Qatar Foundation Annual Research Forum Volume 2010 Issue 1
- تاريخ المؤتمر: 12-13 Dec 2010
- الموقع: Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC), Doha, Qatar
- رقم المجلد: 2010
- المنشور: ١٣ ديسمبر ٢٠١٠
101 - 150 of 166 نتائج
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Mental task discrimination using digital signal processing
المؤلفون: Mohammed Mostafa YehiaAbstractRecent advances in computer hardware and signal processing have made possible the use of EEG signals or ‘brain waves’ for communication between humans and computers. Locked-in patients now have a way to communicate with the outside world, but even with the latest techniques, such systems still suffer communication rates of the order of 2-3 tasks/minute. In addition, existing systems are not likely to be designed with flexibility in mind, leading to slow systems that are difficult to improve.
This work classifies different mental tasks through the use of the electroencephalogram (EEG). EEG signals from several subjects have been studied during the performance of five mental tasks: a baseline task for which the subjects were asked to relax as much as possible, a multiplication task for which the subjects were given nontrivial multiplication problem without vocalizing or making any other movements, a letter composing task for which the subjects were instructed to mentally compose a letter without vocalizing (imagine writing a letter to a friend in their head), a rotation task for which the subjects were asked to visualize a particular three-dimensional block figure being rotated about its axis, and a counting task for which the subjects were asked to imagine a blackboard and to visualize numbers being written on the board sequentially.
The work presented here can be viewed as part of a larger project, whose goal is to classify EEG signals belonging to a varied set of mental activities in a real time brain-computer interface, in order to investigate the feasibility of using different mental tasks as a wide communication channel between people and computers.
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A multilingual financial watch alerting system
AbstractDepending on user profiles expressed by associated expected events, and conditions for raising alerts, from manual meticulous news annotation of an adequately selected corpus, an ontology domain is created. A cross-language information retrieval approach is used for automatic translation of financial documents corresponding to the particular domain corresponding to the user requirement. By this way, users may receive alerts and news expressed in their own language even if they are initially expressed in a different language. Manual annotation is used for knowledge extraction composed of general rules useful for automatic annotation of financial news arriving instantly to the system from reliable providers of information. As a first step in the loop, news are filtered, split into different sub-documents each one corresponding to a particular event and categorized. News are then mapped automatically to formatted data as instantiations of a sequence of predefined entities defined an event. By using alerting conditions given by the user, data analysis of structured tables might raise or not alerts to the user, with an adequate explanation of the cause of the alert. Automatically selected alerts initiate a new process for information generation to the user by starting a new browsing sequence of news containing events which are related to the raised alerts. Related news are recursively processed through the same structuring process in order to offer more historical data related to the alert helping the user to make decision.
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Conceptual approach for multi-level restructuring of categorized documents in a corpus
المؤلفون: Samir Elloumi, Ali Al Jaoua, Fethi Ferjani, Mohamad Jihad Jaam, Firas Laban, Helmo Hammami and Nasreddine SemarAbstractIn order to improve the browsing activity in a documentary database, we propose a conceptual approach for multi-level restructuring of categorized documents in a corpus. Starting from a manual and static organized corpus, based on the domain ontology, we derive new dynamically generated structures embedded in the static one. We use a conceptual recursive indexing method based on the selection of the minimal number of concepts covering either a document or a subset of documents corresponding to a sub-corpus. Hence, our system provides an additional browsing feature to the user, by dynamically providing the system with a conceptual structure of clusters of documents. For illustration, you may find in the figure an application to Arabic financial news for a particular ontology.
Therefore, one finds sub-category
under the category
. Also,
under the category,
etc. In parallel with the classical browser system, indexing words, provided for each level, give the user more details about the file's content, as well as the category content, before further exploration. Our approach improves human-computer interaction by decreasing the browsing time. Assessment of the proposed method proves that combining manual documents categorizations, with the automatic feature generations, gives a flexible and effective structured browsing interface to the users. Finally, low-level features help for incrementally placing new documents in the right category, by using suitable supervised classification methods.
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Numerical simulation of particle-laden coaxial turbulent jets
المؤلفون: Kumaran KannaiyanAbstractThe study of particle-laden coaxial, turbulent jets has been of interest due to its importance in several applications such as industrial burners, combustors and mixing devices. The addition of the second phase to the continuous phase jet can change the already complicated flow pattern and turbulent characteristics of the jets. Vast research efforts have been devoted to understanding such phenomena, but detailed investigation of particle-laden flows remains an active area of research.
The advent of laser diagnostics has helped to quantify the myriad details of the turbulent jet flow fields in great detail. However, the diagnostic tools are very expensive to use as a research tool. As a result, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) with an acceptable level of accuracy can complement the experimental results by providing additional details that are difficult to measure.
Nevertheless, even with the advancement of computational resources, modeling the turbulent characteristics remains a challenge due to its complex nature. Although recently, computational techniques have been developed to “solve” the turbulent quantities, these techniques are computationally too expensive to use in real time applications.
Hence, in this work, standard Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes, numerical simulations are carried out to predict the flow and turbulent characteristics of coaxial jets with and without the dispersed phase. The results are compared with the experimental data measured using molecular tagging velocimetry diagnostic technique. The key objective of this work is to investigate the flow field details that are difficult, if not impossible, to measure.
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Assistive educational technology
المؤلفون: Ameer AbdulsalamAbstractDespite the importance of literacy to employment and social well-being, the literacy rate of the visually impaired and deaf population is estimated to be quite low. Braille, the primary method of reading and writing for the blind, is a tactile system in which embossed dots representing letters and numbers can be read with the fingers. Similarly, the primary method of communication for the deaf is sign language. Sign language simultaneously combines hand shapes, orientation and movement of the hands, arms or body, and facial expressions to express fluidly a deaf speaker's thoughts. As is the case in spoken language, Braille and sign language can differ from one region to another, but the basic elements of both Braille and sign language remain consistent across cultures. A significant problem in education for both the deaf and visually impaired populations is that they are minority populations and hence often have less guided practice in communication. They also participate in fewer interactions with the larger community that reinforce their literacy and communication skills. Finally, the focus of technological enhancements to education has primarily focused on the majority populations, and hence very few automated tutors and educational computing games have been created for visually impaired and deaf children.
Our work aims to remedy this situation by developing assistive technology to enhance education for the visually impaired and deaf populations throughout the world. We have developed several tools including a Braille writing tutor (BWT) and the DeSIGN software application, which provides guided practice for communication using sign language. The BWT is a device that connects to a computer through a USB cable. As the student writes each Braille letter or number, the tutor provides immediate audio feedback by repeating the written characters and guiding writing through audio cues, and a variety of curricular and game modes. The DeSIGN tool aims to increase the reading level of the students who are taught to communicate using sign language by reinforcing the mapping between vocabulary and signs through lessons, tests, and games. It also has an interactive game, which provides teachers with a customizable tool for motivating students.
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Effect of non-uniform, out-of-plane illumination, shear rate andparticle distribution on the accuracy of nPIV velocity measurement
المؤلفون: Rana Khader, Anoop Kanjirakat and Reza SadrAbstractNanoparticle image velocimetry (nPIV) uses evanescent-wave illumination to measure two velocity components, U and V, tangential to a wall in a region with thickness of the order of hundreds of nanometers. In this region the illumination intensity decays exponentially with distance normal to the wall, z, and hence tracers closer to the wall have ‘brighter’ and ‘bigger’ images than those that are further away, i.e. at larger z. Moreover, fluid velocity varies in this region with z and hence tracers at different distance from the wall move at different speeds. Furthermore, presence of the wall has a significant effect on particle distribution, and particle displacement due to local fluid velocity and Brownian displacement of particle tracers in this region. The variation in the displacement of particle images in this region, with different brightness and velocities, can bias the near-wall velocities obtained using standard correlation-based PIV method.
Artificial nPIV images of nanoparticles in a flow field with linear out-of-plane velocity profile were used in this work to investigate the impact of these issues upon the accuracy of nPIV data. Uniform and Gaussian random distribution noise were added to the images to simulate electronic noise and shot noise, respectively. The artificial images were obtained and processed for various experimental parameters to incorporate different illumination profiles, shear rates and distribution profiles. The results demonstrate that non-uniform illumination, as well as particle distribution, affects the bias in the estimated tracer velocity for the shear flow. Non-uniform intensity also affects the bias due to Brownian diffusion; however, correction for Brownian diffusion canreduce this bias error.
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Estimation of highly selective channels for downlink LTE systemby a robust neural network
المؤلفون: Aymen Omri, R. Hamila, M. Hasna, R. Bouallegue and H. ChaiebAbstractIn this paper we propose a robust channel estimator for the downlink of a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system using a highly selective neural network. This method uses the information provided by the reference signals to estimate the total frequency response of the channel in two phases. In the first phase, the proposed method learns to adapt to the channel variations, and in the second phase it predicts the channel parameters.
The performance of the estimation method in terms of complexity and quality is confirmed by theoretical analysis and simulations in an LTE/OFDMA (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiple Access) transmission system. The performance of the proposed channel estimator is compared with those of least-square decision feedback and modified
Wiener methods. The simulation results show that the proposed estimator performs better than the above estimators and it is more robust at high-speed mobility.
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Time of arrival-based location estimation for cooperativerelay networks
المؤلفون: Hasari Celebi, Mohammed Abdallah, Hussein Syed, Khalid Qarage and Slim Mohamed AlouniAbstractCooperative communications is a technique to create a virtual antenna array using several distributed single antenna nodes in the system. It helps in increasing the area of coverage without the need of increased transmission power. As the destination receives multiple copies of the source's signal, it also improves the diversity order. The performance of cooperative networks has been thoroughly investigated in the past for various system models, protocols, forwarding techniques and fading environments.
Location estimation is another crucial process in cooperative relay networks, as it is for the other types of wireless communications networks. For instance, the range and location information can be used for network authentication, localization or cluster forming in cooperative networks. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no study in the literature that addresses the location estimation problem in cooperative relay networks.
In this study, we investigate the performance of a cooperative relay network performing location estimation through time of arrival (TOA). We derive Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) for the location estimates made using the relay network. The analysis is extended to obtain average CRLB considering the signal fluctuations in both relay and direct links. The effects of the channel fading of both relay and direct links and amplification factor and location of the relay node on average CRLB are investigated. Simulation results show that the channel fading of both relay and direct links and amplification factor and location of relay node affect the accuracy of TOA-based location estimation.
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Protocol suite for exploiting spectrum resourcesin Dynamic Spectrum Access Networks
المؤلفون: Vinay Kolar and Nael Abu-GhazalehAbstractThe success and wide proliferation of wireless and mobile services places extreme pressure on the limited available wireless bandwidth. As this pressure continues to increase with smartphones, new services and users, the available bandwidth will not be able to sustain it, severely limiting the promise of computing on the move. Dynamic Spectrum Access networks (DSANs or sometimes known as Cognitive Radio Networks) offer the potential of alleviating this problem. Unlike traditional wireless networks, DSANs are not restricted to operate over a fixed bandwidth in license-free frequency spectrum. DSANs dynamically utilize the unused bandwidth in licensed bands, such as the bandwidth allocated to cellular networks, without harming the primary licensed users.
While DSANs are capable of reusing an otherwise wasted bandwidth, translating the large bandwidth into application requirements, such as higher capacity and lower delays, is a complex problem. The networking protocols have to understand application requirements, monitor the unused spectrum, and dynamically adapt to schedule and route the traffic without affecting the primary licensed users.
In this paper, we propose a suite of measurement-based models and protocols that enable applications to realize the lower-layer resources in a DSAN. First, we propose a centralized network-monitoring engine. It dynamically computes the network topology graph and spectrum usage statistics. Based on this information, a stochastic model predicts the available capacity and delay estimates, and exposes them to the applications using simple Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Second, we propose a routing protocol that uses the API to construct high-capacity or low-delay routes. We have deployed the system in a test bed with software-defined radios at Carnegie Mellon University, Qatar.
The proposed framework enables the design of practical and efficient higher-layer protocols. However, the more general problem of optimal resource allocation in DSAN requires solving other complex tasks, such as optimal spectrum assignment and scheduling. In the future, we plan to model and demonstrate practical solutions for these problems. We also plan to pursue distributed heuristics that adapt to mobility.
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Development of an optimal data reduction scheme fora four-wire hot-wire probe
المؤلفون: Singha Arindam and Reza SadrAbstractOne of the most widely used measurement instruments in the turbulence community is the hot-wire probe. Amongst them, the four-wire probe is lately gaining popularity because of the enhanced accuracy and the extended directional working range due to the presence of the fourth ‘redundant’ wire. However, the need for exhaustive calibration makes the hot-wire probe a less preferred instrument to be used in atmospheric research. In the present study, development and testing of an effective data reduction scheme for a four-wire probe is reported. The robustness of the data reduction scheme enables one to obtain the same order of accuracy in measurement with reduced calibration points, and in turn reduced calibration effort. The data reduction scheme works based on the calculation of the directional sensitivity function of each wire, and then, minimization of an artificially constructed error function. Since the directional sensitivity function is smooth and continuous in space, the same order of accuracy can be obtained with less effort. In the present work, a four-wire probe was considered, and calibrated in a constant velocity jet facility. Following calibration, the data reduction scheme was applied to test the probe numerically for a random noise applied on four probes simultaneously, and the angular error was computed. The assessment of the involved accuracy of the data reduction scheme with reduced points of calibration was established.
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Constraint diagrams can be used to interpret programspecification expressions: an evaluation experimentwith novice users
المؤلفون: Noora FetaisAbstractConstraint diagrams (CDs) are a graphical notation used for program specification. For the purposes of formal software specification using a visual method, Kent designed constraint diagrams as an intuitive approach to formally specify programs. This paper presents an experiment that evaluates the interpretation of constraint diagrams compared with natural language (NL) for understanding program specification statements. In a web-based training competition, participants were randomly divided into two groups and were given 8 training examples either on the CD notation or equivalent NL expression. Each example is followed by 3 questions about the specification statements. In total there were 24 questions presented in each notation. It was predicted that the CD participants would find that learning concepts and answering questions would be harder than those in the NL group, because they had no prior experience of the CD notation. Surprisingly despite the fact that CD notation was new for participants, the CD group spent less time answering the questions and achieved the same proportion of correct answers as the NL group. However, as predicted, they were less confident in their answers and they spent more time on the training examples to learn the new concepts.
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Rich entity recognition in English text
المؤلفون: Rishav Bhowmick, Michael Heilman, Kemal Oflazer, Behrang Mohit and Noah SmithAbstractEntity type recognition is used as a pre-processing step in common applications like summarization of text, classifying documents or automatic answering of questions posed in natural language. Here, ‘entity’ refers to concrete and abstract objects identified by proper and common nouns. Entity recognition focuses on detecting instances of types like person, location, organization, and so on. For example, an entity recognizer would take as input:
George Washington was the first President of the United States of America. and output:
George Washington was the first President of the United States of America . The task can be performed using machine learning techniques to train a system that recognizes entities with performance comparable to a human annotator. Challenges like the lack of a large annotated training data corpus, impossible nature of listing all entity types, and ambiguity in language make this problem hard. There are existing entity recognizers which perform this task but with fair performance. One of the ways adopted to improve the performance of an existing entity recognizer is feature engineering. We initially find out which of the existing features, used in the recognizer, affect the performance most strongly. We accomplish this by adding and removing one or more features at a time from the feature list. We then use the training data to train a model and test to find out which set of features are important. The evaluation metric involves finding the precision, recall and f-score (which is the harmonic mean of precision and recall). As a next step, we add new features like word clusters and bigram word features to find out any improvements. Word clusters help when the training data does not have some words, but words belonging to the same cluster are present in the training data. This helps tagging unseen words in the test set. We also experiment with varying the size of the training data to find out how it affects the performance. Additionally, we look into Wikipedia as a source of additional features for the training data. Wikipedia has an elaborate internal link structure that can provide vital information about the category of a word. This category can be linked to a broader-sensed entity type.
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StepID - A Matlab-based toolbox for identification fromstep response
المؤلفون: Sarah Qaffaf, Salim Ahmed, Nada Mustafa and Zainab ObeidAbstractFor advanced control, transfer function models are widely used and identification from step response is a common choice in process industries to obtain such models. Over the last decade, significant developments have taken place in the field of identification from step response using the so-called integral equation approach. However, these developments have not been included in the identification tools available commercially. This work focuses on development of a MATLAB toolbox in the form of a graphical user interface (GUI) that will be a specialized tool for identification from step response. Due to the recent advancement in data storage capacity, industries have become repositories of enormous amounts of data. However, proper tools are needed to extract valuable information from raw data. The development of the toolbox started as an Undergraduate Research Experience Program (UREP) project from the 5th cycle and it was further modified and extended in the 7th cycle. The functionality of the toolbox includes data import from an excel file or a MAT file, preprocessing of data and the use of different methods to estimate continuous time transfer function model parameters of different orders under different conditions of the process. The toolbox includes methodologies to estimate model parameters and time delay simultaneously under steady or unsteady initial conditions using least squares and instrumental variable method. Methodologies to handle higher order models and non-minimum phase processes are also included. Finally, the toolbox has the capability to choose the best model from a list of models obtained using different methods.
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Materials science and engineering are ‘outside the box’ at Qatar University to improve the Environment
المؤلفون: Mariam Al Ali Al MaadeedAbstractThe Office of Research and the Materials Technology Unit (MTU) at Qatar University (QU) have undertaken many challenges and initiatives in line with QU's role in achieving objectives set by the university's stakeholders. This includes taking the first steps to become a distinguished research university.
As materials science is an interdisciplinary field, MTU has a variety of research activities that extend across all faculties and departments, often crossing traditional subject boundaries. The materials research at MTU is linked to virtually every field of science and engineering. Our mission is to improve the development of Qatar through the discovery and development of new materials with novel properties for applications within Qatar that meet the needs of the environment, industry and society. Researchers and students at MTU are empowered to think outside the box to expand the frontiers of materials science and engineering and encouraged to help address and contribute to societal needs in strategic areas including safety, energy, economy and sustainability.
Qatar University researchers combine their expertise in materials science, chemistry, physics, biology and engineering along with advanced computation to understand and control properties of matter. MTU provides the opportunity for faculty members and students to interact with the industry and actively participate in various projects. MTU attracts leading international scholars and aims to provide universal knowledge of the four essential elements of materials science and engineering, namely: processing/synthesis, structure, properties and applications. Qatar University leads the materials research development in Qatar in sustainable materials, corrosion and nondestructive studies. MTU is starting a variety of recycling projects for polymers, papers and concrete. Materials research contributes to economic progress by developing advanced materials for new technologies, and lowering the cost and enhancing the performance of more established technologies.
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Efforts in the State of Qatar to conserve and monitor endangered marine turtles
المؤلفون: Mehsin Abdulla Al AnsiAbstractMarine turtles are listed as endangered and they belong to Animal Kingdom phylum Chordata, class Reptilia and are descendants from early reptiles. Marine turtles are long-living and the females lay many eggs. Each year, thousands of hatchlings emerge from their nests along many coastlines across the world. Natural obstacles faced by young and adult sea turtles are numerous and on the increase, including natural predators and human exploitation. Unfortunately, only an estimated one in 1000 to 10000 will survive to adulthood. Together with marine biologists at Qatar University, studies on marine turtles in the State of Qatar were initiated in 2002, sponsored by Ras Laffan Industrial City. The outcome of the 2002 study provided the baseline data needed for subsequent studies. It has now been established that only one species of the endangered extant marine turtles, the Hawksbill turtle, nests in the Gulf area and in Qatar along the northeastern sandy beaches and islands (Ras Laffan, Fewairit, Al Maronah, Al Ghariyah, Jazirat Ras Rakan, Jazirat Umm Al Tays and Halul Island).
Studies showed that Ras Laffan City is a major nesting area [No. of nests recorded since 2001: (2001: 74), (2002: 240), (2003:208), (2004: 190), (2005: 229), (2006:129), (2007:76), (2009: 72)]. An outcome of the studies since 2002 showed that females average clutch size varies between 65-78 eggs, which are incubated for 51-57 days in a nest temperature of 28.6⁰C – 33.3⁰C.
Since 2009, efforts to monitor the nesting population along the Qatar coastline have started and the satellite tracking of females continues. This showed the females remain in the Gulf waters between Ras Laffan moving north (Kingdom Bahrain – Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and south to the UAE. One tracked female travelled a maximum distance of 1917 km in 147 days. A number of females have been tagged to date, of which 3 tagged in 2005 returned to nest in 2009. Between 2009 and 2010 over 40 females were tagged.
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Pulse amplitude modulation (PAM) chlorophyll a fluorometry for monitoring the health of corals along the coast of Qatar
المؤلفون: Adeyinka Adenikan, Cecile Richard, Edourd Horlin, Romain Le Gall, Thibault Schvartz and Eric DutrieuxAbstractThe Arabian Gulf is shallow, sub-tropical and semi-enclosed, all factors that promote large variations in the properties of its water. The extreme natural variations, in association with global changes such as the increasing pH of the oceans and climate change, make the ecosystem balance of the Gulf very fragile. A one-year-long study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of PAM (pulse amplitude modulation) chlorophyll a fluorometry in monitoring the health of sensitive ecosystems, such as coral reefs, around Qatar. The immediate objectives were: (i) to evaluate the efficacy of the PAM chlorophyll fluorometry technique as a means of assessing sub-lethal stress in corals; (ii) to calibrate and validate this technique for future ecosystem monitoring applications in this local environment; and (iii) to collect environmental data to attempt to correlate detected changes in stress status to changes in the magnitude of environmental factors that are known to affect these organisms. The study consisted of four field surveys conducted at approximately quarterly time intervals, at two monitoring stations. PAM fluorometry measurements were complemented by detailed visual assessments of the health status of the ecosystems following a traditional belt transect method, continuous recording of seawater temperature, underwater light intensity measurement and water quality monitoring.
Results of both types of observations indicated different degrees of sub-lethal stress on most of the coral species at Fuwayrit and Halul. While the visual signs of stress were difficult to quantify, the PAM fluorescence data provided a clearer indication of the stress being experienced by the organisms at the time of the surveys.
For one particular species of coral at the Fuwayrit site, PAM measurements of photosynthetic efficiency proved to be a good predictor of imminent mortality.
Based on data from the Halul site, it can be inferred that the PAM fluorometry method did not give false indications of stress for healthy corals.
This study has demonstrated that PAM fluorometry can improve our ability to monitor the health of corals in the Qatar and Gulf environment by providing objective data on the photosynthetic performances and the state of stress of these organisms.
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Qatar Sustainable Water & Energy Utilization Initiative (QWE). Water and environmental research activities at TAMUQ
المؤلفون: Ahmed Abdelwahab and Patrick LinkeAbstractTexas A&M University at Qatar (TAMUQ) has very active and well-established environmental and water research and development program. TAMUQ has recently founded the Qatar Sustainable Water and Energy Utilization Initiative (QWE) which is a center of excellence for open and cooperative research, and capacity building established to address the sustainable environmental, water and energy efficiency issues relevant to Qatar. With current R&D projects worth in excess of USD 6 million, the QWE builds upon a strong scientific and technological base of direct relevance to Qatar. The QWE initiative aims to sustain and expand this critical knowledge resource to provide knowledge and technology transfer to stakeholders; to provide technical services; to provide continuity to the R&D efforts; to support long-term national programs; to engage in campaigns to promote the need for environmental protection and sustainable water and energy utilization to the wider public; and, of special importance, to develop the human capacity needed to address scientific and technical issues related to Qatar's current and future needs in these areas.
The QWE team consists of twelve highly qualified research staff members is working on several research projects which are of direct benefit to the Qatar community. Current research projects cover the following areas:
- Environmental impact assessment and management
- Integrated water resources management
- Hybrid desalination systems and systems analysis for solar desalination
- Zero liquid discharge systems
- Water and energy systems analysis, integration and optimization
- Hazardous waste management
- Advanced water and wastewater treatment processes
The presentation will outline the initiative and share results and insights developed across the numerous research projects carried out at the QWE.
We will specifically focus on the direct link between research and capacity building activities and the development of tailored solutions to real problems observed in the region.
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Gas-to-Liquids Research at Texas A&M University at Qatar
المؤلفون: Dragomir Bukur and Nimir El BashirAbstractAs the State of Qatar endeavors to become the ‘Gas Capital of the World’, it is imperative to develop cost-effective technologies for gas processing. In this context, gas-to-liquid (GTL) technology represents a major pathway for the production of ultra-clean liquid hydrocarbons and value-added chemicals. The Fischer-Tropsch synthesis (FTS) reaction is the principal route for the GTL process.
Professor Bukur is exploring effects of novel and non-traditional activation (pretreatment) procedures, and promoters on performance of supported cobalt catalysts during FTS. This research is conducted in collaboration with a team of experts in both fundamental and applied aspects of catalysis. It may ultimately lead to establishing scientific basis for design of the next generation of supported cobalt catalysts for the GTL conversion process. Another area of research is development of a comprehensive kinetic model for FTS in a slurry reactor. The kinetic model developed in this study, coupled with the appropriate conservation equations and transport properties for a given reactor configuration (fixed bed or slurry bubble column), would be a valuable tool for optimizing product yield, simulating the plant design, and evaluating the economic cost benefits.
Dr. Elbashir's research activities are focused on the design of an advanced reactor technology for the FTS to leverage certain advantages over the current commercial technologies while at the same time overcoming several of their major limitations. The pillars of this innovative research approach are based on fundamental studies leading to better understanding of the complex nature of FTS, coupled with applied research work targeting the development of novel catalysts and reactors. All phases of Dr Elbashir's research activity in this field are performed in collaboration with leading scientists of multidisciplinary backgrounds and with the involvement of both graduate and undergraduate students from Qatar. This novel research approach is designed to lead to alternative FTS technologies, enabling Qatar to be on the forefront of technology development in GTL.
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GTL fuels and their effects on aircraft aas turbine altitude ignition – detailed diagnostics
المؤلفون: Thomas Mosbach, Gregor Gebel, Patrick Le Clercq, Darren Fyffe, John Moran, Reza Sadr, Kumaran Kannaiyan and Ali Al-SharshaniAbstractThere has been growing interest for alternative fuels in aviation in the past three years. An alternative fuel can be defined by the triplet ‘feedstock-process-fuel’. Presently, the triplet with one of the highest technology readiness levels for gas turbine (GT) applications involves using natural gas in a Fischer-Tropsch thermo-chemical process to derive synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK). Generic Fischer-Tropsch fuels were approved in September 2009 for use as 50% blends with Jet A-1. Gas-to-Liquid (GTL), as a final product of the aforementioned triplet meets those specifications and is in a deployment stage, with one plant currently under construction in Qatar. The product of a Fischer-Tropsch process, such as GTL, is feedstock agnostic. As such, its composition can be tailored to meet or exceed some of the current specifications for jet fuel. Investigating the potential benefits of composition changes in GTL-like jet fuel defines the general scope of our research program.
This article presents the results of tests conducted on the Rolls-Royce plc TRL3 sub-atmospheric altitude ignition facility in Derby, UK. The test campaign aimed at investigating the impact of the carbon number distribution (narrow/wide cut), the iso- to normal-paraffin ratio and the total cyclic paraffin content characterizing the surrogate GTL-like fuel composition on the ignition and combustion performance of a single sector advanced GT combustor and fuel injector under simulated altitude conditions.
The detailed diagnostics consisted of simultaneous high-speed imaging of hydroxyl (OH*) and methylidyne (CH*) chemiluminescence and broadband luminescence measurements of the ignition process. By observing the processes in the visible and the UV simultaneously, it was possible to distinguish between radiation (originating from e.g. soot) and the chemiluminescent emissions from the OH* and CH* radicals. These are markers for chemical activity in the different regions of the combustor and therefore provide information concerning the temporal and spatial development of the flame kernel.
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Automating visual inspection of pipes used for natural gas production
المؤلفون: Peter Ian Hansen, Brett Browning, Peter Rander and Hatem AlismailAbstractQatar is a worldwide leader in liquid natural gas (LNG) production and is poised to lead the world in gas-to-liquids (GTL) production with the commissioning of the Pearl GTL facility. Unfortunately, Qatar's gas fields contain non-negligible quantities of corrosive and toxic hydrogen sulfide (H2S), resulting in the ongoing need for expensive and labor intensive pipe inspection to detect and monitor areas of corrosion. Such inspection is critical to plant integrity, worker safety, and to ensure the economic productivity of the facility. Current industry practice relies on manual sensors operated by a worker located externally to the pipe. The complex pipe geometries and sheer number of pipes, result in a sparse inspection process that forces inspectors to extrapolate measurements to large areas of the pipe network that are unseen.
To overcome these limitations, we are pursuing a radically different approach that uses an articulated robot to navigate inside the pipe, combined with a vision-based perception system that can build a detailed, registered, high resolution 3D appearance map of the inside pipe surface. By using an articulated robot, we can significantly increase the direct measurement coverage of the pipe network. By using a vision-based perception system, we can build models for visualization of the inside pipe surface that can be directly evaluated for corrosion damage. Moreover, our approach lays the foundation for automating corrosion detection by enabling changes in co-registered multi-sensor fusion (e.g. using magnetic flux leakage) to be evaluated over time.
Our work to date has focused on developing monocular and stereo visual odometry systems, which are the core component to building high resolution 3D appearance maps of the pipe surface from a robot crawler located inside the pipe. We have developed algorithms that take imagery collected from a robot moving inside the pipe, and are able to estimate the motion of the vehicle and the resulting structure and appearance of the pipe surface. We have evaluated our algorithms on pipe segments and have generated accurate, high resolution stitched images of the internal pipe surface. We will describe the details of our algorithms, current results, and next steps in our work.
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Real-time leakage detection in underground water pipelines using wireless communication
المؤلفون: Abdullah Kadri, Adnan Abu Dayya, Daniele Trinchero, Roccardo Stefanelli, Tamer Khattab and Mazen HasnaAbstractDetecting and locating water leakages in underground water distribution pipes has been studied in this research activity. The importance behind this research is driven by the huge amount of lost water in buried water distribution systems. It is estimated that worldwide, approximately 48 billion m3 water is lost per year. The monetary value of this lost water is about USD 14.6 billion and this amount of water is sufficient to supply 200 million people. Besides the monetary aspect of the lost water, leakages create a public health risk when a leak becomes a potential entry point for contaminants when the water pressure drops below certain levels.
Conventionally, water leakages in underground pipes are detected and located using systems based on several techniques and technologies amongst which are: tracer gases, thermography, pressure and flow modeling, and ground penetrating radars (GPRs). Although these techniques show some promise, they are expensive, complex, time consuming, and they may not be successful in detecting leakages in practical conditions. Other techniques depend on sensing the acoustic noise generated due to the pressure gradient over the pipe's inner and outer surfaces. The difficulty with this technique is that it requires operators with an experienced professional background and it is critical in urban environments with high background noise.
In this research, an innovative solution has been introduced in which a free-floating detecting module is inserted into the underground water pipe. This module gathers information about existing leakages and then wirelessly transmits the information to a ground station on real-time basis. The detecting module contains the sensing element, i.e. a hydrophone, the radio frequency (RF) unit, the processing unit, and an antenna. The challenge in this solution lays on designing a mobile module able to send electromagnetic waves from inside the pipes to the surface through the fluid, the pipe's material and the terrain. Other challenges include: studying the electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) among various components that exist within the sensor module, wave propagation analysis, designing the wireless protocol taking into consideration power optimization, and developing algorithms for data analysis.
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Smart solar reactor for co-production of hydrogen and industrial grade carbon under any weather conditions
المؤلفون: Nezrin OzalpAbstractThe impending shortage of fossil fuels and environmental consequences of fossil fuel consumption are two of the most imperative problems in the world. This presentation is about a novel design of a solar reactor cavity system composed of a camera-like aperture and moving-wall system to house a unique thermo-fluid-chemical process known as ‘solar cracking’.
Differing from typical solar powered Rankine cycles, solar cracking uses concentrated solar energy as a heat source for direct decomposition of natural gas into gaseous H2 and particulate carbon. This process offers a CO2 emission free hydrogen production method, as the carbon is collected in a high-grade and/or nanotube form. However, solar cracking reactors have two implicit major problems:
The intrinsic losses in energy conversion efficiency as a result of the high internal temperatures and corresponding re-radiation losses as well as the inherently transient nature of the solar energy. Literature on solar reactors reveals a distinct focus on optimal reactor design for steady state efficiency, but little regarding transient inefficiencies. This presentation provides an advanced perception to solar cracking reactors by presenting you the latest results of our research at Sustainable Energy Research Lab on the design of a ‘smart solar reactor’ that is sensitive to variations in solar flux, and can adjust itself accordingly to maintain quasi-equilibrium internal conditions. A unique system design is presented featuring a solar-flux intensity sensitive aperture that can enlarge the aperture diameter when the flux is low and reduce the diameter when the flux is high.
Carbon particle deposition on the reactor window, walls, and at the exit. Carbon deposition. particularly at the exit, causes reactor clogging. There have been many innovative reactor designs aimed to achieve increased conversion efficiencies through novel flows developed at ETH-Zurich, CNRS-France, WIS-Israel, Colorado-USA, Florida-USA, and DLR-Germany. From vortex-flow to tornado, and from fluidized bed to rotating cavity, the designs of these reactors have moved toward the goal of seeking enhanced flow conditions that result in improved overall efficiencies, but have not solved the carbon deposition problem. Our latest research results at Sustainable Energy Research Lab shows that our ‘aero-shielded cyclone solar reactor’ concept provides a laminar flow shield covering the walls as a thin layer flow with a velocity that is strong enough to sweep carbon particles away. This presentation will show you the results of our research on this concept with a 3D animation of the reactor.
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Improving productivity and increasing Qatar reserves
المؤلفون: Aggour MohammedAbstractAt Texas A&M University at Qatar, the faculty, research staff, and students of the Petroleum Engineering Program are currently involved in and also planning for several research projects with four main objectives: improving productivity in Qatar's oil and gas fields; increasing the petroleum reserves of Qatar; developing a strong base of Qatari professionals; and preserving the environment.
One of our major projects is directed at enhancing the productivity of gas-condensate reservoirs which are commonly reduced due to condensate blocking. Our research team is tackling the problem on various fronts including a comprehensive experimental study on the wettability changes of rocks that can enhance liquid mobility and gas productivity; a simulation study to identify the critical parameters that need to be considered when trying to optimize well productivity; and a fundamental study that is targeting analytical modeling of multi-phase flow and the stability of various states of wettability at reservoir conditions. Funding for the various aspects of this work is supported by the Qatar National Research Fund's National Priorities Research Program (NPRP), RasGas, and Schlumberger.
Another active research area related to productivity enhancement deals with acid stimulation in carbonate reservoirs, which applies to almost every well in Qatar. Part of the work is aimed at enhancing the recovery of spent acid to speed the clean up process and improve gas productivity after stimulation. Another part deals with the development of an acid-jetting process as an improved and more effective stimulation process. More work is in the initial stages that targets optimizing the stimulation treatments in Qatar.
We are also actively working on developing models using artificial intelligence techniques to optimize applications of horizontal wells in gas condensate reservoirs with uncertain geological properties.
Our work on CO2 addresses two objectives: carbon sequestration and CO2 injection for improved oil recovery. We are conducting experimental, modeling, and simulation work to achieve these objectives.
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Qatar biofuel: research, development, education, infrastructure
AbstractIn view of the burgeoning market in international carbon trading and the long-term global regulatory constraints on fuel emissions, the need for an alternative to petroleum oil is both large and immediate. The primary goal of our project is to establish a global infrastructure for the production of biofuel from cyanobacteria and microalgae that can sustain economic and environmentally sound operations of the aviation industry. The business plan includes biofuel production as a driver for the development of a diverse biotechnology industry in Qatar, based on research, development, acquisition of intellectual properties, training and education. These activities are in full accordance with the 2030 National Vision for Sustainability in Qatar. The partners in this enterprise are the state airline of Qatar (Qatar Airways), the state university of Qatar (Qatar University) and the conduit for support of innovative research in Qatar; Qatar Science and Technology Park. Our research program is conceived to trigger the paradigm shift in technology that is required to make the near-term establishment of a viable biofuel technology in Qatar a reality. The program is focused on the growth, physiology and molecular biology of cyanobacteria and microalgae isolated from extreme terrestrial, freshwater and marine environments in Qatar. A diverse culture collection of photosynthetic microorganisms is now established at Qatar University and strains are currently under investigation for their utility in large-scale growth, expression of superior survival in engineered Qatar environments, amenability to novel harvesting techniques, and capacity for copious oil production.
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Developing an air quality modeling system for Qatar
المؤلفون: Dianne Lecoeur, Ali Al Mulla, Claude Sadois and Azhari AhmedAbstractThe Qatar Air Quality Modelling System (QAQM) was developed by Qatar Petroleum (QP) and Total Research Centre - Qatar (TRC-Q) to elucidate the causes of the high ozone levels in Qatar's lower atmosphere. Ozone formation is a complex phenomenon involving primary pollutants (nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds), solar radiation and local meteorological conditions. The pollutant's long lifetimes underpin the need to consider their impact at regional, as well as local, scales.
Meteorological simulations are obtained using well-known MM5 software. Using nested grids, simulations are first run at a large scale with coarse resolution and then refined over the Gulf and Qatar scales in successive iterations. This approach takes into account trans-boundary dispersion of pollutants along the Gulf, as well as local phenomena with a higher resolution (sea-breeze, local turbulence, etc.).
A comprehensive emission inventory of ozone precursors has also been constructed at the regional and local scales. Various methodologies have been employed covering all activity sectors and scales (direct knowledge of industrial processes, statistical data combined with emission factors and road traffic emissions models). This emission inventory coupled with Geographical Information Systems produces a geo-referenced database of primary pollutants which serves as an input for the modelling platform.
The CHIMERE photochemical model uses the dispersion and emission inventory previously generated as inputs, and then simulates the chemical reactions between pollutants at all steps, in space and time.
The outputs from the model simulations were validated against meteorology and air quality data collected from various monitoring stations in Qatar. They showed a global acceptable agreement. This study has also improved the scientific knowledge on processes involved in the ozone cycle in the Gulf region.
The QP QAQM platform can be used as a planning tool to assess the environmental impact of new industrial activities. It is also a suitable basis for further developments in the field of air quality monitoring, forecasts and mitigation.
TRC-Q is currently building on this successful experience to develop new technologies as an answer to the environmental challenges resulting from the extraordinary growth currently enjoyed by Qatar.
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Adaptive transmission for spectrum-sharing cognitive systems
المؤلفون: Mohamed Mahmoud Abdallah, Khalid Qaraqe and Mohamed Slim AlouiniAbstractThe concept of cognitive networks has recently emerged as an efficient means for utilizing the scarce spectrum by allowing spectrum sharing between a licensed primary network and a secondary network. Cognitive networks can be divided into three different types; namely, interweave, underlay, and overlay. For the interweave type, the secondary users are only allowed to use the spectrum of the primary network whenever it is idle, which requires continuous sensing of the primary spectrum by the secondary network. For the underlay network, simultaneous transmissions are allowed by letting the secondary network share the spectrum with the primary network, under the condition of maximum interference power level allowed at the primary receiver. Finally, for the overlay type, the secondary network is aware of the signal characteristics of the primary network that are exploited to achieve an enhanced performance for the secondary network by minimizing the interference incurred by the primary transmissions.
In this poster, we present an overview of the three types of cognitive networks. We focus on the underlay cognitive network model, whereby we present the fundamental capacity results of these networks under various power constraints on both the transmit power and the interference power attained at the primary receiver. We then explore practical methods for achieving these capacity results by employing adaptive transmission techniques at the secondary users.
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Endangered wild plants in Qatar
المؤلفون: Noora Jabor Al ThaniAbstractA wide range of natural processes, invasive plants and human activity have had a strong impact on the stability of the ecosystem, leading to the destruction of plants habitats and plant endangerment or even extinction. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, together with the Natural History Museum, London, and the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), has revealed that the world's plants are as threatened as mammals, with one in five of the world's plant species threatened with extinction.
Wild plants make an important contribution to the life of local communities. Some plant species in Qatar, are endangered like Rhanterium epapposum Oliv. (Arhaj), Convolvulus pilosellifolius Desr. (Malbow), Dipcadi erythraeum Webb&Berthel. (Miselmow), Glossonema varians (Stocks) Benth. Ex Hook.f. (Yarawah), Prosopis cineraria (Ghaf).
Unless action is taken to stop such decline and a mechanism is put in place to reverse and preserve these wild endangered plants, we will be faced with the danger of their extinction the near future. Therefore, it is critical to have a knowledge of assessment and protection measures, such as replanting and propagating through the technology of tissue culture, to turn around loss of biodiversity in Qatar.
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Real-time, online, air quality monitoring sensor network
المؤلفون: Osama KubarAbstractEnvironmental monitoring is an important tool in the overall environmental management strategy. In particular, a planned monitoring strategy can help in quantifying the level of impact that has occurred during country/region development and enables the predictions of potential air pollution changes to be verified. A quantitative assessment of environmental change following industrial activities is important when future environmental liabilities need to be considered. Additionally, environmental monitoring data can enable a better understanding of the processes by which impacts may arise.
Traditional environmental monitoring systems are characterized by bulky nodes, expense (in the range of USD 1 million ), and disperse (tens of kilometers) nodal allocation. Traditional systems rely on extrapolating localized measurements to project air quality information over a large geographical area. Therefore, along with the high cost, traditional networks suffer from inaccurate predications/assessment to regional mapping of air quality information, as well as non-flexible gas monitoring and selection.
As a result, many research institutes and governmental agencies worldwide are actively involved in research activities for finding more robust and cost-effective alternatives. The underlying technology for those activities is the utilization of wireless sensor networks (WSN). WSN promise to bring low cost, large scale advanced remote monitoring and automated applications to a wide range of technical areas and industries. In addition to lowering capital and operating expenses, WSN provides improved reliability, increased installation flexibility and scalability.
The project aims to architect, design, and develop an innovative solution utilizing the WSN. The solution under consideration is ubiquitous and cost effective and provides real-time data transmission and remote/online data processing and accessibility. Innovative, smaller, inexpensive and with different sensing capability, sensor nodes are integral to the solution. Such sensors are emerging, but not yet mature, and therefore substantial effort will be invested in working with sensor vendors to ensure the design and development of the right sensor nodes.
The project also includes research activities related to innovative network architecture for robustness and cost effectiveness as well as software development activities for data processing, information presentation and dissemination. This will ensure that localized and personalized information can be delivered to diverse customers.
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Optimal resource allocation for relay-assisted wireless communication systems
المؤلفون: Mohammad Obaidah Shaqfeh and Hussein AlnuweiriAbstractThe design, analysis and optimization of cooperative/relaying communication systems have recently become a very active research area within both the information theory as well as communications engineering societies. It is now well understood that relaying strategies can improve the coverage of wireless networks by providing higher data rates or better transmission reliability to user terminals at the edge of a wireless cell, or terminals having faded connectivity with the base station.
Relaying technologies are also becoming part of the telecommunication standards. Although we can find studies, in the academic literature, on advanced relaying schemes, which are based on user terminals cooperating to help each other while applying decentralized resource allocation strategies, the first actual deployment step which will take place within the 3GPP long-term evolution (LTE)-advanced standard is based on fixed access points to do the relaying and within a centralized scheme in which the e-nodeB (base station with backhaul connection) takes the scheduling and resource allocation decisions.
One major objective in 3GPP evolution is to utilize the scarce wireless system resources efficiently because achieving the high quality of service (QoS) targets through over-provisioning is uneconomical due to the relatively high cost for transmission capacity in cellular access networks.
Our objective here is to obtain the optimal (from an information theory perspective) resource allocation schemes taking into considerations the system constraints that are relevant to the LTE-advanced standard. We have been able to derive optimal resource allocation polices that are provably based on closed-form formulations which are practical for implementation. They include the policies for (i) transmission mode selection (i.e. deciding whether the user needs the assistance of a relay or not), (ii) power allocation for the base station and the relays, and (iii) criterion for user scheduling over the available air-link resource units.
Simulation results demonstrate that our proposed resource allocation scheme provides considerable throughput gains especially for users receiving low power through the direct link with the base station.
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Preparation, characterization and investigation of CO2 adsorption behavior of zinc-magnesium carbonate compounds
المؤلفون: Ferdi Karadas, Cafer Yavuz, Galen Stucky and Mert AtilhanAbstractThe capture of CO2 from flue gases derived from fossil fuelled power plants and the absorption of CO2 from natural gas sweetening processes are two relevant industrial problems closely related with very important environmental, economical and technological problems that need to be solved. Porous inorganic compounds have received attention in recent years due to their possible applications in the carbon dioxide capture and storage field. In this work, we prepared new metal carbonates by reacting CO3 2- solution with solutions of Zn2+-Mg2+ metal ions in different stoichiometric ratios. The samples were characterized with powder x-ray diffraction analysis (PXRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, these samples were measured with a Rubotherm magnetic suspension balance to investigate their CO2 adsorption behavior and performance.
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Ecologies of scale: strategies for designing culturally and environmentally relevant neighborhoods in Doha, Qatar
المؤلفون: Rami El Samahy, Kelly Hutzell, Kristina Ricco and Spencer GregsonAbstractIn the past decade, Qatar's population has experienced unprecedented growth. The country has nearly trebled in size, from 522,000 residents in 1997, to over 1,500,000 today. Of that total, 82% is said to live in the metropolitan area of Doha. As phenomenal as this growth may be, however, it is both environmentally and culturally unsustainable. Until now, the tendency has been to build in a speculative manner — a tendency to build all at once without full consideration of how to fill it. As a result, a sprawl of air-conditioned two and three story buildings dominates the landscape. The climatic constraints are real: while the weather is quite livable for half the year, the hottest four to six months of the year can be difficult to bear, with little rainfall to offset the extreme temperatures.
Architects and urban designers address these issues in a manner that is unique to the design field, an approach that can be termed ‘design research’. It is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, and necessitates an iterative approach whereby proposals, based on initial collection of data, are created and then refined as a result of reflection on the artifact created. In this sense, the act of creation itself becomes part of the research, and a means towards a solution.
For this project, the solution proposed centers on an idealized box, a simple yet carefully calibrated object that accommodates a plethora of programs, structural options and enclosures. The box can accept myriad functions and can be easily transported to the site on an as-needed basis. A variety of façade and roof strategies based on performative criteria can help reduce solar gain and create a richly diverse architectural language. Orientation and function dictate not only the façade direction, but also the building massings, as well as height and distance between buildings, thereby resulting in shaded and well-ventilated streets. With a set of basic rules, the aggregation of buildings can occur organically over time, as opposed to the current model. At each stage of development, appropriately-scaled public spaces accompany the buildings, including the garden, the courtyard and the plaza.
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Laser ultrasonic inspection, a new inspection technique and its effects on the integrity and surface properties of the metallic surfaces
المؤلفون: Maqbool Mohammed and Uvais QidwaiAbstractLaser ultrasonic inspection (LUI) is the name given to the techniques in which a laser beam interacts with the surface of a test sample and replaces piezoelectric transducers for launching and probing elastic sound waves. When this wave returns to the surface, a separate laser interferometer detects the small resulting displacement. This technique is strictly non-contact and is therefore suitable for in-process inspection of parts while at high temperature or moving at high speed. In the field of non-destructive techniques (NDT), the association of laser generation with optical detection provides a completely remote inspection system.
As this process involves hitting of high power laser beam on to the surface to be inspected and ablation of the superficial layer of the surface, one of the objections from the conventional oil and gas industry to LUI system is apprehension of potential damage or adverse effect on the surface property and integrity. This possible problem is seen as severe on pressurized pipes to the extent of being dangerous to the system.
This work attempts to present a qualification methodology which was experimentally applied to known metallic samples and with standard LUI testing conditions. Binary image processing techniques have been used with hybrid filtering and statistical measurements to quantify the findings. A relational approach is used within the digital image processing domain to qualify the extent of metal loss that occurs during a prolonged exposure of the clean metallic surface to the laser beam. A comparative study has been done on Duplex steel (UNS S31803) and Carbon steel. Samples were studied for relative metal loss, possible changes in hardness and micro-structural anomalies (if any). A new qualification method has been developed using digital image processing to approximate the damage sustained by the exposure. The results are quite promising and alleviate many doubts that conventional NDT experts may have in connection with the LUI system, especially in the oil and gas scenarios.
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Effects of GTL fuels on aircraft gas turbine altitude ignition combustor operability
المؤلفون: Reza Sadr, John Moran, Darren Fyffe and Kumaran KannaiyanAbstractThe current kerosene fuel used in aviation turbines is tightly controlled to a well defined specification. This fuel specification is a result of the past 50 years of simultaneous research and development between the aviation turbine industry, especially the combustion system, and kerosene jet fuel chemistry.
Recently, there has been a ground swell of interest in alternative fuels for aviation, where the fuels can be made from a variety of feedstocks and processes. The chemistry and composition of species within future alternative fuels will change from the current kerosene jet fuel specifications; therefore research has been carried out looking at the effects of some of the fundamental component species that will be found in potential future fuels. The fuels being researched in this programme have been specifically chosen to look like fuels that could be produced in the gas-to-liquid (GTL) plants currently under construction in Qatar.
Tests were conducted on the Rolls-Royce plc TRL3 sub-atmospheric altitude ignition facility in Derby, UK. The facility was operated at simulated altitude conditions of combustor air inlet pressure and temperature, and fuel inlet conditions to represent combustor conditions following flame-out during high altitude cruise. The gas turbine combustion, ignition and stability characteristics were studied by measurement of the successful ignition and flame stability using a series of GTL SPK-type fuels. The combustor under test was a multi-sector representation of an advanced gas turbine combustor and fuel injector.
The GTL SPK-type fuels were selected to generate a pseudo-design of experiments (DoE) matrix in which the iso- to normal- paraffin ratio, cyclic paraffin content and carbon number range were varied in order to isolate the effects of each. Tests were conducted at combinations of air mass flow rate and fuel-air ratio necessary to map the regimes of successful ignition and flame stability.
Results for all the fuels tested showed no deterioration to the weak boundary of the ignition regime, or the weak extinction limits within the scatter of the experimental method. Evidence was found that 100% GTL SPK from Shell's production facility in Bintulu, Malaysia, as well as one of the DoE blends, have greater ignition performance at simulated altitude conditions.
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Life cycle assessment of polymers in Qatar
المؤلفون: Nesibe Gozde Ozerkan, Mariam Al Ma'adeed and Ramazan KahramanAbstractLife cycle assessment (LCA) is gaining wider acceptance as a method that evaluates the environmental burdens associated with a product, process or activity by identifying and quantifying energy and materials used and wastes released to the environment, and assesses the impact of the energy and material used and released to the environment. It is also considered as one of the best environmental management tools that can be used to compare alternative eco-performances of recycling or disposal systems.
In this study, life cycle assessments of polymer recycling are reviewed with a view to protecting the global environment and to control waste in the polymer industry in Qatar. Incremental increases in population in this region have resulted in a dramatic increase in plastic consumption and unfortunately, the waste management system has not been properly managed to date. During the study, real data from the industry was used in the analysis of the environmental impact of plastics recycling by applying the LCA methodology to the products and processes involved in recycling. The results obtained will help to understand the importance of the use of recycled polymer materials and highlight the clear advantages from an eco-efficiency viewpoint, of plastic recycling against direct manufacturing from petroleum.
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Non-invasive method to examine the diet of the spiny-tailed lizard, Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis, in Qatar
المؤلفون: April Ann Torres Conkey, Renee Richer, Aurora Castilla, John Tribuna and Rita ChanAbstractIn this pilot study, we show that a non-invasive technique, fecal analysis, can be used to positively identify diet contents in the spiny-tailed agamid lizard (Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis) in the wild. We examined U. a. microlepis fecal samples collected in the Kharrara region of Qatar and identified over 25 species of desert plants. In addition to the native flora, grains of barley (Hordeum vulgare) were identified in the samples suggesting that Uromastyx can benefit from livestock feed. We also found the remains of invertebrates, vertebrates and stones. The types of vertebrate remains found suggest scavenging behavior; the first evidence of scavenging for this species which has, to date, been considered a strict herbivore. Other studies on Uromastyx have pumped the stomach or killed the animal to retrieve dietary samples. We show that fecal analysis is a suitable technique for dietary examination in herbivorous lizards and, as it is non-invasive, complies easily with institutional review board requirements for ethical animal treatment.
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Integrated pest management as an alternative to chemical pesticides with low environmental impact
المؤلفون: Emad Hussein Al TuraihiAbstractDuring the last four decades, synthetic chemical pesticides have provided many benefits to agriculture and food production, but they pose some hazardous problems to humans, animals and environment. Chemical pesticides leave undesirable residues in food, water and the environment where they are not used properly. It is estimated that one million people are affected by chemical pesticide poisoning every year and more than 20,000 die as a result of being unaware of the risks involved in the handling or use of chemical pesticides.
This study showed that integrated pest management (IPM) was an effective alternative to synthetic chemical pesticides. The study also revealed that the components of IPM, such as cultural practices, biological control, pheromone traps, soil solarization and plant extracts provided cost effective and environmentally sound methods to control agricultural pests and diseases. As a result many growers and researchers are applying an IPM approach to maintain pest populations at levels below those causing economically unacceptable damage or loss.
In addition, this study has identified the use of IPM methods in the Arabian Gulf countries to manage some insects and diseases affecting date palm trees. The main goal of IPM is to reduce any harmful impact chemical pesticides may have on humans, wildlife, soil and water quality. The usage of chemical pesticides in the IPM programme should be rational, judicious and applied at the most vulnerable time in an insect/disease life cycle.
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Biopesticide research and development: for safer agriculture, food and environment
المؤلفون: Samir Jaoua, Roda Al Thani, Slim Tounsi, Dhabia Al Thani and Fatma Al SaadiAbstractIn the frame of the protection of the environment that is continuously polluted by the massive use of chemical pesticides, we carried out a joint R&D project, on the development of biological pesticides using local bacterial strains isolated from Qatar and Tunisia. Microbial bioinsecticides were shown to be an efficient tool to control plant pests as well as human disease vectors. The Bacillus thuringiensis elta-endotoxins are the most valuable bioinsecticides currently used in commercial agriculture, forest management and mosquito control. This Gram-positive, spore-forming bacterium produces parasporal crystals composed of insecticidal elta-endotoxins. They exhibit a high specificity of insecticidal toxicity towards lepidopteran, coleopteran and dipteran insect species.
From both Qatar and Tunisia, hundreds of strains of B. thuringiensis were isolated and studied and their bioinsecticides coding genes cry were cloned and characterized. Among the Tunisian strains, we evidenced the abundance of the kurstaki subspecies active on the lepidopteran olive tree pathogenic insect P. oleae, whereas from the Qatari soil samples, we found large heterogeneity among the isolated strains. Moreover Bti strains, used for the control of disease vector mosquitoes, were more abundant in the Qatari Bt strain collection than in the Tunisian one. On the other hand, very particular Qatari B. thuringiensis strains synthesizing particular crystals and harbouring different plasmid profiles and probably synthesizing novel insecticides were evidenced.
Besides the genetic and molecular investigations, the development of a fermentation process for B. thuringiensis bioinsecticides production was also carried out and allowed us to do the scale-up of the production of bioinsecticides in a 430 litre fermenter. Important quantities of biological and environmentally safe insecticides were produced and applied successfully in the field.
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Fluid-rock interaction in carbonates - the impact of flow rate and grain size distribution on limestone dissolution at the laboratory column scale
المؤلفون: Oussama Gharbi, Zhadyra Azimova, Martin Blunt and Branko BijeljicAbstractAs part of the project studying the fundamentals of carbonate reservoir pore/fracture scale physics and chemistry within the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre at Imperial College London, sponsored by Qatar Petroleum, Shell and Qatar Science and Technology Park, we present experimental data on the dynamics of fluid-rock interaction during acid injection in carbonate rock. This has implications for CO2 sequestration in geological sinks as well as in well acidization that has been used in carbonate reservoirs to enhance oil recovery.
The effect of grain size distribution and flow rate on dissolution kinetics was studied in laboratory columns packed with calcite grains at ambient conditions. For each set of different experiments the columns were packed with 150-250µm (fine), 300-500µm (medium) and 600-850µm (coarse) calcite grains. The evolution of fluid-rock interaction was investigated by using inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to study the time dependent profiles in Ca2+ cation concentrations inside the column and in the effluent stream. A scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging technique was performed prior to, and after, acid injection to illuminate the nature of calcite dissolution at the rock surface.
ICP-AES and SEM analysis highlighted the complex nature of the dissolution, characterized by the creation of additional surface roughness and wormholes in single grains that resulted in the formation of a more heterogeneous porous medium. The in situ Ca2+ concentration, measured by slicing the column at the outlet, is greater than the effluent concentration, confirming that Ca2+ residesin stagnant regions of the pore space.
After starting acid injection, the chemical reaction occurs in the column, resulting in a gradual increase in Ca2+ concentration in the effluent that eventually reaches a steady-state value. Thus, the time needed to reach this steady state defines an important time-dependent reaction dynamics regime. The duration of this regime is longer as the grain size distribution becomes finer. As the finer media has a more complex structural heterogeneity, the corresponding surface area takes a longer time to be reached by the injected acid and the transport of the created products takes a longer time to breakthrough. This implies a transport-limited reaction.
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Using clumped isotopes to help understand isotopic sector zoning in calcite
المؤلفون: Iain Andrew MacDonaldAbstractDebated among scientists for decades, observations of compositional differences between different crystallographic faces within a same growth zone, called ‘sector zoning’, represents a major challenge for geochemistry and in particular for isotope geochemistry. Nowadays, convincing evidence for the existence of sector zoning has been reported in the literature. However, no consensus on the mechanisms triggering sector zoning has been reached. Understanding how and why sector zoning occurs is essential because the presence of sector zoning could skew the isotopic characterization of a carbonate mineral depending on the area being sampled. This would result in an ambiguous interpretation of the data.
The emphasis of this study, which is part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Center (QCCSRC), is therefore placed on deciphering the different processes leading to isotopic sector zoning in calcite, with the help of a new tool: the clumped isotopes (i.e. isotopologues).
Large calcite crystals with clearly visible growth zones have been collected from fracture infills in Oman. The minerals growth zones and sectors are recognized via cathodoluminescence microscopy and the trace element content of the different zones in several sectors is estimated via electron microprobe. These different sectors are then sampled by a micro-drill following single growth zones and analyzed for their oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions. The approach highlighted above allows for recognition of the presence of sector zoning, but does not constrain the type of mechanism(s) leading to the observed isotopic fractionation.
To gain further insight, we turn to clumped isotopes (multiply substituted isotopologues) which are molecules with distinct chemical and physical properties. This should theoretically lead to distinctive fractionations. Clumped isotopes have been used recently to measure the temperature of precipitation of carbonate minerals. If each of the crystalline phases of a given crystal were precipitated under thermodynamic equilibrium, one would expect a constant clumped isotope value between sectors. However, we intend to use clumped isotopes as a discriminative geochemical tool to check if differences in the Δ47 values between sectors exist. If this was the case, isotopologues could provide new insights on sector zoning and would give an extra dimension to the quest for the different factors resulting in these types of isotopic zonations.
Combining compositional, stable isotopes and clumped isotopes information could ultimately help to reveal the secrets of sector zoning.
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Improving stable carbon and oxygen isotope geochemical measurements in dolomite: reference material and acid fractionation factor
المؤلفون: Iain Andrew MacDonaldAbstractThe analysis of stable carbon and oxygen isotope composition is one of the most commonly used techniques in stratigraphic and diagenetic research of carbonate rocks. The wide-spread use and easy access of this long-established method has the side effect that little attention is paid to fundamental calibrations. Dolomite is often measured against a calcite standard (NBS19), and the acid fractionation factor used to calibrate is based on the one for calcite. To date, no reference material exists for dolomite.
In this study, which is part of dolomite research in the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Centre project, we focus on two main goals. First, we characterize a current standard of dolomite used for major and minor elemental geochemistry, and assess its suitability as a new dolomite standard for δ18O and δ 13C. Second, we attempt to better constrain the acid fractionation factor for dolomite and assess the influence of different dolomite types on this fractionation factor. As only two thirds of the total oxygen in the carbonate is released in the form of CO2 during acid reaction, a fractionation between the reacting carbonate and the resulting gas will occur. A recent study improved on the acid fractionation factors for calcite and aragonite. Often, the acid fractionation factor for dolomite is used to calculate δ18O and δ 13C from the values obtained by calibration with the calcite standard. Only two studies (from the 1980's) have attempted to constrain the acid fractionation factor for dolomite, of which only one did experiments not only at 25ºC, but also at 50 and 100ºC. The dataset of the latter experiment is, however, very limited and contains only two dolomite samples. We aim at improving the constraints on the acid fractionation factor of dolomite by reacting a wide range of different types of dolomite at a wide range of acid temperature, and compare this to the absolute isotopic composition of the samples measured on a fluorination line.
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Early dolomitization of a Lower Cretaceous shallow water carbonate platform: was microbial activity a major controlling factor?
المؤلفون: Iain Andrew MacDonaldAbstractEarly dolomitization of carbonate rocks has long been problematic as precipitation experiments at room temperature have shown that dolomite will not be precipitated chemically under Earth surface conditions. To explain the widespread occurrence of early dolomite in the geological record, bacterial mediation of dolomitization has been proposed. The strongest evidence comes from modern hypersaline environments where dolomitization was shown to take place under anoxic conditions.
In this study, part of the Qatar Carbonates and Carbon Storage Research Center (QCCSRC), we investigate whether microbial mediation of early dolomitization took place on the Barremian-Berriasian carbonate platform of the Jurf Formation of Southern Oman. The sediments are characterized by a finely crystalline, poorly ordered dolomite present in various proportions. The amount of dolomite seems to be controlled by facies with tidal flats and algal/microbial facies being totally dolomitized and restricted lagoonal facies being only partially dolomitized. Results indicate that the dolomite is penecontemporaneous to sedimentation and that the dolomitizing fluids are low temperature seawater formed in an evaporative lagoon. Thus, reflux mechanisms played a role in the process of dolomitization.
One of the major questions of our study is what controls the heterogeneity of the distribution of dolomite on this platform. We hypothesize that bacteria present in tidal flats and algal/microbial mats facies played an important role in controlling dolomitization. Our goal is to highlight the role of biomineralization in controlling the early diagenesis of the Jurf Formation. To test this we will use a multi-proxy approach using mineralogy, trace elements, stable and clumped isotopes, and SEM analysis, in an integrated field, petrographic and geochemical study of a Barremian-Berriasian carbonate platform exposed in the Haushi-Huqf area. A bed-by-bed sampling was done for two 15-meter thick outcrop sections separated by one kilometer. Initial results highlight the importance of considering the presence of microbial activity to build more accurate dolomitization models and in assessing the lateral heterogeneity of dolomite bodies.
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A novel meshing and finite element flow model for porous media
AbstractThis work presents a new fully-unstructured meshing scheme for generating simulation meshes, coupled with a novel simulation method for fluid flow models in porous media.
We use unstructured tetrahedral meshing algorithms to generate meshes that rigorously adhere to structural and depositional heterogeneity in geological reservoir models at multiple scales. Geological heterogeneity is represented using numerous surfaces, in contrast with traditional pixel- or grid-based methods. This approach allows the generation of meshes which capture heterogeneity more efficiently and accurately than structured or partially-structured grids.
The flow simulations are performed using a new hybrid discontinuous Galerkin/control volume based method which combines continuous pressure and discontinuous velocities. Our approach rigorously enforces material balance equations while ensuring crucial scalar fields such as pressure and saturation remain positive and bounded.
This research has direct application to aquifer flow systems. We report the results of single-phase flow simulations on unstructured meshes for complex geological systems. These simulations accurately model the spread of groundwater contaminants such as methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) ormetals such as arsenic that behave as tracers in aquifers.
Initially, simulations are run on simple anisotropic geological systems for two-dimensional flow to benchmark against analytical solutions and validate the accuracy of the simulator for simple flow problems. Next, simulations for tracer flow are performed on 3D channelized and fractured reservoir systems to demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the new grids and simulator in complex reservoir geology.
We present numerical simulations of single-phase flow for a variety of geological systems of increasing complexity, culminating in systems which would be impossible to mesh and solve with structured meshes. This is also a first step towards a more complex multi-phase and multi-component implementation of the novel methods for flow through porous media.
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First evidence of scavenging behavior in the herbivorous lizard
AbstractOptimal foraging theory predicts flexibility in feeding behaviour which enables species to survive in harsh environments where food resources may be scarce and unpredictable in space and time. In this study we explored the hypothesis that the lizard Uromastyx aegyptia microlepis, a species living in dry desert areas may behave as an omnivore under conditions of limited food availability. To do so, we examined the diet of this species based on 294 faecal pellets collected in the field. This species has been traditionally considered as a strict herbivore. However, our study based on a population in the Qatar desert provides the first evidence of scavenging behaviour for Uromastyx. We found remains of mammals, reptiles, birds and insects in their faecal pellets. We also found significant differences between our study zones in the type of food consumed by lizards. This highlights the importance of environmental conditions and human activity on lizard behaviour. The consumption of vertebrate carcases was only detected in the study area located near the main road, suggesting that scavengers may benefit from the availability of dead animals along roads that result from collisions with vehicles. The consumption of barley by lizards was observed only in the study area near a camel farm, suggesting that lizards can also benefit from the food provided by farmers to livestock. Our findings of scavenging behaviour have important implications for the application of management actions, such as the provisioning of carcases near the lizard colonies. That may help preserving the species in situations of extreme food scarcity under the threat of global warming. Lizards near farms can also benefit from extra food of human origin. Because the current decrease in, and loss of biodiversity is a real threat, the identification of different tools that may help to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss is crucial.
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Numerical analysis of three-dimensional sloshing with random excitations
المؤلفون: Gang XuAbstractLiquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers have played, and will continue to play, a key role in ocean gas transportation with the increasing demand for energy. Safe operation of LNG carriers requires knowledge of global and local pressures imposed by the sloshing liquid. As LNG carriers are required to operate in different environmental condition, safety is the primary consideration in such operations. LNG carriers are subjected to often significant sloshing loads during their operational life. As it moves across the ocean, the motion of the LNG carriers causes the liquid in the containers to slosh. Liquid sloshing may cause large internal stresses and deformation in the walls of containers, particularly when the external forcing frequencies of the ship are close to the natural sloshing frequencies. This effect is sometimes critical in ship design. A three-dimensional (3D) sloshing problem is analyzed by the linear wave velocity potential theory based on the boundary element method (BEM). When the rectangular tank is undergoing one-dimensional motion, the calculated results are found to be in very good agreement with other published data that assess the accuracy and applicability of the method. Extensive calculation has been made for the tank in two-dimensional (2D) motion. Then random sloshing problem, sloshing in a 3D rectangular container, is further simulated and discussed. In this case, the container filled with liquid is subjected to specified random horizontal oscillations. Both wave elevation and hydrodynamic force are obtained. The spectra of random waves and forces have also been investigated and results are compared between the analytical solutions.
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Up-stream smart metering pilot
المؤلفون: Mohamed Houche, Adrien Tessier, Younes Deffous and Jean Francois AuthierAbstractTotal E&P Qatar seeks to constantly improve its operations performances. These performances are associated with such indicators as health, safety & environment (HSE) performance, oil production, water management, production costs and energy efficiency. A key tool for reaching this goal is the enhancement of data monitoring and management technology. The smart metering pilot project is run at Total Research Centre - Qatar (TRC-Q) at Qatar Science and Technology Park in close cooperation with Total E&P Qatar Operations and TOTAL Research in France.
At TRC-Q, we are testing a game-changing technology based on data validation and reconciliation (DVR). We integrate real-time measurements and virtual metering in an online monitoring system on our production platforms. The originality compared to equivalent systems is the use of the DVR approach, which consists of using a statistical model to manage uncertainties associated with each measured parameter and of quantifying error propagation. The DVR process allows an automatic real-time correction of both measurements and model parameters, on the basis of their allocated uncertainty and thanks to the information redundancy. Consequently, the resulting output data is more consistent with the available data and associated with a reduced uncertainty. So, for the DVR to be effective we seek to increase the data redundancy and provide high-quality modelling of physical and thermodynamic phenomena occurring over the whole production process.
The achievement so far is a pilot hourly metering system based on online measurements. These measurements and modelling parameters are automatically linked on the basis of their redundancy and the Operations Department is provided with a customised report containing the corrected parameters and their associated uncertainties. We also keep looking for new relevant information to incorporate into the system and for improvement in the quality of the mathematical model associated with each equipment (pumps, flow meters, etc.) model in order to improve the reliability of the output. The results that will be presented cover the initial promising results of the pilot for the virtual metering of oil, water and gas production and the associated uncertainty quantification.
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High sea temperatures cause the death of stony corals
المؤلفون: Mehsin Abdulla Al AnsiAbstractStony corals are composed of limestone structures formed by the deposits of living organisms. These are tiny animals (polyps) that live in a symbiotic relation with algae. The algae produce the food energy needed by the polyps by photosynthesis. The coral is as such a colony. Numerous colonies on shallow waters where sunrays can reach them form a coral reef. Coral reefs can be extensive, such as the Great Barrier Reef, or can form localized reefs as in Qatar. Coral reefs harbor numerous organisms including sponges, crabs, sea urchins, brittle stars and fish, and exist where environmental conditions are optimal for their flourishing, such as Southeast Asia. Malaysia is reputed as one of the best areas, where 350 coral species are known to occur.
Sea urchins and some fish are ferocious feeders on coral. Extensive feeding may cause the death and bleaching of stony corals. Climate change, in particular high sea temperature, can destroy the coral reef and excessive rains with fresh water seeping to intertidal coral reefs will also cause coral bleaching. Qatar has less than 20 species of stony coral and these are localized in only a few areas. Coastline development, including construction in the sea, is one major cause of loss of natural reefs. Aggressive fishing whether by harpoons or metal traps that are later left behind, destroy the reef. However, the recent bleaching of corals during the last decade and at present, is attributed to two factors: climate change with a rise in sea temperature (1989, 2002, 2010) and oil spills (from the Second Gulf War). Optimum growth temperature for corals is between 20oC to 23oC. In June 2010, the sea temperature recorded was 37.8oC and due to this coral bleaching was observed in local reefs and as well as the death of some fish living in the reef. Bleaching was recorded in 2010 at Halul Island, Ras Rakan, Khereis, Um Alushran and Sherahou.
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Incipient fault diagnostics of rotating electrical machines using adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system
المؤلفون: Atif Iqbal, Haitham Abu Rub and SK Moin AhmedAbstractCondition monitoring and fault diagnostics of electrical machines are extremely important in any industrial setup. In some applications, such as the oil and gas industries, production units, power generation, refining and milling, the failure of critical equipment like generators, milling machines, motors, fans and pumps costs millions of dollars in reduced output, emergency maintenance costs and lost revenues. However, in the utility industry, malfunctioning of the electrical machinery is not acceptable not only because of its financial damage, but also the threat that is caused by a sudden failure or malfunctioning of the part.
The research is aimed at developing a system that will detect incipient failures of electrical machinery before actual failure results in system or industrial process disruption. The objective is to make repeatable decisions based on complex relationships between large amounts of measured and estimated data. The condition of the machines will be available at all times, and the incipient detection and predictive maintenance system will provide an accurate prediction of any potential failure on demand. Two techniques are under consideration, the first one is based on pattern recognition that analyzes electrical measurements of electrical components to characterize the profile of electric machines at the beginning of life for a ‘baseline signature’. Then, at regular intervals, or when a failure is suspected, the technique will be used to derive the present profile and compare it with the ‘baseline’ profile. The other method is based on adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFiS). The synergy of artificial neural network and expert fuzzy logic yield ANFiS that is a simple and effective diagnostic tool not requiring precise mathematical models of the motor and controllers. The proposed ANFiS controller will provide qualitative and quantitative knowledge of the health of a rotating machine through valid heuristic reasoning. Various types of electrical and mechanical faults will be investigated and the technique based on expert knowledge (ANFiS system) will be utilized for incipient fault diagnostics.
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Population density of cockroach species and magnitude of their infestation in Jeddah Province, Saudi Arabia
المؤلفون: Elsiddig Mohamed Noureldin and Hassan FarragAbstractThe results of a cockroach survey in the 14 sub-municipalities of Jeddah province revealed that a total of 3551 cockroaches were caught by 491 of 1433 traps (36.5%), from 128 of 168 houses (76.2%).
Overall, relative density ranged from 8.1 (in Obhour sub-municipality) to 43.2 (in Alaziziah sub-municipality) with an average of 21.1 cockroaches per house. It has been noticed that the population density of the cockroaches is high in the central and southern parts of the province where the sanitation and standard of living are poor.
76.4% of the cockroaches were caught in the kitchens (2712), 15.1% in rooms (537) and 8.5% in the bathrooms (302). Amongst those caught in the kitchens, the stove was found to be the most attractive habitat for the cockroaches (38.2%) followed by the fridge (16.5%), then under the sink (10.2%), in the area of the trash bin (8.1%) and finally under cabinets (3.4%). For those cockroaches caught in the bathrooms, 5.2 % (185) of them were caught under or near washing machines and 3.3 % (117) were under or near the toilet.
Surveys conducted in eight property types in the Jeddah province revealed that 1052 cockroaches were caught by 98 of 120 traps (81.7%). Overall, relative density ranged from 2.9 (in hotels) to 28.1 (in restaurants) with an average of 8.8 cockroaches per property.
All the restaurants (100%) and cafeterias (100%) were found infested by cockroaches, while 93.3% of the hospitals, 86.7% of the hotels, 80% of the groceries 73.3% of the butcheries, 66.7% of the vegetable and fruit shops and 53.3% of the bakeries were found to be infested by cockroaches.
Restaurants had the highest infestation level (40% of the total number of cockroaches trapped in all properties), while hotels had the lowest infestation level (4.1% of the total number of cockroaches trapped in all properties).
Four species of cockroaches were identified from the 14 sub-municipalities, as well as from the eight property types in Jeddah province, namely: the German cockroach (Blattella germanica L.), the American cockroach (Periplaneta americana L.), the brown-banded cockroach (Supella longipalpa F.) and the Oriental cockroach (Blatta orientalis L.) belonging to 4 genera. The German cockroach Blattella germanica was found to be the most predominant species with 98.8% occurrence in dwellings, and 97.7% in properties.
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Rodent control strategy in animal farms (izzab) in Qatar
المؤلفون: Elsiddig Mohamed Noureldin and Hassan FarragAbstractThe aim of this study is to develop a control program for rodents in animal farms (izzab) in Qatar. The preliminary baseline survey for rodent-infested izzab revealed that 1506 izzab out of 1814 were infested (83%). The overall percentage reduction in the rodent-infested izzab after 6 months of the control programme (June to December 2009) was 77%. Towards the end of the control programme, a special strategy was adopted to control rodents in 327 izzab in which rodents activity was still observed. A 75% reduction was attained in these izzab at the end of the control programme. The overall reduction in the infested izzab was 94% at the end of the control programme.
The most predominant rodent species found in izzab is the Norway rat Rattus norvegicus, making burrows inside and outside Izzab buildings. Less incidences were noted for the House mouse Mus musculus associated with izzab buildings.
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Integrated APC-controlled SPC monitoring chart for quality improvement
المؤلفون: Minjae Park, Jinho Kim, Myong K Jeong, Abdelmagid Hamuda, Khalifa Al Khalifa and Elsayed ElsayedAbstractThere are two widely used process control techniques for the reduction of process output variability. The first technique is automatic process control (APC) that adjusts the process using information about its current level or deviation from a desired target. The APC actions for process adjustments are achieved by the minimum mean square estimate (MMSE) controller or proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controller which minimize the output deviations from the quality target. The MMSE controller is optimal in terms of minimizing mean squared residual errors when the model and its parameters are exactly known. Whereas the PID controller is very efficient and also robust against non-stationarity due to the fact that it can continuously adjust the process whenever the data is auto-correlated. The second technique is statistical process control (SPC) which utilizes control charts. The goal of SPC for improving quality is to monitor and detect process variability, so that the special causes of the process shifting are investigated. While SPC has been successfully used in industry for identifying and eliminating the assignable cause of variations, APC techniques are widely employed in the continuous process industry to reduce common cause variations. For an improved performance of the process for the industry practitioner, both the monitoring and the adjustments of process are needed to receive the full benefit of each approach. Recently, integration of APC and SPC successfully resulted in the reduction of process output variability and improved process efficiency. In this paper, we integrate SPC and APC for various types of industries including liquefied natural gas (LNG) processes. By applying both the statistical process control and the advanced process control to a process we can dramatically improve the quality of process output. Both statistical process control and automatic process control techniques have been widely applied in industry to detect causes of variability by monitoring the key variables in the process. We investigate both techniques, their integration and methods for shift detection in the process for the monitoring of a process.
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