Machine Learning in Simple Words: Statistical Significance Tests

Developing Intuition: “Statistically Significant” or “By Chance”?

Statistical tests are used to determine how likely are observed relationships between two variables or groups NOT a result of some random guess, luck, erratic fluctuations, noise or sampling error, but due to the fact that they really are related to one another. It is a mathematical way of stating if we have enough evidence to reject a ‘thought’(or in statistical jargon a ‘Hypothesis’) that a certain relationship between two variables just happened by chance.

Figure Source: Agresti and Franklin, Statistics: The Art and Science of Learning from Data (p. 468)

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Machine Learning in Simple Words: Decision Tree Series

Decision trees are one of the most widely used machine learning algorithms used today. In this part, let us learn at a very high level, how they work.

PART 1: A visual guide towards their working

Example Outline:

Suppose we are trying to find out whether a patient is a positive case of a certain disease, using the length and width of the suspect virus found in his/her blood. We obtained test results of 16 patients. Since decision tree is a form of ‘supervised learning’, we will first have to train the decision tree model by providing it with the sets of virus lengths and widths that resulted in positive casesand the ones which did not, before it is able to do predictions on its own. Upon plotting this data obtained from each patient, let us assume we landed up with a graph shown below:

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Tale of Angel Fitrous and Imam Hussain

It has been narrated by Imam Jafar (as) that a multitude of Angels led by their Chief, Angel Fitrous, circumambulate the shrine of Imam Hussain (Prophet's beloved grandson) while sending him salutations.  Angel Fitrous was once banished by Allah but nobody really knows why. Some say that he had gotten arrogant due to his beautiful wings and status among the angels. Others say that he had delayed an order that Allah had asked him to execute. Angel Fitrous managed to receive the mercy of Allah (the Most Merciful), on the blessed day when Prophet Muhammad’s (as) grandchild, Hussain (as) was born. Here is this beautiful story….

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Chemical Engineering as a Career!

Last May, chemical engineering seniors at a large university took their last final examination, attended their graduation ceremonies, flipped their tassels and threw their mortarboards in the air, enjoyed their farewell parties, said goodbye to one another and promised faithfully to stay in touch, and headed off in an impressive variety of geographical and career directions.

You all must be probably thinking about following in the footsteps of those graduates – spending the next few years learning to be a chemical

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Obesity, the evolving epidemic

By Quratulain Syedain, MD (Internist, New York)

Obesity refers to an excess of body fat. Obesity is defined in terms of body mass index (BMI) measured as weight in k.g. divided by height in meter square. For example a person weighs 61 k.g.(135 lbs) with height 5'8" which is 1.7 meter, so BMI is 61 / 1.7x1.7(2.89)  = 21 k.g/m2. BMI between 18.5-24.9 is healthy weight. Below 18.5 is underweight ,25-29.9 is over-weight and over 30 is obesity. Over 40 is morbid obesity.

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Stigma with Mental health Disorders

By Quratulain Zehra Syedain, MD (Internist, New York)

Like body, mind can also be afflicted with illness and impairment. Brain is the  most vital  and complex organ of the body and can get diseased like any other organ. While physical illnesses and  impairments drive sympathy, mental illnesses and impairments become a cause of being a laughing stock! "Cuckoo", "crazy" and "nuts" are some of the common terms used by lay persons and physicians alike. Conversation about psychiatric patients appears hilarious

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HOW TO GET FUNDED AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOR GRAD STUDIES

GETTING FUNDED AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY FOR GRAD STUDIES-

(The info in this article applies to most good schools)

(PART II)

How to get into Stanford from kanza on Vimeo.

(This article and video are solely based on the author's observations)

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HOW TO GET ACCEPTED INTO STANFORD?

This article has been written by a student who got into Stanford this fall 2013 into MS program Energy Resources Engineering. She has shared with us all her experiences, observations and essential points that will help drive you to Stanford. The information applies to most good schools.

HOW TO GET ACCEPTED INTO STANFORD?

(PART 1)

How to get into Stanford from kanza on Vimeo.

(This article and video are solely based on the author's observations)

... The complete picture that your entire application portrays about you is the only thing that is important.

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FIVE A DAY

You are what you eat and so a healthy lifestyle makes the best of you! Deciding as to what to eat for keeping the taste buds happy is a good idea unless your health is not being compromised. A vast variety of delicious fruits and vegetables produced by the nature makes it sure that you don’t have to compromise in either way, if you are to follow healthy lifestyles.

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CURRENT & EMERGING TREATMENTS FOR CANCER

 By KANZA BATOOL HAIDER

For years, cancer has claimed many lives. US has acknowledged it to be the second most common cause of death, with mortality rate spiking to 50%. The incidence rate for all the cancers combined in United States alone, in 1945, was marked by 400 hundred new cases for every 100,000 people. In 1971 President Nixon, considering the casualties caused by it, declared to wage a ‘War on Cancer’ and endowed large investments for research on cancer to find antidotes for the disease. Since then, scientific efforts towards cancer research have been intensified. This has marked several breakthroughs in the history of medical science.

BORON NEUTRON CAPTURE THEORY BCNT- NANO CHEMISTRY AT ITS EXTREME

The latest discovery that scientists have proudly come up with, is the “Boron Neutron Capture Therapy”, or BNCT in short. According to Hawthorne, a recent winner of the National Medal of Science awarded by President Obama at White House, this new therapy of BNCT would take advantage of cancer cell’s biology using nano-chemistry.  Cancer cells grow profusely and are also viable to absorb more material inside themselves than normal cells. BCNT would act smartly taking advantage of this fact and interject boron designed chemical within cancer cells. This way, the exposure of neutron, a sub atomic particle to the boron-infused-cancer cells will release lithium, helium and energy. Upon capturing a neutron boron will shatter, selectively tearing apart the cancerous cells only, such that the neighboring cells remain unharmed. Hawthorn very much optimistic about his latest discovery of radiation therapy said that BCNT can deal with a large variety of cancerous cells. The therapy had worked marvelous when tested on mice and added further that before they begin with it on humans, they would first have to build suitable facilities and equipment. It’s after that they will have their first radiant therapy of this kind in the world! 

RADIOACTIVE GOLD NANOPARTICLES- A GOLDMINE STRUCK…!

Researchers of University of Missouri have come up with other groundbreaking invention in this course. Kattesh Kattie, a curators' professor of radiology and physics, says “We’ve struck a goldmine!” The goldmine is actually the gold salt mixed with tea to breakdown into nanoparticles. For years, the power of radioactive gold nanoparticles to destroy the cancerous cells was known, but the secret was how to deliver it to the target cancerous cells without conflicting with normal cells. The Research team recently revealed the secret in coating gold radioactive nanoparticle with the chemical of tea. The compound in the tea has a natural instinct of attraction towards tumor cells in the prostate. When coated with it, radioactive gold nanoparticles attack straight to the cancerous cells. Kattie related this theory with a limousine car, with limousine being the tea and nanoparticles being the riders. “The particles get onboard- the limousine goes to the tumor- the passengers get out to see the horror of tumor and start fighting”, he said. The science behind the idea is simple and the researchers are increasingly determined to make the technology reach everyone soon. It is expected to have the treatment available for as little as five years. Currently the research team is busy on testing it on dogs which are believed to be the only animals apart from humans that gets the prostate cancer naturally. 

IMMUNEOTHERAPY- EDUCATING PATIENT'S IMMUNE CELLS TO FIGHT CANCER!

Northwest Bio Therapeutics, a development stage biotechnology company brings forth a new and mind boggling approach to fight cancer using man’s own immune system. This approach is leading the way to cancer treatment by adding number of years to surviving lifespan, without any deleterious side effects on the overall system of the body and replacing expensive drugs with a much cost effective solution. High rated drugs do a very little on the expense of intoxicating the body with serious detrimental side effects. The solution of fighting such cancer cells in a cost effective way lies in personalizing the immune therapies, i.e. activating the patient’s own immune system for combating the deadly cells. The immune therapy comprises of two key ingredients, the master cells of immune system and bio-markers of patient’s tumor. Cancer cells are quite similar to the immune cells therefore the immune cells can’t recognize it. Therefore, the immune cells withdrawn out from the blood of the patient is “educated’ to recognize the bio markers of the tumor cell. These ‘educated’ immune cells prepare the rest of the immune system for an attack on the enemy tumor cells. The only battle that occurs is between the tumor and the immune cells while the normal cells enjoy viewing the fight, untouched, unharmed. The vaccine may be directly injected into one or more tumor cells if they are inoperable. In the experiment performed, the results were amazing, immune therapy extended the survival of the patient not to months but in years! Two of the patients even clutched ten further years of life. Life expectancy was increased by 14 months to 3 years (average) and tumor recurrence from 7 months to 2 years. Immune therapy involves a total of eleven treatments throughout the year, with three treatments in the first year followed up by several boosters over the span of one year. Two more treatments is for maintenance. Being very much enthusiastic about their innovation, BW bio expressed their joy for the striking and the consistent results of their experiments and came down with proposing to further enhance their immune therapy products to cope with multiple cancers. Immune therapy for solid tumors that can be surgically removed is already under way at 45 medical centers all across the US and is planning to begin with marking up to 30 hospitals in Europe that are expected to be done by next year. A large trial of immune therapy for all types of inoperable solid tumors is expected to begin to begin within the next couple of weeks at major institutions in the US. 

GENE THERAPY- WONDERS OF GENES

The latest breakthrough in gene therapy has clearly set high hopes for the successful treatment of cancer. It requires the use of patient’s genetic pattern to fight the cancerous cells. Currently, gene therapy is under research and is being tested on many types of cancers and different other diseases. However, it is not available outside the clinical trial as yet. There are more than one way to fight cancer using gene therapy. According to one approach, the genetically modified genes are infused to target healthy cells preparing them for fight against the cancerous cells. The missing or altered genes are replaced by healthy ones. As missing or altered genes are the cause behind cancer, substituting ‘working copies’ of it may help eliminate the cancerous cells. Another approach is to enhance the immune system of the patient using gene therapy. In this case, gene therapy is used to serve immune therapy. The gene therapy excites the immune system for an attack on the cancer cells. A certain protein called a T-cell receptor (TCR) is released when the cell is infused with the gene and is sent to the patient’s white blood cells. The white blood cells produce the same protein and make an outer lining surrounding its surface. The protein TCR is capable of recognizing the tumor cells and gets attached over their surface. In this way, the attached TCRs call the white blood cells to finish off the tumor cells. Scientists are researching over ways to make the gene therapy sensitive to chemotherapy, radiation therapy and other treatments. The genes are inserted into the cells of the patients to make them resistant to the side effects brought about by high doses of anti-cancer drugs. Gene injected cells are sent back into patient. Another approach adopted by the scientists is introducing “suicide genes” into the patient’s cancerous cells. With patient’s intake of a pro-drug, the suicide genes in the cancerous cells are activated leading to the destruction of the cancerous cells. Other researches are focusing on the prevention of cancer cells developing new blood vessels (angiogenesis) using the gene therapy. Gene insertion into the cells is not a direct method. The cells are exposed to a vector that is most commonly a virus. These viruses have a special quality of identifying the cancerous cells. These are inserted in the gene inside cell’s DNA. Even after too much research, the idea is still under study as the goal is to properly eliminate any sort of mishap, that if happens may be detrimental. Studies are being done to avoid the viruses infect more than one type of cell. Genes if inserted into wrong location in the DNA may cause harmful mutations and may lead to further thriving of cancer. Furthermore, there is a possibility that genes inserted “overexpresses”, thus producing so much of the missing protein that it causes inflammation making the immune system to react against it. Scientists are involved with experiments on animals to identify and avoid such risks before coming over to humans. 

RADIANT FREQUENCY THERAPY- A PROMISING TREATMENT APPROACH

A promising new cancer treatment that is believed to be taking the place of radiation and chemotherapy is edging near to human trials. “Kanzius RF therapy”, name of the therapy, attaches microscopic nanoparticles to cancer cells and burns the tumor away. Harmless, nontoxic and non-invasive radio waves used in this case combines with gold or carbon nanoparticles. It is currently being tested at M.D Anderson Cancer Centre in Houston. The FDA approval has intensified research in this field, however some questions related to the safety of the nano particles still remain unanswered. In trials on animal and human cells, the RF treatment destroyed 100 percent of malignant cells injected with nanoparticles, without harming surrounding healthy tissue. “We know it has the potential to work well,” said Gannon. "It’s just a matter of making the details work."

ROBOTIC SURGERY- AN NEW EFFECTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Robotic surgery for prostate cancer as for now may seem to be skyrocketing, however the good news is that FDA has approved the first successful robotic surgery in abdominal and pelvic. It is increasingly believed that this new technology for cancer treatment will not leave behind any traces for the conventional means of surgery particularly laparoscopic. "I think that traditional open and laparoscopic prostatectomies have faded," said Dr. Lavery, a urologic surgeon at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. A robotic radical prostatectomy is a surgeon-directed robotic procedure where a machine called the “da Vinci” robot does the surgery in the same fashion like that of open surgery. The difference lies in the length of incision. It just makes 4 to 6 small incisions each 5 to 12mm in length unlike the open surgery that makes large incision from belly button down to pubic bone. These small incisions allow the instrument to perform through ports or hollow cylindrical instrument without having to use surgeon’s hand inside the patient. Moreover, Robotic surgery gives better angles for surgery and shows a magnified three dimensional image of the surgical field, that also in the same depth as viewing with our own eyes. 

CONCLUSION

Some of the doctors and researchers also have a belief that cancer treatment should be customized to patient’s individual genetic makeup. While some also have a say that nutritional therapy may treat a cancer patient well off than imagined. Every discovery and attempt to eradicate cancer significantly stands at its place, playing a valuable role for the rest of humanity and pushing it to the ultimate goal. All that has been done, however, has still not been able to find the exact antidote for the disease, but we are not far from it. The War on Cancer will continue until there is no patient left. The ultimate mission is to have all patients go back to their home   in high spirits of leading a much brighter and healthier life ahead!  J Good wishes to all!

REFERENCE

http://munews.missouri.edu/news-releases/2013/0403-breakthrough-cancer-killing-treatment-has-no-side-effects-says-mu-researcher/

http://www.columbiatribune.com/news/education/mu-research-yields-breakthrough-in-cancer-treatment/article_92454734-7d59-528f-97b1-4007f526f0bd.html

http://tv.ibtimes.com/vaccine-cure-cancer-new-breakthrough-cancer-treatments-northwest-biotherapeutics-10585

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/gene

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2008/04/kanzius_therapy

http://www.cancer.gov/ncicancerbulletin/080911/page4

http://benchmarks.cancer.gov/2009/03/robotic-prostatectomy/

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SCOPE OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING IN OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY

Oil is the life blood of progress and development on planet earth. Ever since its maiden discovery, it has been a subject of immense interest. Today, it fuels the 21^st century we live in! Right from the paper we write on and the plastic bottle we drink from, to the cars we drive in and the shimmering cities  we live in, we are surrounded by thousands of derivative products that come to us through the extraction of this magical fluid buried thousands of feet underneath- for Eons!   

Just as Chemical Engineers have been revolutionizing the world with astounding researches and developments, they are playing a herculean role in the industry that fuels the digitized world humans are now living in- the Petroleum Industry! This article attempts to show a glimpse of some of the most influential researches that chemical engineers working for the Oil & Gas Industry are currently involved in and how could these determine the future of the energy industry.

SMART FLUIDS TO AID ENHANCED OIL RECOVERY-

When reservoirs get depleted of the natural pressure that brings oil to the wellbore, they often have to be treated with what is termed as ‘Enhanced Oil Recovery’. This is injecting fluids into the reservoirs to ‘push’ oil out of the rock pores. This technique can recover upto 60% of the remaining oil from the reservoir.

Conventional injection fluids used in EOR techniques, drilling, production and fracturing operations are extremely complex. They also have to be added with additives to meet the changes in the environments commonly associated with a suite of drilling hazards. In tough conditions such as high temperature and acid gas environments, conventional fluids often perform poorly. While trying to improve the efficacy of these fluids in such conditions, Chemical Engineering has touched its limits in the petroleum industry!

Meet Smart fluids— A major advancement in chemical engineering that can revolutionize the energy industry! By sensing the environment & smartly tuning their particles’ properties accordingly, smart fluids can virtually adjust to any environment without the need to add additives! These fluids are capable of changing their chemistry & physical properties, in accordance to the reservoir’s conditions. As an example, such fluids can hydrate & swell in the presence of water, plugging the rock pores & preventing water movement in reservoir (so as to prevent water breakthrough), while dehydrating and contracting in the presence of oil (to allow only oil to flow). Tremendous amount of research is being done on the usage of smart fluids for smart diversion stimulation for better zonal coverage, segregation of oil and water pathways, wettability alteration agents & so on. This technology is progressing swiftly due to relative permeability modifiers & smart emulsified gels.

In the future, chemical and petroleum engineers shall eventually be able to deploy smart fluids deeper into the reservoir to change its properties on a much larger scale. These fluids will be custom-fit & will impart the desired behavior in the reservoir automatically. In other words, they would be bull-headed into the reservoir & left to their own means to work automatically, without requiring any sophisticated techniques.

THE HUNT FOR ANTI-FREEZING CHEMICALS IN THE NORTH SEA OIL FIELDS:

Scandinavian beetles & cold water fishes produce especial kind of proteins to prevent themselves from freezing in the icy cold environments they live in. Tremendous amount of research is being done by chemical engineers and scientists to investigate whether this mechanism can be replicated and used as a hydrate inhibition tool to stop ice formation inside pipelines and wells. Although the imagination does turn riot with the news of beetles potentially coming to aid freezing pipelines, the concept is sound.

Maersk Oil Company has entered into a collaborative 4 year project that aims to boost Improved Oil Recovery (IOR) and prolong North Sea operations by using bio technology to create new solutions & overcome the challenges of mature field production. The company has also announced a US $100 million investment over the next ten years in a new research facility at the Qatar Science & Technology Park in Doha.

OIL TRACERS:

Just as no two humans are the same and each human can be characterized by a specific DNA coding, no two ‘Oils’ are the same and each oil has its own distinguishable ‘biomarker’. These are a group of compounds, primarily hydrocarbons found in oils and they typically retain all or most of the original carbon skeleton of the original natural product. These have been used to catch the culprit oil tanker after any spillage incident into oceans, especially when several oil tankers passed by and none claimed to be responsible. The biomarkers of oil samples from each tanker have to be matched with the biomarkers of the spilled oil. When matched, the culprit is identified just as criminals are identified in DNA forensic sciences. Today, oil bio-markers are being used in determining oil ‘source rocks’ (the original rocks where from the oil migrated) for petroleum exploration, allocating commingled production (that is, in a well with multiple layers producing oil, identifying which layer is producing which type of oil and how much of it) and so on. More progress in this science is subjected to more researches involving Chemistry!   

Chemical engineers are making wonders happen in the oil and gas industry. Are you ready to join the energy industry and play your part?

By Batool Arhamna Haider
Kanza Batool Haider.

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Prophet Abraham's Quest

In Search of God…

As Gods were trees and stones acknowledged,

When wild polytheism prevailed,

Among Israelis a soul thirsty for knowledge,

Felt its wunderkind must be scaled,

On a voyage is Abraham to discover his God,

Master of the Universe: Lord of All!

With his mission he walks on his homely streets,

“What do my people worship?” says he

“Are these idols & statues indeed my God?

But how can my creations create me?

How can these stoned eyes see my plea?

Nay! My God divinity isn’t limited to these

Whatever they say, these cannot be my God”.

He travels valleys and deserts and forests and farms,

He searches him everywhere, in cold and warm,

Tired he lays under the sky, in its calmth,

That he notices some heavenly charm,

“How beautiful is the moon, how elegant its grace,

How in horrifying dark, comes its innocent face,

How peacefully the moon spreads its glory,

Everything looks so calm, every specie so holy,

But wait am I getting close to my cause!?

Hurray Alas! I’ve found my God.

Praising his lord, he rejoices whole night,

That night passes by and day comes in sight,

The golden rays shine brighter and mightier,

And lo! The moon becomes fainter and weaker,

“My God can’t be concealed by anyone,

Day is fatal to thee, while my Lord is eternal,

Your glory is fake; you cannot be my God,

It’s just that I had digressed from my Cause”

Abraham then looks at the mighty sun,

Whose rays shine ablaze on everyone,

“How great is the sun, how mighty its shine,

How sky turns golden and sea red wine,

Its warmth so reviving; its verve pristine,

Sheltering all kingdoms, a canopy so divine,

But wait am I getting close to my cause?

Hurray! Alas I’ve found God”

And praising his Lord Abraham cheers,

That day passes by and night brings fears

Abraham looks at his God with a bold vigor,

But lo! The sun starts losing its figure,

“My God can’t leave me in life when it’s darker,

When I’m lost & in need, how can He surrender?

Your strength was fake; you cannot be my God

It’s just that I had digressed from my Cause”

Dissolved in thoughts Abraham whispers,

“The moon and sun are creations, not Creator,

The real God is He… (wish I was smarter),

Proofs of whose existence shine in all shades of nature,

Whom no eyes have seen, yet no wonder,

Even atheists can’t spot cosmos with blunder,

His Position so High that no being is Higher,

He Himself so near, even soul isn’t nearer,

Glory to Thee, the Grand Architect of Universe!

But wait am I getting close to my cause!?

Hurray! Alas I’ve found God”

Crying in delight, he ran to his people,

His joy outflowing as if sepal in ripples,

Hurray! Alas I’ve found God, Hurray! Alas I’ve found God!

In the Heavens God calmly smiled to decree,

“Blessed be O Abraham! Prophethood to thee,

Who wonders and struggles never digresses from Cause,

…Yes indeed thou have found thy Lord!”

                            

                             Written by Batool Arhamna Haider (2006)

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ELECTRIC POWER GENERATION FROM WASTE HEAT SOURCES

Written by Muhammad Shahrukh

                                            

21st century holds major challenges for the world. Rising oil prices are forcing a hard look at how we plan to meet our energy needs for the future.  Continued reliance on coal and other fossil fuels also means that global warming will continue to worsen… time is to think and ponder over…

As the world is rapidly industrializing, emission of large quantity of heat from different sources has raised serious concerns regarding earth’s sovereignty. On the other hand, depleting fossil fuels from within the earth is threatening the global energy need which is increasing significantly at the rate of 2.3% each year. In order to encounter both environmental and energy crises, electricity power generation from waste heat sources can be considered a ray of hope for the survival of our future generations.

OBJECTIVES

The main objective of this project is to utilize the waste heat given off by different industrial processes such as steel or glass production, oil refining, burning of transport fuels and to use it for the generation of electricity. Such a measure can be a milestone in securing the energy demand of developing countries and providing an alternative and cost-competitive means of energy production and utilization.

                         

METHODS

THERMOELECTRIC GENERATORS

Thermoelectric generators is one of the latest technique employed to convert the waste heat into valuable electricity. These generators consume the waste heat to boil liquid in the pot and converts it to steam, causing rotational moment in the turbine to produce electricity. Thermoelectric devices can also consume the energy of sun and reduce the dependence on photovoltaic cells whose efficiency is declining significantly. Thermoelectric devices have the ability of lighting even a 100 watt bulb and increases car’s efficiency by 25%. It is thought that  thermoelectricity has a potential to be 100 times superior to other technologies. The design of thermoelectric devices is such that it doesn’t involve any moving parts and can be  manufactured relatively effortlessly and cost-effectively.

              

PIEZOELECTRIC DEVICE

The other method which has been successfully employed for the generation of electricity from waste heat is by using Sound. In this technique, heat is transformed to sound by means of thermo acoustic prime movers in the first stage. In the second stage, sound is transformed into electricity using "piezoelectric" devices that change pressure into electrical current. This technology has the benefit  of  not creating noise pollution. The efficiency of this technology can be significantly enhanced by optimizing the geometry and insulation of the acoustic resonator and by injecting heat directly into the hot heat exchanger.

THERMAL DIODES

Electricity can also be produced from waste heat by using thermal diodes which are capable to convert heat into electricity at a much lower temperatures. These devices can be very useful for conserving and generating electricity. These diodes amplify the battery lives of portable devices and diminish the power necessities of several electronic devices.

 

MAGNETO HYDRODYNAMICS (MHD)

Magneto hydrodynamics (MHD) is a technology which creates electricity from any heat source, by using  magnets to extract electricity from superheated charged plasmas. It is supposed that MHD systems will considerably reduce energy costs and will offer an affordable/cost-competitive alternate means of producing electricity. The power generation through this technology is based on Faraday’s law of electromagnetic induction. The efficiency of this technology is anticipated to be 60%.

ADVANTAGES

Ø  There is No Additional Carbon Generation required for the electricity production.

Ø  This process generates clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity from industrial waste. It also  accelerates financial turnover by maximizing energy efficiency and fossil fuel savings.

Ø  Low cost base load electricity production

Ø  Low maintenance and simple operation

Ø  High system efficiency.

COST

The approximate cost of one of the methods of converting heat into electricity via sound using acoustic heat-engine devices is $2 million. Other university engaged in the research and development of this project was able to recoup its purchase cost in three to four years with electricity costing about three to four cents per KWH during that time and after their payback period, the cost per KWH was dropped to less than a penny.

CONCLUSION

As there is an enormous apprehension on the reserves of fossil fuel energy and as the population is mounting at a quarter of a million people per day, the employment of renewable sources of energy and alternate means for generating electricity becomes much more noteworthy for securing the peaceful existence of mankind. 

So the generation of electricity from waste heat sources can definitely be a solution to the problem.

REFERENCES

1.      Future Bioenergy and Sustainable Land Use by R.Schubert, Earthscan publications 2010.

2.      Thermophotovoltaics: Basic Principles and Critical Aspects of System Design by Thimas Bauer published by Springer, 2011.

3.      Advances in Electronic Ceramics II, Volume 30 by Shashank Priya, Anke Weidenkaff, David.P.Norton, published by John Wiley and Sons, 2009.

4.      Renewable Energy Sources And Emerging Technologies by Kothari Et Al.,published by PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd.

5.      http://www.technologyreview.com/business/21701/

6.      http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/waste-heat-to-electricity/

7.      http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/06/070603225026.htm

8.       http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/energy/question136.htm

9.      http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2008/06/electricity_generator_gets_its_power_from_waste_heat-2/

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