Top News of Last Week with ANA

Azad News Agency (ANA) published a number of scientific and technological news during the past week whose top ones are as follows: 

Iranian Researcher Makes Acoustic Panels by Natural Hemp Fibers

An Iranian researcher at the Islamic Azad University’s Science and Research branch in Tehran produced acoustic panels by using natural hemp fibers.

“The use of natural fibers as porous materials for manufacturing sound absorbers has attracted much attention as a green or environmentally friendly process due to their special features like being non-toxic, biodegradable, light weight, low density, high electrical resistance, acceptable specific strength, anti-inflammatory impacts on skin and reasonable price,” said Ali Kazzemi Tabrizi, the researcher of the project and a PhD graduate of Wood and Paper Industry Sciences.

According to him, in this invention, the hemp plant (scientific name: Hibiscus Cannabinus) has been used to build an acoustic wall instead of using the fibers of forest trees.

“Acoustic absorbers made of these fibers, due to having networks of interconnected cavities, change the sound energy into thermal energy when the sound wave interacts with their walls, and in many studies, they show more favorable results in the area of acoustic absorption than synthetic fibers,” Kazzemi Tabrizi said.

Iranian Academics Develop Smart Remote Control for Cars, Tools, Electrical Appliances

A faculty member of Islamic Azad University and his colleagues presented a project whose software and hardware products provide the possibility of remote and smart control of cars, tools and electrical appliances.

“Since the start of membership in the faculty, we implemented several research projects, including ‘the phase control in combination with GPS for vehicles’ navigation’ whose software and hardware were developed in cooperation with colleagues at the electrical and computer engineering departments and a number of distinguished students,” Hamed Banizaman, a faculty member of Islamic Azad University’s Jahrom branch, told ANA.

Another research project is ‘controling and monitoring operation for switching on and off devices and control of sensors equipped with Zigbee mesh network technology based on GSM’ which is now in the commercialization stage, he added.

“The software and hardware products resulting from implementation of these plans will provide the possibility of remote and smart controling and monitoring of cars, appliances and electrical devices. undoubtedly, development of such technologies is the infrastructure for forming the ecosystem of Internet of Things and automation,” Banizaman said.

Iranian Researchers Develop New Water Softener

An Iranian knowledge-based company has manufactured a new water softener powered by solar energy to remove salt, nitrate, and arsenic from drinking water.

“Nitrate in water is considered as a pollutant due to its proven negative effects on human health, and since nitrate is dissolved in water as a solute, the normal water purification methods are not able to remove it. On the other hand, nitrate is constantly produced and dissolved in underground water resources. The most important technology in the world in this field is Electro Dialysis (ED),” Mansoureh Zahedi, head of the research and development department of an Iranian knowledge-based company said.

Zahedi pointed to removal of arsenic in water as one of the other capabilities of their company's purification machine, saying “One of Iran's challenges is the presence of a high level of arsenic in water. Our device can remove arsenic from water.

She said that her company's machine is solar powered, adding, “These devices use nano absorbents to purify water and wastewater.”

The researcher also pointed to removal of oily wastewater pollution as one of the other capabilities of their machine, explaining, “Oily wastes are produced in industries such as oil, petrochemical and food industries and are mainly in the form of oil-water emulsions. Due to the long-term durability of these wastes in the environment, if they are not eliminated, they will leave unfixable and extensive damages on environment, that is why we have proposed a package to remove oily wastewater pollution.”

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.

The project aims to develop a troubleshooting system for micro gas turbines, able to evaluate the health status of engine components based on the online measurement and announce the necessary warnings.

Iran-Made Smart System Eliminates Household, Urban Green Space Irrigation Errors

The smart irrigation system developed by researchers in a knowledge-based company in Iran provides the possibility for users to water the green space intelligently in different periods of time.

Mohammad Reza Taqavi, one of the researchers of the project, noted that the smart irrigation system can be used in areas like urban green space, urban forests and fruit orchards, adding, “The household model of this product is a system that automatically irrigates pots and green spaces.”

He pointed to the advantages of the smart system, saying, “When a person goes on a long trip, the system automatically irrigates the pots based on the instructions and avoids risks like water leakage.”

Taqavi underlined that the system performs the irrigation process in a period of every two seconds to once a month, stating that it can be used for irrigation of all different types of plants.

Ceramic Handicrafts Special for Blind People Produced in Iran

Researchers of a new creative company stationed at the Science and Technology Park of Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran made ceramic handicrafts specially designed for the blind.

“Our focus is on designing and producing handmade ceramic products for special days,” said Tajpour, the manager of the new creative company.

“Our most special innovation for the blind and commemoration of the International White Cane Day, is making possible for these people to benefit from the beauty of art by using Braille on ceramic bodies,” the manager added.

The innovative product was unveiled at the 36th National Handicrafts Exhibition in Iran.

Iranian Firm Unveils Nano Drill Bit at Tehran Exhibition

An Iranian company unveiled its domestically-produced nano drill bit at Iran Nano Exhibition in Tehran.

An Iranian company unveiled a nano drill bit at 2022 Iran Nano Exhibition, which was held in Tehran last October with the participation of the Ruhollah Dehghani Firouzabadi, the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-based Economy.

The Iranian company’s drill bit is used for excavation activities. It is a three-cone rotary drill bit that is designed and manufactured by hard metal structure.

This nano drill bit is only one of the capabilities of the researchers of the Iranian company, which has been operating in the field of manufacturing and localizing of industrial equipment and machineray for 30 years.

Iranian Specialist’s Invention Ends Domino of Destruction of Batteries in UPS Systems

The patent certificate for an invention by an Iranian specialist which prevents the domino destruction of UPS batteries with the help of a detector was issued in Iran.

Mohammad Ali Hassani, an expert at Semnan Power Distribution Company, elaborated on his invention, saying, “If at least one battery in emergency power systems, uninterruptible power supply (UPS) and equipment that use series or parallel batteries becomes defective, the other batteries are destroyed as a result, which is called the domino phenomenon of battery destruction.”

He noted that batteries used in an emergency power system do not always remain intact in a specified period of time and given the differences in their structure, a battery may defect earlier than its lifespan.

He further said that applying more voltage from the batteries will end in more energy consumption which causes power loss and heat generation to the point that some batteries become defective due to their weakness.

“To prevent this phenomenon, it is necessary to find the first defective battery accurately and in the shortest  time possible. Then the user should replace it immediately,” Hassani said, adding that the invention helps immediate identification of the defected battery.

Iran-Made Nano-Based Nozzle Decreases Water Consumption Up to 98 Percent

A group of engineers from a startup company manufactured a product based on nanotechnology which reduces water consumption up to 98%.

“We designed and produced a system that is installed as a nozzle on all types of faucets, and the nozzle is 98% effective in reducing water consumption,” said Hossein Alinejad, a researcher of the project.

He noted that in order to reduce water consumption, the nozzle creates two outflows and the reduction of water consumption takes place between these two nozzle flows.

Alinejad said that the ordinary nozzles are clogged after a while but hydrophobic coatings based on nanotechnology are used in two parts of this nozzle to settle the problem of clogging.

“All raw materials and equipment needed to produce this nozzle are indigenized,” he underlined.

Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Produces Anti-Bacterial Construction Materials

An Iranian knowledge-based company operating in the field of nanotechnology has introduced antibacterial materials to the construction industry for the first time in the country using nanosilver to build structures such as hospitals.

Mohammad Ali Tahbaz, the chairman of the board of directors of the Iranian knowledge-based company told Iranian media on the sidelines of the 13th Iran Nano Exhibition that the production of concrete additives and building chemicals are among the technological products of the company.

He said that six products based on nano technology are produced in their company and they have received the certificate from the Nano Technology Headquarters.

He stated that the decoration, painting and building interior design of the nano house at the entrance of the famous Persian Gulf building was done by them, adding, “Antibacterial strapping material, microcement, waterproofing and facade paints are among the nano products that are offered in this exhibition (13th Iran Nano Exhibition) .”

Being antibacterial is one of the most notable advantages of the products of their company and he said, adding, “Using nanosilver which is highly antimicrobal in their products has helped them to be widely used in constructing hospitals and some other public space.”

Purple Potato’s Peels Used by Iranian Researchers in Natural Dyeing Process

Researchers at Birjand University’s Faculty of Arts investigated and used purple sweet potato peel’s extract in the natural dyeing process.

Sahar Qassed, a student in the field of carpets, raw materials and dyeing, assessed the color properties and variety of color shades in his master's thesis under the topic of ‘investigation of dyeing conditions and obtaining different color shades by using purple sweet potato’.

In this research, the extract of purple sweet potato’s peels were introduced as a substance for dyeing the wool yarn, and the dyeing process was evaluated in order to obtain various color shades and maximum color strength.

The results showed that the pH and dyeing time had a significant effect on the color strength of the samples and the dyeing samples had good washing and light stability.

Iranian Start-Up Company Manufactures Device to Produce Industrial Nano Particles

A team of Iranian researchers achieved the technical know-how to manufacture a device for production of nanoparticles to use in different industries.

A flame ionization detector (FID) is a scientific instrument that measures analytes in a gas stream. It is frequently used as a detector in gas chromatography. The measurement of ion per unit time make this a mass sensitive instrument.

“This type of machine has two types: one produces nanoparticles from the gas phase and the other from the liquid phase,” Abbas Toghian, PhD student of nanotechnology said about the FID he and his teammates have designed and developed in their start-up company in Semnan city in the North of Iran.

He stated that the device they designed and built can convert gas into a product, adding, “This device is specifically designed to produce nanoparticles of oxide ceramics such as Sio2 (silicon oxide), Tio2 (titanium dioxide), Fe2oc (oxide iron), Fe3o4 (iron oxide nanoparticles) and Zno (zinc oxide).”

“The nanoparticles produced by this device are used to make paints and coatings, different types of adhesives and sealants,” Toghian also said, adding, “Of course, these nanoparticles have medicinal grades but we have not entered in this field yet.”

Iranian Company Develops Method to Make Electronic Components Waterproof

An Iranian technological company managed to develop a method that provides the possibility of making electronic parts waterproof.

The method uses a vacuum plasma processing system that allows sensitive materials' surface to be hydrophilized and highly water resistant.

Electronic devices are sensitive to moisture. The importance of being waterproof is realized when they are unintentionally exposed to extreme humidity or come into contact with water.

Many devices, such as electronic printed circuits, telephones, headphones, and electrical appliances need to be perfectly sealed.

The vacuum plasma processing system has the possibility of waterproofing two-dimensional and three-dimensional surfaces and objects.

It can be used to produce waterproof products, especially in the electronic or textile industries.

Iran-Made System Able to Detect data-x-Items Concealed Under Clothes

Researchers at an Iranian technological company designed and developed a system that is able to detect hidden objects under clothes.

The detection of objects concealed under people's clothing is a very challenging task, which has crucial applications for security.

The system is intended for use in important places including airports.

Studies on the system for detecting objects hidden under clothes using millimeter wave technology started in 2014 by a group of 30 people, Hengameh Azizi, a Ph.D. undergraduate of electronics at the Sharif University of Technology, said.

The system is installed at the entrance of sensitive places such as airports and customs, Azizi, who is the project manager, added.

It includes electronic, artificial intelligence, and mechanical parts, and compared to the foreign model, it has a price of half or a third in comparison with the foreign models, she highlighted.

“In the designing and producing processes of the system, efforts have been made to use Iran-made equipment," she added.

"The difference between the Iran-made system and the conventional X-ray machines used in airports is that the X-ray machine only detects metals, but our system detects anything hidden above the skin," Azizi explained.

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