Thapar University

About: Thapar University is a education organization based out in Patiāla, Punjab, India. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Cloud computing & Fuzzy logic. The organization has 2944 authors who have published 8558 publications receiving 130392 citations.

Dry reforming of methane using various catalysts in the process: review

Abstract: Dry (CO2) reforming of methane with its commercial application of syngas production also serves in utilization of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane. Though the process is well studied, still, there are areas that are being explored in optimizing the process. One of the key areas of research is enhancing the activity and stability of the catalysts used in the reforming reactions. Activity of catalyst depends upon particle size, dispersion on support, support type, synthesis method, etc., whereas deactivation of catalyst is due to carbon deposition and sintering of metal precursor. With noble metals like Rh, Ru, Pt, and Pt providing more stability but are not economical, commercialization of dry reforming process has been achieved using Ni-based catalysts. Literature based on optimization of the catalyst performance varying various parameters like type of active metal, support, promoters, and catalyst synthesis procedure has been cited in this review. Review also extends towards various structured catalysts like foams, zeolites, and their performance-enhancing characteristics. With active metals like Ni showing excellent dispersion on well-structured supports like layered double hydroxides; enhanced performance by addition of a second metal usually a noble metal; use of promoters like lanthanides, which induce gasification of carbon species, thus inhibiting deactivation; and methods of introducing promoters, such as controlled adsorption, these catalysts can serve as strong candidates in commercial applications.

Thermal and structural studies of carbon coated Mo 2 C synthesized via in-situ single step reduction-carburization

Abstract: Carbon coated nano molybdenum carbide (Mo2C) has been synthesized at 800 °C through single step reduction route using molybdenum trioxide (MoO3) as a precursor, polypropylene (P.P) as a carbon source and magnesium (Mg) as a catalyst in an autoclave. The synthesized samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermal analysis techniques (TG/DTA/DTG), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Williamson- Hall (W-H) analysis has been done to estimate various parameters like strain, stress and strain energy density. Multi-stage kinetic analysis of the product phase has been studied to establish the nature of the thermal decomposition. Coats-Redfern method applied to determine the mechanism involved in the decomposition of the product phase shows that initial and final stage follow F1 mechanism whereas middle stage follow F3 mechanism. The activation energy (E a) and pre-exponential factor (A) has also been determined. The morphological studies shows that the particles have partially spherical/faceted shape, with carbon coated having wide particle size distribution. The surface chemistry and surface area analysis were studied by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Brunauer-Emmet-Teller (BET), respectively. The formation mechanism of carbon coated Mo2C nano particles has been predicted based on the XRD, TG/DTA & DTG and microstructural results.

Energy Efficient Architecture for Intra and Inter Cluster Communication for Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks

Abstract: Underwater Wireless Sensor Networks (UWSNs) consume a significant amount of energy because of high transmission power and lengthy data packet transmission time. Sensors of UWSNs, which perform numerous tasks like target tracking, intrusion detection etc. can preserve energy and attain longer network life time by appropriate selection of cluster head (CH), cluster size (CS), and routing scheme. In order to achieve this, an Intra and Inter Cluster Communication (IICC) for data aggregation in UWSN have been proposed here. In our approach, the CH selection and CS are determined by using fuzzy logic. The main strength of our paper is to provide an optimal selection for CH as well as optimal intra and inter cluster communications based on energy and multiple paths. Minimum Average Routing Path Clustering Protocol method is implemented for intra-clustering communication in the network. Hierarchical Multi-path Routing-LEACH method is implemented for inter-cluster communication in the network. Experimental simulation shows that IICC improves the performance of UWSN in terms of end-to-end packet delay, energy consumption and packet delivery ratio. The proposed approach is adaptive in nature as it reduces the average energy consumption and end-to-end delay, thereby improving the packet delivery ratio.

Structural, optical and magnetic properties of Gadolinium-doped ZnO nanoparticles

Abstract: Zn1−xGdxO (x = 0, 2, 5, 10, 15 %) nanoparticles were synthesised by sol–gel method and analysed for their structural, morphological, optical and magnetic properties. X-ray diffraction confirms formation of hexagonal wurtzite single phase of the synthesized nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy shows that they have spherical morphology; UV–Vis spectroscopy shows that they undergo red shift; energy dispersive technique reveals that they have the prerequisite elements in the stoichiometry ratio; and, vibrating sample magnetometer depicts that they have room temperature ferromagnetism, which, further, enhances upon Gd-doping.