Punjab Engineering College

Mohapatra S., Fulzele A., Ronald A., Rastogi S., Kumar S.

Randhawa A., Sharma U.

Rapid urbanization, the implementation of new infrastructure projects, and the development of the construction industries all result in the generation of massive amount of construction and demolition waste. Pavement construction costs a huge amount of money and uses a lot of resources. To minimize investment and lower the need for raw materials, it is crucial to implement a tried-and-true methodology for building and maintaining roads. Using recycled materials for construction of roads can be a sustainable solution. This can address a number of issues, such as the use of land for waste disposal, resource depletion, landfill overflow, water pollution, and so on. The goal of the current study is to examine the characteristics of recycled concrete aggregates (RCA) and potential applications in bituminous concrete (BC). Marshall mix design was used to examine the properties of bituminous mixes using RCA as coarse aggregates versus mixes comprising just virgin aggregates. In this paper, investigation on the possible utilization of RCA in bituminous concrete proposes preparation of modified mixes by replacing 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% virgin aggregates with RCA at varying bitumen percentages of 5, 5.5, and 6%. It was observed that although the stability value of the mix decreases as the RCA content rises, the measured volumetric properties for the RCA samples were more stable than for conventional mixes and fell within acceptable recommended limits. At a bitumen content of 5.5%, RCA can be used as a 30% replacement for natural aggregates in bituminous concrete. Material cost analysis also suggested that the utilization of RCA in road construction is an economical and sustainable solution.

Chauhan A., Mahajan S.

Transportation problems are inevitably affected by numerous imprecise factors like weather, fuel expenses, topography, etc. Hence, the use of crisp parameters to model transportation problems appears to be both insufficient and inaccurate. Consequently, transportation problems using fuzzy/ intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) numbers seem more effective. Interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy (IVIF) numbers are further generalization of IF numbers where membership and non-membership degrees are closed sub-intervals of [0, 1]. This concept of allocating interval values helps in dealing with the hesitancy of decision-maker while assigning fixed values to membership and non-membership degrees. In this article, balanced transportation problems having multiple objectives under the IVIF environment are examined. To overcome inconsistencies in the existing approaches, novel linear as well as non-linear interval-valued membership and non-membership functions have been proposed. Subsequently, an improved IVIF programming approach is developed using these newly defined functions along with theoretical validation. In addition, when goals are associated with objective functions, the proposed approach has been further improvised as IVIF prioritized goal programming. Eventually, a trip planning problem in the tourism industry is exhibited to illustrate the proposed IVIF technique and later, it is amalgamated with prioritized goals to demonstrate the proposed IVIF goal programming approach.

Singh G.P., Chatterjee R., Sharma S.K., Sahni K., Deepika, Sardana N.

The most abundant and easily available energy source is sunlight. Solar cells are able to convert solar energy to electrical energy; the quantity of electrical energy produced can be increased by improving the light trapping ability of solar cells. Surface texturing is an excellent method to achieve light trapping at a reasonable cost. Mono-crystalline solar cells have dominated the solar cell market for decades, and still have 90% of the market share. Multi-crystalline solar cells have lower efficiency, but have gained attention due to their low fabrication cost. Lasers already play a vital role in solar cell production due to their versatility and low maintenance compared to chemical techniques. Laser assisted surface texturing can be applied to both mono and multi-crystalline silicon solar cells, which is not practical through conventional etching techniques. In the current article, the laser assisted surface texturing of solar cells with features in micro- and nano-scale are presented. Also, methods to improve silicon-based solar cells and the principles of optical enhancement via surface texturing are studied in detail.

Rajput V., Goud M., Suri N.M., Grover S., Singh S., Kumar S.

The emergence of electrochemical discharge machining (ECDM) has demonstrated as promising method for creating micro-holes in tough and brittle materials like glass. This technique employs localized Joule heating of material to facilitate its controlled removal. Nonetheless, there are still several critical issues that need to be tackled during drilling of micro-holes. These are limited machining depth (MD), pronounced hole taperness (HT), susceptibility to thermal cracks, heat-affected zone (HAZ), reduced material removal rate (MRR), poor surface finish, and compromised hole circularity. The utilization of different tool geometries provides the scope to cater these problems by altering gas film thickness and spark consistencies. The present article investigates the impact of different tool electrode’s geometry on machined glass hole’s characteristics using cognitive ECDM process that senses tool touch with the material. The different tool’s shapes like pointed, tapered, cylindrical and drill are utilized for investigation. The machining characteristics studied are MRR, MD, HT, thermal cracks, HAZ, SR, hole size, and hole circularity. Additionally, the effect of tungsten carbide (WC) and stainless steel material on MRR, MD, HT, SR, hole size, and TWR is studied.

Singh V., Dhukia S., Khullar L., Sihag S., Kaur R., Harjai K., Singh V.

AbstractIn the present study, a newly extracted lignin‐based hydrogel has been explored for the release of ciprofloxacin as an effective drug delivery system. The modified extracted lignin hydrogel was prepared and the Ciprofloxacin drug was used to examine the loading and release capabilities of hydrogel. The hydrogel was characterized by FT‐IR, TGA‐DTG, and SEM analysis as well as swelling ratio and mechanical test. The outcomes demonstrated that the hydrogel that was made shows high mechanical strength (elongation 442.85%), swelling ratio, effectively contained and released the ciprofloxacin. The developed hydrogel encapsulation effectiveness of CP was seen to rise as the drug concentration increased, reaching around 81.3 ± 4.1% at 500 µg/mL of CP. A release analysis conducted in vitro in phosphate buffer saline (PBS) demonstrated a consistent increase in the cumulative drug release, with the greatest release quantity reaching around 88.2 ± 3.2% after 10 h. As compared to hydrogel containing a lower quantity of drug (0.07 ± 0.06%), the hydrogel with high drug loading efficiency (0.78 ± 0.08%) showed a rapid and greater release rate. The CP‐loaded hydrogel exhibits antibacterial activity towards S. aureus, B. subtilis, A. baumannii, P. aeruginosa. The sustained release of ciprofloxacin from the modified lignin‐based hydrogel identifies them as a viable option for designing drug delivery systems.

Ravindran V., Letha S.S., Rönnberg S., Bollen M.H.

This paper examines the random nature of interharmonics generated by power converters connected to sustainable energy sources and loads, such as wind turbines, photovoltaic (PV) panels, and electric vehicles (EVs). Current research often overlooks the stochastic behavior of interharmonics and their impact on power system reliability and resilience, leading to gaps in effective modeling and mitigation strategies. Thus, this study examines a low-voltage installation with a PV panel, an EV and a microwave operating simultaneously, providing practical insights into real-world scenarios of interharmonic related disruptions and solutions for enhancing the reliability and resilience of sustainable energy grids. By leveraging real-time measurements of interharmonics, suitable probability distribution functions (PDFs) are initialized to develop a probabilistic model using Monte Carlo simulation. This enables the derivation of a time-domain aggregation model of interharmonics from multiple sources operating together at the point of common coupling (PCC). The findings reveal that the peak values of voltage or current fluctuations at the PCC are influenced by the randomness in the number of devices connected and the frequency components originating from different sources. Through multiple case studies, the dependency of these fluctuations on stochastic parameters is systematically established. Empirical relationships are formulated to predict aggregated interharmonic values under varying scenarios, enhancing the accuracy and applicability of the model. The results demonstrate that higher interharmonic frequencies and fewer randomly connected devices significantly increase the probability of elevated aggregated peak values. These insights can serve as benchmarks for grid operators and policymakers in mitigating interharmonic related issues in modern power systems.

Kumar P., Shrivastava A.K.

Tunnels can be employed for a variety of functions, including railway tracks, highways, sewage, gas pipelines, transportation, and military ones. The construction of undergrounds passages can be an effective alternative in the modern era. But it is very important to keep the tunnel structure safe from the deformation. In this paper, an attempt is made to analyze the deformation behavior of twin tunnels under the effect of static loading conditions with the help of Finite Element software, i.e., ANSYS. Also, various factors which effect the deformation of twin tunnels are identified. The primary objective of the study is to check the deformation of tunnels at three different locations along the tunnel axis. In numerical modeling, the spacing between the twin tunnels models is varied as 1.5D, 2D, and 2.5D, where “D” is the diameter of the tunnel. Plaster of Paris is selected as the model material for making the geometry of the tunnel model. From the results, it may be concluded that deformation of twin tunnels largely depends upon the spacing between the two tunnels. The maximum deformation value is obtained when the spacing between the tunnels is less, and the deformation will reduce as the spacing between the tunnels keep on increasing.

Nangia T., Sharma U., Kumar S., Sharma S.

The structure of the pavement is formed upon the subgrade of soil, which can be either the natural surface or a surface that has been prepared. It offers the pavement layers the necessary support and evenly distributes the load that the traffic produces on the surface to the layers beneath it. To ensure the pavement structure will continue to function effectively over time, it is imperative that the subgrade soil possesses both strength and stability. In order to assess the qualities of the subgrade soil, a number of tests are carried out, and then, the right actions are taken in order to improve its strength and stability. These actions include enhancing the soil quality, ensuring adequate drainage, and making use of geosynthetic materials. The purpose of this investigation was to determine the effect that reinforcement material has on the level of strength possessed by the subgrade soil. The efficiency of geotextile as a reinforcing material was determined by carrying out California Bearing Ratio (CBR) experiments on soil samples with and without geotextile reinforcement, under both soaked and unsoaked conditions. These tests were carried out in order to compare the results of the two groups. The study utilized both woven and non-woven geotextile materials in order to evaluate the effects of varying the depth of the geotextile layers as well as the number of layers on the strength of the subgrade soil. In order to conduct the tests, several combinations were formed by inserting one, two, or three layers of woven and non-woven geotextile at varying depths into the soil samples. The placement of two layers of geotextile at depths of H/5 and H/2 from the top produced the best possible results. Here, H represents the overall height of the sample. In addition, it was discovered that the strength of the samples that were treated with woven geotextile increased much more than that of the samples that were treated with non-woven geotextile. In addition to determining which method is the most efficient for stabilizing the soil, a cost comparison of constructing roads without geotextile reinforcement versus constructing roads with a lower thickness of pavement and geotextile reinforcement was carried out for both rural and urban highways. This comparison was made in terms of the amount of money required. According to the findings of the cost analysis, incorporating geotextile in soil samples has the potential to significantly cut construction costs. This has the potential to result in cost reductions of roughly 12.39% and 22.78% of the total cost of pavement per kilometer for urban and rural roads, respectively.

Bhardwaj S., Harit S., Verma S.

ABSTRACTThe inherent complexity and the critical nature of data privacy in IoT networks necessitate rigorous validation of privacy mechanisms to preempt vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with security standards. This research article extends the concept of the SDN‐enabled Consumer‐Centric Content Delivery Network (CCDN) model for the IoT by introducing a rigorous mathematical framework to formalize the dialogues integral to user privacy and data integrity. With the help of a comprehensive mathematical formulation, the research captures the dynamics of credential exchange and user interactions within the CCDN architecture. To ensure the robustness of the proposed model, this research employs formal verification techniques to validate the correctness and security properties of the mathematical formulation. Furthermore, the research conducts an extensive simulative analysis to evaluate the performance of the CCDN architecture under various operational conditions. This analysis encompasses aggregate analysis, amortized analysis, and scalability analysis, focusing on critical performance metrics such as latency, packet loss ratio, and throughput. The results demonstrate that the implemented CCDN model maintains user privacy and personalization for content delivery in scalable IoT environments. This work lays the groundwork for future research in secure and efficient content delivery systems, addressing the growing demands of IoT applications while ensuring user‐centric privacy and data protection.

Veena U., James N.

A few recent studies introduced natural rubber latex (NRL) as a stabilizer for improving the mechanical properties of soil such as ductility, compressive and tensile strengths, durability, etc. However, none of these studies addressed the effect of NRL treatment on swelling and compressibility of soil. The present study investigates the effect of NRL treatment on swelling and compressibility characteristics of three soils of different plasticities by conducting oedometer tests. Untreated and NRL-treated samples of the selected soils were prepared with the same soil dry density. For preparing treated samples, in place of water, NRL was added to soil. The results of one-dimensional swelling-compression tests demonstrated that in low and medium plastic soils, NRL treatment increased the swelling potential marginally, whereas it considerably reduced the swelling in the high plastic soil, which is expansive in nature. NRL did not cause any changes in the swelling pressure of medium plastic soil. At the same time, it brought about a considerable drop in the swelling pressure of high plastic soil. In the consolidation tests, a decrease in compressibility, quantified in terms of compression index, was observed in all soils after NRL treatment. The resilient nature of rubber content caused an increase in the recompression index in all treated samples. A reduction in the coefficient of consolidation was observed in NRL-treated soils. The study concludes that despite the high deformability of rubber, NRL treatment does not negatively affect the swell-compression behaviour of soils. Besides, the treatment effectively controls the swelling and compression of highly compressible soil.

Pannu N., Prakash N.R.

Radiation induced soft errors impact memory circuits and their response gets transposed or disturbed which makes it crucial to protect the memory unit. Radiation-immune memory devices have extensive applications in space, biomedical, smart devices, and wearable devices. A radiation hardened by design circuit using Dual Interlocked Storage Cell (DICE) is implemented with varied transistor sizing to propose the design that has optimum performance and minimum power dissipation. The design is tested for Single Event Upsets using the double exponential current model for current source of maximum amplitude 1 A. The proposed design is validated using Cadence Virtuoso version IC 6.1.5 at 180 nm CMOS technology node with variation of ± 10% of VDD = 1.8 V. The sensitivity of the circuit to process, voltage and temperature variations are shown with the help of Monte Carlo simulations. Various iterations performed during simulations make the proposed circuit suitable for use in critical applications.

Bhanjana G., Lamba R., Jadon M.S., Dilbaghi N., Kumar S.

Objective: In addition to its positive benefits, caffeine also has harmful consequences. Therefore, it is essential to ascertain its content in various substances. Impact Statement: The present study emphasizes a novel way of quantification of caffeine in real as well as laboratory samples based on a nanomaterial-assisted electrochemical technique. Introduction: Electrochemical sensing is a prominent analytical technique because of its efficiency, speed, and simple preparation and observations. Due to its low chemical potential, SnO 2 (tin oxide) demonstrates rapid redox reactions when used as an electrode. The presence of shielded 4f levels contributes to its distinctive optical, catalytic, and electrochemical capabilities. Methods: An efficient coprecipitation approach, which is simple and rapid and operates at low temperatures, is utilized to produce zinc-doped tin oxide nanoparticles (Zn–SnO 2 nanoparticles). Zinc doping is used to modify the optoelectronic characteristics of tin oxide nanoparticles, rendering them very efficient as electrochemical sensors. Results: The crystal structure of samples was analyzed using x-ray diffraction, electronic transitions were calculated using ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy, and surface morphology was analyzed using field emission scanning electron microscopy. The x-ray diffraction investigation revealed that the produced Zn-doped SnO 2 nanoparticles exhibit tetragonal phases, and the average size of their crystallites reduces upon doping Zn with SnO 2 . The bandgap energy calculated using the Tauc plot was found to be 3.77 eV. Conclusion: The fabricated caffeine sensor exhibits a sensitivity of 0.605 μA μM −1 cm −2 , and its limit of detection was found to be 3 μM.

Kumari S., Nehra M., Jain S., Sheokand A., Dilbaghi N., Chaudhary G.R., Kim K., Kumar S.

Rapid and accurate detection of Escherichia coli (E. coli) is critical for maintaining water quality, and protecting aquatic ecosystems and public health. This research focuses on the development of a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET)–based “turn-on” fluorescent nanosensor for real time, sensitive detection of E. coli. Copper nanoclusters–encapsulated metal organic frameworks (CuNCs@ZIF-8) were sythesized as a fluorescent donor with excellent luminescence properties. Further, MnO2 nanospheres were synthesized as a receptor with good adsorption and quenching abilities. This novel nanoconjugate (CuNCs@ZIF-8@ MnO2) was employed for the construction of a sensitive, accurate, and rapid sensing platform against E. coli in water on the basis of p-benzoquinone/hydroquinone (p-BQ/HQ) redox pair formation. Fluorescence is quenched by energy transfer when MnO2 nanospheres are added to CuNCs@ZIF-8. Upon contact with E. coli, NADH-quinone reductase converts p-BQ to HQ, which reduces MnO2 to Mn2+, releasing the nanospheres and restoring fluorescence in the composite. Based on this FRET ON–OFF-ON fluorescent probe, E. coli can be detected across a broad concentration range (5 × 101 to 5 × 105 CFU/mL), with a detection limit as low as 8 CFU/mL within 50 min. The sensor’s practicality was verified through the investigation of E. coli in real water samples, with recoveries in the range 94.3 to 106.5%. This approach offers an efficient method for on-site detection and quantification of E. coli in both environment and food safety domains.

Mangal S., Singh V., Chhibber S., Harjai K.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a major cause of nosocomial infection which at times causes a grim situation in clinical setups. There is a dire need to develop strategies to overcome the increasing incidence of drug resistance in this organism. The protective outer membrane and over expressed efflux pumps serve as a major survival weapon for this pathogen, making it to resist present day antibiotics. The present review dwells on some of these strategies, with emphasis on tagging to existing antibiotics with siderophore as a carrier employing a Trojan horse strategy so that an antibiotic can creep into bacterial cell through the iron acquisition pathway. These hybrid drugs, defined as synthetic structures are likely to overcome drug resistance due to their ability to evade resistance mediated by multiple antibiotic resistance operon. The advances and challenges of siderophore-antibiotic conjugates are elaborated in this article. Moreover, several xeno-siderophore-antibiotic conjugates, currently in clinical trials, have been discussed. The present review provides insights into repurposing of fluroquinolones through siderophore targeted delivery to increase the biological activity of antibiotics. In the near future, siderophore—based Trojan horse antibiotics indeed will not only help in altering the potency of antibiotics, hence decreasing antimicrobial resistance, but also will lead to disarming the pathogen of its virulence.