Top News of 2023 with ANA
Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the last year whose top ones are as follows:
Iranian researchers at the International Institute of Earthquake Engineering and Seismology (IIEES) have designed damper-like brackets for buildings to help them withstand aftershocks in first days after the earthquake.
A team of IIEES researchers designed brackets that can be used to temporarily stabilize the structures that had been damaged during the earthquake until they can be rebuilt in due time later.
“When earthquakes occur, especially in large cities where there are many buildings, a large number of the building which have unstable conditions, collapse. A lot of these structures must be completely destroyed to be constructed again. But some of structures can be retrofitted with simple measures,” Dr. Fariborz Nateghi Elahi, the project manager and professor at the IIEES told Iranian media.
“In the aftermath of quakes, it is not possible to make a decision about the health of a number of buildings in the short term, but considering that possible aftershocks could damage these unfallen structures, it may become a potential danger for people. This is the point where we have worked on,” he continued,
“Accordingly, we started research at the IIEES with the goal of retrofitting these structures in the large cities. Certainly, in case of a large earthquake in Tehran , a large number of buildings will be damaged but most of them will not collapse, so it is necessary to use simple and inexpensive methods to achieve temporary stability of the earthquake-hitten structures to make sure that they will not fall in possible aftershocks,” Nateghi Elahi went on to say.
US Industrial Production Rises 0.4 Percent in March, Higher than 0.2 Percent Estimate
US industrial production rose 0.4% in March, beating market estimates, according to Federal Reserve data.
Expectations said the figure would show a gain of 0.2% last month, while industrial output expanded 0.2% in February.
Industrial production also climbed 0.5% at an annual rate in March, the Fed noted.
Manufacturing output, on the other hand, dropped 0.5% in March from the month before. It contracted 1.1% on an annual basis.
While the figure came in worse than estimates of a 0.1% monthly contraction, it was a sudden reversal from the 0.6% increase recorded in February.
Capacity utilization, which indicates overall growth and demand in the economy, moved up 0.2 percentage points to 79.8% in March.
The figure came higher than projections of 79.0%, after standing at 79.6% in February.
Iranian Specialists Make Ship Control Bridge Simulator
Specialists of a knowledge-based company stationed at the incubator center of Pardis Science and Technology Park in Tehran designed and manufactured a simulator system for training and increasing the navigation skills of the marine corps.
"Designing the simulator system for training and increasing the navigation skills of the marine corps, which has been sanctioned, took eight years during which we were able to indigenize the know-how," said Kazzem Alipour, the managing director of the knowledge-based company.
He explained that the structure of this training simulator is based on the instructor-student method with an instructor station and several student stations, adding that visualization of the sea environment and ports has been designed in accordance with the Iranian ports with 4K image quality.
“Also, the instructor’s simulator software enjoys the capability to design and implement various educational scenarios for students,” Alipour said.
“The simulator system has been built based on a real ship situation and it is compatible with the latest version of communication and navigation equipment of new ships in terms of software and hardware,” he added.
Iranian Technologists Produce Livestock, Poultry Feed from Yeast Waste
A startup in Iran succeeded in extracting the yeast cell wall (YCW) and using it in livestock and poultry feed to prevent increase in population of probiotic bacteria and formation of mold in animal feed and reduce the financial losses.
“The increase in population of probiotic bacteria boosts the amount of absorption and energy received from the animal feed which results in reduction of costs of purchasing feed by livestock and poultry farmers,” Sima Moradi, the managing director of the start-up active in the field of agriculture and animal husbandry, told ANA.
He also underlined the importance and high efficiency of yeast cell wall (YCW) as a part of compounds that make up the toxin binders, saying that they can play a significant role in preventing disease in livestock and poultry.
“An important application of toxin binders is when livestock and poultry feed is moldy due to improper storage conditions, and livestock farms are sometimes forced to use such feeds to prevent financial losses,” she said, noting that adding toxin binder to livestock and poultry feed removes toxins from animal’s body and prevents it from entering the milk.
“Therefore, our researchers extracted the yeast cell wall (YCW) and used it in livestock and poultry feed to prevent the increase in population of probiotic bacteria and existence of mold in livestock and poultry feed and reduce the financial losses of livestock farms,” Moradi said.
Iranian Experts Develop Recognition System for Micro Gas Turbines
Experts at Iran’s Amirkabir University of Technology developed a system for recognizing micro gas turbines.
The system is used in construction and operation phases, said Saleh Talebi, the project manager.
Microturbines are tiny gas turbines that can generate both electricity and heat. They vary in electrical output from around 25 KW to 250 KW. Units between 250 KW and 500 KW are sometimes called mini-turbines.
The two types are designed to be used in large domestic or small commercial environments where they can provide both forms of energy. As such, they are usually designated as distributed generators since they supply their power at the distribution level of the grid.
The increasing trend of population and energy demand, the limited non-renewable resources, the rising fuel prices, the concerns about greenhouse gases, and increasing air pollution have led to the use of cleaner energy through more efficient and less polluting methods, Talebi explained.
Iran Open Robocup 2023 Wrapped up with New Milestones Achieved
The 17th edition of the Iran Open Robocup came to a close on Friday evening in Tehran, marking a new chapter in the country's space technology development, as it introduced a new league: The League of Lunar Micro Rovers (LMR).
Russian Entrepreneur Underscores Importance of INOTEX 2023
General-manager of a Russian company and entrepreneur hailed high level of INOTEX 2023 (held on May 09-12 in Tehran) and voice readiness to start cooperation with the Iranian firms.
Russian Cyber Security Firm Underlines Willingness to Cooperate with Iranian Technological Companies
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Russia’s Felix Cyber Security Protection company lauded the Iranian technological firms for their good progress, stressing keenness to closely cooperate with them.
Iran-Made Nano-Based Solution Improves Performance of Car Radiator Cooling System
An Iranian company used nanotechnology to produce a solution to improve the performance of cooling system in car radiator.
Nanoparticles have been used in the solution produced by Exir Salamat Yavaran Behrad Company.
Reducing the depreciation of the cooling system and the car fan’s time of spinning, preventing the car’s radiator from overheating and boiling, increasing the resistance of the cooling system against corrosion, reducing the temperature of the amp when using the air conditioner, increasing the life of the cylinder head gasket, improving the efficiency of the car engine, preventing the formation of deposits in the car radiator, and a significant reduction in car fuel consumption are among the advantages of this radiator cooling solution.
Iran currently ranks 4th in the world in the production of nano-science. This comes as part of Iran's Nanotechnology Initiative Council’s first development plan, which has sought to advance nano-science in the country.
Iranian Researcher Produce Warehouse Robots
A group of Iranian researchers at a knowledge-based firm have produced warehouse robots to move different data-x-items in warehouses.
Nafiseh Zamani Moghadam, a fellow researcher at "the artificial intelligence research and robotics center" of a knowledge-based company told ANA News Agency correspondnet on the sidelines of INOTEX 2023 EXO that they have produced a robot for warhouses to carry different things.
"This company operates in the field of manufacturing, designing and manufacturing robotics and artificial intelligence products and produces educational (training) equipment for universities and research centers," she said.
"The products of this company include industrial, educational and research robots. These industrial robots are used in different places such as factories and other industrial places," Zamani Moghadam added.
"One of the most important industrial robots is Palletizer, which is used to move parts. This robot can carry up to 50 kg weight," the researcher further said.
Iranian Knowledge-Based Firm Produces Contact Angle Goniometer
An Iranian knowledge-based company based in the Science and Technology Park of the University of Tehran (UT) has designed and produced a contact angle goniometer to save the country hundreds of thousands of dollars through localizing manufacturing the device.
A contact angle goniometer is an instrument that measures the contact angle of a droplet on a surface. This is a useful, indirect measurement of surface wetting. When a droplet starts to spread out over a surface, its contact angle becomes <90°.
“This device is used to measure contact angle, surface elasticity and surface energy to characterize different surfaces in terms of hydrophilicity and hydrophobicity,” said Farshid Chini, an associate professor of Faculty of Engineering of Tehran University and the managing director of a knowledge-based company.
A surface is hydrophobic if it tends not to adsorb water or be wetted by water. A surface is hydrophilic if it tends to adsorb water or be wetted by water. More particularly, the terms describe the interaction of the boundary layer of a solid phase with liquid or vapor water.
Russian Innovator Hails Iranian Scientists’ Eye-Catching Progress in Developing Single Photon Detectors
The first deputy general director of SCONTEL company (superconducting nanotechnology) producer of single photon and THz radiation detection system lauded the Iranian scientists research work for the development of single photon detectors.
Iran-Made Gold Nanoparticle Kits Able to Detect Viruses, Narcotics Precisely
Researchers at an Iranian company have developed diagnosis kits in which gold nanoparticles have been used to detect viruses and narcotics precisely.
Gold nanoparticles are widely used in biomedical and diagnostic applications.
The company used nanoparticles to detect narcotics, hormones, and hepatitis and Covid-19 viruses, which, according to them, led to more accurate and faster diagnosis and reduced production costs.
The rapid detection kits of the company reduce the response time, increase the detection accuracy, increase the quality, and reduce the price.
Usually, antibodies and proteins are used in rapid detection kits, but since proteins are colorless and difficult to see with the naked eye, it is necessary to use other compounds.
Monitor Your Smart Irrigation System Remotely with Iran-Made App
Iranian technologists at a knowledge-based company have succeeded in designing and developing an web-based smart irrigation system which can save 50% of water consumption.
“The product designed and presented by the company is used in industrial and household smart irrigation systems,” Mohammad Reza Jenabzadeh, the chairman of the board of directors of the knowledge-based ‘Fanavaran Sanat Robotics’ company and a faculty member of the Islamic Azad University’s Yazd branch, told ANA.
“This irrigation system is installed by an application on the mobile phone and allows the user to monitor the irrigation process in any place with remote control capability,” he added.
“Based on the available figures, averagely, the use of smart irrigation systems saves 25% to 50% in water consumption. Such a system makes it possible to monitor the irrigation status of the project, the status of the sensors and the status of water tanks at any moment,” Jenabzadeh said.
Iran-Made Antibacterial Water Tanks Benefits from Nanotechnology
An Iranian knowledge-based company has used nanotechnology to produce antibacterial triple-layer water tanks.
The three-layered tanks produced by the company have made it possible to store drinking water, especially in the hot seasons of the year.
The polyethylene tank for water storage is produced with an antibacterial inner layer, which has a better performance than normal tanks due to its nanoparticles.
Polyethylene storage tanks are usually used in buildings to store water and provide the required pressure for domestic use.
Polyethylene tanks were produced at first in a colorless and single-layer form.
Iranian Scientists Find Low-Cost Way to Filter Leachate
Iranian researchers at Islamic Azad University succeeded in patenting a device for treating waste leachate with advantages like the use of low-cost materials in preparation of absorbent filters, the simplicity of the treatment process, and the absence of waste.
Hamidreza Tousi, a student at Shahid Beheshti University and a member of the faculty of Chemistry of the Islamic Azad University, Qa’emshahr branch, and Morteza Ra’yati, a member of the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the university, succeeded in patenting a leachate treatment device.
The municipalities, as the custodians of urban waste collection and waste management, are parties to any possible contract for purchasing the device.
“The device consists of four parts of disinfection, settling of suspended pollution, surface absorption and filtration, and one of its features is the use of cheap materials in preparation of absorption filters which are all available in Iran,” Tousi told ANA.
He described another advantage of the leachate treatment device as the simplicity of treatment process and the absence of waste production, saying, “In the disinfection part, all pathogens and disease-causing agents are destroyed, and then sedimentary materials are removed from the solution stream by using filters made of mineral pumice.”
Iranian Researchers Use Nanotechnology to Produce Water-Based Polyurethane Resin
Iranian scientists at a nanotechnology company succeeded in manufacturing water-based polyurethane resin by using nano materials.
Kimia Resin Behsan Company for the first time in Iran produced water-based polyurethane resin based on nanomaterials. Lack of volatile organic solvents in making the product has made application of the resin on the desired surface much easier in just one step without the need to use different solutions.
Also, the use of nanoparticles in manufacturing the product has made the size of the resin’s particles between 10 to 70 nanometers.The small dimensions of the resin components improve its adhesion and its fuller and better penetration into the desired surfaces, including wood and leather.
The product is 33% solid, which is the highest level of the solid part in resins which provides the possibility of creating an appropriate thickness when applying the resin on different surfaces. However, this amount can be changed based on the user needs.
Iran Holds 13th Int’l Stone Expo
The 13th Iran International Stone Exhibition kicked off in Tehran on May 29 with over 100 companies from Iran and six world states in attendance.
The five-day exhibition which ended on June 2 was held at the venue of the international Shahr-e Aftab permanent exhibition ground in the Southern margine of Tehran.
Nearly 110 Iranian companies and several companies from China, Russia, India, Italy, Turkey and Greece displayed their latest products and achievements in this edition of the exhibition in an area of 12,000 square meters.
The inaugural ceremony of the exhibition was held on May 29 with Deputy Minister of Industry, Mine and Trade for Mineral and Processing Affairs Reza Mohtashamipour, Chairman of Industries and Mines Commission at the Parliament Mostafa Taheri and Head of Iran House of Mine Mohammad Reza Bahreman as well as members of Iran Decorative Stone Association.
According to Chairman of Iran Stone Association Bahram Shakouri, between 10mln to 11mln tons of decorative stones are annually extracted in Iran, stressing that the country enjoys the capability of exporting $5 billion worth of decorative stone overseas.
Iranian Researcher Produces Oil/Water Separation Filter Using Nanotechnology
An Iranian female researcher has designed a filter to separate oil from water using nanotechnology which can be broadly used in different industries.
Elmira Velaei, who has a PhD in chemical engineering from the Tehran-based Iran University of Science and Technology and a master's degree in chemical engineering from Sahand University in Tabriz has planned to make a water and oil separator system using filters covered with nano coatings that has special wetness.
Regarding her motivation to pursue this technological project, she stated, “In many industries, a very high volume of oily waste is produced, which has become a common pollution in the world and is now considered a serious global concern.”
In addition, oil spill which usually takes place in sea transportation or oil production is an important problem for the marine environment and ecosystem, so separating and purifying water from oil pollution has been a challenging issue in recent years that requires ideas. and new scientific techniques, according to the researcher.
“For this reason, there has been a great demand for the development of effective and inexpensive methods to remove different types of organic pollutants from the water surface and to eliminate oil and oil pollution from industrial and refinery effluents,” Velaei added.
Iranian Nanotechnology Firm Uses Silica to Make Special Casting Powder
A nanotechnology company in Iran produced a new type of casting powder with a special formulation in which silica nanoparticles were used to improve performance and quality.
‘Mavad Gostar Roham’ company used silica nanoparticles in its special casting powder to improve the fluidity of slurry so that it can cover the entire surface of the wax sample well and take and maintain the elegance and precision of the sample’s dimensions.
Also, it prevents the sedimentation of slurry until the end of the plaster’s drying, which, as a result, maintains the better integrity of the plaster mold.
The slurry dries in such a way that it can be used by people who make metal artifacts without a machine in addition to those who work in equipped casting workshops. On the other hand, application of silica particles with nano dimensions leads to better integrity and higher resistance in the gypsum mold in thermal tensions.
Among the advantages of the product are high strength against the thermal tensions of melting without cracking and breaking, high quality approved by gold and jewelry casting workshops, and cost-effectiveness compared to foreign samples.
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