Science and Technology Studies Commons^™

Resource Recovery From Wastewater By Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactors: Opportunities And Challenges, Xiaoye Song, Wenhai Luo, Faisal I. Hai, William E. Price, Wenshan Guo, Hao H. Ngo, Long D. Nghiem

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This review examines the potential of anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) to serve as the core technology for simultaneous recovery of clean water, energy, and nutrient from wastewater. The potential is significant as AnMBR treatment can remove a board range of trace organic contaminants relevant to water reuse, convert organics in wastewater to biogas for subsequent energy production, and liberate nutrients to soluble forms (e.g. ammonia and phosphorus) for subsequent recovery for fertilizer production. Yet, there remain several significant challenges to the further development of AnMBR. These challenges evolve around the dilute nature of municipal wastewater, which entails the need for …

Understanding The Mechanisms Of Trace Organic Contaminant Removal By High Retention Membrane Bioreactors: A Critical Review, Muhammad Bilal Asif, Ashley Ansari, Shiao-Shing Chen, Long D. Nghiem, William E. Price, Faisal I. Hai

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

High retention membrane bioreactors (HR-MBR) combine a high retention membrane separation process such as membrane distillation, forward osmosis, or nanofiltration with a conventional activated sludge (CAS) process. Depending on the physicochemical properties of the trace organic contaminants (TrOCs) as well as the selected high retention membrane process, HR-MBR can achieve effective removal (80-99%) of a broad spectrum of TrOCs. An in-depth assessment of the available literature on HR-MBR performance suggests that compared to CAS and conventional MBRs (using micro- or ultra-filtration membrane), aqueous phase removal of TrOCs in HR-MBR is significantly better. Conceptually, longer retention time may significantly improve TrOC …

A Numerical Simulation Study On Mechanical Behaviour Of Coal With Bedding Planes Under Coupled Static And Dynamic Load, Lihai Tan, Ting X. Ren, Xiaohan Yang, Xueqiu He

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

To investigate the bedding influence on coal mechanical behaviour in underground environments such as coal or rock burst, simulations of dynamic SHPB tests of pre-stressed coal specimens with different bedding angles were carried out using a particle flow code 2-dimensional (PFC2D). Three impact velocities of 4, 8 and 12 m/s were selected to study dynamic behaviours of coal containing bedding planes under different dynamic loads. The simulation results showed that the existence of bedding planes leads to the degradation of the mechanical properties and their weakening effect significantly depends on the angle θ between the bedding planes and load direction. …

Fracture Toughness Of Cast And Extruded Al6061/15%Al2o3p Metal Matrix Composites, H Hassan, Alan K. Hellier, Alan Crosky, J Lewandowski

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper reports fracture toughness data on aluminium alloy 6061 reinforced with 15 vol% of Al₂O₃ particulate of average size 13 μm. Composites were cast/extruded and heat-treated to give under-aged, peak-aged and over-aged samples, with both longitudinal (L-S) and transverse (T-S) properties being measured to determine the effects on toughness of the banded structure produced via extrusion. This anisotropy was reflected in the toughness results, primarily in the tearing modulus. Comparisons were made to the behaviour of layered/laminated composites where the effects are more dramatic and designed into the structure. This suggests that greater improvements to the …

Physics-Based Constitutive Model For The Hot Deformation Of 2cr11mo1vnbn Martensitic Stainless Steel, Rui Wang, Menghan Wang, Zhi Li, Cheng Lu

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The hot deformation behavior of 2Cr11Mo1VNbN martensitic stainless steel is investigated through isothermal compression tests between 1173 and 1423 K with strain rates of 0.005-5 s⁻¹. Based on experimental results, the work hardening–dynamic recovery stage and dynamic softening stage are evaluated, and a couple-stage constitutive model is developed to describe the work hardening–dynamic recovery and dynamic softening behaviors. Phenomenological constitutive models, which consider temperature, strain and strain rate, are established. A comparison between the predicted and experimental flow stress values indicates that the established models accurately describe the hot deformation behaviors for the studied supercritical steel.

Effect Of Increase In Load And Frequency On The Resiliency Of Railway Ballast, Qideng Sun, Buddhima Indraratna, Ngoc Trung Ngo

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper presents the results of a series of large-scale cyclic triaxial tests conducted on ballast subjected to increased load and frequency of loading. For a given loading, the laboratory test data demonstrate that the resilient modulus of ballast is influenced by the frequency of loading. Both strain hardening and strain softening can be observed in response to increasing magnitude of load and frequency. A correlation between the resilient modulus and bulk stress is introduced to describe both the strain-hardening and strain-softening behaviour of ballast under different frequencies. A good corroboration between the cyclic stress ratio and the accumulated permanent …

Hdr Brachytherapy In Vivo Source Position Verification Using A 2d Diode Array: A Monte Carlo Study, Joel Poder, Dean L. Cutajar, Susanna Guatelli, Marco Petasecca, Andrew Howie, Joseph A. Bucci, Anatoly B. Rosenfeld

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Purpose

This study aims to assess the accuracy of source position verification during high‐dose rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy using a novel, in‐house developed two‐dimensional (2D) diode array (the Magic Plate), embedded exactly below the patient within a carbon fiber couch. The effect of tissue inhomogeneities on source localization accuracy is examined.

Method

Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of 12 source positions from a HDR prostate brachytherapy treatment were performed using the Geant4 toolkit. An Ir‐192 Flexisource (Isodose Control, Veenendaal, the Netherlands) was simulated inside a voxelized patient geometry, and the dose deposited in each detector of the Magic Plate evaluated. The …

Improved Quantitation And Reproducibility In Multi-Pet/Ct Lung Studies By Combining Ct Information, Beverley F. Holman, Vesna Cuplov, Lynn Millner, Raymondo Endozo, Toby M. Maher, Ashley M. Groves, Brian F. Hutton, Kris Thielemans

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Background

Matched attenuation maps are vital for obtaining accurate and reproducible kinetic and static parameter estimates from PET data. With increased interest in PET/CT imaging of diffuse lung diseases for assessing disease progression and treatment effectiveness, understanding the extent of the effect of respiratory motion and establishing methods for correction are becoming more important. In a previous study, we have shown that using the wrong attenuation map leads to large errors due to density mismatches in the lung, especially in dynamic PET scans. Here, we extend this work to the case where the study is sub-divided into several scans, e.g. …

Non-Invasive Kinetic Modelling Of Pet Tracers With Radiometabolites Using A Constrained Simultaneous Estimation Method: Evaluation With 11C-Sb201745, Hasan Sari, Kjell Erlandsson, Lisbeth Marner, Ian Law, Henrik Larsson, Kris Thielemans, Sebastien Ourselin, Simon R. Arridge, David Atkinson, Brian F. Hutton

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Background

Kinetic analysis of dynamic PET data requires an accurate knowledge of available PET tracer concentration within blood plasma over time, known as the arterial input function (AIF). The gold standard method used to measure the AIF requires serial arterial blood sampling over the course of the PET scan, which is an invasive procedure and makes this method less practical in clinical settings. Traditional image-derived methods are limited to specific tracers and are not accurate if metabolites are present in the plasma.

Results

In this work, we utilise an image-derived whole blood curve measurement to reduce the computational complexity of …

Effect Of Polarization Sensitivity On Ultrasmall Silicon-On-Insulator-Based Arrayed Waveguide Grating For Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor Interrogation, Hongqiang Li, Rui Xie, Yanhua Hong, Zanyun Zhang, Cheng Zhang, Chunxiao Tang, Enbang Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Polarization sensitivity is an important factor that affects the interrogation of ultrasmall arrayed waveguide grating (AWG) for fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensor. An ultrasmall 1  ×  8 silicon-on-insulator (SoI) AWG with a core size of less than 530  μm  ×  480  μm is proposed in this study. This ultrasmall SoI AWG exhibits good transmission spectra and high polarization sensitivity. The increased channel numbers and tight structure increase the polarization sensitivity of AWG. Temperature interrogation experiments show that the FBG sensor interrogation is drastically affected when the effect of polarization sensitivity on the ultrasmall AWG is sufficiently large.

Real-Time High Spatial Resolution Dose Verification In Stereotactic Motion Adaptive Arc Radiotherapy, Mitchell Duncan, Matthew Newall, Vincent Caillet, Jeremy T. Booth, Paul J. Keall, Michael L. F Lerch, Vladimir Perevertaylo, Anatoly B. Rosenfeld, Marco Petasecca

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Purpose: Radiation treatments delivered with real-time multileaf collimator (MLC) tracking currently lack fast pretreatment or real-time quality assurance. The purpose of this study is to test a 2D silicon detector, MagicPlate-512 (MP512), in a complex clinical environment involving real-time reconfiguration of the MLC leaves during target tracking. Methods: MP512 was placed in the center of a solid water phantom and mounted on a motion platform used to simulate three different patient motions. Electromagnetic target tracking was implemented using the Calypso system (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA, USA) and an MLC tracking software. A two-arc VMAT plan was delivered and …

Second Law Analysis For Nanofluid Turbulent Flow Inside A Circular Duct In Presence Of Twisted Tape Turbulators, M Sheikholeslami, M Jafaryar, Zhixiong Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Finite volume method is employed to simulate water based nanofluid turbulent flow and entropy generation in a heat exchanger. In order to augment heat transfer rate, twisted tape turbulators insert inside the pipe. Second law analysis are presented for various values of height ratio (BR) and pitch ratio (PR) and Reynolds number (Re). Related formulas for entropy generation and Bejan number are provided. Results indicate that secondary flow increases with increasing number of revolution. Bejan number and total entropy generation augment with augment of pitch ratio. But they decreases with augment of Reynolds number and height ratio.

Effect Of Ni Addition On Bainite Transformation And Properties In A 2000 Mpa Grade Ultrahigh Strength Bainitic Steel, Junyu Tian, Guang Xu, Zhengyi Jiang, Haijiang Hu, Mingxing Zhou

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The effects of Nickle (Ni) addition on bainitic transformation and property of ultrahigh strength bainitic steels are investigated by three austempering processes. The results indicate that Ni addition hinders the isothermal bainite transformation kinetics, and decreases the volume fraction of bainite due to the decrease of chemical driving force for nucleation and growth of bainite transformation. Moreover, the product of tensile strength and total elongation (PSE) of high carbon bainitic steels decreases with Ni addition at higher austempering temperatures (220 and 250 °C), while it shows no significant difference at lower austempering temperature (200 °C). For the same steel (Ni-free …

A Structural Optimisation Method For A Soft Pneumatic Actuator, Weiping Hu, Rahim Mutlu, Weihua Li, Gursel Alici

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This study aims to investigate the effects of various design parameters on the actuation performance of a pneumatic network actuator (PNA), optimise its structure using the finite element method (FEM), and subsequently quantify the performance of the resulting actuator topology experimentally. The effects of the structural parameters, including the operation pressure, the wall thickness and the gap between the chambers, bottom layer thickness, and the geometry of the channel cross section, on the deformation and bending angle of the actuator were evaluated to optimise the performance of the pneumatic actuator. A Global Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was performed to investigate …

Experimental Nonlinear Vibrations Of An Mre Sandwich Plate, Jiawei Zhang, Tanju Yildirim, Gursel Alici, Shiwu Zhang, Weihua Li

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

The nonlinear vibration analysis of a magneto-rheological elastomer (MRE) sandwich plate is conducted experimentally. Experiments have been performed in order to construct the frequency-response curves in the vicinity of the fundamental natural frequency of an MRE sandwich plate (plate A) in either the absence or presence of a localised external magnetic field at 3 different geometrical locations, for both small and medium magnetic fields. Furthermore, experiments have also been conducted on a pure aluminium plate (plate B) with an equal thickness to the MRE sandwich plate (plate A) in order to examine the influence of the MRE layer on the …

Predicting The Influence Of Hip And Lumbar Flexibility On Lifting Motions Using Optimal Control, Manish Sreenivasa, Matthew Millard, Idsart Kingma, Jaap H. Van Dieen, Katja Mombaur

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Computational models of the human body coupled with optimization can be used to predict the influence of variables that cannot be experimentally manipulated. Here, we present a study that predicts the motion of the human body while lifting a box, as a function of flexibility of the hip and lumbar joints in the sagittal plane. We modeled the human body in the sagittal plane with joints actuated by pairs of agonist-antagonist muscle torque generators, and a passive hamstring muscle. The characteristics of a stiff, average and flexible person were represented by co-varying the lumbar range-of-motion, lumbar passive extensor-torque and the …

Sintering Of Iron Ores In A Millipot In Comparison With Tablet Testing And Industrial Process, Huibin Li, Di Zhou, David J. Pinson, Paul Zulli, Liming Lu, Raymond Longbottom, Sheng Chew, Brian J. Monaghan, Guangqing Zhang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

To explore the feasibility of small-scale sintering pot testing, a 'millipot' facility (diameter of 53 mm and height of 400 mm) was established and used to examine the sintering performance of iron ores and other non-traditional ferrous materials. The sintering performance of a millipot was examined across a range of different operational conditions (coke rate and suction pressure) and compared with an industrial sinter strand operation. Tablet tests were also performed to assist in the design of the millipot experiments and identify conditions for achieving mineral composition similar to the industrial sinter. For the millipot experiments, the materials used need …

A Novel Reaching Law For Sliding Mode Control Of Uncertain Discrete-Time Systems, Q Xu, Haiping Du, B He, T H. Yan, Weihua Li, Shuaishuai Sun

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

This paper proposed a new sliding mode control algorithm for discrete-time systems with matched uncertainty. The new control algorithm is characterized by a new discrete switching surface. Although the exponential reaching law can reduce oscillation, the control effectiveness will be suppressed when the rate of change of disturbance is high. The exponential reaching law cannot force the system states to approach sliding surface s k = 0. In order to solve the contradiction between guaranteeing the basic property of quasi-sliding mode and reducing oscillation, a new discrete reaching law is proposed to improve the reaching process of discrete exponent reaching …

Effect Of Chemical Composition On Microstructure, Strength And Wear Resistance Of Wire Deposited Ni-Cu Alloys, Olexandra Marenych, Donghong Ding, Zengxi Stephen Pan, Andrii Kostryzhev, Hui Jun Li, Stephen Van Duin

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

Two Ni-Cu alloys (Monel K500 and FM 60) having various Mn, Fe, Al, Ti and C contents were deposited on a Monel K500 plate at three different speeds using wire arc additive manufacturing technique. Microstructure characterisation, in particular a detailed study of precipitates, was carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopy. Mechanical properties were assessed using hardness, tensile and wear testing. For similar deposition conditions, Monel K500 has exhibited smaller secondary dendrite arm spacing and higher number density of Ti-rich particles, although the Ti concentration in FM 60 was higher. Finer microstructure and Ti precipitation led to superior hardness, …

Atomistic Simulation Of The Interaction Between Point Defects And Twin Boundary, Liang Zhang, Yasushi Shibuta, Cheng Lu, Xiaoxu Huang

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part B

While nanotwinned metals have been proven to show excellent mechanical properties, they are generally anticipated to be less effective in the alleviation of radiation damage. However, recent in situ studies have indicated that some nanotwinned metals exhibit unprecedented radiation tolerance, and the unexpected self‐healing of twin boundaries in response to radiation was observed. To reveal the underlying atomic mechanisms, we performed long‐time molecular dynamics simulations to study the dynamic interaction between twin boundary and some typical radiation‐induced point defects, including vacancy cluster and self‐interstitial atoms. The defective structures of coherent twin boundary which contains incoherent twin segment or self‐interstitial atoms …