment of ITV. The simulation results were similar to the literature indications for velocities and temperatures at animal level.

Volume 6, Issue 5, 2015, pp.411-424.

2. Experimental study of non-rectangular piano key weir discharge coefficient

Saleh I. Khassaf¹, Mohamed B. Al-Baghdadi²

1 Civil Engineering Department, College of Engineering, University of Basrah, Basrah, Iraq.

2 Civil Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.

Abstract: Experimental investigation has been performed to understand the hydraulic behaviour of non-rectangular piano key weir where either the side wall angle or the side wall inclination angle is greater than zero. Five physical models were prepared: one standard type-A rectangular model, and four non-rectangular models designed in similar dimensions to the rectangular one. Tests were conducted in a 15m long, 0.3m wide and 0.45 m deep rectangular glass-walled experimental flume. Effects of side wall angle and side wall inclination angle on discharge coefficient were investigated, so that the head-discharge relationship for each model is achieved.  It was concluded that changing those angle to about 10° has negative effect on discharge capacity, while changing them around 5° can increase the capacity when appropriate change in the inlet and outlet keys widths ratio.

3. Classification of textures in satellite image with Gabor filters and a multi layer perceptron with back propagation algorithm obtaining high accuracy

Adriano Beluco¹, Paulo M. Engel², Alexandre Beluco³

1 Centro Estadual de Pesquisas em Sensoriamento Remoto e Meteorologia (CEPSRM), Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.

2 Curso de Pós graduação em Ciências da Computação, Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.

3 Instituto de Pesquisas Hidráulicas (IPH), Universidade Federal Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Abstract: The classification of images, in many cases, is applied to identify an alphanumeric string, a facial expression or any other characteristic. In the case of satellite images is necessary to classify all the pixels of the image. This article describes a supervised classification method for remote sensing images that integrates the importance of attributes in selecting features with the efficiency of artificial neural networks in the classification process, resulting in high accuracy for real images. The method consists of a texture segmentation based on Gabor filtering followed by an image classification itself with an application of a multi layer artificial neural network with a back propagation algorithm. The method was first applied to a synthetic image, like training, and then applied to a satellite image. Some results of experiments are presented in detail and discussed. The application of the method to the synthetic image resulted in the identification of 89.05% of the pixels of the image, while applying to the satellite image resulted in the identification of 85.15% of the pixels. The result for the satellite image can be considered a result of high accuracy.

4. Evaluation of manning’s coefficient of ferrocement trapezoidal and semicircle canals strengthened by CFRP sheets

Hayder T. Nimnim, Batool A. Farhan

Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Kufa, Najaf, Iraq.

Abstract: This study investigates the hydraulic principle of ferrocement canals strengthened by CFRP sheets, and evaluates the effect of CFRP sheets on the hydraulic principle of the flow, especially on Manning roughness coefficient with different shape of canal section, discharges and slopes. The present study is conducted by using twelve specimens of ferrocement open canals, six of these have trapezoidal shape and residual specimens have semicircle shape. Trapezoidal canals have the same cross-section, 39.23cm bottom width, 35cm depth, 60˚ side slope, 2.5cm thickness and the length is 160cm for ferrocement trapezoidal canal depending on the best hydraulic section for trapezoidal canal. And for semicircle canal, 70 cm diameter. All canals were 2.5cm thickness and have length 160cm. In the first part of experimental work, every group of canals is linked together to be two flumes with length (9.6m) to find the Manning roughness coefficient for trapezoidal and semicircle ferrocement canals. Three different cases of linked canals are investigated (without CFRP, with 5 strips of CFRP and with 15 strips of CFRP). Each case has three slopes (1/480, 1/320 and 1/240) and each slope conducted five discharges (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) l/sec. From experimental data for ferrocement trapezoidal canal, it was found that at slopes of (1/480, 1/320 and 1/240) the Manning roughness coefficient (n) is decreased by about (4.6%, 4.5% and 5%) respectively in second case, and it is decreased about (15.3%, 15.14% and 14.56%) respectively in third case at the maximum discharge. And from experimental data for ferrocement semicircle canal, it was found that at slopes of (1/480, 1/320 and 1/240) the Manning roughness coefficient (n) is decreased by about (5.2%, 4.7% and 5.04%) respectively in second case, and it is decreased about (16.23%, 16.76% and 16.27%) respectively in third case at the maximum discharge.

5. Experimental and theoretical research of zero head innovative horizontal axis archimedean screw turbines

Alkistis Stergiopoulou^1,2, Vassilios Stergiopoulos³, Efrossini Kalkani¹

1 National Technical University of Athens, Department of Water Resources and Environmental Engineering, School of Civil Engineering, 15780 Athens, Greece.

2 University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Institute for Water Management, Hydrology and  Hydraulic Engineering, Muthgasse 18, A-1190 Vienna, Austria.

3 School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, Department of Civil Engineering Educators, ASPETE Campus, Eirini Station, N.Heraklio, 14121 Athens, Greece.

Abstract: The first aim of this paper is to present data concerning the design, construction, installation and operation of the first in the world Horizontal Axis Archimedean Screw Turbine (H.A.A.S.T.), having a length L=1m, diameters (output and input) Do=200mm and Di=100mm, a pitch S=200mm and a number of blades n=3. This horizontal screw could rotated horizontally and change direction (Δθ = 100^o), forming an upstream angle of 50^o with its initial position and a downstream angle of 50^o with its initial position. The second aim of the paper is to present experimental results of the operation in a big hydraulic channel under various controlled conditions, simulating the operation of the physical conditions of rivers, open channels, etc. The third aim of the paper is to present a series of theoretical performance prediction results based on various S1/S2 algorithms and Linear Actuator Disk simulations.

6. H₂S removal from biogas using bioreactors: a review

E. Dumont

L’UNAM Université, École des Mines de Nantes, CNRS, GEPEA, UMR 6144, La Chantrerie, 4 rue Alfred Kastler, B.P. 20722, 44307 Nantes Cedex 3, France.

Abstract: This review aims to provide an overview of the bioprocesses used for the removal of H₂S from biogas. The ability of aerobic and anoxic bioreactors (biotrickling filters, bioscrubbers, and a combination of chemical scrubbers and bioreactors) to perform the degradation of H₂S is considered. For each operating mode (aerobic and anoxic), the bioprocesses are presented, the operating conditions affecting performance are summarized, the state of the art of research studies is described and commercial applications are given. At laboratory-scale, whatever their operating mode, biological processes are effective for biogas cleaning and provide the same performance. The clogging of the packed bed due to the deposit of elemental sulfur S0 and biomass accumulation clearly represents the main drawback of bioprocesses. Although elimination capacities (EC) determined at laboratory-scale can be very high, EC should not be higher than 90 g m-3 h-1 at industrial-scale in order to limit clogging effects. For aerobic processes, the need to control the oxygen mass transfer accurately remains a key issue for their development at full-scale. As a result, the aerobic processes alone are probably not the most suitable bioprocesses for the treatment of biogas highly loaded with H₂S. For anaerobic bioprocesses using nitrate as an electron acceptor, the scale-up of the laboratory process to a full-size plant remains a challenge. However, the use of wastewater from treatment plants, which constitutes a cheap source of nitrates, represents an interesting opportunity for the development of innovative bioprocesses enabling the simultaneous removal of H₂S and nitrates.

7. Experimental investigation for powder reinforcement effect on mechanical properties and natural frequency of isotropic hyper composite plate with various boundary conditions

Abdulkareem Abdulrazzaq Alhumdany¹, Muhannad Al-Waily², Mohammed Hussein Kadhim¹

1 Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering, Karbala University, Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, Karbala, Iraq.

2 Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Al-Kufa University, Ministry of Higher Education & Scientific Research, Najaf, Iraq.

Abstract: In this research eleven samples of composite plate materials was made with different volume fraction of the components to produce an isotropic hyper composite materials composed of three materials, epoxy resin and two reinforcements: short glass fiber and glass powder. The composite structure was studied to estimate the mechanical properties (modulus of elasticity, modulus of rigidity, and Poisson’s ratio) and the natural frequency experimentally. The experimental procedure includes the tensile test machine with the load capacity (0-540KN) and vibration test machine. The effect of volume fraction for different aspect ratios of plate were studied with six boundary conditions (Simply supported along all edges (SSSS), Simply-Free Support Edges (SSFF), Clamped-Free Support Three Edges (CFFF), Simply-Clamped Supported Edges (SSCC), Clamped-Free Supported Edges (CCFF), and Clamped Support along all edges (CCCC). The results showed that the modulus of elasticity of hyper composite of short glass fiber and glass powder reinforcement and epoxy resin material was increased with the increase of short fiber volume fraction. But the yield stress was decreased with the increase of powder volume fraction of hyper composite material. The natural frequency of isotropic hyper composite materials plate was increased with the increase of short fiber volume fraction were the volume fraction of short fiber (40%) at samples 4 and 8, maximum natural frequency had occur. It was observed that the natural frequency for aspect ratio (AR=1) was higher than that for aspect ratio (AR=1.5). The Experimental mechanical properties and natural frequency of composite plate with various volume fraction results are compare with results of other researcher and the comparison shown the good agreement between presented results and results of research, Muhannad Al-Waily [7], where, the maximum error of mechanical properties compared about (8.77%) and maximum error for natural frequency compared about (10.48%).

8. Finite-time exergoeconomic performance of a generalized irreversible Carnot heat engine with complex heat transfer law

Jun Li^1,2,3,  Lingen Chen^1,2,3,  Yanlin Ge^1,2,3, Fengrui Sun^1,2,3

1 Institute of Thermal Science and Power Engineering, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033.

2 Military Key Laboratory for Naval Ship Power Engineering, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033.

3 College of Power Engineering, Naval University of Engineering, Wuhan 430033, China.

Abstract: The finite time exergoeconomic performance of the generalized irreversible Carnot heat engine with the losses of heat resistance, heat leakage and internal irreversibility, and with a complex heat transfer law, including generalized convective heat transfer law and generalized radiative heat transfer law, is investigated in this paper. The focus of this paper is to obtain the compromised optimization between economics (profit) and the energy utilization factor (efficiency) for the generalized irreversible Carnot heat engine, by searching the optimum efficiency at maximum profit, which is termed as the finite time exergoeconomic performance bound. The obtained results include those obtained in many literatures and can provide some theoretical guidelines for the design of practical heat engines.