A Portable Device for LAMP Based Detection of Sars-Cov-2

This paper reports the design, development, and testing of a novel, yet simple and low-cost portable device for the rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2. The device performs loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and provides visually distinguishable images of the fluorescence emitted from the samples. The device utilises an aluminium block embedded with a cartridge heater for isothermal heating of the sample and a single-board computer and camera for fluorescence detection. The device demonstrates promising results within 20 minutes using clinically relevant starting concentrations of the synthetic template. Time-to-signal data for this device are considerably lower compared to standard qPCR machine (~10-20 minutes vs >38 minutes) for 1×105 starting template copy number. The device in its fully optimized and characterized state can potentially be used as simple to operate, rapid, sensitive, and inexpensive platform for population screening as well as point-of-need SARS-CoV-2 detection and patient management.

Electrical and thermal properties of a (Ba1-x-ySrxCay)TiO3-based PTC thermistor for preheating light oil

The electrical properties of a (Ba[Formula: see text]SrxCay)TiO3-based positive temperature coefficient (PTC) thermistor were determined by measuring resistivity with increasing temperature, and its thermal properties were measured with a cartridge heater made of a (Ba[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text])TiO3-based PTC thermistor. The (Ba[Formula: see text]SrxCay)TiO3-based PTC thermistor were fabricated by a conventional solid-state reaction method with Sb2O3, BaTiO3, SrTiO3, SiO2, and CaTiO3. Their electrical properties were determined by room temperature resistivity ([Formula: see text]C), minimum resistivity ([Formula: see text]), maximum resistivity ([Formula: see text]), resistivity jump rate (log [Formula: see text]/[Formula: see text]), Curie temperature ([Formula: see text]), and withstanding voltage. The effect of the microstructure on the electrical properties was investigated to improve the withstand voltage. The cartridge heater was fabricated with the (Ba[Formula: see text]Sr[Formula: see text]Ca[Formula: see text])TiO3-based PTC thermistor and its thermal properties were determined by the temperature of light oil in a 100 cc beaker. The temperature of light oil was maintained at 60[Formula: see text]C without fluctuations in temperature after reaching 60[Formula: see text]C at 220[Formula: see text]V, and thus (Ba[Formula: see text]SrxCay)TiO3-based PTC thermistor was able to operate as a self-regulating heater element for preheating light oil.

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Melting Process in PCM Storage

Thermal energy storage (TES) technologies have been developed using Phase Change Materials (PCM) at various power plants to utilize waste heat sources. The melting process of PCM has been investigated experimentally and numerically to construct a fundamental database of TES systems. D-Mannitol was selected as a PCM for medium TES systems in this study. The experimental apparatus consisted of the cartridge heater, thermocouples, test tube, acryl tube, vacuum pump, pressure indicator, volt slider and shunt resistance. The temperatures near the cartridge heater were measured by K-type thermocouples. The heat inputs were ranged from 10W to 15W. As a result, temperature of D-mannitol increased with time linearly under the solid state until the fusion temperature. When D-mannitol changed from the solid phase to the liquid phase, temperatures remained constantly due to the latent heat. Moreover, the numerical simulation was conducted using the commercial CFD code, ANSYS FLUENT. As a result of the numerical simulation, it was understood that the melting process was affected by the natural convection at the inner wall. As the heat flux of the cartridge heater input from the inner wall, the liquid fraction increased from the inner wall to the outer wall. The numerical result was compared with the experimental data. It was understood that the temperature of numerical simulation was approximately consistent with that of the experiment during the phase change process.

Experimental Investigation on Droplet Cooling of Brakes

Braking system is one of the important systems in Automobiles. It is essential to decelerate the vehicle and stop it when essential. The temperature of the brake pad (stator) and disc (rotor) increases because of frictional force between them. Higher temperatures may lead to brake fading or failure of braking system. In the present study droplet cooling of commercially available Brake pad is analyzed with surface temperatures in the range of 80°C - 150°C. The brake pad material analyzed is a composite material with Fe2O3, BaO, CaO, SiO2, SO3 and MgO as major constituents. The percentage of the constituents are found using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM). The brake pad is artificially heated using cartridge heater and a fixed volume of water is dropped on to the brake pad surface using a syringe pump. The characteristics of droplet on the surface of the brake pad are recorded using a High speed camera. The temperature is measured continuously using a K type thermocouple and is recorded using an online data acquisition system. The characteristic of droplet enhanced cooling is presented.