A recent theoretical study proposes a new way to evaluate thermoelectric devices by measuring two I-V curves-one obtained under a constant temperature difference and the other obtained for a constant thermal input. We report an experimental demonstration of the feasibility of this novel technique. A measurement system was designed and constructed, which enables both types of I-V curves to be obtained automatically. The effective ZT values of a thermoelectric module were determined using this system and compared with those measured by an impedance spectroscopy technique. The results confirm the validity of the proposed technique. In addition, the capability of measuring ZT under a large temperature difference was also investigated. The results show that the ZTs obtained for a large temperature difference are significantly smaller than those for a small temperature difference, providing insights into the design and operation of thermoelectric modules in realistic applications.

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Each year around 1.3 billion tons of food goes to trash out of which 22 million pounds is generated from educational institutions. The purpose of this study is to understand the food waste pattern among college students to help minimize waste. The focus is on two food categories - deli and desserts to understand the influence of portion size on plate waste. The data is collected at a dining hall at a large state university in Midwest. Waste audit is conducted using waste stream analysis, which is the gold standard to measure waste. Food waste was collected, segregated, and weighed at the source, which leaves no space for mistake in waste assessment. Results reveal that the size of the served portion does not positively impact the amount of overall food waste. The study is unique as it is the first to provide insight on the influence of relaxed environment on food waste.

Welding of copper and copper alloys through conventional welding processes not only exhibit various difficulties during the joining process but also causes the production of harmful gases, which affect human life. This work deals with the joining of copper-based materials using microwave radiation and brass as a filler material without any harmful gases. The resulted joints are characterized by using metallurgical microscopy. Mechanical characterizations are done through tensile testing, Brinell's hardness testing, corrosion testing, and specific strength testing. The results reveal that the successful joining of copper-based materials is possible by using brass based powder as filler material via microwave radiation. The resulted joints have uniform metallurgical structure and lower defects. It confirms better diffusion between materials at joints. Higher mechanical strength is resulted due to lower processing defects. The results show that the ultimate tensile strength and hardness obtained in this study are higher than the base material.

PurposeThe study aims to investigate the time for social media posts and reviews in order to determine the best timing to ensure maximum outreach and interactions from users. The study intends to analytically investigate a company's Facebook and Instagram pages to get meaningful insights for effective post management.Design/methodology/approach “Great Deal Tires” company’s Facebook and Instagram business pages were taken as the case study and patterns and analytical insights for different posts using Facebook and Instagram analytics were identified. The study categorically selected posts from Facebook pages and Instagram pages that were posted at different times and assessed on their impact.FindingsAccording to the study, Tuesday and Wednesday have higher engagement on the Great Deal Tires Facebook page, while Friday has higher engagement on Instagram. The study also provided valuable insights into post content and timing in order to increase the marketing impact of the posts.Originality/valueThe study provides an analytical framework for analyzing post and review timing on various company business pages, allowing marketers to initiate more user visits and interactions.