Conditions In Kuwait Research Articles

Fuzzy Logic Based Maximum Power Point Tracking Using Boost Converter for Solar Photovoltaic System in Kuwait

Currently, the production of the rapid increasing electrical energy in Kuwait depends mainly on oil and its derivatives, which result in environmental pollution. Moreover, the export of oil production represents a key income for Kuwait and any saving in its consumption represents an essential concern to land’s economy. Therefore, the power utility and economy of Kuwait will benefit from substituting fossil fuels by clean and renewable energy resources such as solar energy. For efficient utilization of solar energy, the PV panel should track the maximum power point (MPP) under various weather conditions in Kuwait. Most of existing MPP tracking techniques depend mainly on perturb & observe (P&O) or incremental conductance (IC) algorithm using conventional PID controllers. On the other side, fuzzy logic controller (FLC) provides an adaptive nature, fast response, good performance and ability to handle non-linear characteristics. In this paper, the proposed (FLC) substitutes PID controller in P&O and IC (MPPT) under different weather conditions in Kuwait. The obtained results of the proposed (FLC) are compared with conventional PID controller. The performance of the implemented PV panel is validated and the results indicated that FLC has successfully tracked the MPP with minimum voltage oscillations.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of an Atmospheric Water Harvester Using a Thermoelectric Cooler

An atmospheric water harvester with a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) can extract water vapour from air. This study tested a prototype atmospheric water harvester with a TEC and evaluated the condensation flow parameters affecting the amount of water produced using experimental and numerical methods. This experiment was performed under controlled conditions (a temperature of 313 K and relative humidity of 85%) in a climate chamber for 8 h and under actual weather conditions in Kuwait for 8 h. The humid air condensed when the cooling surface temperature was less than the dew point temperature, and the produced water was collected. The experimental findings indicated that the dew point temperature increased with increasing relative humidity and the cooling surface temperature increased with increasing atmospheric air temperature. The numerical analysis involved modelling and simulation (for 8 h, similar to the experiment) under the boundary conditions of inlet air temperature, relative humidity, cooling surface temperature, and inlet air velocity. The temperature decreased from the inlet to the outlet because of condensation. A comparison of the results showed that the calculated amount of produced water was close to the experimental value. The results of this study will help enhance the efficiency of producing clean and safe drinking water.

Economic Feasibility Study of a Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Integration Project in an Oil-Driven Economy: The Case of the State of Kuwait.

The rapid growth and urbanization rate, coupled with hot climate and scarce rainfall, makes it essential for a country like Kuwait to have several power and desalination plants with high-generating capacity. These plants are entirely reliant on burning fossil fuels as a source of thermal energy. These plants are also universally accepted to be the largest CO2 emitters; hence, they present a potential for carbon capture and storage (CCS). Having established the suitability of the existing conditions for post-combustion CCS, a techno-economic-based feasibility study, which took into consideration local power generation technologies and economic conditions, was performed. Relying on fifteen case study models and utilizing the concept of levelized cost of electricity (LCOE), the statistical average method (SAM) was used to assess CCS based on realistic and reliable economic indicators. Zour power station, offering the highest potential CO2 stream, was selected as a good candidate for the analysis at hand. Heavy fuel oil (HFO) was assumed to be the only fuel type used at this station with affixed price of USD 20/barrel. The analysis shows that the internal rate of return (IRR) was about 7%, which could be attributed to fuel prices in Kuwait and governmental support, i.e., waived construction tax and subsidized workforce salaries. Furthermore, the net present value (NPV) was also estimated as USD 47,928 million with a 13-year payback period (PBP). Moreover, 1–3% reductions in the annual operational cost were reflected in increasing the IRR and the NPV to 9–11% and USD 104,085–193,945 million, respectively, and decreasing the PBP to 12–11 years. On the contrary, increasing the annual operational cost by 1% made the project economically unfeasible, while an increase of 3% resulted in negative IRR (−1%), NVP (−USD 185,458 million) and increased PBP to 30 years. Similarly, increasing the HFO barrel price by USD 5 resulted in negative IRR (−10%) and NVP (−USD 590,409); hence, a CCS project was deemed economically unfeasible. While the study considered the conditions in Kuwait, it is expected that similar results could be obtained for other countries with an oil-driven economy. Considering that around 62% of the fossil fuel blend in Kuwait is consumed by electricity and water generation, it is inevitable to consider the possibility and practicality of having a carbon network with neighboring countries where other oil-driven economies, such as Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, can utilize a CCS-based mega infrastructure in Kuwait. The choice of Kuwait is also logical due to being a mid-point between both countries and can initiate a trading scheme in oil derivatives with both countries.

The social and physical environmental factors associated with the play of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions: A Q methodology study.

Living with a life threatening/limiting condition changes and challenges children's play. The environment is known to support participation in play, yet there is a lack of evidence highlighting its specific factors contributing to children's play. In this study, we investigated the perspectives of children living with life threatening/limiting conditions with regard to the environmental factors that are related to their engagement in play whilst receiving inpatient healthcare. Twenty-seven children took part in this study. Participants were aged between 5 and 11 years, diagnosed with life threatening/limiting conditions and were receiving care at either a children's hospital or hospice in either Kuwait or the United Kingdom. Children were asked to rank-order a Q set according to their perceived importance. The used Q set composed of social and physical environmental factors. The data were analysed using factor analysis and content analysis. Two shared viewpoints were identified, which represented children from both countries. For Factor 1, the children's need for social connectivity guided their answers regarding the environmental factors. For Factor 2, although children considered being surrounded by others important, their selections of the play conditions directed their play. For both factors, children had relatively little concern for outdoor and the type of play to engage in, with the exception of arts and crafts play activities, which were deemed important. Play settings are important to support rich, social play experiences and opportunities that match children's play preferences. Children living with life threatening/limiting conditions in Kuwait and the United Kingdom have relatively similar play needs.

Evaluation of Practical and Modern Composting Techniques in Kuwait

Kuwait imports more than 2 million sheep per year to feed its population. Moreover, Kuwait City produces 3.5 million kg of compostable municipal waste each day. Lastly, Desert Storm and Desert Shield has produced 120 oil lakes that need remediation. These three major environmental factors could be resolved by a simple solution, composting. This preliminary study focused on composting carcasses from the imported sheep and associated losses due to transportation. The unique climate conditions in Kuwait presented different challenges to composting. This study is the first step in addressing these environmental concerns. This research was divided into 2 sections: 1) classic cement slab composting of dead sheep with microbiology assessment, and 2) Tri-Form Poly Ecodrum® composting of sheep with microbiology assessment. The classic method using the cement slab was modified by eliminating the turning step used to keep the process aerobic. Instead, air was introduced directly into the piles of compost. This modification did not shorten the time needed for composting but reduced the manual labor needed for the turning of piles. The Ecodrum® accelerated the composting process by at least five-fold; the four months processing by the traditional cement slab method was reduced to only 20 to 25 days using the Ecodrum®. This is the first report that investigates and details the comparison between classical and modern composting techniques to show their equivalency. The color and texture of the Ecodrum® and the cement slab products were similar. This report details the bacterial and fungal tests for the different compost products..

Monthly Evaluation of Testicular Biometry and Sexual Behavior With Respect to Seminal Aspects of Arabian Stallions Under Subtropical Conditions in Kuwait

Monthly Evaluation of Testicular Biometry and Sexual Behavior With Respect to Seminal Aspects of Arabian Stallions Under Subtropical Conditions in Kuwait

Solar PV in Kuwait: The effect of ambient temperature and sandstorms on output variability and uncertainty

Kuwait has a high potential for utilizing meteorologically driven energy resources such as solar PV. However, understanding the extent to which the distinct climatic conditions in Kuwait, reflected in the ambient temperature and occurrence of sandstorms, affect the variability and uncertainty of solar PV output is crucial. This is because it allows power system planners to adopt appropriate measures to accommodate solar PV generation and thus minimize renewable energy curtailment and consequently opportunity costs. In this study, the performance of a 2000 MW solar PV plant operating under the weather conditions in Kuwait is simulated using a Monte Carlo approach. The results show, on average, the power generation is 13% lower in the summer compared with the spring when the temperature is milder and solar production peaks. However, the certainty of production is higher in the summer. Furthermore, the PV generation variability in the summer is of the same magnitude as the demand variability, whereas during winter months, it is approximately twice the demand variability on any given day of the year. Sandstorms with daily average PM10 concentration of less than 300 ppb lead to little to no reduction in daily total irradiation. However, day-long and severe sandstorms (PM10 2700 ppb or greater) reduce daily total irradiation by 57%. Generally, the largest reductions occur when high particulate matter concentrations coincide with peak hourly solar irradiance.

Estimation of radiostrontium, radiocesium and radiobarium transfer from arid soil to plant: A case study from Kuwait

A technical approach to design and carry out an experiment to determine the uptake of selected radionuclides in site-specific conditions in Kuwait was developed and successfully executed for developing a radioecological decision support system. The radionuclides from soil-to-plant transfer factors have been obtained for leafy and non-leafy vegetables, and root crops cultivated in Kuwait. Two types of vegetated soils were selected and spiked with high concentrations of three relatively short-lived selected radionuclides (85Sr, 134Cs, and 133Ba). The highest strontium and barium transfer factors were found in the order: leafy vegetables > root crops > non-leafy vegetables. The approximate range of radiocesium transfer factor was found to be low in all plant groups and was comparable to those reported elsewhere in different soil types of temperate and tropical environments. A strong negative correlation between the obtained transfer factors and the distribution coefficient of the radionuclide in soil was found. It is recommended to adopt the newly derived parameters for the sensitive areas in Kuwait and other Gulf countries instead of using the generic parameters, whenever dose calculation codes are used. This will help to more accurately assess and predict the end results of the committed effective dose equivalent through ingestion pathway.

Environmental and traffic assessment of adjusting Triple Highway Capacity Manual (HCM) factors at signalized intersections

Kuwait traffic networks has started to develop in the early 60’s. Since it is crucial to determine the parameters that present the local conditions in Kuwait, this study was developed to modify the passenger car equivalent (PCE) values at different signalized intersections in Kuwait and obtain the heavy-vehicle adjustment factor. The headway ratio method was utilized to determine the PCE values for different kinds of vehicles. 1. The PCE values were 1.14, 1.11, 1.26, 1.68 and 1.48 for sport utility vehicles (SUV), pickups, minibuses, trucks, and buses respectively. 2.The heavy vehicle adjustment factor was 0.891. Synchro simulation software was utilized to build different scenarios for improving an existing intersection and compare the network performance for each scenario. Two scenarios were chosen to be the best which are having five lanes with 2.4 m width for the first scenario and 2.7 m width for the second one. 3. Based on Synchro results, fuel consumption and pollutant emissions parameters were used to estimate the cost difference in the two best scenarios, and it was 10.71 and 13.23 Kuwaiti dinar (KD), respectively. Also, the percentage reduction of the emissions were 15.5% and 19.19%, respectively. The impact of adding an extra lane was noticed to be better compared with increasing the lane widths in a significant way. Additionally, it is a must to localize the parameters to represent the local conditions in Kuwait. The heavy-vehicle adjustment factor has an essential effect on the network performance which indicates that the PCE values should be determined accurately.

Efficacy of some biorational insecticides against Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) under laboratory and greenhouse conditions in Kuwait

AbstractThe tomato leafminer, Tuta absoluta, is one of the most destructive pests of tomato worldwide. Management of the pest is mainly based on chemical insecticides. Reliance on insecticides is difficult to sustain because of unintended long‐term adverse effects on the environment and human health. Consequently, there is a need to develop pest management strategies that ensure the production of high‐quality products, while at the same time ensuring environmental sustainability and maximum consumer protection. We evaluated the efficacy the biopesticides: Azadirachtin, Bacillus thuringiensis, Steinernema feltiae and Beauveria bassiana individually and in combination against T. absoluta under laboratory and greenhouse conditions. When second instar larvae were exposed to tomato leaf discs treated with Azadirachtin (3 g/L), B. thuringiensis (0.5 g/L) or B. bassiana (1.5 g/L), 70%–86%, 55%–65%, and 45.5%–58.5% mortality was observed, respectively. Steinernema feltiae (1,000 IJs/ml) was the least effective biopesticide, with 26%–42% mortality. In the greenhouse trials on tomato, pest infestation (mines/10 leaves/plant) and fruits damaged were significantly lower on plants treated with Azadirachtin + B. thuringiensis or Azadirachtin + B. bassiana compared to plants treated with Azadirachtin, B. thuringiensi, B. bassiana or S. feltiae alone. Azadirachtin + B. thuringiensis and Azadirachtin + B. bassiana resulted in 90% and 81% reduction in fruits damaged in the summer experiments, respectively, and 96% and 91% in winter. The most severe pest infestation was observed on plants treated with S. feltia. The results indicate that the biopesticides, except S. feltia, can contribute to T. absoluta control in greenhouse tomato crops. In particular, the combined use of Azadirachtin with B. thuringiensis or B. bassiana provided the highest level of control of the pest. The potential for including these biopesticides in an overall sustainable integrated pest management programme for T. absoluta is discussed.

“Screening the Food from the Flies”: Britain, Kuwait, and the Dilemma of Protection, 1961-1971

ABSTRACTThis study looks at how the widening gap between Britain’s available military resources and its remaining overseas commitments in the 1960s affected its ability and willingness to protect Kuwait after the latter elected for independence in June 1961. It provides a fresh account of how successive British governments addressed the dilemma of providing adequate cover for the Kuwaiti commitment. Over the course of the decade, Britain found it increasingly difficult to maintain the minimum forces considered necessary for forestalling an attack from Kuwait’s principal threat – Iraq. The challenge of providing protection became more difficult by political conditions in Kuwait, which prohibited the stationing of troops, and the evolving nature of the Iraqi threat. British decision-makers increasingly saw the Kuwaiti military as a way to make up for the shortfall in cover and eventually replacing British protection altogether. This move towards self-reliance, however, would prove a failed strategy for Kuwait over the long term.

Survey of cognitive rehabilitation practices in the state of Kuwait

Background Rehabilitation professionals must be astute at recognizing, assessing, and treating individuals with cognitive deficits. No research is available to examine cognitive rehabilitation practices applied to individuals with neurological conditions in Kuwait. Objectives: To identify the use of cognitive assessments, the availability of resources, and the barriers to cognitive rehabilitation practices in Kuwait. Methods Face-to-face interviews were conducted with health care professionals working with adult individuals with neurological conditions. These professionals included occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, psychiatrists, and neurologists. Results The most commonly used cognitive based assessments are MMSE (41%), and MoCA and LOTCA (15.2%). The only clinical assessment used is the Line-Bisection Test (2.2%). The most used occupation-based assessments are FIM (6.5%), COPM (4.3%), the Interest Checklist (2.2%), and the Barthel Index (2.2%). Resources related to cognitive rehabilitation in Kuwait that are unavailable to practitioners include journal clubs (91%), special interest groups (89%), and continuing education programmes (82.6%). Barriers to cognitive rehabilitation practice included lack of sufficient funds for continuing education, lack of time, lack of standardized assessments, and lack of inter-professional teamwork. Conclusion Many adults in Kuwait live with cognitive impairment. There is a need to develop appropriate evidence-based cognitive rehabilitation clinical guidelines in Kuwait.

Nutrition in Health and Disease: A Kuwaiti Societal Perspective Representing the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries

Kuwait is one of 6 nations known as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries that share many features in common - thus, conditions in Kuwait can be very similar to the rest of the countries in this region. While agriculture is limited in Kuwait and in most of these countries, their populations enjoy abundance of food. Nutrition-related diseases, such as: obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and anemia are prevalent in Kuwait. For example; overweight and obesity in children, adolescents and adults could be among the highest in the world. Steps towards prevention of such diseases would ensure public health and entail less cost for medical care and loss of productivity. The association between nutrition and health has long been established. Sound nutrition knowledge is the key to healthy dietary attitudes and practices, which leads to a healthy body and protects against several diseases. While the country has policies and programs to improve nutrition and food security, nutrition education efforts can be the first step towards improved knowledge by the public and could lead to better food choices and, consequently, balanced and healthy diet. Following recommended dietary guidelines along with emphasis on regular physical activity are keys to preservation of health and towards combating the development of nutrition- related diseases. Many entities in Kuwait should work cooperatively towards enhancing nutrition education and awareness among all segments of society. It is recommended that adequate resources be allocated for as many nutrition education programs as possible and for making sport and physical activity facilities abundantly available. Such measures would prove to be a successful investment strategy for the overall well-being of society. As the rest of GCC countries share many features with Kuwait, dietary and lifestyle recommendations for Kuwait can be applicable to all GCC countries.

An approach to estimate the optimal depth of burial of crude oil pipelines for different marine conditions in Kuwait

Crude oil export is the main business in Kuwait. To transfer the crude oil from land to the ships moored in deeper marine water, submarine pipelines are used. Kuwait is also planning to increase the export to 4.0 million barrel/day in the future and hence need more export terminals, which in turn need more submarine pipelines. One of the challenging problems here is selection of optimum burial depth of the submarine pipeline for the prevailing design condition and soil type. The optimum burial depth of submarine pipeline is the depth at which the pipeline will be stable during the design environmental conditions. It depends on the reduction of wave forces due to burial in the seafloor. Also, the wave forces on the pipeline at any depth of burial depend on the wave characters, hydraulic properties of the sea bed soil and all other marine environmental parameters. Physical modeling is used as tool for assessing the wave forces on the pipeline model for a wide range of wave conditions, for different burial depths and for four types of cohesion-less soil types from Kuwaiti coastal area, covering hydraulic conductivity in the range of 0.286 to 1.84 mm/s. It is found that for all the four soil types, the horizontal wave force reduces with increase in depth of burial, whereas the vertical force generally increases for half buried condition, mainly due to the significant change in the magnitude as well as the phase lag between the hydrodynamic water pressures on the top and bottom of the pipe. Among the soils, well graded soil is found to be good for half burial of pipeline, since the least vertical force is experienced for this soil type. On the other hand, uniformly graded and low hydraulic conductivity soil (like Al-Koot soil with hydraulic conductivity of 0.286 mm/s) attracts the maximum vertical force for half burial case. But, such soil type is found to be good for full burial or further increase of burial, since it is found to attract less vertical wave force, when compared to the soils with high hydraulic conductivity (1.84 mm/s from Shuaiba coast). From the detailed investigations and case study analysis, the minimum safe burial depth for a 1.0 m steel pipe is 1.5 m to 2.0 m for transporting crude oil in Kuwaiti marine environment. The results of this study can be used to select the minimum safe burial depth in a range of cohesionless soils and for a range of marine wave conditions.

Performance Analysis of Parabolic Trough Collector in Hot Climate

In most existing buildings cooling and heating loads lead to high primary energy consumption and, consequently, high CO2 emissions. These can be substantially decreased with suitable energy concepts using appropriate integrated renewable systems. In the present study a numerical model is developed to study the effect of different collector parameters and operating conditions on the performance of parabolic trough solar collector (PTSC) in Kuwait climate. The proposed model takes into consideration the thermal interaction between absorber-envelope, and envelopeenvelope for thermal radiation losses which have been neglected in existing models. A review of the equations for convective heat transfer losses was performed as well and new equations were developed and used in the present model. The effects of heat conduction in the collector tube wall and mixed convection in the inner tube, which have been neglected in previous studies, are included in the proposed model. In addition, a case study is carried out adapting parabolic trough collectors to satisfy nominal space heating load, water heating load and cooling load of a typical Kuwaiti dwelling. Finally, the environmental impact of solar heating and cooling systems under Kuwait climate conditions is investigated. Present results indicate that convection loss from the absorber tube to supporting structures is the largest among the other losses (conduction and radiation). Also, at noon time PTSC has the smallest angle of incidence and the highest efficiency and when the annulus between the receiver surface and the glass envelope is Original Research Article British Journal of Applied Science & Technology, 4(14): 2038-2058, 2014 2039 In vacuo, conduction and convection across the annulus are effectively eliminated. In addition, space heating load and domestic water heating load can be completely provided by PTSC. The minimum required collector area is about 82 m to supply cooling loads of a typical residential house under all climatic conditions in Kuwait. A CO2 emission reduction of about 12.3tonne/year can be achieved as a result of adapting parabolic trough solar collector to a typical Kuwaiti dwelling.

Chemical composition of the construction and demolition waste used as mulch and their effects on the soil in Kuwait conditions

Chemical composition of the construction and demolition waste used as mulch and their effects on the soil in Kuwait conditions

Corporate Governance and Institutional Ownership : Evidence from Kuwait's Financial Sector

In this article, we examine the relation between corporate governance and institutional ownership. The study sample contained 98.5% of Kuwait's financial sector corporations, which are listed in Kuwait Stock Exchange and which are 66 Corporations during 2010. The descritive results indicated that there is an average application, which was statically significant to the corporate governance conditions in Kuwait's financial sector. The empirical results indicate that the fraction of a company’s shares, held by institutional investors, decreases with the quality of its governance structure. These results are not consistent with the conjecture that institutional investors gravitate to stocks of companies with good governance structure.

Carbon Dioxide and Volatile Organic Compounds Levels in Mosque in Hot Arid Climate

The climatic conditions in Kuwait necessitate almost all buildings to be centrally air-conditioned with the latest HVAC system to provide the comfortable thermal environment for occupants. Mosques are used five times a day for a maximum time span of about half an hour or less for regular prayers. The study period was selected in the month of November when the ambient temperatures are moderate and cooling or heating is not required. The influence of natural draft through doors and other indoor/outdoor air exchange sites was examined for indoor air quality, degree of comfort, and different sorts of satisfaction during prayers. The indoor air quality is of major concern for mental, spiritual, and social satisfaction of the chaotic lifestyle of the present-day community. A weeklong study was conducted to measure temperature, humidity, carbon dioxide, and over 70 volatile organic compounds indoors and in the ambient air in the vicinity of the selected mosque.

Cultivation of Barley Under Harsh Environmental Conditions in Kuwait

The State of Kuwait is at the north-western corner of the Arabian Gulf. During the summer, the desert is extremely harsh with temperatures that can reach 44.7¡C, with dust storms, during a period where most annual plants become dormant. During the winter the air temperature is cool and pleasant and can drop to 8¡C [1]. Due to the harsh environment, Kuwait is facing many obstacles for barley production including aridity (water shortage, high temperature, high evaporation rate, low soil fertility), in addition to climate change. To overcome this situation Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has undergone various studies for the adaptation of barley under stressful conditions, and those studies that were performed in KISR showed that barley can be produced under harsh environment. This crop has showed positive adaptation strategies to a warmer and drier environment that is being noticed to occur during the past years. Three studies were performed that included a study that was done by taking 332 lines of barley and were tested under Kuwait's environment resulting in 10 promising lines, another study was done by taking 141 lines of barley and were tested under similar condition resulting in 5 promising lines, On another hand a study with the collaboration with The Arab Center for the Studies of Arid Zones and Dry Lands (ACSAD) was performed, by studying 40 promising lines of barley focusing on planting time and stressful conditions resulting with a breed that tolerates drought and adapt to climatic change which indicated that the planting time of barley with the combination of stressful conditions of barley greatly effected. the yield production. This paper focus on five promising lines from the previous studies under two different irrigation regimes.

Performance and water requirement of young olives (Olea europaea L.) in the harsh environment of Kuwait

In the harsh environmental conditions of Kuwait, plants are frequently exposed to high temperatures, low relative humidity and drought. Because water resources available for agriculture are limited, an efficient irrigation strategy is vital for sustainable olive production. In view of these facts, a study to determine the behavior and water requirement of young olive plants under Kuwait's environmental conditions was carried out. The investigation included five cultivars (cvs. Arbequina, Barnea, Coratina, Koroneiki and UC13A6) and three levels of irrigation (50, 75 and 100% of ETc) with brackish water (ECe 5.0 dS m−1). One-year-old grafted plants were used in this study. With the exception of UC13A6, the cultivars showed good adaptation to the harsh weather conditions in Kuwait and to brackish water irrigation during the first 18 months after the beginning of the irrigation treatments. Indeed, they showed good height and shoot growth, with cultivars Barnea, Arbequina and Coratina showing the highest values. Cultivar Barnea was the most vigorous variety under Kuwait's environmental conditions. Vegetative growth in these varieties was not significantly reduced in the 50% ETc treatment. This indicates huge opportunities to improve the water-use-efficiency through further investigations aimed at optimizing the amount of water supplied with irrigation.