Mechanical Engineering

The reduction of fix and variable costs has significant impacts on proper machinery management. To measure the effects of new machinery management on fuel and oil consumption, a study was conducted using empirical data on eight Massey Ferguson 399 model agricultural tractors at Amir-Kabir agro-industry, Iran in 2011. The performance of Nano?-Diamond additive oil was compared with conventional oils. Results were shown that naturally low coefficient of friction combined with excellent chemical inertness made these additives very attractive in a wide range of applications in engine oils. Also, results shown : 21% and 25% reduction in fuel and oil consumption, respectively where Nano?-Daimond additives was applied in oil and consequently a reduction of pollution was measured on engine exhausts. The use of Nano?-Daimond oil shown a better performance for the reduction of fuel and oil on tractor engines’ costs by 14% where compared to the conventional oil.?

A numerical study is presented on the effects of chemical reaction and magnetic field on the unsteady free convection flow, heat and mass transfer characteristics in a viscous, incompressible and electrically conducting fluid past an exponentially accelerated vertical plate embedded in a porous medium by taking into account the heat due to viscous dissipation. The problem is governed by coupled non-linear partial differential equations. The dimensionless equations of the problem have been solved numerically by the implicit finite difference method of Crank – Nicolson’s type. The effects of governing parameters on the flow variables are discussed quantitatively with the aid of graphs for the flow field, temperature field, concentration field, skin-friction, Nusselt number and Sherwood number. It is found that under the influence of chemical reaction, the flow velocity as well as concentration distributions reduce, while the velocity reduces as porous medium increases. Viscous dissipation parameter leads to increase the temperature.

This paper reveals the mechanical and metallurgical properties of the dissimilar joints of AA2024 aluminium alloy and commercial grade copper alloy fabricated by diffusion bonding process. Three diffusion bonds with varying diffusion layer thickness were fabricated and study the effect of diffusion layer thickness on mechanical and metallurgical properties. Mechanical properties such as lap shear strength, bonding strength and hardness are evaluated, Metallurgical characteristics such as diffusion layers thickness, phases in diffusion layer, elemental composition of diffusion layers were analysed. From this investigation, it is found that the diffusion bond with a medium diffusion layer thickness (in between very minimum to very maximum) exhibits superior mechanical properties.

Higher quality and cost effective welds can be achieved by understanding the weld metal properties and influence of welding parameters. Submerged arc welding is preferred process for the higher productivity and better finishing of deposited metal. Welding input parameters have significant role in determining the quality of a weld joint. The joint quality can be assessed in terms of weld bead geometry and weld metal properties. Investigation has been made on influence of welding input parameters on weld bead geometry and metallurgical properties.

In this paper, we used Taguchi design to find an optimum condition for semi-solid Al-Si aluminum alloy fabricated by cooling slope plate method. In CS method, molten alloy was poured over an inclined cooling plate in order to make the semisolid slurry. The semisolid slurry ?owed and solidi?ed into a mold placed at the bottom end of the slope. In Taguchi’s design, it is well-known that high value of S/N ratio (Signal vs. Noise) is better. Consequently, manufacturing conditions were arranged as table of orthogonal array L9(34), and then pouring temperature and tilt angle of cooling plate factors were determined. From microstructural observations, grain size and shape factor were measured by image analyzer. The results of S/N ratios showed that the pouring temperature has the main effect on grain size and morphology of silicon phase of an Al-23%Si alloy cast by cooling slope plate method, since S/N ratio which is sensibility on surround environment was the highest. The optimum conditions were also identified.

The experiment was conducted at the fields of Agriculture College-University of Baghdad Al- Jadiriyah in 2015 in sandy loam soil to evaluate using locally Ultrasonic device for determining the tillage appearance for different primary tillage equipment. New Holland" tractor was used in this study. Two levels of soil moisture included 18-20% and 14-16% and primary tillage implements included: disc plow , chisel plow and sweep plow were used . Soil surface roughness, number of clods with diameter larger than 10 cm , disturbed soil volume, bulk density, total porosity were measured. Split plot design under randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replicates was used. The results were showed that the best soil surface roughness was obtained at the second moisture level, and higher porosity 53.89 % at the first moisture level and there were no significant differences for levels moisture in both the number of clods with diameter larger than 10cm , disturbed soil volume and bulk density. Sweep plow superior in obtained less soil surface roughness , less number of clods with diameter large than 10cm 10.00 clod / m2 and higher porosity 53.94 % compared with chisel plow and disc plow. Higher disturbed soil volume obtained at the chisel plow 1193.00 m3 / hr, while no significant differences in bulk density attributed by plows types. Sweep plow with second moisture level was the superior in obtained less soil surface roughness and less number of clods with diameter large than 10cm 9.33 clod / m2, and sweep plow with first moisture level obtained less bulk density 1.17 mg / cm3 , higher porosity 55.33% While higher disturbed soil volume 1202.00 m3 / hr. obtained in chisel plow with first moisture level treatment

The present paper has focused on the development of an Alluminium metal matrix composite (AMMC) which posses good mechanical properties to meet the functional requirements as the materials of machine elements. The AMMC samples are prepared by mixing reinforcement materials like SiC, Al2O3, Al3C4 in different sizes and percentages with Alluminium base materials like Al6061, Al6063, Al7075 using stir casting furnace according to taguchi orthogonal array OA L9 for minimizing experimental cost. The properties (responses) like density, tensile strength, impact strength, and hardness are determined for the samples. These responses are studied and analyzed using fuzzy logic and the optimum combination of influential factors are identified. A new sample is prepared as per identified combination and tested for confirmation, and it is satisfactory.

A typical manufacturing plant has number of diverse activities interacting with each other. Facilities layout consists of the production areas and personnel areas within the building. Plant layout design is one of the strategic fields that determine the long run efficiency of operation. Facility Layout Problem involves the positioning of cells within a given area so as to minimize the material flow costs between cells. The Layout Design Problem is both tactically and strategically important since the layout plays a large role in determining the efficiency and flexibility of the manufacturing plant. Flexible Plant Layout algorithm is used to minimize the material handling cost and deal with the changes in future. In this project CRAFT (Computerized Relative Allocation of Facilities Technique) algorithm is used for designing of plant layout. CRAFT algorithm is one of the most developed and used algorithm for design or optimizing a facility layout which mainly emphasis on the material handling cost and the layout cost.

This paper discusses the performance characteristics of a single cylinder four stroke diesel engine using lean coconut biodiesel blended with diesel fuel. The experiments were carried out for the various biodiesel-diesel blends i.e., B5, B10, B15, and B20. Results were compared with the neat diesel. The blended biodiesel is being injected to cylinder and tested up to 20% blended biodiesel. The experiment ensures that up to 20% biodiesel blended with diesel can be used without any modification in the diesel engine and enhancement of combustion, FC, BSFC, efficiency and the overall performance of the engine.

The use of non edible oils blend in direct injection diesel engine shows its potential to reduce or control the NOx emissions. Combustion analysis of non edible and non edible blends revealed that the blends had a shorter ignition delay than diesel alone, at both full and light load, and a lower premixed burn fraction at full load. However, the diffusion burn rates were similar. The shorter ignition delay due to high cetane number of non edible oil blends has been suggested as being one of the causes of NOx increase the peak pressure and temperature increase in flame temperature in either pre mixed or diffusion burn has been followed by subsequent increase in NOx emission. This was due to reduction of carbonaceous soot concentration. The performance characteristics of an engine such as brake thermal efficiency, brake specific fuel consumption, brake power and engine torque were not much affected, up to a blend of 20% with neat diesel. The Co and particulate emissions were found to be decreasing with the % increase in blend with a subsequent increase of NOx. Thus the blending of fuel is being limited to 20% in majority of cases to obtain optimum performance and emission characteristics. This paper suggests about by using various types of non edible oils as fuel and blends directly in diesel engines by modifying properties by injecting or Trans-esterification.