IMPACT : International Journal of Research in Engineering & Technology

7-14

Authors: Heritage Sdn Bhd: A Case Study on the EOQ Technique

The inventory management is an important part of supply chain management, which protects the schedule of production or maintenance towards any type of disturbance. This research emphasized on the development of the Spare Part Inventory Management System (SPIMS) for the Profound Heritage Sdn Bhd (PHSB), which is currently adopting the manual Kadex method. This automatic software used the Economic Order Quantity (EOQ) in the periodic review environment to control the inventory and the software was written using the Microsoft Visual Studio 2012. Therefore, this research will not only helps the PHSB but also increased literature on the actual implementation of the EOQ technique in the periodic review environment. This newly developed SPIMS have the ability to keep the spare parts transaction records, calculate the EOQ for each part and remind the user to purchase more spare parts at its dedicated “When to Order” date. The developed SPIMS performance was then evaluated by comparing it to the current Kadex or manual method. The method, which produced the lowest average inventories, is considered as the best method. Comparison across the overall average inventory indicated that the EOQ with zero opening balance (which represented a system that start with zero opening inventories) performs better than the Kadex method. However, the Kadex method is found to perform better than the EOQ when current opening balance is considered. The deterioration in the EOQ performance, when current opening balance is considered, is due to the fact that more data and longer time for observation is required before the EOQ reached its steady state. However, it is expected that the result similar to the EOQ with zero opening balance will be observed when the EOQ (with opening balance) reached it steady state. In addition, the EOQ also produces some shortages on the stock, which is nonexistent in the Kadex method. This problem is caused by the EOQ inability in detecting any shortages as the inventory will only be checked on a specific time interval called the “when to order” date. Due to this, an improvement on the SPIMS is needed. Rather than reviewing the inventories periodically during the “when to order” date, it is suggested that the SPIMS should adopt the continuous review/monitoring environment to optimize its performance.

21-30

Authors: Ankur Geete & A. I. Khandwawala

In this research paper, exergy analysis for different components of 120MW thermal power plant has been done. For analysis different inlet temperature conditions have been taken as a parameter, different inlet temperature conditions are – (1) 507.78°C, (2) 517.78°C, (3) 527.78°C, (4) 537.78°C, (5) 547.78°C, (6) 557.78°C and (7) 567.78°C. Exergy analysis has been done for boiler, for steam turbines (high pressure turbine, intermediate pressure turbine and low pressure turbine), for condenser and for feed water heaters with different inlet temperature conditions. And exergy curves have also been generated for different component of the plant.

37-44

Authors: M. Chatziangelou & B. Christaras

This paper investigates the support techniques and measures as far as geological failures are concerned, and also the applicability of the most common used support measures, rock bolts and shotcrete, against the above geological failures. The investigation was based on in-situ observation of the support techniques and measures effectiveness during the construction of Thessaloniki – Kavala section of the Egnatia highway in N. Greece. Comparing different support measures, shotcrete up to 8cm thick could support with efficacy the unstable wedges better than rock bolts, as rock bolts could not support the cracked wedges using them alone. Rock bolts from 1m to 3m and one hundred per cent grouted were also effective. When rock bolts were longer than 3m, they could not increase the safety. Also, the safety of a semi-grouted bolt was equal to the safety of non-grouted one. Examining the effectiveness of different types of anchors, on suddenly changed rock mass quality, we concluded that the mechanical anchors could support more wedges than the swellex could do. The support ability of shotcrete was related mainly to the grain size of aggregates than to the pumping characteristics. The most effective grout mix contained only sand without gravel, diameter of grains smaller than 10mm and proportion of cement to sand about 50 kg cements to 0.1m3. The most uniform the grain size distribution of the mixing was, the better applicable could be. Also, mineral composition affected shotcrete application. The presence of calcite and dolomite facilitated the application ability of shotcrete, while the presence of quartz made the use of shotcrete more difficult.

49-56

Authors: Nazeema T. H & Sugannya P. K

Biosynthesis of nanoparticles by plant extracts is currently under exploitation. Medicinal plants possess immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties, leading to anticancer activities. Jatropha curcas, a tropical shrub plant belonging to the Euphorbiaceae family, is commercially important one as bio diesel is extracted from its seeds on industrial scale. Jatropha gossypifolia belongs to the same family, Eurphorbiaceae and the order, Geraniale. The present study involves the synthesis and their characterization of silver nanoparticles from Jatropha curcas and Jatropha gossypifolia, using UV-Vis spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and to evaluate the cytotoxic properties of these silver nanoparticles against lung cancer. The silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were prepared using silver nitrate as silver precursor and the aqueous stem extracts of Jatropha gossypifolia and Jatropha curcas as reducing agent and stabilizer. The silver nanoparticles isolated from aqueous stem extract of Jatropha curcus and Jatropha gossypifolia show distinct polydispersity as it shows that synthesized nanoparticles show below 1µm size. For the small particles it appear at 93nm and 94nm followed to large particle synthesis at 103nm, which is due to the curcacyline A, curcain and Cyclogossine, present in the stem extract of Jatropha curcus and Jatropha gossypifolia which is mainly responsible for the reduction of silver ion. Our study showed that A549 lung cancer cell line proliferation were significantly inhibited at a dose dependent manner by AgNPs isolated from Jatropha species with an IC50 value of 19.5 μg/ml (Jatropha curcus) and 13.5 μg/ml (Jatropha gossypifolia) of the concentration. The data represented in our study contribute to a novel and unexplored area of nanomaterials as alternative medicine.

63-68

Authors: M. S. Zaghloul

This paper is practical design and implementation of an Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) is a specific form of computer-based navigation information system that complies with International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations and can be used in lieu of paper navigation charts in some areas. Not all electronic chart systems can be called an ECDIS, but the term is often incorrectly used to refer to any type of Electronic Chart System (ECS). The true ECDIS system displays information integrates position information from the Global Positioning System (GPS) and other navigational systems, such as Radar, echo sounder, gyrocompass etc. It may also display additional navigation-related information, such as Sailing Directions. This project has a general background about ECDIS, then concerned with the different inputs to this system such as GPS, Radar, Echo Sounder and Gyrocompass. We will demonstrate the program which will simulate the actual work for the ECDIS system with its all interfaces with Rader, GPS, Speed log…etc. We preferred to design the software using the used software c++ Builder 6. This Program is a window based Software.

87-90

Authors: Farhan Lafta Rashid, Khudhair Abass Dawood & Ahmed Hashim

Suspensions of nanoparticles (i.e., particles with diameters < 100 nm) in liquids, termed nanofluids, show remarkable thermal and optical property changes from the base liquid at low particle loadings. Recent studies also indicate that selected nanofluids may improve the efficiency of direct absorption solar thermal collectors. Nanofluids are prepared by dispersing and stably suspending nanometer sized solid particles in conventional heat transfer fluids. Past researches have shown that a very small amount of suspending nanoparticles have the potential to enhance the thermo physical, transport and radiative properties of the base fluid. At this research adding very small quantities of nano particle (TiO2) to pure water with different weights percent ranged 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 and 0.4wt.%, we found that the best weight percent is 0.2 that gave more heat absorbed. Then adding glass impurities ranged 10, 20 and 30wt.% to the nanofluid in order to enhancing the absorbed heat so energy storage. The best glass weights percent is 0.3.