Theoretical Investigation on the Effect of multinary Isoelectronic Substitution on TiCoSb based half-Heusler alloys

To understand the effect of isoelectronic substitution on thermoelectric properties of TiCoSb based half - Heusler (HH) alloys, we have systematically studied the transport properties with substitution of Zr at Ti and Bi at Sb sites. The electronic structure of TixZr1-xCoSbxBi1-x (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) and parent TiCoSb are investigated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method and the thermoelectric transport properties are calculated on the basis of semiclassical Boltzmann transport theory. The band analysis of the calculated band structures reveal that TixZr1-xCoSbxBi1-x has semiconducting behavior with indirect band gap at x = 0.25, 0.5 concentration and direct band gap behavior at x = 0.75 concentration. The TixZr1-xCoSbxBi1-x (x = 0.25, 0.5, 0.75) compounds show smaller band gap values as compared to the pure TiCoSb. The d electrons of Ti/Zr and Co dominate the electronic transport properties of TixZr1-xCoSbxBi1-x system. All these systems follow the empirical rule of 18 valence-electron content to bring semiconductivity in HH alloys. The isoelectronic substitution in TiCoSb can tune the band structure by shifting the Fermi level. This provides us lot of possibilities to get the desired band gap values for designing thermoelectrics with high efficiency. In this study we have showed that the isoelectronic substitution at both Ti and Sb site of TiCoSb has very small effect for increasing the ZT values and one should go for isoelectronic substitution at any one sites of TiCoSb HH alloys alone to improve ZT

Search for Thermoelectrics with High Figure of Merit in half-Heusler compounds with multinary substitution

In order to improve the thermoelectric performance of TiCoSb we have substituted 50% of Ti equally with Zr and Hf at Ti site and Sb with Sn and Se equally at Sb site. The electronic structure of Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 is investigated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method and the thermoelectric transport properties are calculated on the basis of semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. Our band structure calculations show that Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 has semiconducting behavior with indirect band gap value of 0.98 eV which follow the empirical rule of 18 valence-electron content to bring semiconductivity in half Heusler compounds, indicating that one can have semiconducting behavior in multinary phase of half Heusler compounds if they full fill the 18 VEC rule and this open-up the possibility of designing thermoelectrics with high figure of merit in half Heusler compounds. We show that at high temperature of around 700K Ti0.5Zr0.25Hf0.25CoSn0.5Se0.5 has high thermoelectric figure of merit of ZT = 1.05 which is higher than that of TiCoSb (~ 0.95) suggesting that by going from ternary to multinary phase system one can enhance the thermoelectric figure of merit at higher temperatures

Effect of multinary substitution on electronic and transport properties of TiCoSb based half-Heusler alloys

The electronic structures of TixZrx/2CoPbxTex, TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex (x = 0.5), and the parent compound TiCoSb were investigated using the full potential linearized augmented plane wave method. The thermoelectric transport properties of these alloys are calculated on the basis of semi-classical Boltzmann transport theory. From the band structure calculations we show that the substitution of Zr,Hf in the Ti site and Pb and Te in the Sb site lower the band gap value and also change the indirect band (IB) gap of TiCoSb to the direct band (DB) gap. The calculated band gap of TiCoSb, TixZrx/2CoPbxTex, and TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex are 1.04 eV (IB), 0.92 eV (DB), and 0.93 eV (DB), respectively. All these alloys follow the empirical rule of 18 valence-electron content which is essential for bringing semiconductivity in half Heusler alloys. It is shown that the substitution of Hf at the Ti site improve the ZT value (~1.05) at room temperature, whereas there is no significant difference in ZT is found at higher temperature. Based on the calculated thermoelectric transport properties, we conclude that the appropriate concentration of Hf substitution can further improve the thermoelectric performance of TixZrx/2Hfx/2CoPbxTex

Diet of Bengal Tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal

We studied the diet of the Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Chitwan National Park, Nepal, by identifying 109 prey items from 85 tiger scats. Tigers in this region fed upon eight different mammal species. Chital (Axis axis) was the major prey with a frequency of 45% of the Tigers’ diet. The occurrence of other prey species included sambar (Cervus unicolor, 23%), wild pig (Sus scrofa, 15%), hog deer (Axis porcinus, 9%), barking deer (Muntiacus muntjak, 4%), and gaur (Bos gaurus, 2%). Tigers also hunted livestock, but this prey comprised a small component of the relative biomass (buffalo 5% and cow 2%). Our study suggests that the tiger depends mostly upon wild prey for its subsistence in the Chitwan National Park, but will also sporadically hunt livestock

E-waste Management-Suggested Solutions

Electronic waste has been identified as discarded computers, old television sets, electronic equipment, entertainment devices, mobile phones, and refrigerators. This definition mostly include used electronics. Because loads of surplus electronics are frequently not eliminated including goods, recyclable, and non-recyclable so several people apply the term "e-waste" broadly to all surplus electronics. Rapid changes in technology, changes in media, falling prices, and planned obsolescence have resulted in a fast-growing surplus of electronic waste around the globe. This paper has an objective to present an overview of the problem and tries to advocate some concrete solutions to tackle the issue

Development and evaluation of multi millet thresher

In tribal areas of India, traditional methods of threshing of minor millets like little millet (Panicum sumatrense), M1, kodo millet (Paspalum scrobiculatum), M2, foxtail millet (Setaria italica), M3, proso millet (P. miliaceum), M4, barnyard millet (Echinochloa frumantacea), M5, finger millet (Eleusine coracana), M6 is done of beating by sticks or treading out the crop panicle under the feet of oxen. This operation is most time consuming, labour intensive, drudgery prone, uneconomical, lower output and obtain low quality products. A thresher for these millet crops was developed and optimization of the operating parameters with little millet was done by using Response surface methodology (RSM). The optimized parameters were 7.79% (d.b) moisture content, 105 kgh-1 feed rate, 625 rpm cylinder speed, 5 mm threshing sieve size which gave maximum threshing efficiency of 95.13% and cleaning efficiency of 94.12%. After optimization of parameters the thresher was tested for threshing of all the six minor millets with proper adjustments of sieve. Threshing capacity of M1, M2, M3, M4, M5 and M6 were obtained as 89, 137, 140, 91, 88 and 99 kg/h, respectively with more than 96% threshing efficiency and less than 2% broken grain

Turbulent drag on a low-frequency vibrating grid in superfluid He-4 at very low temperatures

We present measurements of the dissipative turbulent drag on a vibrating grid in superfluid He-4 over a wide range of (low) frequencies. At high velocities, the dissipative drag is independent of frequency and is approximately the same as that measured in normal liquid He-4. We present measurements on a similar grid in superfluid He-3-B at low temperatures which shows an almost identical turbulent drag coefficient at low frequencies. However, the turbulent drag in He-3-B is substantially higher at higher frequencies. We also present measurements of the inertial drag coefficient for grid turbulence in He-4. The inertial drag coefficient is significantly reduced by turbulence in both superfluid and normal liquid He-4

12-(3,4,5-Trimethoxyphenyl)-2,3,4,12-tetrahydro-1H-5-oxatetraphen-1-one: crystal structure and Hirshfeld surface analysis

In the title compound, C26H24O5, the pyran ring has a flattened-boat con­formation, with the 1,4-related ether O and methine C atoms lying 0.1205 (18) and 0.271 (2) Å, respectively, above the least-squares plane involving the doubly bonded C atoms (r.m.s deviation = 0.0208 Å). An envelope conformation is found for the cyclo­hexene ring, with the flap atom being the middle methyl­ene C atom, lying 0.616 (2) Å out of the plane defined by the remaining atoms (r.m.s. deviation = 0.0173 Å). The fused four-ring system is approximately planar, with the dihedral angle between the least-squares planes through the cyclo­hexene and naphthyl rings being 10.78 (7)°. The tris­ubstituted benzene ring occupies a position almost perpendicular to the pyran ring [dihedral angle = 83.97 (4)°]. The most prominent feature of the packing is the formation of zigzag supra­molecular chains mediated by aryl-C-H...O(meth­oxy) inter­actions; chains are connected into a three-dimensional architecture by methyl­ene- and methyl-C-H...[pi] inter­actions. The prevalence of C-H...O and C-H...[pi] inter­actions is confirmed by an analysis of the Hirshfeld surface. A comparison with related structures suggests that the mol­ecular conformation of the title compound is relatively robust with respect to varying substitution patterns at the methine C atom of the pyran ring

Study on the Fecundity and Gonado somatic index of Rastrelliger kanagurta (Cuvier, 1817) of southern coast of Maharashtra, India

Investigation of fecundity and gonado somatic index (GSI) of Rastrelliger kanagurta were carried out from March 2011 to February 2012. Fecundity was determined at different length, weight and ovary ranges of different individual fishes. Study revealed that at 5% significant level significant average absolute fecundity was found to be 1,08,266 and relative fecundity ranged from 407 to 1499. The number of ova generally increased with increase in length and weight. However, variations in fecundity with respect to length and weight were also noticed. The gonado-somatic index (GSI) was calculated for each individual fish (592 numbers) and was averaged for each month. The average GSI values were plotted against each month to analysed monthly variations. GSI showed wide variations between sex and it was highest for both males and females during the month of April and September, showing occurrence of more ripe individuals. Analysis of regression showed that there were significant relationship between the fecundity with the fish length, body weight and ovary weight

Biogas Production Potential of Food Waste

At present our country is facing various problems, among that energy crisis has become more serious in next coming years. Both energy crisis and pollution problems could be controlled by adopting an alternative method of biogas production form waste products. Food waste is the best alternative for biogas production in a community level biogas plant. Hence in the present study, an attempt has been made to study the rate of biogas production in a lab scale biogas digester model for the efficient conversion of the food waste (starch –rich materials) generated from PRIST University Campus. The biogas production depends on the maximum biogas yield, the concentration of volatile solids of the input, the density of the effluent, the density of the biogas and the reaction rate constant, which are all substrate - or process - specific. The experiments were carried out for 40 days and the rate of gas production was measured by water displacement method. The pH value of the cow dung and food waste was initially measured and adjusted to nearer to neutral and gradually increased to acidic and again it got stabilised to the neutral pH which favoured the production of biogas. The percentage of total solids was 69.86, 93.56 and 25.67 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile solids was 52.5, 86.3 and 18.9 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. The percentage of volatile fatty acid was 285, 356 and 365 for cow dung, food waste and digested slurry respectively. Observations on daily basis were made on the constituent of biogas, pH, volume and rate of biogas production. The rate of biogas production continuously increased as days progressed and there was maximum yield in biogas after 20 days. Thus continuous feeding helps in daily biogas production and can be used at a small as well as larger scale to manage the organic waste and energy production for various applications