Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad&nbsp;(IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous&nbsp;engineering&nbsp;and&nbsp;research&nbsp;institute located in&nbsp;Palakkad,&nbsp;Kerala. It was&nbsp;one of the five new&nbsp;IITs&nbsp;proposed in the&nbsp;2014 Union budget of India. The campus was inaugurated on 3 August 2015. The institute has 94 faculty, 978 students, and 63 non-teaching staffs.

IT Palakkad currently offers four-year Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) and two years MS programmes in 8 different engineering disciplines including&nbsp;Computer Science, Electrical, Mechanical, Civil among others.

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IIT Palakkad

A large variety of actuators are used in aerospace applications. They require test benches for qualifying them for flight operation. These test benches are generally of opposing type, where in the actuators are applied opposing loads and the actuators has to prove their capability working against them. Costly Flight load input profile test benches are needed to simulate the actual flight loads including aiding loads to the flight actuators (load applied in the direction of motion of actuator output shaft). This paper presents an idea of using same actuators for both actuator under test (AT) and loading actuator (AL). Both AT and AL will be connected in tandem and load requirements can be met with controlling the current or supply voltage to AL. The required loading direction can be met by advancing or lagging the command to AL in reference with AT. This has many advantages like inherent load, speed, power and bandwidth matching. As both AT and AL are similar, each test run will result in twice the amount of data making it more useful for data intensive experimental prognosis of such systems. The concept is verified with simulation runs on Simulink model representing actual hardware. Experiments are done on analog rotary actuator and linear digital actuators to prove the concept. Current, Voltage and lag controls are experimentally verified for their applicability.

World University root node

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Structural Health Monitoring 2017: Real-Time Material State Awareness and Data-Driven Safety Assurance - Proceedings of the 11th International Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring, IWSHM 2017

New methodology for testing flight actuators in aiding loads catering for large prognosis data needs

The focus of the present work is to develop a robust algorithm for simulation of stationary/moving rigid solid object(s) in free surface flows. The algorithm is based on incompressible finite volume hybrid staggered/non-staggered framework and captures the fluid–fluid interface using the Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method by solving advection equation for volume fraction with velocity obtained from the Navier–Stokes equations. A novel interface capturing scheme CUIBS (Cubic upwind interpolation blended scheme) is employed to preserve the sharpness of the interface. Presence of the object(s) are accounted through solid fraction, which is advected with the object velocity, either prescribed or calculated from the equations of solid dynamics. A diffuse interface immersed boundary method is employed to solve the normal momentum equation. The present formulation gives liberty to execute normal momentum and pressure correction equation every where in the domain, considering imaginary fluid inside the solid object with dynamic viscosity of heaviest fluid and density of lightest fluid. The algorithm is applied to the benchmark problems involving the flow past a stationary cylinder and water entry of a cylinder. The numerical experiment on the sedimentation of two particles is investigated to analyse the efficacy of present algorithm. © Springer India 2017.

Lecture Notes in Mechanical Engineering

Volume-of-solid immersed boundary method for free surface flows with arbitrary moving rigid bodies

Let A be a Banach algebra with identity 1 and p ∈ A be a nontrivial idempotent. Then q = 1-p is also an idempotent. The subalgebras pAp and qAq are Banach algebras, called reduced Banach algebras, with identities p and q respectively. For a ∈ A and ε &gt; 0, we examine the relationship between the ε-pseudospectrum Λε(A, a) of a ∈ A, and ε-pseudospectra of pap ∈ pAp and qaq 2 qAq. We also extend this study by considering a finite number of idempotents p1, · · ·, pn, as well as an arbitrary family of idempotents satisfying certain conditions. © 2016 by the Tusi Mathematical Research Group.

Department of Mathematics

Advances in Operator Theory

Pseudospectra of elements of reduced banach algebras

We investigate the effect of sputtered gold nanoclusters (AuNCs) on the Raman spectra of graphene. The two prominent Raman peaks of graphene – 2D and G – show drastically different behaviour with AuNC introduction. The Raman 2D peak intensity decreases with gold coverage and finally is quenched for moderate gold nanoparticle coverage, while the G peak shows a AuNC size-dependent enhancement in peak intensity. The quenching of the 2D peak is attributed to the hybridization of graphene's 2pz orbital with the 5d orbitals of Au. The G peak enhancement is due to the surface-enhanced Raman scattering induced by the surface plasmons created in the AuNC by the incident laser beam (He–Ne laser, wavelength = 632.8 nm). The existence of surface plasmons is independently confirmed by UV-visible spectrophotometry measurements. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Department of Physics

Journal of Raman Spectroscopy

Au concentration-dependent quenching of Raman 2D peak in graphene

Jetted and grouted precast piles (JGPPs) are prefabricated piles installed utilizing jetting and pressure grouting. These piles are well-suited for urban environments as they overcome the inherent drawbacks of currently chosen deep foundations (e.g., noise and vibration disturbances due to pile driving, quality control issue with cast-in-place construction). Past studies in a large test chamber facility have shown that JGPPs can support very high axial and torsional loads owing to their improved skin and tip resistances subsequent to the side-and tip-grouting. However, this new pile has not yet been implemented in practice due to the lack of field verification of its constructability as well as load resistance. This paper presents the full-scale field construction of two JGPPs and the load test program performed to investigate the applicability of the new pile as a foundation for miscellaneous structures. As such structures are subjected to high torsion and lateral load during severe wind-loading (e.g., hurricanes), the test program included combined torsion and lateral loading as well as simple lateral loading. An actual pole-mast arm assembly was used in the coupled torsion and lateral load test to simulate the typical field-loading scenario. The load was applied using a crane and the pile’s rotations and translations were monitored using the novel instrumentation systems. The field tests showed that JGPPs possess high torsion and lateral resistances compared to identically sized drilled shafts, which is a common foundation type used for such structures. The two methods available for predicting axial resistance of the new pile are found to be suitable for the estimation of torsional resistance as well. It was also found that the concurrent application of torsion significantly reduces lateral resistance of the new pile foundation as observed for drilled shafts. In general, the study reveals that the JGPPs are well-suited foundations for miscellaneous structures. © 2017, Canadian Science Publishing. All rights reserved.

Department of Civil Engineering

Canadian Geotechnical Journal

Suitability of jetted and grouted precast pile for supporting mast arm structures

Noise and vibration are critical issues associated with pile driving operations in an urban environment. Alternative foundations such as drilled shafts and augercast piles alleviate much of the operational noise and vibration. However, the cast-in place installation process may raise concerns in quality control if not adequately monitored. Post grouting the drilled shaft base has been widely used to mobilize a larger portion of the tip resistance prior to construction of the superstructure, thereby controlling the axial displacement during the service. In response to the operational challenges in urban environments, the Florida Department of Transportation and the University of Florida have recently developed a new generation of deep foundation, namely "Jetted and Grouted Precast Pile". The process consists of pressurized water jetting a concrete pile instead of a hammer-driven installation, and subsequent side and tip grouting the pile, which significantly improve skin and tip resistance, respectively, as well as lateral and torsional stiffness. Several studies have been focused on such increase in axial and torsional resistance by grouting techniques. However, there has been little field data available to support quantifiable noise and vibration reduction by jetting and grouting processes. This paper presents field measurements of noise and ground surface vibration during full-scale installation of jetted and grouted piles. Comparison of measured data to recommended noise and vibration limits suggests that jetting and grouting techniques are a viable solution for urban geo-infrastructure development. © ASCE.

Geotechnical Special Publication

Field measurement of noise and ground surface vibration during pile jetting and grouting

This paper aims at establishing the influence of acidic and alkaline pore fluids on the swell behaviour of an expansive soil. A series of laboratory one dimensional free swell tests were performed to study the behaviour of soil in acidic and alkaline environment. Three different concentrations of sodium hydroxide and sulphuric acid solutions were used as pore fluids to understand the influence of variable concentrations on the swell behaviour of soil. Results showed that, the swelling of soil that interacted with sodium hydroxide solution initially increased at lower concentration and then decreased with increase in concentration. In contrast, the swelling initially decreased at lower concentration of sulphuric acid and then increased with increase in concentration of solution. The complexity in the swell behaviour of contaminated soil was assessed by thoroughly investigating the mineralogy and microstructure alterations by carrying out X-ray diffraction analysis, Scanning electron microscopy and Energy dispersive analysis of X-ray at the end of interaction. © 2017, Budapest University of Technology and Economics. All rights reserved.

Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering

Swelling of natural soil subjected to acidic and alkaline contamination

International Conference on Composite Materials and Structures- ICCMS

B-spline wavelet finite element method for static analysis of 1D problems with material nonhomogeneity

The recently discovered material PtSn4 is known to exhibit extremely large magnetoresistance (XMR) that also manifests Dirac arc nodes on the surface. PdSn4 is isostructural to PtSn4 with the same electron count. We report on the physical properties of high-quality single crystals of PdSn4 including specific heat, temperature- and magnetic-field-dependent resistivity and magnetization, and electronic band-structure properties obtained from angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES). We observe that PdSn4 has physical properties that are qualitatively similar to those of PtSn4, but find also pronounced differences. Importantly, the Dirac arc node surface state of PtSn4 is gapped out for PdSn4. By comparing these similar compounds, we address the origin of the extremely large magnetoresistance in PdSn4 and PtSn4; based on detailed analysis of the magnetoresistivity ρ(H,T), we conclude that neither the carrier compensation nor the Dirac arc node surface state are the primary reason for the extremely large magnetoresistance. On the other hand, we find that, surprisingly, Kohler's rule scaling of the magnetoresistance, which describes a self-similarity of the field-induced orbital electronic motion across different length scales and is derived for a simple electronic response of metals to an applied magnetic field is obeyed over the full range of temperatures and field strengths that we explore. © 2017 American Physical Society.

Fulltext

Physical Review B

Extremely large magnetoresistance and Kohler's rule in PdSn4: A complete study of thermodynamic, transport, and band-structure properties

Focal adhesions (FAs) are important mediators of cell-substrate interactions. One of their key functions is the transmission of forces between the intracellular acto-myosin network and the substrate. However, the relationships between cell traction forces, FA architecture, and molecular forces within FAs are poorly understood. Here, by combining Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based molecular force biosensors with micropillar-based traction force sensors and high-resolution fluorescence microscopy, we simultaneously map molecular tension across vinculin, a key protein in FAs, and traction forces at FAs. Our results reveal strong spatiotemporal correlations between vinculin tension and cell traction forces at FAs throughout a wide range of substrate stiffnesses. Furthermore, we find that molecular tension within individual FAs follows a biphasic distribution from the proximal (toward the cell nucleus) to distal end (toward the cell edge). Using super-resolution imaging, we show that such a distribution relates to that of FA proteins. On the basis of our experimental data, we propose a model in which FA dynamics results from tension changes along the FAs. © 2016 American Chemical Society.