132 research outputs found
2023 Award Winner Bahaudin Mujtaba
No full textArts, Business, Humanities, Law, and Social Sciences
Professor Award
Bahaudin Mujtaba, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship, is a Professor of Human Resources and International Management. He is the author and coauthor of books dealing with diversity, ethics, and business management, and his contributions to his field are significant. During the past thirty years, he has worked with managers and human resource professionals in almost 20 countries, and this diverse exposure has provided him with many insights in cross-cultural management from the perspectives of different firms, people groups, and cultures. With an extensive publication record and thousands of citations covering topics such as business, change, culture, ethics, diversity, and others, his work is highly collaborative with over 50 different coauthors drawn from NSU, the United States, and abroad. His books and guidance are sought and frequently used by companies, professors, and the media. He served as a cultural consultant for the movie Kite Runner and in 2018 did pro bono training and development work in Afghanistan on topics of adult learning, leadership, and ethics.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/provost_research_award/1018/thumbnail.jp
Neural network based modelling and control of batch reactor.
No full textNoThe use of neural networks (NNs) in all aspects of process engineering activities, such as modelling, design, optimization and control has considerably increased in recent years (Mujtaba and Hussain, 2001). In this work, three different types of nonlinear control strategies are developed and implemented in batch reactors using NN techniques. These are generic model control (GMC), direct inverse model control (DIC) and internal model control (IMC) strategies. Within the control strategies, NNs have been used as dynamic estimator, dynamic model (forward model) and control (inverse model).
An exothermic complex reaction scheme in a batch reactor is considered to explain all these control strategies and their robustness. A dynamic optimization problem with a simple model is solved a priori to obtain optimal operation policy in terms of the reactor temperature with an objective to maximize the desired product in a given batch time. The resulting optimal temperature policy is used as set-point in the control study.
All types of controllers performed well in tracking the optimal temperature profile and achieving target conversion to the desired product. However, the NNs used in DIC and IMC controllers need training beyond the nominal operating condition to cope with uncertainties better
Bio fuel : Environmentally benign biodiesel production from renewable sources
No full textRenewable energy has become an important alternative resource in many countries and considered to be a potential substitute to the conventional fossil fuel. In particular, renewable energy in the form of biodiesel is considered to be one of the best available energy resources (Abidin, 2012; Atabani et al., 2012; Liu et al., 2012). As the fuel‘s feedstock is originated from renewable sources, this type of fuel is well known to be biodegradable and environment friendly (Kaercher et al., 2013). Apart from this, it also owns a good combustion profile, produces less particulates, i.e., unburned hydrocarbon and hazardous gases (i.e., carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide), has a higher cetane number, higher flash point, and higher lubricity (Lin et al., 2011) compared to conventional diesel. Biodiesel, comprises monoalkyl esters of fatty acids, is derived from renewable lipid feedstocks, such as edible oil (i.e., palm, sunflower, and soybean) non-edible oils (i.e., jatropha and mahua), animal fats (chicken and lard), and algae. The cost of feedstock alone comprises 75%-85% of the overall cost of biodiesel production (Abbaszaadeh et al., 2012; Atabani et al., 2012). Currently, the popular feedstocks for biodiesel production are the edible oils; however, this was restricted due to the higher price of vegetable oil. The use of vegetable oils in biodiesel production also creates controversial issues on the usage of food elements as the source of fuels
Muslim Public Opinion Toward the International Order [electronic resource] : Support for International and Regional Actors /
No full textThis book analyses the attitudes of Muslim citizens toward international and regional actors. In essence, the project examines whether Muslim public opinion is in favor of the current international order and if there is an ideal type of international governance perceived by Muslim citizens. The author connects the analysis to the literature of international public opinion and to the research on social legitimacy of international and global governance. It is ideal for scholarly audiences interested in Islamic, International and Global Governance Studies. Mujtaba Ali Isani is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Science at the University of Muenster, Germany.1. Chapter 1 Introduction and Historical Context -- 2. Chapter 2 Literature Review, Theory and Methods -- 3. Chapter 3 Muslim Attitudes Toward the UN -- 4. Chapter 4 The Arab League and the GCC: Failures of Regional Organization in the Muslim World? -- 5. Chapter 5 Support for the Global Caliphate as Alternative -- 6. Chapter 6 Conclusion: ASEAN as a Successful Regional Organization? OIC as an Alternative to the Caliphate? Revisiting the Main Puzzles .This book analyses the attitudes of Muslim citizens toward international and regional actors. In essence, the project examines whether Muslim public opinion is in favor of the current international order and if there is an ideal type of international governance perceived by Muslim citizens. The author connects the analysis to the literature of international public opinion and to the research on social legitimacy of international and global governance. It is ideal for scholarly audiences interested in Islamic, International and Global Governance Studies. Mujtaba Ali Isani is a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Science at the University of Muenster, Germany
Biodiesel from Sunflower Oil: Development of Process Model via Lab scale Experiment and Optimisation
No full textIn recent years, biodiesel has become increasingly interesting as a more sustainable energy resource and as a viable alternative to fossil fuels. This paper presents and discusses a biodiesel process model with the support of experimental activity where biodiesel is produced from sunflower oil by methanolysis using potassium hydroxide as catalyst. Although the kinetic mechanism is well known, the kinetic rate constants from the literature do not correlate well with the experimental data. Therefore, a model based parameter estimation technique is used to determine the kinetic parameters. The model is then used for optimising the reaction temperature to maximise the conversion for a given batch time. The energy required for the process at lab-scale is estimated by a heat balance, which is found to be increasing with the conversion. Finally, by adopting realistic assumptions, a scale-up for possible full-scale plant production is carried out and the optimal conditions for the whole process are obtained
Optimal operation of multicomponent batch distillation—multiperiod formulation and solution
No full textOptimal operation of dynamic processes under process-model mismatches: Application to batch distillation
No full textOptimal operation policy of dynamic processes can be significantly different with and without due consideration to the process-model mismatches. In this work, a general optimisation framework is developed to obtain efficiently the optimal operation policy of dynamic processes under process-model mismatches. Neural network techniques have been used to predict the dynamic non-linear process-model mismatches. An important feature of the optimisation framework is that it allows the use of discrete process data in a continuous model to predict discrete and/or continuous mismatch profiles. The method is applied to an inherently dynamic batch distillation process and is demonstrated with an example. Neural network technique is found to predict dynamic mismatch profiles for this process with sufficient accuracy. Optimal operation:policy using a simple model with mismatches, predicted by the neural network, is found to be very close to that of the actual process
- …
