Senior research Fellow at SGGS IE&T Nanded Maharashtra. Currently working on the Solar dryer. Supervisors: Dr. Prof. Vinod B Tungikar Phone: 7263026572 Address: Nanded
Abstract In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wol... more Abstract In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite (CaSiO3) micro-particles that are systematically introduced into an epoxy matrix for reinforcement purposes is evaluated and presented. Magnetic stirrer is used to achieve homogeneous dispersion of the micro-particles into epoxy resin. The influence of CaSiO3 particles on hardness, flexural strength and impact strength was investigated. It is found that incorporation of CaSiO3 particles yield an effective improvement of the epoxy resin with a micro-particle content of 1–2 wt%. Composites reinforced with these particles showed increase in mechanical properties when compared to neat epoxy resin. Further, thermal behavior of both, neat and filler reinforced composites has been studied by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), to reveal the thermal stability of composites. In addition, mathematical models for hardness, flexural strength and impact strength are developed using Minitab 17 software. The developed models revealed high degree of correlation between experimental and predicted values.
Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has sho... more Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has shown to be a practical and economically feasible approach. In this research paper, the performance analysis of indirect solar dryer was investigated. Using various heat-absorbing materials, heat can be stored in the form of internal energy during the day time, and same heat can be used in night conditions to get desired results as per requirements. The onion and garlic were dried in the indirect natural solar dryer under three different cases like conventional, granite with silica gel and nitrate salt (also called sodium nitrate salt: NaNO 3) with silica gel method. The mentioned heat storing material and desiccant material's effect on drying of onion and garlic were studied in each case. The relative humidity drop was observed around 1-2% due to silica gel. The maximum temperature achieved was 52.30°C in granite with silica gel case. Moisture content of the onion was reduced from 86% to 15% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel method. For onion drying, moisture content was reduced in case of conventional and granite with silica gel cases up to 25 and 18% respectively, in the same time period (24 h). Moisture content of garlic was reduced from 70 to 56% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel. For garlic drying, moisture content was reduced in conventional and granite with silica gel cases were from 70 to 60% and 70 to 57% respectively, in same time period (24 h). Hence the nutrients, color, and taste that are lost in the conventional method was preserved in the solar dryer. The experimental data were fitted for six different mathematical models. Statistical tools like root means square error, chi-square, and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the fitting curves. The logarithmic model showed the best-fitted model to describe the drying of onion and garlic.
Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has sho... more Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has shown to be a practical and economically feasible approach. In this research paper, the performance analysis of indirect solar dryer was investigated. Using various heat-absorbing materials, heat can be stored in the form of internal energy during the day time, and same heat can be used in night conditions to get desired results as per requirements. The onion and garlic were dried in the indirect natural solar dryer under three different cases like conventional, granite with silica gel and nitrate salt (also called sodium nitrate salt: NaNO 3) with silica gel method. The mentioned heat storing material and desiccant material's effect on drying of onion and garlic were studied in each case. The relative humidity drop was observed around 1-2% due to silica gel. The maximum temperature achieved was 52.30°C in granite with silica gel case. Moisture content of the onion was reduced from 86% to 15% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel method. For onion drying, moisture content was reduced in case of conventional and granite with silica gel cases up to 25 and 18% respectively, in the same time period (24 h). Moisture content of garlic was reduced from 70 to 56% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel. For garlic drying, moisture content was reduced in conventional and granite with silica gel cases were from 70 to 60% and 70 to 57% respectively, in same time period (24 h). Hence the nutrients, color, and taste that are lost in the conventional method was preserved in the solar dryer. The experimental data were fitted for six different mathematical models. Statistical tools like root means square error, chi-square, and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the fitting curves. The logarithmic model showed the best-fitted model to describe the drying of onion and garlic.
The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition ... more The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition of thermal energy. Dry bagasse is used as a thermal energy source in the traditional jaggery manufacturing process. Traditional methods of making jaggery have limitations in terms of energy loss due to poor combustion, energy loss via exhaust gases, and other losses related to the furnace wall. Additionally, burning bagasse pollutes the environment. To overcome these problems, the steam energy generated by the solar Scheffler system is used to power the jaggery-making process in this paper. The performance of a 16 m 2 Scheffler is evaluated to estimate the amount of jaggery produced and the production time. The experiment was carried out with a fixed amount of sugarcane juice, i.e., 2500 ml, under three different radiation conditions. Under maximum beam radiation conditions, i.e., 754 W/m 2 during the experiment, the receiver power and thermal energy efficiency are 5.2 kW and 63.5 %, respectively. The energy required to produce 1 kg of jaggery under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) is 285 W for 130 min. More precisely, 60 min for steam generation and 70 min. for jaggery production. Under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) with 63.5% receiver efficiency, this Scheffler system is capable of producing approximately 16.14 kg of jaggery in 130 min. of duration. The maximum amount of jaggery produced is clearly dependent on the receiver power available for steam generation, as evidenced by the summary of results obtained during the first, second, and third experiments.By improving the thermal efficiency of the receiver and reducing the amount of boiling power required, we can reduce the time required for the production of jaggery, also increasing the quantity of jaggery produced.
The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition ... more The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition of thermal energy. Dry bagasse is used as a thermal energy source in the traditional jaggery manufacturing process. Traditional methods of making jaggery have limitations in terms of energy loss due to poor combustion, energy loss via exhaust gases, and other losses related to the furnace wall. Additionally, burning bagasse pollutes the environment. To overcome these problems, the steam energy generated by the solar Scheffler system is used to power the jaggery-making process in this paper. The performance of a 16 m 2 Scheffler is evaluated to estimate the amount of jaggery produced and the production time. The experiment was carried out with a fixed amount of sugarcane juice, i.e., 2500 ml, under three different radiation conditions. Under maximum beam radiation conditions, i.e., 754 W/m 2 during the experiment, the receiver power and thermal energy efficiency are 5.2 kW and 63.5 %, respectively. The energy required to produce 1 kg of jaggery under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) is 285 W for 130 min. More precisely, 60 min for steam generation and 70 min. for jaggery production. Under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) with 63.5% receiver efficiency, this Scheffler system is capable of producing approximately 16.14 kg of jaggery in 130 min. of duration. The maximum amount of jaggery produced is clearly dependent on the receiver power available for steam generation, as evidenced by the summary of results obtained during the first, second, and third experiments.By improving the thermal efficiency of the receiver and reducing the amount of boiling power required, we can reduce the time required for the production of jaggery, also increasing the quantity of jaggery produced.
This paper summarizes fatigue test on high strength steel specimens in the as-welded condition an... more This paper summarizes fatigue test on high strength steel specimens in the as-welded condition and specimens treated by Shot peening. Results indicate that material strength has effect, to a certain extent, on the fatigue performance of Shot peening welded joints. High tensile weld residual stress is one important factor contributing to fatigue crack development even under reversal or compressive cyclic loadings. A compressive stress induced by Shot peening is beneficial by eliminating the tensile residual stresses and generating compressive residual stresses, which improves fatigue strength of welded structures. Internal stresses were investigated on five base metal samples treated by shot peening. The induced compressive residual stresses benefit to increase the threshold value of stress intensity factor range, for fatigue crack initiation and early propagation. Shot peening was successfully applied for increasing the fatigue life and corrosion resistance of welded elements, elimi...
All machines, vehicles and buildings are subjected to dynamic forces that cause vibration. Most p... more All machines, vehicles and buildings are subjected to dynamic forces that cause vibration. Most practical noise and vibration problems are related to resonance phenomena where the operational forces excite one or more modes of vibration. Modes of vibration that lie within the frequency range of the operational dynamic forces always represent potential problems. Mode shapes are the dominant motion of a structure at each of its natural or resonant frequencies. Modes are an inherent property of a structure and do not depend on the forces acting on it. On the other hand, operational deflection shapes do show the effects of forces or loads, and may contain contributions due to several modes of vibration. This Paper deals with optimization and modal analysis of the rear suspension arm used in motorbikes. Suspension arm has been modeled using CATIAV5, meshing will be done in HYPERMESH12.0, and ANSYS 15.0 will be used for post processing. Modal analysis will be performed. Optimization will ...
This paper presents an experimental investigation and mathematical modelling of turmeric blanchin... more This paper presents an experimental investigation and mathematical modelling of turmeric blanching and drying in the solar cabinet dryer (SCD) using solar thermal energy. Steam generated from the Scheffler system is used for turmeric blanching, and an average blanching efficiency obtained is 19.93%. Also, SCD used the steam generated from the Scheffler system for drying of turmeric, and the drying efficiency of SCD was found to be 1.62%. Further, turmeric dried in SCD without connecting it with the Scheffler system (without steam). The efficiency of SCD without steam is found to be 49.76%. Initial and final moisture content is calculated by measuring turmeric's weight at a regular interval of time. Turmeric's moisture content is reduced from 77% to 15% in open Sun drying (OSD) and the SCD when it is connected to steam and without steam. The time required for the drying in SCD with and without steam was 63.88% and 52.77% less than the open Sun-drying (OSD) process for the sam...
In the present scenario, agriculture products are processed (dried) in an open atmosphere. The ra... more In the present scenario, agriculture products are processed (dried) in an open atmosphere. The rate of drying is affected by environmental conditions such as relative humidity, temperature, and solar radiations. Under unfavorable weather conditions, the processing time may go beyond a week, which necessitates a requirement to design equipment to assist the drying process to reduce processing time. In this study, a steam-based heating system called as Steam Based Solar Dryer (SBSD) is designed and fabricated. Atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiations are the considered parameters. In order to evaluate the feasibility of equipment, pilot experiments were conducted and the efficiency of SBSD is found to be 29.56%. CFD analysis was performed to investigate the effect of non-uniformity of temperature inside the heating space. It was found that assumption of uniform temperature is not appropriate and non uniform temperature need be incorporated for realistic investigation. It is found that, there is a temperature variation in the SBSD experimentally and CFD analysis.
Metal matrix composites are composite materials in which nano or micro-sized particles as reinfor... more Metal matrix composites are composite materials in which nano or micro-sized particles as reinforcement mixed with other base metals. For producing the desired type of metal matrix composites, need to select an appropriate production method. In the present work, aluminum and silicon-carbide (Al-SiC) based metal matrix composites were prepared by stir casting method. A total of three specimens were prepared, i.e., 0, 2.5, and 5% by weight of Silicon-Carbide, respectively, in aluminum as a base metal. The wear behavior of the composites was analyzed pin on disc machine. Minitab TM software was used for the design of experiments (DoE) and ANOVA analysis. Hardness, compression, and density analysis were also carried out, showing different specimens' actual behavior under different conditions. The maximum value of wear loss is observed at two conditions: one for 0% type and another for 5% type. Minimum wear rate is found for 0% type of specimen for 50 N load and 500 m sliding distance. Maximum is at 0% type of specimen for 100 N load and 1500 m sliding distance. Minimum specific wear rate is found for 0% type of specimen at 150 N load for 2500 m sliding distance and maximum at 100 N load and 500 m sliding distance for 5% type of specimen. As the percentage of filler material (% of silicon-carbide) increases the hardness of material increases. The highest BHN found is 254 for 5% type of specimen. As the percentage of filler material increases, compressive strength increases
In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite... more In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite (CaSiO 3) micro-particles that are systematically introduced into an epoxy matrix for reinforcement purposes is evaluated and presented. Magnetic stirrer is used to achieve homogeneous dispersion of the micro-particles into epoxy resin. The influence of CaSiO 3 particles on hardness, flexural strength and impact strength was investigated. It is found that incorporation of CaSiO 3 particles yield an effective improvement of the epoxy resin with a micro-particle content of 1-2 wt%. Composites reinforced with these particles showed increase in mechanical properties when compared to neat epoxy resin. Further, thermal behavior of both, neat and filler reinforced composites has been studied by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), to reveal the thermal stability of composites. In addition, mathematical models for hardness, flexural strength and impact strength are developed using Minitab 17 software. The developed models revealed high degree of correlation between experimental and predicted values.
The drying process is generally carried out by burning wood and fossil fuels. However, this metho... more The drying process is generally carried out by burning wood and fossil fuels. However, this method is expensive and may damage the environment which has an adverse impact on climate. The world is facing the problem of shortage of fossil fuels. Some researchers did historical work on design and development of solar technology which is faster, more efficient, and hygienic and better quality of the product. Several solar dryers reviewed and enlisted the performance of dryers as per application. This paper gives an idea about the recent development in solar dryers. Some solar dryers are equipped with thermal storage to enhance the efficiency and drying rate in off-sunshine hours. To overcome the sunshine irregularity, some solar dryers have come up with solar thermal reservoirs. A comprehensive review on different dryers according to the product has been carried out, which helps in development and redesign of the solar dryer. From this paper, an idea regarding products drying likes chili, turmeric, peanut, grapes, copra and fish are presented. Which type of dryer is suitable and what kind of improvement could be possible in the future is obtained. For performance evaluation of the solar dryer, researchers used parameters like moisture reduction, moisture removal rate and different efficiencies. Solar dryer did not receive commercial utility because of high initial investment, long payback period and intermittent application. The study shows that the solar dryer not only saves fossil fuel for drying but also adds great worth to improve the product quality in terms of taste and color. It also doesn't have any harmful effect on the environment. Solar dryer is therefore ideal to use for preservation of food in rural areas. This study may help farmers and new researchers for the design new type of solar dryer for products.
Abstract In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wol... more Abstract In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite (CaSiO3) micro-particles that are systematically introduced into an epoxy matrix for reinforcement purposes is evaluated and presented. Magnetic stirrer is used to achieve homogeneous dispersion of the micro-particles into epoxy resin. The influence of CaSiO3 particles on hardness, flexural strength and impact strength was investigated. It is found that incorporation of CaSiO3 particles yield an effective improvement of the epoxy resin with a micro-particle content of 1–2 wt%. Composites reinforced with these particles showed increase in mechanical properties when compared to neat epoxy resin. Further, thermal behavior of both, neat and filler reinforced composites has been studied by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), to reveal the thermal stability of composites. In addition, mathematical models for hardness, flexural strength and impact strength are developed using Minitab 17 software. The developed models revealed high degree of correlation between experimental and predicted values.
Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has sho... more Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has shown to be a practical and economically feasible approach. In this research paper, the performance analysis of indirect solar dryer was investigated. Using various heat-absorbing materials, heat can be stored in the form of internal energy during the day time, and same heat can be used in night conditions to get desired results as per requirements. The onion and garlic were dried in the indirect natural solar dryer under three different cases like conventional, granite with silica gel and nitrate salt (also called sodium nitrate salt: NaNO 3) with silica gel method. The mentioned heat storing material and desiccant material's effect on drying of onion and garlic were studied in each case. The relative humidity drop was observed around 1-2% due to silica gel. The maximum temperature achieved was 52.30°C in granite with silica gel case. Moisture content of the onion was reduced from 86% to 15% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel method. For onion drying, moisture content was reduced in case of conventional and granite with silica gel cases up to 25 and 18% respectively, in the same time period (24 h). Moisture content of garlic was reduced from 70 to 56% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel. For garlic drying, moisture content was reduced in conventional and granite with silica gel cases were from 70 to 60% and 70 to 57% respectively, in same time period (24 h). Hence the nutrients, color, and taste that are lost in the conventional method was preserved in the solar dryer. The experimental data were fitted for six different mathematical models. Statistical tools like root means square error, chi-square, and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the fitting curves. The logarithmic model showed the best-fitted model to describe the drying of onion and garlic.
Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has sho... more Using the solar thermal system in the agricultural area to conserve fruits and vegetables has shown to be a practical and economically feasible approach. In this research paper, the performance analysis of indirect solar dryer was investigated. Using various heat-absorbing materials, heat can be stored in the form of internal energy during the day time, and same heat can be used in night conditions to get desired results as per requirements. The onion and garlic were dried in the indirect natural solar dryer under three different cases like conventional, granite with silica gel and nitrate salt (also called sodium nitrate salt: NaNO 3) with silica gel method. The mentioned heat storing material and desiccant material's effect on drying of onion and garlic were studied in each case. The relative humidity drop was observed around 1-2% due to silica gel. The maximum temperature achieved was 52.30°C in granite with silica gel case. Moisture content of the onion was reduced from 86% to 15% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel method. For onion drying, moisture content was reduced in case of conventional and granite with silica gel cases up to 25 and 18% respectively, in the same time period (24 h). Moisture content of garlic was reduced from 70 to 56% in 24 h in solar dryer in case of nitrate salt with silica gel. For garlic drying, moisture content was reduced in conventional and granite with silica gel cases were from 70 to 60% and 70 to 57% respectively, in same time period (24 h). Hence the nutrients, color, and taste that are lost in the conventional method was preserved in the solar dryer. The experimental data were fitted for six different mathematical models. Statistical tools like root means square error, chi-square, and correlation coefficients were used to analyze the fitting curves. The logarithmic model showed the best-fitted model to describe the drying of onion and garlic.
The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition ... more The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition of thermal energy. Dry bagasse is used as a thermal energy source in the traditional jaggery manufacturing process. Traditional methods of making jaggery have limitations in terms of energy loss due to poor combustion, energy loss via exhaust gases, and other losses related to the furnace wall. Additionally, burning bagasse pollutes the environment. To overcome these problems, the steam energy generated by the solar Scheffler system is used to power the jaggery-making process in this paper. The performance of a 16 m 2 Scheffler is evaluated to estimate the amount of jaggery produced and the production time. The experiment was carried out with a fixed amount of sugarcane juice, i.e., 2500 ml, under three different radiation conditions. Under maximum beam radiation conditions, i.e., 754 W/m 2 during the experiment, the receiver power and thermal energy efficiency are 5.2 kW and 63.5 %, respectively. The energy required to produce 1 kg of jaggery under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) is 285 W for 130 min. More precisely, 60 min for steam generation and 70 min. for jaggery production. Under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) with 63.5% receiver efficiency, this Scheffler system is capable of producing approximately 16.14 kg of jaggery in 130 min. of duration. The maximum amount of jaggery produced is clearly dependent on the receiver power available for steam generation, as evidenced by the summary of results obtained during the first, second, and third experiments.By improving the thermal efficiency of the receiver and reducing the amount of boiling power required, we can reduce the time required for the production of jaggery, also increasing the quantity of jaggery produced.
The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition ... more The process of making jaggery involves heating and evaporating sugarcane juice with the addition of thermal energy. Dry bagasse is used as a thermal energy source in the traditional jaggery manufacturing process. Traditional methods of making jaggery have limitations in terms of energy loss due to poor combustion, energy loss via exhaust gases, and other losses related to the furnace wall. Additionally, burning bagasse pollutes the environment. To overcome these problems, the steam energy generated by the solar Scheffler system is used to power the jaggery-making process in this paper. The performance of a 16 m 2 Scheffler is evaluated to estimate the amount of jaggery produced and the production time. The experiment was carried out with a fixed amount of sugarcane juice, i.e., 2500 ml, under three different radiation conditions. Under maximum beam radiation conditions, i.e., 754 W/m 2 during the experiment, the receiver power and thermal energy efficiency are 5.2 kW and 63.5 %, respectively. The energy required to produce 1 kg of jaggery under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) is 285 W for 130 min. More precisely, 60 min for steam generation and 70 min. for jaggery production. Under maximum radiation conditions (754 W/m 2) with 63.5% receiver efficiency, this Scheffler system is capable of producing approximately 16.14 kg of jaggery in 130 min. of duration. The maximum amount of jaggery produced is clearly dependent on the receiver power available for steam generation, as evidenced by the summary of results obtained during the first, second, and third experiments.By improving the thermal efficiency of the receiver and reducing the amount of boiling power required, we can reduce the time required for the production of jaggery, also increasing the quantity of jaggery produced.
This paper summarizes fatigue test on high strength steel specimens in the as-welded condition an... more This paper summarizes fatigue test on high strength steel specimens in the as-welded condition and specimens treated by Shot peening. Results indicate that material strength has effect, to a certain extent, on the fatigue performance of Shot peening welded joints. High tensile weld residual stress is one important factor contributing to fatigue crack development even under reversal or compressive cyclic loadings. A compressive stress induced by Shot peening is beneficial by eliminating the tensile residual stresses and generating compressive residual stresses, which improves fatigue strength of welded structures. Internal stresses were investigated on five base metal samples treated by shot peening. The induced compressive residual stresses benefit to increase the threshold value of stress intensity factor range, for fatigue crack initiation and early propagation. Shot peening was successfully applied for increasing the fatigue life and corrosion resistance of welded elements, elimi...
All machines, vehicles and buildings are subjected to dynamic forces that cause vibration. Most p... more All machines, vehicles and buildings are subjected to dynamic forces that cause vibration. Most practical noise and vibration problems are related to resonance phenomena where the operational forces excite one or more modes of vibration. Modes of vibration that lie within the frequency range of the operational dynamic forces always represent potential problems. Mode shapes are the dominant motion of a structure at each of its natural or resonant frequencies. Modes are an inherent property of a structure and do not depend on the forces acting on it. On the other hand, operational deflection shapes do show the effects of forces or loads, and may contain contributions due to several modes of vibration. This Paper deals with optimization and modal analysis of the rear suspension arm used in motorbikes. Suspension arm has been modeled using CATIAV5, meshing will be done in HYPERMESH12.0, and ANSYS 15.0 will be used for post processing. Modal analysis will be performed. Optimization will ...
This paper presents an experimental investigation and mathematical modelling of turmeric blanchin... more This paper presents an experimental investigation and mathematical modelling of turmeric blanching and drying in the solar cabinet dryer (SCD) using solar thermal energy. Steam generated from the Scheffler system is used for turmeric blanching, and an average blanching efficiency obtained is 19.93%. Also, SCD used the steam generated from the Scheffler system for drying of turmeric, and the drying efficiency of SCD was found to be 1.62%. Further, turmeric dried in SCD without connecting it with the Scheffler system (without steam). The efficiency of SCD without steam is found to be 49.76%. Initial and final moisture content is calculated by measuring turmeric's weight at a regular interval of time. Turmeric's moisture content is reduced from 77% to 15% in open Sun drying (OSD) and the SCD when it is connected to steam and without steam. The time required for the drying in SCD with and without steam was 63.88% and 52.77% less than the open Sun-drying (OSD) process for the sam...
In the present scenario, agriculture products are processed (dried) in an open atmosphere. The ra... more In the present scenario, agriculture products are processed (dried) in an open atmosphere. The rate of drying is affected by environmental conditions such as relative humidity, temperature, and solar radiations. Under unfavorable weather conditions, the processing time may go beyond a week, which necessitates a requirement to design equipment to assist the drying process to reduce processing time. In this study, a steam-based heating system called as Steam Based Solar Dryer (SBSD) is designed and fabricated. Atmospheric temperature, relative humidity, and solar radiations are the considered parameters. In order to evaluate the feasibility of equipment, pilot experiments were conducted and the efficiency of SBSD is found to be 29.56%. CFD analysis was performed to investigate the effect of non-uniformity of temperature inside the heating space. It was found that assumption of uniform temperature is not appropriate and non uniform temperature need be incorporated for realistic investigation. It is found that, there is a temperature variation in the SBSD experimentally and CFD analysis.
Metal matrix composites are composite materials in which nano or micro-sized particles as reinfor... more Metal matrix composites are composite materials in which nano or micro-sized particles as reinforcement mixed with other base metals. For producing the desired type of metal matrix composites, need to select an appropriate production method. In the present work, aluminum and silicon-carbide (Al-SiC) based metal matrix composites were prepared by stir casting method. A total of three specimens were prepared, i.e., 0, 2.5, and 5% by weight of Silicon-Carbide, respectively, in aluminum as a base metal. The wear behavior of the composites was analyzed pin on disc machine. Minitab TM software was used for the design of experiments (DoE) and ANOVA analysis. Hardness, compression, and density analysis were also carried out, showing different specimens' actual behavior under different conditions. The maximum value of wear loss is observed at two conditions: one for 0% type and another for 5% type. Minimum wear rate is found for 0% type of specimen for 50 N load and 500 m sliding distance. Maximum is at 0% type of specimen for 100 N load and 1500 m sliding distance. Minimum specific wear rate is found for 0% type of specimen at 150 N load for 2500 m sliding distance and maximum at 100 N load and 500 m sliding distance for 5% type of specimen. As the percentage of filler material (% of silicon-carbide) increases the hardness of material increases. The highest BHN found is 254 for 5% type of specimen. As the percentage of filler material increases, compressive strength increases
In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite... more In the present numerical and experimental work, performance of epoxy composites with Wollastonite (CaSiO 3) micro-particles that are systematically introduced into an epoxy matrix for reinforcement purposes is evaluated and presented. Magnetic stirrer is used to achieve homogeneous dispersion of the micro-particles into epoxy resin. The influence of CaSiO 3 particles on hardness, flexural strength and impact strength was investigated. It is found that incorporation of CaSiO 3 particles yield an effective improvement of the epoxy resin with a micro-particle content of 1-2 wt%. Composites reinforced with these particles showed increase in mechanical properties when compared to neat epoxy resin. Further, thermal behavior of both, neat and filler reinforced composites has been studied by Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), to reveal the thermal stability of composites. In addition, mathematical models for hardness, flexural strength and impact strength are developed using Minitab 17 software. The developed models revealed high degree of correlation between experimental and predicted values.
The drying process is generally carried out by burning wood and fossil fuels. However, this metho... more The drying process is generally carried out by burning wood and fossil fuels. However, this method is expensive and may damage the environment which has an adverse impact on climate. The world is facing the problem of shortage of fossil fuels. Some researchers did historical work on design and development of solar technology which is faster, more efficient, and hygienic and better quality of the product. Several solar dryers reviewed and enlisted the performance of dryers as per application. This paper gives an idea about the recent development in solar dryers. Some solar dryers are equipped with thermal storage to enhance the efficiency and drying rate in off-sunshine hours. To overcome the sunshine irregularity, some solar dryers have come up with solar thermal reservoirs. A comprehensive review on different dryers according to the product has been carried out, which helps in development and redesign of the solar dryer. From this paper, an idea regarding products drying likes chili, turmeric, peanut, grapes, copra and fish are presented. Which type of dryer is suitable and what kind of improvement could be possible in the future is obtained. For performance evaluation of the solar dryer, researchers used parameters like moisture reduction, moisture removal rate and different efficiencies. Solar dryer did not receive commercial utility because of high initial investment, long payback period and intermittent application. The study shows that the solar dryer not only saves fossil fuel for drying but also adds great worth to improve the product quality in terms of taste and color. It also doesn't have any harmful effect on the environment. Solar dryer is therefore ideal to use for preservation of food in rural areas. This study may help farmers and new researchers for the design new type of solar dryer for products.
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