2nd International Conference on Smart Sustainable Materials and Technologies (ICSSMT 2023)

Ammonia manufacturing through the Haber process is a critical industrial operation with substantial environmental and economic implications. Achieving optimal process performance necessitates a comprehensive approach that combines dynamic simulation, precise material balance analysis, and advanced integration techniques. In this research paper, we present a novel framework that leverages the capabilities of DWSIM, a sophisticated process simulation software, and harnesses the analytical power of Microsoft Excel for seamless material balance integration. The methodology involves developing a detailed process model in DWSIM, incorporating intricate thermodynamic properties and reaction kinetics specific to the Haber process. The integration of Microsoft Excel enables real-time tracking and analysis of material balance throughout the ammonia manufacturing cycle, accurately assessing reactant consumption, product yield, and process efficiency. Through extensive simulations and sensitivity analyses, we investigate the intricate interplay between various operating parameters, catalyst performance, and energy consumption. The results provide invaluable insights into process optimization, identifying critical areas for improvement. Furthermore, the developed framework facilitates exploring alternative process configurations, catalyst formulations, and reactor designs, enabling the identification of novel strategies to enhance ammonia production efficiency. The integration of real-time data acquisition from plant operations offers potential for continuous monitoring and control, further improving process performance. This research presents a comprehensive and sophisticated approach to optimize ammonia manufacturing via the Haber process. The integration of DWSIM and Microsoft Excel for material balance analysis establishes a powerful synergy enabling accurate process evaluation, dynamic optimization, and potential real-time control. The findings have profound implications for sustainable ammonia production, resource conservation, and the advancement of process engineering practices.

The purpose of this study is to compare the impact of fin shapes on the basis of effectiveness for better heat transfer characteristics of engine. In this study computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is used to simulate different fin shapes during running condition (40 km/h) after applying boundary conditions of an IC engine (temperature is 873 K). The observation demonstrated how temperature and heat transfer coefficient are going to change according to different fin shapes that will help in obtaining better fin shape for an IC engine. Four types of fin profiles (Rectangular, Circular, Triangular and Trapezoidal) are analyzed in this study for two cases. In case 1, base area and the length of fins are equal for all profiles and in case 2, base area and surface area of all fins are equal. In this study, effectiveness of different fin profiles is calculated and compared in two cases.

The present paper reports the comparison of experimental and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) technique for the determination of natural frequency and mode shapes of vibration of a multi-storey storage rack made of different structural materials. Storage racks of three-storey height fabricated with five different materials viz., Aluminum, Mild Steel, Stainless Steel, Grey Cast Iron and Polyethylene were tested experimentally to determine the fundamental natural frequency. CAD model of the rack is created by using CATIA-V5 software and Modal analysis is carried out in finite element analysis software ANSYS. FEA results agree closely with experimental results. Polyethylene material yielded lowest fundamental natural frequency of 2.875Hz whereas structural steel yielded highest fundamental natural frequency of 11.81Hz. In case of steels fundamental natural frequency depends upon the Young’s modulus of the material. For materials having higher elasticity the value of fundamental natural frequency is higher.

Internal combustion engines (IC engines) are broadly applied in goods and people transportation, as well as agricultural and industrial activities. The most widely recognized biodiesel mix is B20, 20% biodiesel is mixed with diesel. Many diesel vehicles can operate on B20 and relatively low blends without requiring any engine change. A number of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) assessments have also been performed since they have shown to be a beneficial tool in aiding with experimental work. A CFD Analysis of a Toroidal re-entrant combustion chamber (TRCC), 17.5 CR, Injection timing 10° BTDC and Injection pressure 900 bar with 0.2 mm dia 8 holes injector 4 stroke CRDI engine with WMCO biodiesel–diesel blends result is well accord with the experimental result. Further CFD analysis is carried out for different EGR rate for NOx reduction. The indicated thermal efficiency and indicated power are obtained constant for different EGRs. As percentage of EGRs increase, the percentage of NOx emission is reduced by 36, 40, and 80% for 10, 20, and 30% EGR rates, respectively, compared to 0% EGR. As percentage of EGR increases, Mean CO mass fraction is increased by 20,42, and 62 percentage for 10, 20, and 30% EGR’s compared to 0% EGR. As percentage of EGR increases, Mean Soot mass fraction is reduced by 6.25, 12.5, and 21.87 percentage for 10, 20, and 30% EGRs compared to 0% EGR. Ignition delay period increases with increase in percentage of EGR.

This study introduces an effective approach for estimating the critical buckling load of functionally graded materials (FGMs) using a finite element analysis. The approach employs A, B and D matrices to simplify the modeling process and overcome the challenges associated with layer-wise modeling in the finite element software ABAQUS. By adopting this new efficient approach, the need for intricate layer-wise modeling is eliminated. Instead, only the aggregate property of the functionally graded materials is required as an input, utilizing the general shell stiffness matrix. MATLAB code has been developed for the calculation of the coefficient of the matrices. Uniaxial buckling investigation of the FGM plate has been performed for SSSS boundary conditions. The present results are validated through comparative studies, which involve analyzing and comparing them with other established results. This helps to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the findings.

The use of concrete paver blocks has spread to traffic zones, where fractures on the paver blocks have formed due to vehicle movement. An effort is made by partially substituting silica fume and hypo sludge for cement. Silica fume is a mineral additive consisting of submicron particles. When the cement is compared with micro-silica fumes the grain size of amorphous silicon dioxide in cement is 100–150 times larger than that of micro-silica fume. Hypo sludge is also termed as paper mill sludge as it is the by-product of paper which is de-inked and re-pulped from the paper industry waste. The addiction of hypo sludge and silica fume is made to alter the cement weight. This research emphasises the essential physical and chemical durability features of micro-silica and hypo sludge as well as its contribution to various proportions of concrete paving block quality improvement.

The durability of concrete significantly influences its overall performance and longevity within construction projects. A viable strategy to enhance concrete durability involves the partial substitution of natural sand with fly ash, a residue from coal-fired power plants. Fly ash's fine powder texture allows it to replace portions of both cement and natural sand in concrete mixtures. Several notable benefits arise from employing fly ash in this manner. It improves the workability of concrete, making it easier to blend, place, and finish during construction initially and additionally, this method increases the concrete's long-term strength and durability, which is crucial for sustained performance over the structure's lifetime. In addition, the incorporation of fly ash aligns with sustainability goals by reducing the reliance on virgin resources. By utilizing a waste product, construction lessens its environmental footprint and promotes efficient resource usage. Notably, using fly ash reduces the demand for natural sand, mitigating the environmental impact of sand mining. To evaluate the effectiveness of this approach, various tests can be conducted. These include analyzing the fresh properties of the concrete mixture and assessing its compressive strength. These tests provide insight into the practicality and structural integrity of the resulting concrete. The environmental benefits of this practice are noteworthy. By diminishing the need for extensive cement production, fly ash employment leads to reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, it aids in conserving valuable natural resources, supporting a more sustainable building paradigm. In essence, incorporating fly ash into concrete represents a progressive stride toward sustainable construction practices. The method's potential to enhance durability, reduce environmental impact, and conserve resources signifies its valuable contribution to the evolution of responsible building techniques.

The industrial operations and infrastructure-related activities are causing global environmental challenges. Therefore, there is growing interest in developing renewable technologies and using sustainable materials. Sustainable, easily attainable, durable, easily maintained, and adaptable building materials are the wave of the future. The idea of using a wide variety of eco-friendly materials in building construction stems from the fact that these products have desirable qualities such as low carbon footprints, quick installation times, and resistance to earthquakes and fire. In order to meet this demand, scientists studied the effects of combining different types of plastic, marble dust, fly ash, glass fiber-reinforced gypsum, light-transmitting concrete, and bamboo. In the preliminary analysis, a questionnaire was distributed to various stakeholders to gather their thoughts on environmentally friendly materials. Following the first survey, the data is analyzed utilizing Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software to rank the detected risks related to building activities. There was a massive survey with questionnaires and plenty of numbers crunched. Materials like GFRG panels, plastic waste, AAC blocks, fly ash, etc., have seen increased adoption due to positive responses. The analysis’s primary finding is that sustainable use of green materials in building construction is feasible thanks to the widespread availability of low-cost, high-performance green materials on the market.

Microsurfacing is a proactive surface treatment that enables the surface to restore and preserve the characteristics of the road surface. It is a mix of polymer-modified asphalt emulsion, graded aggregate, cement, water and additives applied in a semi-liquid state using specialized tools on existing pavement with a thickness of 6–8 mm (Type III). In this paper, the mix design developed in the laboratory and the mix design applied on-site are analysed and the economic analysis of microsurfacing on the rigid pavement having 4 lanes is done. The performance of microsurfacing is studied by considering the skid resistance, roughness and rutting of the road surface. The mix design is followed by the guidelines specified in IRC: SP:81:2008 and ISSA A143.In economic analysis the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) is calculated as per guidelines given in IRC: SP: 30:2009. The EIRR of the project is 20.55% which is higher than 12%. It shows that a proposed project is economically viable.

The research paper presented a comprehensive and detailed investigation into the flexural behavior of concrete beams incorporating PVC pipes filled with waste-crumbed rubber. The study aimed to explore the potential of utilizing waste-crumbed rubber as a partial replacement for conventional coarse aggregates in concrete beams, with the addition of PVC pipes as a reinforcement element. To conduct the study, laboratory specimens were prepared using a mix ratio of 1:1.5:3 (M20), and varying proportions of rubber crumbs were incorporated into the concrete mix. The rubber crumbs were carefully placed within PVC encasings, and the concrete beams were subsequently cast. The research team carefully controlled the replacement percentages, which included 1, 3, 5 and 7% of the total volume of coarse aggregate. The primary objective of the investigation was to assess the impact of incorporating waste-crumbed rubber on the flexural strength of the concrete beams. To achieve this, the researchers conducted extensive testing and analysis, focusing on parameters such as compressive strength, flexural strength, and load–deflection behavior of the beams. The results of the study revealed a significant improvement in the flexural behaviour of the concrete beams with the addition of crumbed rubber. As the percentage of rubber content increased up to 5%, the flexural strength of the beams also showed a progressive increase. However, beyond the 5% threshold, no significant change in flexural strength was observed with further additions of rubber. Specifically, the flexural strengths for conventional beams and PVC-filled beams with rubber were found to be 13.5, 15.3, 16.6, 17.1, and 17.0%, respectively. The findings indicate that incorporating PVC pipes filled with waste-crumbed rubber can effectively enhance the flexural strength of concrete beams. The elastic and resilient nature of rubber particles contributes to the energy absorption capacity of the beams, resulting in improved load-carrying capabilities and resistance to deformation. Additionally, the interlocking of rubber particles with the surrounding matrix material enhances the overall structural integrity of the composite beams. It is evident that there exists an optimal percentage of rubber replacement that provides the maximum benefit in terms of flexural strength enhancement. Beyond this point, further additions of rubber might not yield significant improvements and could potentially lead to practical challenges in workability or density. The study’s outcomes underscore the importance of optimizing the rubber content to achieve the desired improvements in concrete beam performance. By selecting the appropriate percentage of rubber replacement, engineers can strike a balance between enhanced flexural strength and other critical mechanical properties. The scope of the study covered a limited range of rubber content percentages, and a more extensive dataset encompassing a wider range of rubber contents would provide a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between rubber filling and beam strength. Moreover, the researchers highlighted the need to explore the long-term durability, environmental impact, and cost-effectiveness of rubber-filled beams. The study presented in the research paper adds valuable insights into the potential of incorporating waste-crumbed rubber in concrete beams, along with PVC pipes as a reinforcement method. The results demonstrate the feasibility of this approach to enhance the flexural strength of concrete beams, making them more resilient and durable under cyclic loading. In conclusion, the research showcases the promising possibilities of utilizing waste-crumbed rubber in sustainable construction practices. It emphasizes the importance of carefully optimizing the rubber content to achieve the desired improvements in flexural strength and highlights the need for further research to explore the broader implications of this approach. With continued investigation and refinement, incorporating PVC pipes filled with waste-crumbed rubber could pave the way for more efficient, environmentally friendly, and resilient construction practices.

This paper considers the depletion of mineral resources from the earth and global warming, so recycling construction and demolition waste (CDW) to develop geopolymer concrete (GPC) works is carried out. In this attempt, 80% of washed brick (BW) and concrete (CW) waste is reused to prepare GPC. Firstly, the X-ray fluorescence (XRF) analysis summarises the chemical composition in BW and CW. The alkaline activation 12 molarity sodium hydroxide and Na2SiO3 with an activator ratio of 1:1.5 was used to prepare concrete specimens. From CDW, the BW 0–40% was replaced to prepare GPC, and the CW 0–60% was replaced. The combination of BW and CW of up to 80% is used to prepare GPC. The compressive strength test, mode-1 fracture toughness test and impact resistance test were done to analyse the GPC strength. Based on trial mix results, the optimum replacement percentage was 30% for washed BW and 50% for washed CW. The SEM analysis examines the internal bonding of the particles in GPC.

Waste disposal research is recently focused on analysing industrial waste for economic, environmental, and technological reasons. Steel slag, which has a rougher surface than natural aggregates, is a denser waste product of the steel foundry and allows for greater particle conformance to the cement matrix. Due to silica sand's ability to fill tiny spaces, the pores in concrete are reduced by increasing the density of the concrete. This research study aims to partially replace coarse aggregate and sand (fine aggregate) with steel slag and silica sand, respectively. Here, the replacement is carried out in various portions, such as 10, 20, 30, and 40%, and its impact on the characteristics of concrete is also examined. According to the study's findings, silica sand and steel slag may be used effectively as coarse and fine aggregate with up to 30% swapping and a noticeable improvement in strength.

During the rainy season, urban roads are affected by the stagnation of stormwater on the surface course which poses a major concern for road users. Pervious concrete or no-fines concrete is a special type of concrete that usually does not contain fine aggregates. The purpose of eliminating fine aggregates completely is to achieve effective drainage of stormwater when used in the construction of rigid pavements. The structure of pervious concrete comprises increased voids or pores compared to conventional concrete which promotes water permeability. However, the permeability of pervious concrete is achieved at the cost of reduced mechanical strength properties. Hence, pervious concrete design should be capable of balancing their porosity and structural strength as per the site requirement. This chapter discusses a detailed overview of the engineering properties of pervious concrete based on the studies by previous research works. Moreover, this chapter is aimed at reviewing the major design parameters of pervious concrete such as density, permeability, compressive strength, split tensile strength, flexural strength and abrasion resistance. In addition to this, the interdependencies of the properties are also investigated to understand their level of dependence on the performance of pervious concrete. The porosity of the pervious concrete was observed to define its hydrological and mechanical strength properties of pervious concrete.

Predicting the strength properties of concrete is a complex problem as it involves many variables, such as the type and amount of cement, aggregates, admixtures, the water-cement ratio, the age of the concrete, and the curing conditions. In general, Machine Learning (ML) techniques such as regression analysis, support vector machines, decision trees, and neural networks are widely utilized for concrete strength prediction by training the models on available datasets to learn the relationship between the input features and the target output (i.e., strength properties) and then used to make predictions on new data. The traditional ML algorithms lack offering precise predictions due to their inability to capture the complex relationships between the input and output variables. In order to improve the efficiency of the model, it is proposed to implement ensemble learning techniques such as Random Forest, AdaBoost, Gradient Boost, and XGBoost algorithms for clear-cut strength prediction. As ensemble models work by combining different learning techniques, it promises to enhance the model performance in terms of accuracy and efficiency. The ensemble models are trained and tested on two different datasets. The one that is readily available in the UCI repository and the other one is created with the laboratory results. From the result analysis, it is identified that XGBoost outperforms the other learning models with improved accuracy—92% for dataset 1, 89% for dataset 2, and decreased statistical error—MAE, MSE, RMSE.

The profile and aerofoil geometry of the blade affect the aerodynamic effectiveness of a wing or wind turbine. Generally, wing/wind turbine manufacturing purely focuses on materials, reliability, blade performance and cost. In research this work, to investigate the three different shapes of leading-edge the following radius such as Elliptical, Circular and Conical shapes on the aerodynamics efficiency is considered for the wind turbine or even the airfoils of the wing. In accordance with the current research, NACA2421 airfoil is considered for the study. In the wind tunnel, the impact of three leading-edge profile airfoils has been examined with the help of three component force balance instruments at various angles of attack such as 0°, 5°, 10°, 15°, −5°, −10°, −15° respectively. The target of the task is to find out the lift coefficient and drag coefficient at different leading-edge radii of NACA 2421 aerofoil and compared the results of the Elliptical, Circular, Cone leading edge of the aerofoil with standard baseline airfoil.

The wind tunnel experiment was carried out to investigate the effect of a vortex generator on the aerodynamics characteristics of the NREL 2809 airfoil, which was used to design the wind turbine and wings. The main objective of the research is to investigate the coefficient of pressure distributions over the NREL S809 profiled airfoil blade at a freestream velocity of 12 and 20 m/s using low-speed subsonic wind tunnel. There are two configurations of vortex generators such as the Triangular vortex generator and Rectangular vortex generator named (TVG and RVG). The vortex generator has been placed over the wing in a spanwise direction at location x/c of 0.3. The pressure distribution over the NREL S809 airfoils being investigated experimentally undergoing different conditions of operation and various AOA varies from 0° to 25° with an interval of 5°. The set of Triangular and Rectangular Vortex Generator (RVG) was arranged individually over the S809 airfoil with uniform pitch and 15° tilted with respect to streamline flow. Hence, the coefficient of pressure is estimated for both vortex generator and the result are plotted and discussed. It is found that pressure distribution is minimal at a lower angle of attack and the rectangular vortex leads to a huge variation of pressure variation compared to the Triangular vortex generator.

This study investigates the effects of the boundary layer fence on the aerodynamic effectiveness of the NACA4418 taper wing with a taper ratio of 0.8. Subsonic wind tunnel investigations were conducted to observe the influence of boundary layer covers on the aerodynamic performance of the wings of various freestream velocities such as 10–40 m/s with intervals of 10 m/s and different angles of attack varying from 0° to 40° with an interval of 10°. Two boundary layer fence configurations were tested in two different configurations: the first one is a single fence set at 50% of the span and the second configuration is two fences set at x/s of 0.3 and 0.6 on the wing span. The test setup also includes a three-component balance to measure lift and drag coefficients and low-speed subsonic wind tunnel with a testing section size of 600 mm0 × 600 mm × 1200 mm (B × W × L). It is found that the results by application of a boundary layer fence increase the coefficient of lift and lower the drag coefficient. These results suggest that boundary layer fencing is an effective technique for improving the aerodynamic performance of taper blades and may contribute to the development of more efficient and sustainable aircraft technologies.

The blunted nose cone with and without a sharp aerospike and an aerodisk of various diameters and lengths are investigated numerically in detail in the current study at a hypersonic Mach number of 10. The aerodisk diameter is described as d/D ratios such as 0.2, 0.4 and 0.6, and the length of the aerospike is represented as the L/D ratio of 1, 1.5 and 2. The main objective of the research is to examine the aerodynamic properties of blunt noses with and without aerodisks and aerospikes, as well as the influence of shock production over the model. The design of blunted nose cones with aerodisk was made up using CATIA and numerical investigation was performed on the ANSYS Fluent. The turbulence model of SST k-omega was considered for study. The current study revealed that shock patterns drastically varied nearer to the nose cone model at L/D ratio 2 and variation of drag reduction occurred due to the increase in d/D ratio and aerospike and also flow pattern over the model was clearly investigated.

Supercritical hydro-carbon fuel is engaged in concurrent cooling of corresponding combustors to recover heat. The working fluid preferred for the analysis is methane because of its heat transfer characteristics and it works significantly at higher Mach numbers. The aim is to develop the thermal performance and the convection heat transfer properties of a regenerative cooling system in scramjet engine. The model or replica of the cooling channel is a complicated task because of its factors, including the high wall temperature gradients, values of high Reynolds number (Re), and developing the three-dimensional geometry of passages. The working fluid is incorporated into the rectangular channels model with the required inlet mass, inlet temperature, and pressures.

The wind tunnel experimental study has been carried out on a double delta wing of different geometrical configurations such as 80°/45°, 75°/45° and 70°/45° sweep angles given as Model I, Model II and Model III with various freestream velocities from 10 to 40 m/s with a step of 10 m/s in Hindustan Institute of Technology and Science, Chennai, Low Speed Wind tunnel (HITSLSWT). The experiment is conducted for the measurement of lift and drag forces using single component force balance. The investigation was done to look into the effects of changing the double delta wing's leading edge sweep angles. Three different models have been tested at various angles of attack ranging from 0° to +16° and 0° to −16° with 4° and four different freestream velocities based on the delta wing’s chord. It is observed that the influence of variation of leading edge sweep angles affects the performance of aerodynamic characteristics of the model. The increase in angle in attack with increased velocity gives better aerodynamic performance. This paper provides good insight into the aerodynamic force measurement of double delta wing and the low-speed performance of the models.