Analytical and experimental analyses of nonlinear vibrations in a rotary inverted pendulum

Nonlinear Dynamics - We consider a 2-layer quasi-geostrophic ocean model where the upper layer is forced by a steady Kolmogorov wind stress in a periodic channel domain, which allows to...     

Oxidation of secondary amines to nitrones using magnetically separable tungstophosphoric acid supported on silica-encapsulated γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles

Superparamagnetic tungstophosphoric acid supported on silica-encapsulated γ-Fe₂O₃ was used as an efficient catalyst for the direct oxidation of secondary amines to nitrones with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. The catalyst could be recycled up to four times without significant loss of activity.     

Synthesis and properties of poly(ethylene oxide)‐grafted polyethylene copolymer and terpolymer

A series of graft copolymers were synthesized based on ethylene‐co‐m,p‐methylstyrene (EMS) (backbone copolymer), ethylene‐1‐hexene‐m,p‐methylstyrene (EHMS) (backbone terpolymer), and polyethylene glycol monomethyl ethers (PEGM) (grafts) in this study. The PEGMs with molecular weights of 750 and 2000 were used. The chemical composition of the graft copolymers was analyzed by NMR and DSC measurements. The graft copolymers exhibited a phase‐separated morphology with the backbone and the methoxy polyethylene glycol (MPEG) grafts forming separate crystalline phases. The MPEG phase had a melting temperature lower than the corresponding MPEG homopolymer, as determined by DSC. The melting point of the crystalline phase formed by the EMS and EHMS main chains was lower than that of pure polymer backbone. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Blow-up of solutions of wave equation with a nonlinear boundary condition and interior focusing source of variable order of growth

In this paper, being investigated an initial-boundary value problem for a one-dimensional wave equation with a nonlinear source of variable order and nonlinear dissipation at the boundary. The existence of a local solution of the problem under consideration is proved. Then the question of the absence of global solutions is investigated. Depending on the relationship between the order of growth of the nonlinear source and the nonlinear boundary dissipation, different results are obtained on the blow-up of weak solutions in a finite time interval.     

Novel nanocomposite membranes based on polybenzimidazole and Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>TiO<Subscript>5</Subscript> nanoparticles for proton exchange membrane fuel cells

In this work, Fe₂TiO₅ nanoparticles were used for improving the proton conductivity, and water and acid uptake of polybenzimidazole (PBI)-based proton exchange membranes. The nanocomposite membranes have been prepared using different amounts of Fe₂TiO₅ nanoparticles and dispersed into a PBI membrane with the solution-casting method. The prepared membranes were then physico-chemically and electrochemically characterized for use as electrolytes in high-temperature PEMFCs. The PBI/Fe₂TiO₅ membranes (PFT) showed a higher acid uptake and proton conductivity compared with the pure PBI membranes. The highest acid uptake (156 %) and proton conductivity (78 mS/cm at 180 °C) were observed for the PBI nanocomposite membranes containing 4 wt% of Fe₂TiO₅ nanoparticles (PFT₄). The PFT₄ composite membrane showed 380 mW/cm² power density and 760 mA/cm² current density in 0.5 V at 180 °C at dry condition. The above results indicated that the PFT₄ nanocomposite membranes could be utilized as proton exchange membranes for high-temperature fuel cells.     

Wavelet neural network based on islanding detection via inverter‐based DG

In this article, a passive neurowavelet based on islanding detection technique for grid‐connected inverter‐based distributed generation has been developed. Connecting distributed generator to the distribution network has many benefits such as increasing the capacity of the grid and enhancing the power quality. However, it gives rise to many problems. This is mainly due to the fact that distribution networks are designed without any generation units at that level. Hence, integrating distributed generators into the existing distribution network is not problem‐free. Unintentional islanding is one of the encountered problems. Islanding is the situation where the distribution system containing both distributed generator and loads is separated from the main grid as a result of many reasons such as electrical faults and their subsequent switching incidents, equipment failures, or preplanned switching events like maintenance. The proposed method utilizes and combines wavelet analysis and artificial neural network to detect islanding. Discrete wavelet transform is capable of decomposing the signals into different frequency bands. It can be utilized in extracting discriminative features from the acquired voltage signals. Passive schemes have a large nondetection zone (NDZ) and concern has been raised on active method due to its degrading power quality effect. The main emphasis of the proposed scheme is to reduce the NDZ to as close as possible and to keep the output power quality unchanged. The simulations results, performed by MATLAB/Simulink, shows that the proposed method has a small NDZ. Also, this method is capable of detecting islanding accurately within the minimum standard time. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 309–324, 2015     

Photocatalytic activity of ZrO2 nanoparticles prepared by electrical arc discharge method in water

ZrO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized through arc discharge of zirconium electrodes in deionized (DI) water. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the as prepared nanoparticles indicates formation a mixture of nanocrystalline ZrO₂ monoclinic and tetragonal phase structures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images illustrate spherical ZrO₂ nanoparticles with 7–30 nm diameter range, which were formed during the discharge process with 10 A arc current. The average particle size was found to increase with the increasing arc current. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirms formation of ZrO₂ at the surface of the nanoparticles. Surface area of the sample prepared at 10 A arc current, measured by BET analysis, was 44 m²/g. Photodegradation of Rhodamine B (Rh. B) shows that the prepared samples at lower currents have a higher photocatalytic activity due to larger surface area and smaller particle size.     

Photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanoparticles prepared via submerged arc discharge method

ZnO nanostructures were synthesized through arc discharge of zinc electrodes in deionized (DI) water. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis of the prepared nanostructures indicates formation of crystalline ZnO of hexagonal lattice structures. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images illustrate rod-like as well as semi spherical ZnO nanoparticles with 15–20 nm diameter range, which were formed during the discharge process with 5 A arc current. The average particle size was found to increase with the increasing arc current. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) analysis confirms formation of ZnO at the surface of the nanoparticles. Surface area of the sample prepared at 5 A arc current, measured by BET analysis, was 34 m²/g. Photodegradation of Rhodamine B (Rh. B) shows that the prepared samples at lower currents have a higher photocatalytic activity due to larger surface area and smaller particle size.