Indian Institute of Technology Madras

About: Indian Institute of Technology Madras is a facility organization based out in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Catalysis & Heat transfer. The organization has 20118 authors who have published 36499 publications receiving 590447 citations.

Upper limits on the isotropic gravitational-wave background from Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo’s third observing run

Abstract: We report results of a search for an isotropic gravitational-wave background (GWB) using data from Advanced LIGO’s and Advanced Virgo’s third observing run (O3) combined with upper limits from the earlier O1 and O2 runs. Unlike in previous observing runs in the advanced detector era, we include Virgo in the search for the GWB. The results of the search are consistent with uncorrelated noise, and therefore we place upper limits on the strength of the GWB. We find that the dimensionless energy density Ω GW ≤ 5.8 × 10 − 9 at the 95% credible level for a flat (frequency-independent) GWB, using a prior which is uniform in the log of the strength of the GWB, with 99% of the sensitivity coming from the band 20–76.6 Hz; Ω GW ( f ) ≤ 3.4 × 10 − 9 at 25 Hz for a power-law GWB with a spectral index of 2 / 3 (consistent with expectations for compact binary coalescences), in the band 20–90.6 Hz; and Ω GW ( f ) ≤ 3.9 × 10 − 10 at 25 Hz for a spectral index of 3, in the band 20–291.6 Hz. These upper limits improve over our previous results by a factor of 6.0 for a flat GWB, 8.8 for a spectral index of 2 / 3 , and 13.1 for a spectral index of 3. We also search for a GWB arising from scalar and vector modes, which are predicted by alternative theories of gravity; we do not find evidence of these, and place upper limits on the strength of GWBs with these polarizations. We demonstrate that there is no evidence of correlated noise of magnetic origin by performing a Bayesian analysis that allows for the presence of both a GWB and an effective magnetic background arising from geophysical Schumann resonances. We compare our upper limits to a fiducial model for the GWB from the merger of compact binaries, updating the model to use the most recent data-driven population inference from the systems detected during O3a. Finally, we combine our results with observations of individual mergers and show that, at design sensitivity, this joint approach may yield stronger constraints on the merger rate of binary black holes at z ≳ 2 than can be achieved with individually resolved mergers alone.

Design, analysis and simulation of magnetostrictive actuator and its application to high dynamic servo valve

Abstract: Flapper–nozzle type Electro Hydraulic Servo Valve (EHSV) operated by conventional torque motor actuators has been used in wide range of industrial applications. As their bandwidths are limited, they are not suitable for high-speed applications. The work presented in this paper deals with the mechatronic approach for the design of a magnetostrictive actuator with flexure amplifier and a magnetically biased magnetostrictive actuator for application in high frequency flapper–nozzle servo valve. A magnetostrictive actuator has been designed, built and integrated into an existing flapper–nozzle servo valve by replacing the torque motor. Incorporating the dynamics of the magnetostrictive actuator, the dynamics of the valve was simulated. Necessary parameters for the actuator have been arrived by finite element model. No load flow characteristics are analyzed and compared with experimental values. Step response has been compared with conventional valve. The results show that the valve has satisfactory static and dynamic characteristics for applications in high-speed actuation systems.

Corrosion behaviour of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W and Ni–Fe–W alloys

Abstract: The present work deals with evaluation of corrosion behaviour of electrodeposited nanocrystalline Ni–W and Ni–Fe–W alloys. Corrosion behaviour of the coatings deposited on steel substrates was studied using polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques in 3.5% NaCl solution while their passivation behaviour was studied in 1N sulphuric acid solution. The corrosion resistance of Ni–W alloys increased with tungsten content up to 7.54 at.% and then decreased. In case of Ni–Fe–W alloys it increased with tungsten content up to 9.20 at.% and then decreased. The ternary alloy coatings exhibited poor corrosion resistance compared to binary alloy coatings due to preferential dissolution of iron from the matrix. Regardless of composition all the alloys exhibited passivation behaviour over a wide range of potentials due to the formation of tungsten rich film on the surface.