A COMPUTATIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF MERCURY SPECIATION AS FACILITATED BY THE DEACON PROCESS

EPA Science Inventory

The paper gives results of a computational and experimental study of mercury (Hg) speciation as facilitated by the Deacon process. Fly ashes that contain trace cupric or ferric oxide are effective catalysts for elemental mercury (Hg) conversion to mercuric chloride in the presenc...

Experimental Errors in QSAR Modeling Sets: What We Can Do and What We Cannot Do.

PubMed

Zhao, Linlin; Wang, Wenyi; Sedykh, Alexander; Zhu, Hao

2017-06-30

Numerous chemical data sets have become available for quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling studies. However, the quality of different data sources may be different based on the nature of experimental protocols. Therefore, potential experimental errors in the modeling sets may lead to the development of poor QSAR models and further affect the predictions of new compounds. In this study, we explored the relationship between the ratio of questionable data in the modeling sets, which was obtained by simulating experimental errors, and the QSAR modeling performance. To this end, we used eight data sets (four continuous endpoints and four categorical endpoints) that have been extensively curated both in-house and by our collaborators to create over 1800 various QSAR models. Each data set was duplicated to create several new modeling sets with different ratios of simulated experimental errors (i.e., randomizing the activities of part of the compounds) in the modeling process. A fivefold cross-validation process was used to evaluate the modeling performance, which deteriorates when the ratio of experimental errors increases. All of the resulting models were also used to predict external sets of new compounds, which were excluded at the beginning of the modeling process. The modeling results showed that the compounds with relatively large prediction errors in cross-validation processes are likely to be those with simulated experimental errors. However, after removing a certain number of compounds with large prediction errors in the cross-validation process, the external predictions of new compounds did not show improvement. Our conclusion is that the QSAR predictions, especially consensus predictions, can identify compounds with potential experimental errors. But removing those compounds by the cross-validation procedure is not a reasonable means to improve model predictivity due to overfitting.

Experimental Errors in QSAR Modeling Sets: What We Can Do and What We Cannot Do

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Numerous chemical data sets have become available for quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) modeling studies. However, the quality of different data sources may be different based on the nature of experimental protocols. Therefore, potential experimental errors in the modeling sets may lead to the development of poor QSAR models and further affect the predictions of new compounds. In this study, we explored the relationship between the ratio of questionable data in the modeling sets, which was obtained by simulating experimental errors, and the QSAR modeling performance. To this end, we used eight data sets (four continuous endpoints and four categorical endpoints) that have been extensively curated both in-house and by our collaborators to create over 1800 various QSAR models. Each data set was duplicated to create several new modeling sets with different ratios of simulated experimental errors (i.e., randomizing the activities of part of the compounds) in the modeling process. A fivefold cross-validation process was used to evaluate the modeling performance, which deteriorates when the ratio of experimental errors increases. All of the resulting models were also used to predict external sets of new compounds, which were excluded at the beginning of the modeling process. The modeling results showed that the compounds with relatively large prediction errors in cross-validation processes are likely to be those with simulated experimental errors. However, after removing a certain number of compounds with large prediction errors in the cross-validation process, the external predictions of new compounds did not show improvement. Our conclusion is that the QSAR predictions, especially consensus predictions, can identify compounds with potential experimental errors. But removing those compounds by the cross-validation procedure is not a reasonable means to improve model predictivity due to overfitting. PMID:28691113

Advanced electric propulsion research, 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monheiser, Jeffery M.

1992-01-01

A simple model for the production of ions that impinge on and sputter erode the accelerator grid of an ion thruster is presented. Charge-exchange and electron-impact ion production processes are considered, but initial experimental results suggest the charge-exchange process dominates. Additional experimental results show the effects of changes in thruster operating conditions on the length of the region from which these ions are drawn upstream into the grid. Results which show erosion patterns and indicate molybdenum accelerator grids erode more rapidly than graphite ones are also presented.

Mechanism on brain information processing: Energy coding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Rubin; Zhang, Zhikang; Jiao, Xianfa

2006-09-01

According to the experimental result of signal transmission and neuronal energetic demands being tightly coupled to information coding in the cerebral cortex, the authors present a brand new scientific theory that offers a unique mechanism for brain information processing. They demonstrate that the neural coding produced by the activity of the brain is well described by the theory of energy coding. Due to the energy coding model's ability to reveal mechanisms of brain information processing based upon known biophysical properties, they cannot only reproduce various experimental results of neuroelectrophysiology but also quantitatively explain the recent experimental results from neuroscientists at Yale University by means of the principle of energy coding. Due to the theory of energy coding to bridge the gap between functional connections within a biological neural network and energetic consumption, they estimate that the theory has very important consequences for quantitative research of cognitive function.

Study of heat dissipation process from heat sink using lensless Fourier transform digital holographic interferometry.

PubMed

Kumar, Varun; Shakher, Chandra

2015-02-20

This paper presents the results of experimental investigations about the heat dissipation process of plate fin heat sink using digital holographic interferometry. Visual inspection of reconstructed phase difference maps of the air field around the heat sink with and without electric power in the load resistor provides qualitative information about the variation of temperature and the heat dissipation process. Quantitative information about the temperature distribution is obtained from the relationship between the digitally reconstructed phase difference map of ambient air and heated air. Experimental results are presented for different current and voltage in the load resistor to investigate the heat dissipation process. The effect of fin spacing on the heat dissipation performance of the heat sink is also investigated in the case of natural heat convection. From experimental data, heat transfer parameters, such as local heat flux and convective heat transfer coefficients, are also calculated.

Two-step infiltration of aluminum melts into Al-Ti-B4C-CuO powder mixture pellets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Jingjing; Lee, Jung-Moo; Cho, Young-Hee; Kim, Su-Hyeon; Yu, Huashun

2016-03-01

Aluminum matrix composites with a high volume fraction of B4C and TiB2 were fabricated by a novel processing technique - a quick spontaneous infiltration process. The process combines a pressureless infiltration with the combustion reaction of Al-Ti-B4C-CuO in molten aluminum. The process is realized in a simple and economical way in which the whole process is performed in air in a few minutes. To verify the rapidity of the process, the infiltration kinetics was calculated based on the Washburn equation in which melt flows into a porous skeleton. However, there was a noticeable deviation from the calculated results with the experimental results. Considering the cross-sections of the samples at different processing times, a new infiltration model (two step infiltration) consisting of macro-infiltration and micro-infiltration is suggested. The calculated kinetics results in light of the proposed model agree well with the experimental results.

Experimental Research on Selective Laser Melting AlSi10Mg Alloys: Process, Densification and Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Zhen; Wei, Zhengying; Wei, Pei; Chen, Shenggui; Lu, Bingheng; Du, Jun; Li, Junfeng; Zhang, Shuzhe

2017-12-01

In this work, a set of experiments was designed to investigate the effect of process parameters on the relative density of the AlSi10Mg parts manufactured by SLM. The influence of laser scan speed v, laser power P and hatch space H, which were considered as the dominant parameters, on the powder melting and densification behavior was also studied experimentally. In addition, the laser energy density was introduced to evaluate the combined effect of the above dominant parameters, so as to control the SLM process integrally. As a result, a high relative density (> 97%) was obtained by SLM at an optimized laser energy density of 3.5-5.5 J/mm2. Moreover, a parameter-densification map was established to visually select the optimum process parameters for the SLM-processed AlSi10Mg parts with elevated density and required mechanical properties. The results provide an important experimental guidance for obtaining AlSi10Mg components with full density and gradient functional porosity by SLM.

Quantum control and quantum tomography on neutral atom qudits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sosa Martinez, Hector

Neutral atom systems are an appealing platform for the development and testing of quantum control and measurement techniques. This dissertation presents experimental investigations of control and measurement tools using as a testbed the 16-dimensional hyperfine manifold associated with the electronic ground state of cesium atoms. On the control side, we present an experimental realization of a protocol to implement robust unitary transformations in the presence of static and dynamic perturbations. We also present an experimental realization of inhomogeneous quantum control. Specifically, we demonstrate our ability to perform two different unitary transformations on atoms that see different light shifts from an optical addressing field. On the measurement side, we present experimental realizations of quantum state and process tomography. The state tomography project encompasses a comprehensive evaluation of several measurement strategies and state estimation algorithms. Our experimental results show that in the presence of experimental imperfections, there is a clear tradeoff between accuracy, efficiency and robustness in the reconstruction. The process tomography project involves an experimental demonstration of efficient reconstruction by using a set of intelligent probe states. Experimental results show that we are able to reconstruct unitary maps in Hilbert spaces with dimension ranging from d=4 to d=16. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a unitary process in d=16 is successfully reconstructed in the laboratory.

Experimental Methods for Investigation of Shape Memory Based Elastocaloric Cooling Processes and Model Validation

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Marvin; Ullrich, Johannes; Wieczorek, André; Frenzel, Jan; Eggeler, Gunther; Schütze, Andreas; Seelecke, Stefan

2016-01-01

Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) using elastocaloric cooling processes have the potential to be an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional vapor compression based cooling process. Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) based alloy systems, especially, show large elastocaloric effects. Furthermore, exhibit large latent heats which is a necessary material property for the development of an efficient solid-state based cooling process. A scientific test rig has been designed to investigate these processes and the elastocaloric effects in SMAs. The realized test rig enables independent control of an SMA's mechanical loading and unloading cycles, as well as conductive heat transfer between SMA cooling elements and a heat source/sink. The test rig is equipped with a comprehensive monitoring system capable of synchronized measurements of mechanical and thermal parameters. In addition to determining the process-dependent mechanical work, the system also enables measurement of thermal caloric aspects of the elastocaloric cooling effect through use of a high-performance infrared camera. This combination is of particular interest, because it allows illustrations of localization and rate effects — both important for efficient heat transfer from the medium to be cooled. The work presented describes an experimental method to identify elastocaloric material properties in different materials and sample geometries. Furthermore, the test rig is used to investigate different cooling process variations. The introduced analysis methods enable a differentiated consideration of material, process and related boundary condition influences on the process efficiency. The comparison of the experimental data with the simulation results (of a thermomechanically coupled finite element model) allows for better understanding of the underlying physics of the elastocaloric effect. In addition, the experimental results, as well as the findings based on the simulation results, are used to improve the material properties. PMID:27168093

Experimental Methods for Investigation of Shape Memory Based Elastocaloric Cooling Processes and Model Validation.

PubMed

Schmidt, Marvin; Ullrich, Johannes; Wieczorek, André; Frenzel, Jan; Eggeler, Gunther; Schütze, Andreas; Seelecke, Stefan

2016-05-02

Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) using elastocaloric cooling processes have the potential to be an environmentally friendly alternative to the conventional vapor compression based cooling process. Nickel-Titanium (Ni-Ti) based alloy systems, especially, show large elastocaloric effects. Furthermore, exhibit large latent heats which is a necessary material property for the development of an efficient solid-state based cooling process. A scientific test rig has been designed to investigate these processes and the elastocaloric effects in SMAs. The realized test rig enables independent control of an SMA's mechanical loading and unloading cycles, as well as conductive heat transfer between SMA cooling elements and a heat source/sink. The test rig is equipped with a comprehensive monitoring system capable of synchronized measurements of mechanical and thermal parameters. In addition to determining the process-dependent mechanical work, the system also enables measurement of thermal caloric aspects of the elastocaloric cooling effect through use of a high-performance infrared camera. This combination is of particular interest, because it allows illustrations of localization and rate effects - both important for efficient heat transfer from the medium to be cooled. The work presented describes an experimental method to identify elastocaloric material properties in different materials and sample geometries. Furthermore, the test rig is used to investigate different cooling process variations. The introduced analysis methods enable a differentiated consideration of material, process and related boundary condition influences on the process efficiency. The comparison of the experimental data with the simulation results (of a thermomechanically coupled finite element model) allows for better understanding of the underlying physics of the elastocaloric effect. In addition, the experimental results, as well as the findings based on the simulation results, are used to improve the material properties.

Thermomechanical simulations and experimental validation for high speed incremental forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ambrogio, Giuseppina; Gagliardi, Francesco; Filice, Luigino; Romero, Natalia

2016-10-01

Incremental sheet forming (ISF) consists in deforming only a small region of the workspace through a punch driven by a NC machine. The drawback of this process is its slowness. In this study, a high speed variant has been investigated from both numerical and experimental points of view. The aim has been the design of a FEM model able to perform the material behavior during the high speed process by defining a thermomechanical model. An experimental campaign has been performed by a CNC lathe with high speed to test process feasibility. The first results have shown how the material presents the same performance than in conventional speed ISF and, in some cases, better material behavior due to the temperature increment. An accurate numerical simulation has been performed to investigate the material behavior during the high speed process confirming substantially experimental evidence.

Remote Internet access to advanced analytical facilities: a new approach with Web-based services.

PubMed

Sherry, N; Qin, J; Fuller, M Suominen; Xie, Y; Mola, O; Bauer, M; McIntyre, N S; Maxwell, D; Liu, D; Matias, E; Armstrong, C

2012-09-04

Over the past decade, the increasing availability of the World Wide Web has held out the possibility that the efficiency of scientific measurements could be enhanced in cases where experiments were being conducted at distant facilities. Examples of early successes have included X-ray diffraction (XRD) experimental measurements of protein crystal structures at synchrotrons and access to scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and NMR facilities by users from institutions that do not possess such advanced capabilities. Experimental control, visual contact, and receipt of results has used some form of X forwarding and/or VNC (virtual network computing) software that transfers the screen image of a server at the experimental site to that of the users' home site. A more recent development is a web services platform called Science Studio that provides teams of scientists with secure links to experiments at one or more advanced research facilities. The software provides a widely distributed team with a set of controls and screens to operate, observe, and record essential parts of the experiment. As well, Science Studio provides high speed network access to computing resources to process the large data sets that are often involved in complex experiments. The simple web browser and the rapid transfer of experimental data to a processing site allow efficient use of the facility and assist decision making during the acquisition of the experimental results. The software provides users with a comprehensive overview and record of all parts of the experimental process. A prototype network is described involving X-ray beamlines at two different synchrotrons and an SEM facility. An online parallel processing facility has been developed that analyzes the data in near-real time using stream processing. Science Studio and can be expanded to include many other analytical applications, providing teams of users with rapid access to processed results along with the means for detailed discussion of their significance.

Numerical and experimental study of electron-beam coatings with modifying particles FeB and FeTi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kryukova, Olga; Kolesnikova, Kseniya; Gal'chenko, Nina

2016-07-01

An experimental study of wear-resistant composite coatings based on titanium borides synthesized in the process of electron-beam welding of components thermo-reacting powders are composed of boron-containing mixture. A model of the process of electron beam coating with modifying particles of boron and titanium based on physical-chemical transformations is supposed. The dissolution process is described on the basis of formal kinetic approach. The result of numerical solution is the phase and chemical composition of the coating under nonequilibrium conditions, which is one of the important characteristics of the coating forming during electron beam processing. Qualitative agreement numerical calculations with experimental data was shown.

A processing centre for the CNES CE-GPS experimentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suard, Norbert; Durand, Jean-Claude

1994-01-01

CNES is involved in a GPS (Global Positioning System) geostationary overlay experimentation. The purpose of this experimentation is to test various new techniques in order to select the optimal station synchronization method, as well as the geostationary spacecraft orbitography method. These new techniques are needed to develop the Ranging GPS Integrity Channel services. The CNES experimentation includes three transmitting/receiving ground stations (manufactured by IN-SNEC), one INMARSAT 2 C/L band transponder and a processing center named STE (Station de Traitements de l'Experimentation). Not all the techniques to be tested are implemented, but the experimental system has to include several functions; part of the future system simulation functions, such as a servo-loop function, and in particular a data collection function providing for rapid monitoring of system operation, analysis of existing ground station processes, and several weeks of data coverage for other scientific studies. This paper discusses system architecture and some criteria used in its design, as well as the monitoring function, the approach used to develop a low-cost and short-life processing center in collaboration with a CNES sub-contractor (ATTDATAID), and some results.

Experimental validation of a numerical model predicting the charging characteristics of Teflon and Kapton under electron beam irradiation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hazelton, R. C.; Yadlowsky, E. J.; Churchill, R. J.; Parker, L. W.; Sellers, B.

1981-01-01

The effect differential charging of spacecraft thermal control surfaces is assessed by studying the dynamics of the charging process. A program to experimentally validate a computer model of the charging process was established. Time resolved measurements of the surface potential were obtained for samples of Kapton and Teflon irradiated with a monoenergetic electron beam. Results indicate that the computer model and experimental measurements agree well and that for Teflon, secondary emission is the governing factor. Experimental data indicate that bulk conductivities play a significant role in the charging of Kapton.

Computational Biochemistry-Enzyme Mechanisms Explored.

PubMed

Culka, Martin; Gisdon, Florian J; Ullmann, G Matthias

2017-01-01

Understanding enzyme mechanisms is a major task to achieve in order to comprehend how living cells work. Recent advances in biomolecular research provide huge amount of data on enzyme kinetics and structure. The analysis of diverse experimental results and their combination into an overall picture is, however, often challenging. Microscopic details of the enzymatic processes are often anticipated based on several hints from macroscopic experimental data. Computational biochemistry aims at creation of a computational model of an enzyme in order to explain microscopic details of the catalytic process and reproduce or predict macroscopic experimental findings. Results of such computations are in part complementary to experimental data and provide an explanation of a biochemical process at the microscopic level. In order to evaluate the mechanism of an enzyme, a structural model is constructed which can be analyzed by several theoretical approaches. Several simulation methods can and should be combined to get a reliable picture of the process of interest. Furthermore, abstract models of biological systems can be constructed combining computational and experimental data. In this review, we discuss structural computational models of enzymatic systems. We first discuss various models to simulate enzyme catalysis. Furthermore, we review various approaches how to characterize the enzyme mechanism both qualitatively and quantitatively using different modeling approaches. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Study of Cavitation-Ignition Bubble Combustion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nguyen, Quang-Viet; Jacqmin, David A.

2005-01-01

We present the results of an experimental and computational study of the physics and chemistry of cavitation-ignition bubble combustion (CIBC), a process that occurs when combustible gaseous mixtures are ignited by the high temperatures found inside a rapidly collapsing bubble. The CIBC process was modeled using a time-dependent compressible fluid-dynamics code that includes finite-rate chemistry. The model predicts that gas-phase reactions within the bubble produce CO and other gaseous by-products of combustion. In addition, heat and mechanical energy release through a bubble volume-expansion phase are also predicted by the model. We experimentally demonstrate the CIBC process using an ultrasonically excited cavitation flow reactor with various hydrocarbon-air mixtures in liquid water. Low concentrations (< 160 ppm) of carbon monoxide (CO) emissions from the ultrasonic reactor were measured, and found to be proportional to the acoustic excitation power. The results of the model were consistent with the measured experimental results. Based on the experimental findings, the computational model, and previous reports of the "micro-diesel effect" in industrial hydraulic systems, we conclude that CIBC is indeed possible and exists in ultrasonically- and hydrodynamically-induced cavitation. Finally, estimates of the utility of CIBC process as a means of powering an idealized heat engine are also presented.

Processing biobased polymers using plasticizers: Numerical simulations versus experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desplentere, Frederik; Cardon, Ludwig; Six, Wim; Erkoç, Mustafa

2016-03-01

In polymer processing, the use of biobased products shows lots of possibilities. Considering biobased materials, biodegradability is in most cases the most important issue. Next to this, bio based materials aimed at durable applications, are gaining interest. Within this research, the influence of plasticizers on the processing of the bio based material is investigated. This work is done for an extrusion grade of PLA, Natureworks PLA 2003D. Extrusion through a slit die equipped with pressure sensors is used to compare the experimental pressure values to numerical simulation results. Additional experimental data (temperature and pressure data along the extrusion screw and die are recorded) is generated on a dr. Collin Lab extruder producing a 25mm diameter tube. All these experimental data is used to indicate the appropriate functioning of the numerical simulation tool Virtual Extrusion Laboratory 6.7 for the simulation of both the industrial available extrusion grade PLA and the compound in which 15% of plasticizer is added. Adding the applied plasticizer, resulted in a 40% lower pressure drop over the extrusion die. The combination of different experiments allowed to fit the numerical simulation results closely to the experimental values. Based on this experience, it is shown that numerical simulations also can be used for modified bio based materials if appropriate material and process data are taken into account.

Experimental Analysis of Critical Current and Alternating Current Losses of High-Temperature Superconductor Tape with Resin and Gallium-Indium-Tin

PubMed Central

Sun, Yajie; Zhang, Huiming; Meng, Yuanzhu

2018-01-01

This paper experimentally analyzes the critical current degradation and AC (alternating current) losses of second-generation (2G) high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape during the impregnation process. Two impregnation materials were utilized: Gallium-Indium-Tin (GaInSn), and an epoxy resin, Araldite. The critical current of the impregnation materials was measured after different thermal cycles and compared with the tape with no impregnation process. The experimental results show that the critical current of Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) short samples varies between differently impregnated materials. The resin, Araldite, degraded the critical current; however, the GaInSn showed no degradation. Two degradation patterns with Araldite were identified due to the impregnation process, and the corresponding causes were analyzed. We further measured the AC losses of tapes impregnated with liquid metal at different frequencies, up to 600 Hz. Based on the experimental results, GaInSn liquid metal should be the most suitable impregnation material in terms of critical current degradation. PMID:29642490

Experimental Analysis of Critical Current and Alternating Current Losses of High-Temperature Superconductor Tape with Resin and Gallium-Indium-Tin.

PubMed

Yu, Dongmin; Sun, Yajie; Zhang, Huiming; Meng, Yuanzhu; Liu, Huanan

2018-04-08

This paper experimentally analyzes the critical current degradation and AC (alternating current) losses of second-generation (2G) high-temperature superconductor (HTS) tape during the impregnation process. Two impregnation materials were utilized: Gallium-Indium-Tin (GaInSn), and an epoxy resin, Araldite. The critical current of the impregnation materials was measured after different thermal cycles and compared with the tape with no impregnation process. The experimental results show that the critical current of Yttrium Barium Copper Oxide (YBCO) short samples varies between differently impregnated materials. The resin, Araldite, degraded the critical current; however, the GaInSn showed no degradation. Two degradation patterns with Araldite were identified due to the impregnation process, and the corresponding causes were analyzed. We further measured the AC losses of tapes impregnated with liquid metal at different frequencies, up to 600 Hz. Based on the experimental results, GaInSn liquid metal should be the most suitable impregnation material in terms of critical current degradation.

Total focusing method with correlation processing of antenna array signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozhemyak, O. A.; Bortalevich, S. I.; Loginov, E. L.; Shinyakov, Y. A.; Sukhorukov, M. P.

2018-03-01

The article proposes a method of preliminary correlation processing of a complete set of antenna array signals used in the image reconstruction algorithm. The results of experimental studies of 3D reconstruction of various reflectors using and without correlation processing are presented in the article. Software ‘IDealSystem3D’ by IDeal-Technologies was used for experiments. Copper wires of different diameters located in a water bath were used as a reflector. The use of correlation processing makes it possible to obtain more accurate reconstruction of the image of the reflectors and to increase the signal-to-noise ratio. The experimental results were processed using an original program. This program allows varying the parameters of the antenna array and sampling frequency.

Validation of the FEA of a deep drawing process with additional force transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behrens, B.-A.; Bouguecha, A.; Bonk, C.; Grbic, N.; Vucetic, M.

2017-10-01

In order to meet requirements by automotive industry like decreasing the CO2 emissions, which reflects in reducing vehicles mass in the car body, the chassis and the powertrain, the continuous innovation and further development of existing production processes are required. In sheet metal forming processes the process limits and components characteristics are defined through the process specific loads. While exceeding the load limits, a failure in the material occurs, which can be avoided by additional force transmission activated in the deep drawing process before the process limit is achieved. This contribution deals with experimental investigations of a forming process with additional force transmission regarding the extension of the process limits. Based on FEA a tool system is designed and developed by IFUM. For this purpose, the steel material HCT600 is analyzed numerically. Within the experimental investigations, the deep drawing processes, with and without the additional force transmission are carried out. Here, a comparison of the produced rectangle cups is done. Subsequently, the identical deep drawing processes are investigated numerically. Thereby, the values of the punch reaction force and displacement are estimated and compared with experimental results. Thus, the validation of material model is successfully carried out on process scale. For further quantitative verification of the FEA results the experimental determined geometry of the rectangular cup is measured optically with ATOS system of the company GOM mbH and digitally compared with external software Geomagic®QualifyTM. The goal of this paper is the verification of the transferability of the FEA model for a conventional deep drawing process to a deep drawing process with additional force transmission with a counter punch.

Aggregate and Individual Replication Probability within an Explicit Model of the Research Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jeff; Schwarz, Wolf

2011-01-01

We study a model of the research process in which the true effect size, the replication jitter due to changes in experimental procedure, and the statistical error of effect size measurement are all normally distributed random variables. Within this model, we analyze the probability of successfully replicating an initial experimental result by…

Experimental investigations of interaction of an air-droplet-crystal flow with a solid body in the problem of a flyer icing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kashevarov, Alexey V.; Miller, Alexey B.; Potapov, Yuriy F.; Stasenko, Albert L.; Zhbanov, Vladimir A.

2018-05-01

An experimental facility for modeling of icing processes in various conditions (supercooled droplets, ice crystals and mixed-phase) is described and experimental results are presented. Some methods of icing processes characterization with non-dimensional coefficients are suggested. Theoretical model of a liquid film dynamics, mass and heat transfer during its movement on the model surface is presented. The numerical calculations of liquid film freezing and run-back ice evolution on the surface are performed.

Reforming of natural gas—hydrogen generation for small scale stationary fuel cell systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heinzel, A.; Vogel, B.; Hübner, P.

The reforming of natural gas to produce hydrogen for fuel cells is described, including the basic concepts (steam reforming or autothermal reforming) and the mechanisms of the chemical reactions. Experimental work has been done with a compact steam reformer, and a prototype of an experimental reactor for autothermal reforming was tested, both containing a Pt-catalyst on metallic substrate. Experimental results on the steam reforming system and a comparison of the steam reforming process with the autothermal process are given.

The Heat and Mass Transfer Processes at the Cooling of Strong Heated Sphere in a Cold Liquid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Puzina, Yu Yu

2017-10-01

Some new experimental results of continuum mechanics problems in two-phase systems are described. The processes of heat and mass transfer during cooling of strong heated sphere in the subcooled liquid are studied. Due to high level of heater temperature the stable vapor film is formed on the sphere surface. Calculation of steady-state transport processes at vapor - water interface is carried out using methods of molecular-kinetic theory. Heat transfer in vapor by thermal conductivity and natural convection in liquid are considered. Pressure balance is provided by hydrostatic pressure and non-equilibrium boundary condition. The results of the calculations are analyzed by comparison with previous data and experimental results.

Part weight verification between simulation and experiment of plastic part in injection moulding process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amran, M. A. M.; Idayu, N.; Faizal, K. M.; Sanusi, M.; Izamshah, R.; Shahir, M.

2016-11-01

In this study, the main objective is to determine the percentage difference of part weight between experimental and simulation work. The effect of process parameters on weight of plastic part is also investigated. The process parameters involved were mould temperature, melt temperature, injection time and cooling time. Autodesk Simulation Moldflow software was used to run the simulation of the plastic part. Taguchi method was selected as Design of Experiment to conduct the experiment. Then, the simulation result was validated with the experimental result. It was found that the minimum and maximum percentage of differential of part weight between simulation and experimental work are 0.35 % and 1.43 % respectively. In addition, the most significant parameter that affected part weight is the mould temperature, followed by melt temperature, injection time and cooling time.

Behaviors of printed circuit boards due to microwave supported curing process of coating materials.

PubMed

Bremerkamp, Felix; Nowottnick, Mathias; Seehase, Dirk; Bui, Trinh Dung

2012-01-01

The Application of a microwave supported curing process for coatings in the field of electronic industry poses a challenge. Here the implementation of this technology is represented. Within the scope of the investigation special PCB Test Layouts were designed and the polymer curing process examined by the method of dielectric analysis. Furthermore the coupling of microwave radiation with conductive PCB structures was analyzed experimentally by means of special test boards. The formation of standing waves and regular heating distribution along the conductive wires on the PCB could be observed. The experimental results were compared with numerical simulation. In this context the numerical analysis of microwave PCB interaction led to important findings concerning wave propagation on wired PCB. The final valuation demonstrated a substantial similarity between numerical simulations and experimental results.

Rethinking a Negative Event: The Affective Impact of Ruminative versus Imagery-Based Processing of Aversive Autobiographical Memories.

PubMed

Slofstra, Christien; Eisma, Maarten C; Holmes, Emily A; Bockting, Claudi L H; Nauta, Maaike H

2017-01-01

Ruminative (abstract verbal) processing during recall of aversive autobiographical memories may serve to dampen their short-term affective impact. Experimental studies indeed demonstrate that verbal processing of non-autobiographical material and positive autobiographical memories evokes weaker affective responses than imagery-based processing. In the current study, we hypothesized that abstract verbal or concrete verbal processing of an aversive autobiographical memory would result in weaker affective responses than imagery-based processing. The affective impact of abstract verbal versus concrete verbal versus imagery-based processing during recall of an aversive autobiographical memory was investigated in a non-clinical sample ( n  = 99) using both an observational and an experimental design. Observationally, it was examined whether spontaneous use of processing modes (both state and trait measures) was associated with impact of aversive autobiographical memory recall on negative and positive affect. Experimentally, the causal relation between processing modes and affective impact was investigated by manipulating the processing mode during retrieval of the same aversive autobiographical memory. Main findings were that higher levels of trait (but not state) measures of both ruminative and imagery-based processing and depressive symptomatology were positively correlated with higher levels of negative affective impact in the observational part of the study. In the experimental part, no main effect of processing modes on affective impact of autobiographical memories was found. However, a significant moderating effect of depressive symptomatology was found. Only for individuals with low levels of depressive symptomatology, concrete verbal (but not abstract verbal) processing of the aversive autobiographical memory did result in weaker affective responses, compared to imagery-based processing. These results cast doubt on the hypothesis that ruminative processing of aversive autobiographical memories serves to avoid the negative emotions evoked by such memories. Furthermore, findings suggest that depressive symptomatology is associated with the spontaneous use and the affective impact of processing modes during recall of aversive autobiographical memories. Clinical studies are needed that examine the role of processing modes during aversive autobiographical memory recall in depression, including the potential effectiveness of targeting processing modes in therapy.

Modelling of Batch Lactic Acid Fermentation in
the Presence of Anionic Clay

PubMed Central

Jinescu, Cosmin; Aruş, Vasilica Alisa; Nistor, Ileana Denisa

2014-01-01

Summary Batch fermentation of milk inoculated with lactic acid bacteria was conducted in the presence of hydrotalcite-type anionic clay under static and ultrasonic conditions. An experimental study of the effect of fermentation temperature (t=38–43 °C), clay/milk ratio (R=1–7.5 g/L) and ultrasonic field (ν=0 and 35 kHz) on process dynamics was performed. A mathematical model was selected to describe the fermentation process kinetics and its parameters were estimated based on experimental data. A good agreement between the experimental and simulated results was achieved. Consequently, the model can be employed to predict the dynamics of batch lactic acid fermentation with values of process variables in the studied ranges. A statistical analysis of the data based on a 23 factorial experiment was performed in order to express experimental and model-regressed process responses depending on t, R and ν factors. PMID:27904318

Plasma-chemical processes accompanying discharge in air excited by a microwave beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Askar'ian, G. A.; Batanov, G. M.; Gritsinin, S. I.; Kossyi, I. A.; Kostinskii, A. Iu.

1990-11-01

Experimental results are presented on plasma-chemical processes of nitrogen oxidation and ozone production accompanying microwave discharge in dry air and in nitrogen-oxygen mixtures. The degree of nitrogen oxidation and the energy expenditure toward the formation of oxides as a function of discharge conditions are established. The experimental results can be explained by assuming oxidation reactions of electron-excited metastable nitrogen molecules by oxygen atoms. Low ozone concentrations in the discharge indicate a significant energy input into the gas.

Experimental measurement of ablation effects in plasma armature railguns

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parker, J.V.; Parsons, W.M.

1986-01-01

Experimental evidence supporting the importance of ablation in plasma armature railguns is presented. Experiments conducted using the HYVAX and MIDI-2 railguns are described. Several indirect effects of ablation are identified from the experimental results. An improved ablation model of plasma armature dynamics is proposed which incorporates the restrike process.

Experimental measurement of ablation effects in plasma armature railguns

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Parker, J.V.; Parsons, W.M.

1986-11-01

Experimental evidence supporting the importance of ablation in plasma armature railguns is presented. Experiments conducted using the HYVAX and MIDI-2 railguns are described. Several indirect effects of ablation are identified from the experimental results. An improved ablation model of plasma armature dynamics is proposed which incorporates the restrike process.

Study into penetration speed during laser cutting of brain tissues.

PubMed

Yilbas, Z; Sami, M; Patiroglu, T

1998-01-01

The applications of CO2 continuous-wave lasers in neurosurgery have become important in recent years. Theoretical considerations of laser applicability in medicine are subsequently confirmed experimentally. To obtain precision operation in the laser cutting process, further theoretical developments and experimental studies need to be conducted. Consequently, in the present study, the heat transfer mechanism taking place during laser-tissue interaction is introduced using Fourier theory. The results obtained from the theoretical model are compared with the experimental results. In connection with this, an experiment is designed to measure the penetration speed during the laser cutting process. The measurement is carried out using an optical method. It is found that both results for the penetration speed obtained from the theory and experiment are in a good agreement.

Numerical and experimental modelling of the centrifugal compressor stage - setting the model of impellers with 2D blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matas, Richard; Syka, Tomáš; Luňáček, Ondřej

The article deals with a description of results from research and development of a radial compressor stage. The experimental compressor and used numerical models are briefly described. In the first part, the comparisons of characteristics obtained experimentally and by numerical simulations for stage with vaneless diffuser are described. In the second part, the results for stage with vanned diffuser are presented. The results are relevant for next studies in research and development process.

Predictive modeling capabilities from incident powder and laser to mechanical properties for laser directed energy deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Yung C.; Bailey, Neil; Katinas, Christopher; Tan, Wenda

2018-05-01

This paper presents an overview of vertically integrated comprehensive predictive modeling capabilities for directed energy deposition processes, which have been developed at Purdue University. The overall predictive models consist of vertically integrated several modules, including powder flow model, molten pool model, microstructure prediction model and residual stress model, which can be used for predicting mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts by directed energy deposition processes with blown powder as well as other additive manufacturing processes. Critical governing equations of each model and how various modules are connected are illustrated. Various illustrative results along with corresponding experimental validation results are presented to illustrate the capabilities and fidelity of the models. The good correlations with experimental results prove the integrated models can be used to design the metal additive manufacturing processes and predict the resultant microstructure and mechanical properties.

Predictive modeling capabilities from incident powder and laser to mechanical properties for laser directed energy deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Yung C.; Bailey, Neil; Katinas, Christopher; Tan, Wenda

2018-01-01

This paper presents an overview of vertically integrated comprehensive predictive modeling capabilities for directed energy deposition processes, which have been developed at Purdue University. The overall predictive models consist of vertically integrated several modules, including powder flow model, molten pool model, microstructure prediction model and residual stress model, which can be used for predicting mechanical properties of additively manufactured parts by directed energy deposition processes with blown powder as well as other additive manufacturing processes. Critical governing equations of each model and how various modules are connected are illustrated. Various illustrative results along with corresponding experimental validation results are presented to illustrate the capabilities and fidelity of the models. The good correlations with experimental results prove the integrated models can be used to design the metal additive manufacturing processes and predict the resultant microstructure and mechanical properties.

Mathematical modelling of tissue formation in chondrocyte filter cultures.

PubMed

Catt, C J; Schuurman, W; Sengers, B G; van Weeren, P R; Dhert, W J A; Please, C P; Malda, J

2011-12-17

In the field of cartilage tissue engineering, filter cultures are a frequently used three-dimensional differentiation model. However, understanding of the governing processes of in vitro growth and development of tissue in these models is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to further characterise these processes by means of an approach combining both experimental and applied mathematical methods. A mathematical model was constructed, consisting of partial differential equations predicting the distribution of cells and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), as well as the overall thickness of the tissue. Experimental data was collected to allow comparison with the predictions of the simulation and refinement of the initial models. Healthy mature equine chondrocytes were expanded and subsequently seeded on collagen-coated filters and cultured for up to 7 weeks. Resulting samples were characterised biochemically, as well as histologically. The simulations showed a good representation of the experimentally obtained cell and matrix distribution within the cultures. The mathematical results indicate that the experimental GAG and cell distribution is critically dependent on the rate at which the cell differentiation process takes place, which has important implications for interpreting experimental results. This study demonstrates that large regions of the tissue are inactive in terms of proliferation and growth of the layer. In particular, this would imply that higher seeding densities will not significantly affect the growth rate. A simple mathematical model was developed to predict the observed experimental data and enable interpretation of the principal underlying mechanisms controlling growth-related changes in tissue composition.

Laser Brazing with Beam Scanning: Experimental and Simulative Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heitmanek, M.; Dobler, M.; Graudenz, M.; Perret, W.; Göbel, G.; Schmidt, M.; Beyer, E.

Laser beam brazing with copper based filler wire is a widely established technology for joining zinc-coated steel plates in the body-shop. Successful applications are the divided tailgate or the zero-gap joint, which represents the joint between the side panel and the roof-top of the body-in-white. These joints are in direct view to the customer, and therefore have to fulfil highest optical quality requirements. For this reason a stable and efficient laser brazing process is essential. In this paper the current results on quality improvement due to one dimensional laser beam deflections in feed direction are presented. Additionally to the experimental results a transient three-dimensional simulation model for the laser beam brazing process is taken into account. With this model the influence of scanning parameters on filler wire temperature and melt pool characteristics is analyzed. The theoretical predictions are in good accordance with the experimental results. They show that the beam scanning approach is a very promising method to increase process stability and seam quality.

Effects of process variation in short cycle stretch forming in beverage can production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schneider, Matthias; Liewald, Mathias

2016-10-01

Short Cycle Stretch Forming (SCS) is an innovative stretch forming technology developed at the Institute for Metal Forming Technology (IFU) at the University of Stuttgart. The SCS technology combines plane pre-stretching and deep drawing operations within the same stroke of press ram. Material is yielding from the inner to the outer part of the sheet. The sheet thickness is reduced and denting resistance and yield stress are increased due to hardening effects. SCS-Technology is enhanced due to rotational-symmetrical bodies by applying this technology to a cupping process in tinplate can production. A process simulation for SCS-Cupping processes was conducted. Based on these results a tool was manufactured and commissioned. Experimental results showed that material yields from the middle of the blank to the outer area of the cup wall. Due to the volume of material, the initial diameter can be reduced and material costs can be saved. In this paper different process settings and their effect on the amount of material, which yielded from the middle of the blank to its outside, are observed in a number of experimental series. A blank holder is added to the process in order to avoid wrinkling. The influence of this additional blank holder is therefore investigated in a first experimental set-up by varying blank holder force. In a further investigation the effects of two materials with different thicknesses is observed. Finally, an experimental series is conducted to observe the effect of blank diameter on the SCS-Cupping process. The results of this paper show that SCS-Cupping offers a promising potential for material savings and outline main effects for this technology.

Experimental and Numerical Studies on the Formability of Materials in Hot Stamping and Cold Die Quenching Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, N.; Mohamed, M. S.; Cai, J.; Lin, J.; Balint, D.; Dean, T. A.

2011-05-01

Formability of steel and aluminium alloys in hot stamping and cold die quenching processes is studied in this research. Viscoplastic-damage constitutive equations are developed and determined from experimental data for the prediction of viscoplastic flow and ductility of the materials. The determined unified constitutive equations are then implemented into the commercial Finite Element code Abaqus/Explicit via a user defined subroutine, VUMAT. An FE process simulation model and numerical procedures are established for the modeling of hot stamping processes for a spherical part with a central hole. Different failure modes (failure takes place either near the central hole or in the mid span of the part) are obtained. To validate the simulation results, a test programme is developed, a test die set has been designed and manufactured, and tests have been carried out for the materials with different forming rates. It has been found that very close agreements between experimental and numerical process simulation results are obtained for the ranges of temperatures and forming rates carried out.

Fundamental Phenomena on Fuel Decomposition and Boundary-Layer Combustion Precesses with Applications to Hybrid Rocket Motors. Part 1; Experimental Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuo, Kenneth K.; Lu, Yeu-Cherng; Chiaverini, Martin J.; Johnson, David K.; Serin, Nadir; Risha, Grant A.; Merkle, Charles L.; Venkateswaran, Sankaran

1996-01-01

This final report summarizes the major findings on the subject of 'Fundamental Phenomena on Fuel Decomposition and Boundary-Layer Combustion Processes with Applications to Hybrid Rocket Motors', performed from 1 April 1994 to 30 June 1996. Both experimental results from Task 1 and theoretical/numerical results from Task 2 are reported here in two parts. Part 1 covers the experimental work performed and describes the test facility setup, data reduction techniques employed, and results of the test firings, including effects of operating conditions and fuel additives on solid fuel regression rate and thermal profiles of the condensed phase. Part 2 concerns the theoretical/numerical work. It covers physical modeling of the combustion processes including gas/surface coupling, and radiation effect on regression rate. The numerical solution of the flowfield structure and condensed phase regression behavior are presented. Experimental data from the test firings were used for numerical model validation.

Experimental studies of ionospheric irregularities and related plasma processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baker, Kay D.

1992-01-01

Utah State University (USU) continued its program of measuring and interpreting electron density and its variations in a variety of ionospheric conditions with the Experimental Studies of Ionospheric Irregularities and Related Plasma Processes program. The program represented a nearly ten year effort to provide key measurements of electron density and its fluctuations using sounding rockets. The program also involved the joint interpretation of the results in terms of ionospheric processes. A complete campaign summary and a brief description of the major rocket campaigns are also included.

Finite element simulation and Experimental verification of Incremental Sheet metal Forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushik Yanamundra, Krishna; Karthikeyan, R., Dr.; Naranje, Vishal, Dr

2018-04-01

Incremental sheet metal forming is now a proven manufacturing technique that can be employed to obtain application specific, customized, symmetric or asymmetric shapes that are required by automobile or biomedical industries for specific purposes like car body parts, dental implants or knee implants. Finite element simulation of metal forming process is being performed successfully using explicit dynamics analysis of commercial FE software. The simulation is mainly useful in optimization of the process as well design of the final product. This paper focuses on simulating the incremental sheet metal forming process in ABAQUS, and validating the results using experimental methods. The shapes generated for testing are of trapezoid, dome and elliptical shapes whose G codes are written and fed into the CNC milling machine with an attached forming tool with a hemispherical bottom. The same pre-generated coordinates are used to simulate a similar machining conditions in ABAQUS and the tool forces, stresses and strains in the workpiece while machining are obtained as the output data. The forces experimentally were recorded using a dynamometer. The experimental and simulated results were then compared and thus conclusions were drawn.

Improved Processes to Remove Naphthenic Acids

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Aihua Zhang; Qisheng Ma; Kangshi Wang

2005-12-09

In the past three years, we followed the work plan as we suggested in the proposal and made every efforts to fulfill the project objectives. Based on our large amount of creative and productive work, including both of experimental and theoretic aspects, we received important technical breakthrough on naphthenic acid removal process and obtained deep insight on catalytic decarboxylation chemistry. In detail, we established an integrated methodology to serve for all of the experimental and theoretical work. Our experimental investigation results in discovery of four type effective catalysts to the reaction of decarboxylation of model carboxylic acid compounds. The adsorptionmore » experiment revealed the effectiveness of several solid materials to naphthenic acid adsorption and acidity reduction of crude oil, which can be either natural minerals or synthesized materials. The test with crude oil also received promising results, which can be potentially developed into a practical process for oil industry. The theoretical work predicted several possible catalytic decarboxylation mechanisms that would govern the decarboxylation pathways depending on the type of catalysts being used. The calculation for reaction activation energy was in good agreement with our experimental measurements.« less

Techniques for Mapping Synthetic Aperture Radar Processing Algorithms to Multi-GPU Clusters

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

Experimental results were generated with 10 nVidia Tesla C2050 GPUs having maximum throughput of 972 Gflop /s. Our approach scales well for output...Experimental results were generated with 10 nVidia Tesla C2050 GPUs having maximum throughput of 972 Gflop /s. Our approach scales well for output

Characterisation and optimisation of flexible transfer lines for liquid helium. Part I: Experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dittmar, N.; Haberstroh, Ch.; Hesse, U.; Krzyzowski, M.

2016-04-01

The transfer of liquid helium (LHe) into mobile dewars or transport vessels is a common and unavoidable process at LHe decant stations. During this transfer reasonable amounts of LHe evaporate due to heat leak and pressure drop. Thus generated helium gas needs to be collected and reliquefied which requires a huge amount of electrical energy. Therefore, the design of transfer lines used at LHe decant stations has been optimised to establish a LHe transfer with minor evaporation losses which increases the overall efficiency and capacity of LHe decant stations. This paper presents the experimental results achieved during the thermohydraulic optimisation of a flexible LHe transfer line. An extensive measurement campaign with a set of dedicated transfer lines equipped with pressure and temperature sensors led to unique experimental data of this specific transfer process. The experimental results cover the heat leak, the pressure drop, the transfer rate, the outlet quality, and the cool-down and warm-up behaviour of the examined transfer lines. Based on the obtained results the design of the considered flexible transfer line has been optimised, featuring reduced heat leak and pressure drop.

[Experimental-morphologic study of bone tissue reaction to carbon-containing material implantation with initiated X-ray contrast property].

PubMed

Grigorian, A S; Nabiev, F Kh; Golovin, R V

2005-01-01

In experimental study on 15 rabbits (chinchilla) influence of titanium plates implanted lapped on adjacent tissues in the region of the lower jaw body (comparison group) and carbon material with added boron in the concentrations of 8 and 15% (the study group) was studied. Results of the experimental-morphological investigation show that carbon-based materials with boron addition (with its content 8 and 15%) did not impede adaptive rebuilding of bone tissues and in particular bone structure regeneration in the process of reactive rebuilding of the "maternal" bone. Moreover, as the result of reactive processes developing in osseous tissues after implantation of the tested materials their successful integration in surrounding tissue structures was detected.

Three phase heat and mass transfer model for unsaturated soil freezing process: Part 2 - model validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yaning; Xu, Fei; Li, Bingxi; Kim, Yong-Song; Zhao, Wenke; Xie, Gongnan; Fu, Zhongbin

2018-04-01

This study aims to validate the three-phase heat and mass transfer model developed in the first part (Three phase heat and mass transfer model for unsaturated soil freezing process: Part 1 - model development). Experimental results from studies and experiments were used for the validation. The results showed that the correlation coefficients for the simulated and experimental water contents at different soil depths were between 0.83 and 0.92. The correlation coefficients for the simulated and experimental liquid water contents at different soil temperatures were between 0.95 and 0.99. With these high accuracies, the developed model can be well used to predict the water contents at different soil depths and temperatures.

Experimental investigation of the effect of pump incoherence on nonlinear pump spectral broadening and continuous-wave supercontinuum generation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin-Lopez, S.; Carrasco-Sanz, A.; Corredera, P.; Abrardi, L.; Hernanz, M. L.; Gonzalez-Herraez, M.

2006-12-01

The development of high-power cw fiber lasers has triggered a great interest in the phenomena of nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation. These effects have very convenient applications in Raman amplification, optical fiber metrology, and fiber sensing. In particular, it was recently shown that pump incoherence has a strong impact in these processes. We study experimentally the effect of pump incoherence in nonlinear pump spectral broadening and cw supercontinuum generation in optical fibers. We show that under certain experimental conditions an optimum degree of pump incoherence yields the best performance in the broadening process. We qualitatively explain these results, and we point out that these results may have important implications in cw supercontinuum optimization.

Influence of the stretch wrapping process on the mechanical behavior of a stretch film

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Daniel; Stommel, Markus; Zimmer, Johannes

2018-05-01

Lightweight construction is an ongoing task in packaging development. Consequently, the stability of packages during transport is gaining importance. This study contributes to the optimization of lightweight packaging concepts regarding their stability. A very widespread packaging concept is the distribution of goods on a pallet whereas a Polyethylene (PE) stretch film stabilizes the lightweight structure during the shipment. Usually, a stretch wrapping machine applies this stretch film to the pallet. The objective of this study is to support packaging development with a method that predicts the result of the wrapping process, based on the mechanical characterization of the stretch film. This result is not only defined by the amount of stretch film, its spatial distribution on the pallet and its internal stresses that result in a containment force. More accurate, this contribution also considers the influence of the deformation history of the stretch film during the wrapping process. By focusing on similarities of stretch wrappers rather than on differences, the influence of generalized process parameters on stretch film mechanics and thereby on pallet stability can be determined experimentally. For a practical use, the predictive method is accumulated in an analytic model of the wrapping process that can be verified experimentally. This paves the way for experimental and numerical approaches regarding the optimization of pallet stability.

In-situ plasma processing to increase the accelerating gradients of SRF cavities

DOE PAGES

Doleans, Marc; Afanador, Ralph; Barnhart, Debra L.; ...

2015-12-31

A new in-situ plasma processing technique is being developed at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) to improve the performance of the cavities in operation. The technique utilizes a low-density reactive oxygen plasma at room temperature to remove top surface hydrocarbons. The plasma processing technique increases the work function of the cavity surface and reduces the overall amount of vacuum and electron activity during cavity operation; in particular it increases the field emission onset, which enables cavity operation at higher accelerating gradients. Experimental evidence also suggests that the SEY of the Nb surface decreases after plasma processing which helps mitigating multipactingmore » issues. This article discusses the main developments and results from the plasma processing R&D are presented and experimental results for in-situ plasma processing of dressed cavities in the SNS horizontal test apparatus.« less

GEOMORPHOLOGY. Experimental evidence for hillslope control of landscape scale.

PubMed

Sweeney, K E; Roering, J J; Ellis, C

2015-07-03

Landscape evolution theory suggests that climate sets the scale of landscape dissection by modulating the competition between diffusive processes that sculpt convex hillslopes and advective processes that carve concave valleys. However, the link between the relative dominance of hillslope and valley transport processes and landscape scale is difficult to demonstrate in natural landscapes due to the episodic nature of erosion. Here, we report results from laboratory experiments combining diffusive and advective processes in an eroding landscape. We demonstrate that rainsplash-driven disturbances in our experiments are a robust proxy for hillslope transport, such that increasing hillslope transport efficiency decreases drainage density. Our experimental results demonstrate how the coupling of climate-driven hillslope- and valley-forming processes, such as bioturbation and runoff, dictates the scale of eroding landscapes. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Using experimental design modules for process characterization in manufacturing/materials processes laboratories

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ankenman, Bruce; Ermer, Donald; Clum, James A.

1994-01-01

Modules dealing with statistical experimental design (SED), process modeling and improvement, and response surface methods have been developed and tested in two laboratory courses. One course was a manufacturing processes course in Mechanical Engineering and the other course was a materials processing course in Materials Science and Engineering. Each module is used as an 'experiment' in the course with the intent that subsequent course experiments will use SED methods for analysis and interpretation of data. Evaluation of the modules' effectiveness has been done by both survey questionnaires and inclusion of the module methodology in course examination questions. Results of the evaluation have been very positive. Those evaluation results and details of the modules' content and implementation are presented. The modules represent an important component for updating laboratory instruction and to provide training in quality for improved engineering practice.

Research on the use of space resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carroll, W. F. (Editor)

1983-01-01

The second year of a multiyear research program on the processing and use of extraterrestrial resources is covered. The research tasks included: (1) silicate processing, (2) magma electrolysis, (3) vapor phase reduction, and (4) metals separation. Concomitant studies included: (1) energy systems, (2) transportation systems, (3) utilization analysis, and (4) resource exploration missions. Emphasis in fiscal year 1982 was placed on the magma electrolysis and vapor phase reduction processes (both analytical and experimental) for separation of oxygen and metals from lunar regolith. The early experimental work on magma electrolysis resulted in gram quantities of iron (mixed metals) and the identification of significant anode, cathode, and container problems. In the vapor phase reduction tasks a detailed analysis of various process concepts led to the selection of two specific processes designated as ""Vapor Separation'' and ""Selective Ionization.'' Experimental work was deferred to fiscal year 1983. In the Silicate Processing task a thermophysical model of the casting process was developed and used to study the effect of variations in material properties on the cooling behavior of lunar basalt.

The Effect of Guided-Inquiry Instruction on 6th Grade Turkish Students' Achievement, Science Process Skills, and Attitudes Toward Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koksal, Ela Ayse; Berberoglu, Giray

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of guided-inquiry approach in science classes over existing science and technology curriculum in developing content-based science achievement, science process skills, and attitude toward science of grade level 6 students in Turkey. Non-equivalent control group quasi-experimental design was used to investigate the treatment effect. There were 162 students in the experimental group and 142 students in the control group. Both the experimental and control group students took the Achievement Test in Reproduction, Development, and Growth in Living Things (RDGLT), Science Process Skills Test, and Attitudes Toward Science Questionnaire, as pre-test and post-test. Repeated analysis of variance design was used in analyzing the data. Both the experimental and control group students were taught in RDGLT units for 22 class hours. The results indicated the positive effect of guided-inquiry approach on the Turkish students' cognitive as well as affective characteristics. The guided inquiry enhanced the experimental group students' understandings of the science concepts as well as the inquiry skills more than the control group students. Similarly, the experimental group students improved their attitudes toward science more than the control group students as a result of treatment. The guided inquiry seems a transition between traditional teaching method and student-centred activities in the Turkish schools.

Plasma contactor research, 1989

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, John D.

1990-01-01

The characteristics of double layers observed by researchers investigating magnetospheric phenomena are contrasted to those observed in plasma contacting experiments. Experiments in the electron collection mode of the plasma contacting process were performed and the results confirm a simple model of this process for current levels ranging to 3 A. Experimental results were also obtained in a study of the process of electron emission from a hollow cathode plasma contactor. High energy ions are observed coming from the cathode in addition to the electrons and a phenomenological model that suggests a mechanism by which this could occur is presented. Experimental results showing the effects of the design parameters of the ambient plasma simulator on the plasma potential, electron temperature, electron density and plasma noise levels induced in plasma contacting experiments are presented. A preferred simulator design is selected on the basis of these results.

Experimental and numerical study on optimization of the single point incremental forming of AINSI 304L stainless steel sheet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saidi, B.; Giraud-Moreau, L.; Cherouat, A.; Nasri, R.

2017-09-01

AINSI 304L stainless steel sheets are commonly formed into a variety of shapes for applications in the industrial, architectural, transportation and automobile fields, it’s also used for manufacturing of denture base. In the field of dentistry, there is a need for personalized devises that are custom made for the patient. The single point incremental forming process is highly promising in this area for manufacturing of denture base. The single point incremental forming process (ISF) is an emerging process based on the use of a spherical tool, which is moved along CNC controlled tool path. One of the major advantages of this process is the ability to program several punch trajectories on the same machine in order to obtain different shapes. Several applications of this process exist in the medical field for the manufacturing of personalized titanium prosthesis (cranial plate, knee prosthesis...) due to the need of product customization to each patient. The objective of this paper is to study the incremental forming of AISI 304L stainless steel sheets for future applications in the dentistry field. During the incremental forming process, considerable forces can occur. The control of the forming force is particularly important to ensure the safe use of the CNC milling machine and preserve the tooling and machinery. In this paper, the effect of four different process parameters on the maximum force is studied. The proposed approach consists in using an experimental design based on experimental results. An analysis of variance was conducted with ANOVA to find the input parameters allowing to minimize the maximum forming force. A numerical simulation of the incremental forming process is performed with the optimal input process parameters. Numerical results are compared with the experimental ones.

Application research of CO2 laser cutting natural stone plates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Lixiu; Song, Jijiang

2009-08-01

Now, the processing of natural stone plates is the high performance sawing machine primarily,many researchers deeply studied the processing characters in the sawing process and the strength characters during the processing. In order to realize the profiled-processing and pattern- carving of the natural stone, It lays a solid foundation for the laser cutting and the pattern-carving technology of natural stone plate. The working principle, type and characteristics of laser cutting are briefly described. The paper selects 6 kinds stone plates of natural taken as experimental sample,the experimental sample was China Shanxi Black, Old Spain Golden Yellow, New Spain Golden Yellow, Jazz White, Maple Leaf Red, Cream White respectively. Use high power CO2 laser cutting system,the stone plates cutting experiment of 6 kinds different hardness, the best working speed are obtained,The experimental results indicate that: The laser cutting speed has no correlation with the ingredient content of stone plate.

Real-time local experimental monitoring of the bleaching process.

PubMed

Rakic, Mario; Klaric, Eva; Sever, Ivan; Rakic, Iva Srut; Pichler, Goran; Tarle, Zrinka

2015-04-01

The purpose of this article was to investigate a new setup for tooth bleaching and monitoring of the same process in real time, so to prevent overbleaching and related sideeffects of the bleaching procedure. So far, known bleaching procedures cannot simultaneously monitor and perform the bleaching process or provide any local control over bleaching. The experimental setup was developed at the Institute of Physics, Zagreb. The setup consists of a camera, a controller, and optical fibers. The bleaching was performed with 25% hydrogen peroxide activated by ultraviolet light diodes, and the light for monitoring was emitted by white light diodes. The collected light was analyzed using a red-green-blue (RGB) index. A K-type thermocouple was used for temperature measurements. Pastilles made from hydroxylapatite powder as well as human teeth served as experimental objects. Optimal bleaching time substantially varied among differently stained specimens. To reach reference color (A1, Chromascop shade guide), measured as an RGB index, bleaching time for pastilles ranged from 8 to >20 min, whereas for teeth it ranged from 3.5 to >20 min. The reflected light intensity of each R, G, and B component at the end of bleaching process (after 20 min) had increased up to 56% of the baseline intensity. The presented experimental setup provides essential information about when to stop the bleaching process to achieve the desired optical results so that the bleaching process can be completely responsive to the characteristics of every individual, leading to more satisfying results.

Numerical Simulation and Experimental Casting of Nickel-Based Single-Crystal Superalloys by HRS and LMC Directional Solidification Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Xuewei; Wang, Run'nan; Xu, Qingyan; Liu, Baicheng

2017-04-01

Mathematical models for dynamic heat radiation and convection boundary in directional solidification processes are established to simulate the temperature fields. Cellular automaton (CA) method and Kurz-Giovanola-Trivedi (KGT) growth model are used to describe nucleation and growth. Primary dendritic arm spacing (PDAS) and secondary dendritic arm spacing (SDAS) are calculated by the Ma-Sham (MS) and Furer-Wunderlin (FW) models respectively. The mushy zone shape is investigated based on the temperature fields, for both high-rate solidification (HRS) and liquid metal cooling (LMC) processes. The evolution of the microstructure and crystallographic orientation are analyzed by simulation and electron back-scattered diffraction (EBSD) technique, respectively. Comparison of the simulation results from PDAS and SDAS with experimental results reveals a good agreement with each other. The results show that LMC process can provide both dendritic refinement and superior performance for castings due to the increased cooling rate and thermal gradient.

Modeling and optimization of the hot embossing process for micro- and nanocomponent fabrication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Worgull, M.; Heckele, Mathias P.; Hétu, J. F.; Kabanemi, K. K.

2006-01-01

Hot embossing and injection molding belong to the established plastic molding processes in microengineering. Based on experimental findings, a variety of microstructures have been replicated using these processes. However, with increasing requirements regarding the embossing surface, and the simultaneous decrease of the structure size down into the nanorange, increasing know-how is needed to adapt hot embossing to industrial standards. To reach this objective, a German-Canadian cooperation project has been launched to study hot embossing theoretically by process simulation and experimentally. The present publication reports on the proceeding and present first results.

Mathematical model with autoregressive process for electrocardiogram signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evaristo, Ronaldo M.; Batista, Antonio M.; Viana, Ricardo L.; Iarosz, Kelly C.; Szezech, José D., Jr.; Godoy, Moacir F. de

2018-04-01

The cardiovascular system is composed of the heart, blood and blood vessels. Regarding the heart, cardiac conditions are determined by the electrocardiogram, that is a noninvasive medical procedure. In this work, we propose autoregressive process in a mathematical model based on coupled differential equations in order to obtain the tachograms and the electrocardiogram signals of young adults with normal heartbeats. Our results are compared with experimental tachogram by means of Poincaré plot and dentrended fluctuation analysis. We verify that the results from the model with autoregressive process show good agreement with experimental measures from tachogram generated by electrical activity of the heartbeat. With the tachogram we build the electrocardiogram by means of coupled differential equations.

Study on the Optimization and Process Modeling of the Rotary Ultrasonic Machining of Zerodur Glass-Ceramic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pitts, James Daniel

Rotary ultrasonic machining (RUM), a hybrid process combining ultrasonic machining and diamond grinding, was created to increase material removal rates for the fabrication of hard and brittle workpieces. The objective of this research was to experimentally derive empirical equations for the prediction of multiple machined surface roughness parameters for helically pocketed rotary ultrasonic machined Zerodur glass-ceramic workpieces by means of a systematic statistical experimental approach. A Taguchi parametric screening design of experiments was employed to systematically determine the RUM process parameters with the largest effect on mean surface roughness. Next empirically determined equations for the seven common surface quality metrics were developed via Box-Behnken surface response experimental trials. Validation trials were conducted resulting in predicted and experimental surface roughness in varying levels of agreement. The reductions in cutting force and tool wear associated with RUM, reported by previous researchers, was experimentally verified to also extended to helical pocketing of Zerodur glass-ceramic.

Hot Isostatic Press Manufacturing Process Development for Fabrication of RERTR Monolithic Fuel Plates

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Crapps, Justin M.; Clarke, Kester D.; Katz, Joel D.

2012-06-06

We use experimentation and finite element modeling to study a Hot Isostatic Press (HIP) manufacturing process for U-10Mo Monolithic Fuel Plates. Finite element simulations are used to identify the material properties affecting the process and improve the process geometry. Accounting for the high temperature material properties and plasticity is important to obtain qualitative agreement between model and experimental results. The model allows us to improve the process geometry and provide guidance on selection of material and finish conditions for the process strongbacks. We conclude that the HIP can must be fully filled to provide uniform normal stress across the bondingmore » interface.« less

Theoretical and practical investigation into sustainable metal joining process for the automotive industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Jader, M. A.; Cullen, J. D.; Shaw, Andy; Al-Shamma'a, A. I.

2011-08-01

Currently there are about 4300 weld points on the average steel vehicle. Errors and problems due to tip damage and wear can cause great losses due to production line downtime. Current industrial monitoring systems check the quality of the nugget after processing 15 cars average once every two weeks. The nuggets are examined off line using a destructive process, which takes approximately 10 days to complete causing a long delay in the production process. In this paper a simulation results using software package, SORPAS, will be presented to determined the sustainability factors in spot welding process including Voltage, Current, Force, Water cooling rates, Material thicknesses and usage. The experimental results of various spot welding processes will be investigated and reported. The correlation of experimental results shows that SORPAS simulations can be used as an off line measurement to reduce factory energy usage. This paper also provides an overview of electrode current selection and its variance over the lifetime of the electrode tip, and describes the proposed analysis system for the selection of welding parameters for the spot welding process, as the electrode tip wears.

Laser processing of thin-film multilayer structures: comparison between a 3D thermal model and experimental results.

PubMed

Naghshine, Babak B; Kiani, Amirkianoosh

2017-01-01

In this research, a numerical model is introduced for simulation of laser processing of thin film multilayer structures, to predict the temperature and ablated area for a set of laser parameters including average power and repetition rate. Different thin-films on Si substrate were processed by nanosecond Nd:YAG laser pulses and the experimental and numerical results were compared to each other. The results show that applying a thin film on the surface can completely change the temperature field and vary the shape of the heat affected zone. The findings of this paper can have many potential applications including patterning the cell growth for biomedical applications and controlling the grain size in fabrication of polycrystalline silicon (poly-Si) thin-film transistors (TFTs).

Experimental and numerical research on forging with torsion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrov, Mikhail A.; Subich, Vadim N.; Petrov, Pavel A.

2017-10-01

Increasing the efficiency of the technological operations of blank production is closely related to the computer-aided technologies (CAx). On the one hand, the practical result represents reality exactly. On the other hand, the development procedure of new process development demands unrestricted resources, which are limited on the SMEs. The tools of CAx were successfully applied for development of new process of forging with torsion and result analysis as well. It was shown, that the theoretical calculations find the confirmation both in praxis and during numerical simulation. The mostly used constructional materials were under study. The torque angles were stated. The simulated results were evaluated by experimental procedure.

Automatic Welding System of Aluminum Pipe by Monitoring Backside Image of Molten Pool Using Vision Sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baskoro, Ario Sunar; Kabutomori, Masashi; Suga, Yasuo

An automatic welding system using Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) welding with vision sensor for welding of aluminum pipe was constructed. This research studies the intelligent welding process of aluminum alloy pipe 6063S-T5 in fixed position and moving welding torch with the AC welding machine. The monitoring system consists of a vision sensor using a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera to monitor backside image of molten pool. The captured image was processed to recognize the edge of molten pool by image processing algorithm. Neural network model for welding speed control were constructed to perform the process automatically. From the experimental results it shows the effectiveness of the control system confirmed by good detection of molten pool and sound weld of experimental result.

OPTICAL PROCESSING OF INFORMATION: Potential applications of quasi-cw partially coherent radiation in optical data recording and processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Volkov, L. V.; Larkin, A. I.

1994-04-01

Theoretical and experimental investigations are reported of the potential applications of quasi-cw partially coherent radiation in optical systems based on diffraction—interference principles. It is shown that the spectral characteristics of quasi-cw radiation influence the data-handling capabilities of a holographic correlator and of a partially coherent holographic system for data acquisition. Relevant experimental results are reported.

The Evolution of a Connectionist Model of Situated Human Language Understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayberry, Marshall R.; Crocker, Matthew W.

The Adaptive Mechanisms in Human Language Processing (ALPHA) project features both experimental and computational tracks designed to complement each other in the investigation of the cognitive mechanisms that underlie situated human utterance processing. The models developed in the computational track replicate results obtained in the experimental track and, in turn, suggest further experiments by virtue of behavior that arises as a by-product of their operation.

Experimental study and numerical simulation of evacuation from a dormitory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Wenjun; Li, Angui; Gao, Ran; Zhou, Ning; Mei, Sen; Tian, Zhenguo

2012-11-01

The evacuation process of students from a dormitory is investigated by both experiment and modeling. We investigate the video record of pedestrian movement in a dormitory, and find some typical characteristics of evacuation, including continuous pedestrian flow, mass behavior and so on. Based on the experimental observation, we found that simulation results considering pre-movement time are closer to the experimental results. With the model considering pre-movement time, we simulate the evacuation process and compare the simulation results with the experimental results, and find that they agree with each other closely. The crowd massing phenomenon is conducted in this paper. It is found that different crowd massing phenomena will emerge due to different desired velocities. The crowd massing phenomenon could be more serious with the increase of the desired velocity. In this study, we also found the faster-is-slower effect. When the positive effect produced by increasing the desired velocity is not sufficient for making up for its negative effect, the phenomenon of the greater the desired velocity the longer the time required for evacuation will emerge. From the video record, it can be observed that the mass behavior is obvious during the evacuation process. And the mass phenomenon could also be found in simulation. The results obtained from our study are also suitable to all these buildings in which both living and resting areas occupy the majority space, such as dormitories, residential buildings, hotels (restaurants) and so on.

Three-dimensional numerical and experimental studies on transient ignition of hybrid rocket motor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Hui; Yu, Ruipeng; Zhu, Hao; Wu, Junfeng; Cai, Guobiao

2017-11-01

This paper presents transient simulations and experimental studies of the ignition process of the hybrid rocket motors (HRMs) using 90% hydrogen peroxide (HP) as the oxidizer and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) and Polyethylene (PE) as fuels. A fluid-solid coupling numerically method is established based on the conserved form of the three-dimensional unsteady Navier-Stokes (N-S) equations, considering gas fluid with chemical reactions and heat transfer between the fluid and solid region. Experiments are subsequently conducted using high-speed camera to record the ignition process. The flame propagation, chamber pressurizing process and average fuel regression rate of the numerical simulation results show good agreement with the experimental ones, which demonstrates the validity of the simulations in this study. The results also indicate that the flame propagation time is mainly affected by fluid dynamics and it increases with an increasing grain port area. The chamber pressurizing process begins when the flame propagation completes in the grain port. Furthermore, the chamber pressurizing time is about 4 times longer than the time of flame propagation.

Droplet impact on regular micro-grooved surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Hai-Bao; Huang, Su-He; Chen, Li-Bin

2013-08-01

We have investigated experimentally the process of a droplet impact on a regular micro-grooved surface. The target surfaces are patterned such that micro-scale spokes radiate from the center, concentric circles, and parallel lines on the polishing copper plate, using Quasi-LIGA molding technology. The dynamic behavior of water droplets impacting on these structured surfaces is examined using a high-speed camera, including the drop impact processes, the maximum spreading diameters, and the lengths and numbers of fingers at different values of Weber number. Experimental results validate that the spreading processes are arrested on all target surfaces at low velocity. Also, the experimental results at higher impact velocity demonstrate that the spreading process is conducted on the surface parallel to the micro-grooves, but is arrested in the direction perpendicular to the micro-grooves. Besides, the lengths of fingers increase observably, even when they are ejected out as tiny droplets along the groove direction, at the same time the drop recoil velocity is reduced by micro-grooves which are parallel to the spreading direction, but not by micro-grooves which are vertical to the spreading direction.

The effects of prior knowledge on study-time allocation and free recall: investigating the discrepancy reduction model.

PubMed

Verkoeijen, Peter P J L; Rikers, Remy M J P; Schmidt, Henk G

2005-01-01

In this study, the authors examined the influence of prior knowledge activation on information processing by means of a prior knowledge activation procedure adopted from the read-generate paradigm. On the basis of cue-target pairs, participants in the experimental groups generated two different sets of items before studying a relevant list. Subsequently, participants were informed that they had to study the items in the list and that they should try to remember as many items as possible. The authors assessed the processing time allocated to the items in the list and free recall of those items. The results revealed that the experimental groups spent less time on items that had already been activated. In addition, the experimental groups outperformed the control group in overall free recall and in free recall of the activated items. Between-group comparisons did not demonstrate significant effects with respect to the processing time and free recall of nonactivated items. The authors interpreted these results in terms of the discrepancy reduction model of regulating the amount of processing time allocated to different parts of the list.

Simulation and experimental analysis of nanoindentation and mechanical properties of amorphous NiAl alloys.

PubMed

Wang, Chih-Hao; Fang, Te-Hua; Cheng, Po-Chien; Chiang, Chia-Chin; Chao, Kuan-Chi

2015-06-01

This paper used numerical and experimental methods to investigate the mechanical properties of amorphous NiAl alloys during the nanoindentation process. A simulation was performed using the many-body tight-binding potential method. Temperature, plastic deformation, elastic recovery, and hardness were evaluated. The experimental method was based on nanoindentation measurements, allowing a precise prediction of Young's modulus and hardness values for comparison with the simulation results. The indentation simulation results showed a significant increase of NiAl hardness and elastic recovery with increasing Ni content. Furthermore, the results showed that hardness and Young's modulus increase with increasing Ni content. The simulation results are in good agreement with the experimental results. Adhesion test of amorphous NiAl alloys at room temperature is also described in this study.

Energy coding in biological neural networks

PubMed Central

Zhang, Zhikang

2007-01-01

According to the experimental result of signal transmission and neuronal energetic demands being tightly coupled to information coding in the cerebral cortex, we present a brand new scientific theory that offers an unique mechanism for brain information processing. We demonstrate that the neural coding produced by the activity of the brain is well described by our theory of energy coding. Due to the energy coding model’s ability to reveal mechanisms of brain information processing based upon known biophysical properties, we can not only reproduce various experimental results of neuro-electrophysiology, but also quantitatively explain the recent experimental results from neuroscientists at Yale University by means of the principle of energy coding. Due to the theory of energy coding to bridge the gap between functional connections within a biological neural network and energetic consumption, we estimate that the theory has very important consequences for quantitative research of cognitive function. PMID:19003513

Numerical analysis and experimental verification of elastomer bending process with different material models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kut, Stanislaw; Ryzinska, Grazyna; Niedzialek, Bernadetta

2016-01-01

The article presents the results of tests in order to verifying the effectiveness of the nine selected elastomeric material models (Neo-Hookean, Mooney with two and three constants, Signorini, Yeoh, Ogden, Arruda-Boyce, Gent and Marlow), which the material constants were determined in one material test - the uniaxial tension testing. The convergence assessment of nine analyzed models were made on the basis of their performance from an experimental bending test of the elastomer samples from the results of numerical calculations FEM for each material models. To calculate the material constants for the analyzed materials, a model has been generated by the stressstrain characteristics created as a result of experimental uniaxial tensile test with elastomeric dumbbell samples, taking into account the parameters received in its 18th cycle. Using such a calculated material constants numerical simulation of the bending process of a elastomeric, parallelepipedic sampleswere carried out using MARC / Mentat program.

Polarization-insensitive techniques for optical signal processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salem, Reza

2006-12-01

This thesis investigates polarization-insensitive methods for optical signal processing. Two signal processing techniques are studied: clock recovery based on two-photon absorption in silicon and demultiplexing based on cross-phase modulation in highly nonlinear fiber. The clock recovery system is tested at an 80 Gb/s data rate for both back-to-back and transmission experiments. The demultiplexer is tested at a 160 Gb/s data rate in a back-to-back experiment. We experimentally demonstrate methods for eliminating polarization dependence in both systems. Our experimental results are confirmed by theoretical and numerical analysis.

The Ca(2+)-EDTA chelation as standard reaction to validate Isothermal Titration Calorimeter measurements (ITC).

PubMed

Ràfols, Clara; Bosch, Elisabeth; Barbas, Rafael; Prohens, Rafel

2016-07-01

A study about the suitability of the chelation reaction of Ca(2+)with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) as a validation standard for Isothermal Titration Calorimeter measurements has been performed exploring the common experimental variables (buffer, pH, ionic strength and temperature). Results obtained in a variety of experimental conditions have been amended according to the side reactions involved in the main process and to the experimental ionic strength and, finally, validated by contrast with the potentiometric reference values. It is demonstrated that the chelation reaction performed in acetate buffer 0.1M and 25°C shows accurate and precise results and it is robust enough to be adopted as a standard calibration process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Tearing mode velocity braking due to resonant magnetic perturbations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frassinetti, L.; Menmuir, S.; Olofsson, K. E. J.; Brunsell, P. R.; Drake, J. R.

2012-10-01

The effect of resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) on the tearing mode (TM) velocity is studied in EXTRAP T2R. Experimental results show that the RMP produces TM braking until a new steady velocity or wall locking is reached. The braking is initially localized at the TM resonance and then spreads to the other TMs and to the rest of the plasma producing a global velocity reduction via the viscous torque. The process has been used to experimentally estimate the kinematic viscosity profile, in the range 2-40 m2 s-1, and the electromagnetic torque produced by the RMP, which is strongly localized at the TM resonance. Experimental results are then compared with a theoretical model which gives a reasonable qualitative explanation of the entire process.

Evaluation of alloy 690 process pot at the contact with borosilicate melt pool during vitrification of high-level nuclear waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sengupta, Pranesh; Kaushik, C. P.; Kale, G. B.; Das, D.; Raj, K.; Sharma, B. P.

2009-08-01

Understanding the material behaviour under service conditions is essential to enhance the life span of alloy 690 process pot used in vitrification of high-level nuclear waste. During vitrification process, interaction of alloy 690 with borosilicate melt takes place for substantial time period. Present experimental studies show that such interactions may result in Cr carbide precipitation along grain boundaries, Cr depletion in austenitic matrix and intergranular attack close to alloy 690/borosilicate melt pool interfaces. Widths of Cr depleted zone within alloy 690 is found to follow kinetics of the type x = 10.9 × 10 -6 + 1 × 10 -8t1/2 m. Based on the experimental results it is recommended that compositional modification of alloy 690 process pot adjacent to borosilicate melt pool need to be considered seriously for any efforts towards reduction and/or prevention of process pot failures.

Blanking and piercing theory, applications and recent experimental results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaid, Adnan l. O.

2014-06-01

Blanking and piercing are manufacturing processes by which certain geometrical shapes are sheared off a sheet metal. If the sheared off part is the one required, the processes referred to as blanking and if the remaining part in the sheet is the one required, the process is referred to as piercing. In this paper, the theory and practice of these processes are reviewed and discussed The main parameters affecting these processes are presented and discussed. These include: the radial clearance percentage, punch and die geometrical parameters, for example punch and die profile radii. The abovementioned parameters on the force and energy required to effect blanking together with their effect on the quality of the products are also presented and discussed. Recent experimental results together with photomacrographs and photomicrographs are also included and discussed. Finally, the effect of punch and die wear on the quality of the blanks is alsogiven and discussed.

Modelling of influential parameters on a continuous evaporation process by Doehlert shells

PubMed Central

Porte, Catherine; Havet, Jean-Louis; Daguet, David

2003-01-01

The modelling of the parameters that influence the continuous evaporation of an alcoholic extract was considered using Doehlert matrices. The work was performed with a wiped falling film evaporator that allowed us to study the influence of the pressure, temperature, feed flow and dry matter of the feed solution on the dry matter contents of the resulting concentrate, and the productivity of the process. The Doehlert shells were used to model the influential parameters. The pattern obtained from the experimental results was checked allowing for some dysfunction in the unit. The evaporator was modified and a new model applied; the experimental results were then in agreement with the equations. The model was finally determined and successfully checked in order to obtain an 8% dry matter concentrate with the best productivity; the results fit in with the industrial constraints of subsequent processes. PMID:18924887

Feasibility investigations on multi-cutter milling process: A novel fabrication method for microreactors with multiple microchannels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Minqiang; Zeng, Dehuai; Tang, Yong

A novel multi-cutter milling process for multiple parallel microchannels with manifolds is proposed to address the challenge of mass manufacture as required for cost-effective commercial applications. Several slotting cutters are stacked together to form a composite tool for machining microchannels simultaneously. The feasibility of this new fabrication process is experimentally investigated under different machining conditions and reaction characteristics of methanol steam reforming for hydrogen production. The influences of cutting parameters and the composite tool on the microchannel qualities and burr formation are analyzed. Experimental results indicate that larger cutting speed, smaller feed rate and cutting depth are in favor of obtaining relatively good microchannel qualities and small burrs. Of all the cutting parameters considered in these experiments, 94.2 m min -1 cutting speed, 23.5 mm min -1 feed rate and 0.5 mm cutting depth are found to be the optimum value. According to the comparisons of experimental results of multi-cutter milling process and estimated one of other alternative methods, it is found that multi-cutter milling process shows much shorter machining time and higher work removal rate than that of other alternative methods. Reaction characteristics of methanol steam reforming in microchannels also indicate that multi-cutter milling process is probably suitable for a commercial application.

Modeling and Simulation of Quenching and Tempering Process in steels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Xiaohu; Ju, Dongying

Quenching and tempering (Q&T) is a combined heat treatment process to achieve maximum toughness and ductility at a specified hardness and strength. It is important to develop a mathematical model for quenching and tempering process for satisfy requirement of mechanical properties with low cost. This paper presents a modified model to predict structural evolution and hardness distribution during quenching and tempering process of steels. The model takes into account tempering parameters, carbon content, isothermal and non-isothermal transformations. Moreover, precipitation of transition carbides, decomposition of retained austenite and precipitation of cementite can be simulated respectively. Hardness distributions of quenched and tempered workpiece are predicted by experimental regression equation. In order to validate the model, it is employed to predict the tempering of 80MnCr5 steel. The predicted precipitation dynamics of transition carbides and cementite is consistent with the previous experimental and simulated results from literature. Then the model is implemented within the framework of the developed simulation code COSMAP to simulate microstructure, stress and distortion in the heat treated component. It is applied to simulate Q&T process of J55 steel. The calculated results show a good agreement with the experimental ones. This agreement indicates that the model is effective for simulation of Q&T process of steels.

Experiments in ultrasonic flaw detection using a MEMS transducer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jain, Akash; Greve, David W.; Oppenheim, Irving J.

2003-08-01

In earlier work we developed a MEMS phased array transducer, fabricated in the MUMPs process, and we reported on initial experimental studies in which the device was affixed into contact with solids. We demonstrated the successful detection of signals from a conventional ultrasonic source, and the successful localization of the source in an off-axis geometry using phased array signal processing. We now describe the predicted transmission and coupling characteristics for such devices in contact with solids, demonstrating reasonable agreement with experimental behavior. We then describe the results of flaw detection experiments, as well as results for fluid-coupled detectors.

Experimental Characterization of Aluminum-Based Hybrid Composites Obtained Through Powder Metallurgy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marcu, D. F.; Buzatu, M.; Ghica, V. G.; Petrescu, M. I.; Popescu, G.; Niculescu, F.; Iacob, G.

2018-06-01

The paper presents some experimental results concerning fabrication through powder metallurgy (P/M) of aluminum-based hybrid composites - Al/Al2O3/Gr. In order to understand the mechanisms that occur during the P/M processes of obtaining Al/Al2O3/Gr composite, we correlated the physical characteristics with their micro-structural characteristics. The characterization was performed using analysis techniques specific for P/M process, SEM-EDS and XRD analyses. Micro-structural characterization of the composites has revealed fairly uniform distribution this resulting in good properties of the final composite material.

Application Of Numerical Modelling To Ribbed Wire Rod Dimensions Precision Increase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Szota, Piotr; Mróz, Sebastian; Stefanik, Andrzej

2007-05-01

The paper presents the results of theoretical and experimental investigations of the process of rolling square ribbed wire rod designed for concrete reinforcement. Numerical modelling of the process of rolling in the finishing and pre-finishing grooves was carried out using the Forge2005® software. In the investigation, particular consideration was given to the analysis of the effect of pre-finished band shape on the formation of ribs on the finished wire rod in the finishing groove. The results of theoretical studies were verified in experimental tests, which were carried out in a wire rolling mill.

A new experimental material for modeling relief dynamics and interactions between tectonics and surface processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graveleau, F.; Hurtrez, J.-E.; Dominguez, S.; Malavieille, J.

2011-12-01

We developed a new granular material (MatIV) to study experimentally landscape evolution in active mountain belt piedmonts. Its composition and related physical properties have been determined using empirical criteria derived from the scaling of deformation, erosion-transport and sedimentation natural processes. MatIV is a water-saturated composite material made up with 4 granular components (silica powder, glass microbeads, plastic powder and graphite) whose physical, mechanical and erosion-related properties were measured with different laboratory tests. Mechanical measurements were made on a modified Hubbert-type direct shear apparatus. Erosion-related properties were determined using an experimental set-up that allows quantifying the erosion/sedimentation budget from tilted relaxation topographies. For MatIV, we also investigated the evolution of mean erosion rates and stream power erosion law exponents in 1D as a function of slope. Our results indicate that MatIV satisfies most of the defined criteria. It deforms brittlely according to the linear Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion and localizes deformation along discrete faults. Its erosion pattern is characterized by realistic hillslope and channelized processes (slope diffusion, mass wasting, channel incision). During transport, eroded particles are sorted depending on their density and shape, which results in stratified alluvial deposits displaying lateral facies variations. To evaluate the degree of similitude between model and nature, we used a new experimental device that combines accretionary wedge deformation mechanisms and surface runoff erosion processes. Results indicate that MatIV succeeded in producing detailed morphological and sedimentological features (drainage basin, channel network, terrace, syntectonic alluvial fan). Geometric, kinematic and dynamic similarity criteria have been investigated to compare precisely model to nature. Although scaling is incomplete, it yields particularly informative orders of magnitude. With all these characteristics, MatIV appears as a very promising material to investigate experimentally a wide range of scientific questions dealing with relief dynamics and interactions between tectonics, erosion and sedimentation processes.

Experimental and Numerical Modeling of Fluid Flow Processes in Continuous Casting: Results from the LIMMCAST-Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Timmel, K.; Kratzsch, C.; Asad, A.; Schurmann, D.; Schwarze, R.; Eckert, S.

2017-07-01

The present paper reports about numerical simulations and model experiments concerned with the fluid flow in the continuous casting process of steel. This work was carried out in the LIMMCAST project in the framework of the Helmholtz alliance LIMTECH. A brief description of the LIMMCAST facilities used for the experimental modeling at HZDR is given here. Ultrasonic and inductive techniques and the X-ray radioscopy were employed for flow measurements or visualizations of two-phase flow regimes occurring in the submerged entry nozzle and the mold. Corresponding numerical simulations were performed at TUBAF taking into account the dimensions and properties of the model experiments. Numerical models were successfully validated using the experimental data base. The reasonable and in many cases excellent agreement of numerical with experimental data allows to extrapolate the models to real casting configurations. Exemplary results will be presented here showing the effect of electromagnetic brakes or electromagnetic stirrers on the flow in the mold or illustrating the properties of two-phase flows resulting from an Ar injection through the stopper rod.

Automated Signal Processing Applied to Volatile-Based Inspection of Greenhouse Crops

PubMed Central

Jansen, Roel; Hofstee, Jan Willem; Bouwmeester, Harro; van Henten, Eldert

2010-01-01

Gas chromatograph–mass spectrometers (GC-MS) have been used and shown utility for volatile-based inspection of greenhouse crops. However, a widely recognized difficulty associated with GC-MS application is the large and complex data generated by this instrument. As a consequence, experienced analysts are often required to process this data in order to determine the concentrations of the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of interest. Manual processing is time-consuming, labour intensive and may be subject to errors due to fatigue. The objective of this study was to assess whether or not GC-MS data can also be automatically processed in order to determine the concentrations of crop health associated VOCs in a greenhouse. An experimental dataset that consisted of twelve data files was processed both manually and automatically to address this question. Manual processing was based on simple peak integration while the automatic processing relied on the algorithms implemented in the MetAlign™ software package. The results of automatic processing of the experimental dataset resulted in concentrations similar to that after manual processing. These results demonstrate that GC-MS data can be automatically processed in order to accurately determine the concentrations of crop health associated VOCs in a greenhouse. When processing GC-MS data automatically, noise reduction, alignment, baseline correction and normalisation are required. PMID:22163594

Improved thermodynamic modeling of the no-vent fill process and correlation with experimental data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, William J.; Chato, David J.

1991-01-01

The United States' plans to establish a permanent manned presence in space and to explore the Solar System created the need to efficiently handle large quantities of subcritical cryogenic fluids, particularly propellants such as liquid hydrogen and liquid oxygen, in low- to zero-gravity environments. One of the key technologies to be developed for fluid handling is the ability to transfer the cryogens between storage and spacecraft tanks. The no-vent fill method was identified as one way to perform this transfer. In order to understand how to apply this method, a model of the no-vent fill process is being developed and correlated with experimental data. The verified models then can be used to design and analyze configurations for tankage and subcritical fluid depots. The development of an improved macroscopic thermodynamic model is discussed of the no-vent fill process and the analytical results from the computer program implementation of the model are correlated with experimental results for two different test tanks.

Comparative study on direct burning of oil shale and coal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammad, Ahmad; Al Asfar, Jamil

2017-07-01

A comparative study of the direct burning processes of oil shale and coal in a circulating fluidized bed (CFB) was done in this study using ANSYS Fluent software to solve numerically the governing equations of continuity, momentum, energy and mass diffusion using finite volume method. The model was built based on an existing experimental combustion burner unit. The model was validated by comparing the theoretical results of oil shale with proved experimental results from the combustion unit. It was found that the temperature contours of the combustion process showed that the adiabatic flame temperature was 1080 K for oil shale compared with 2260 K for coal, while the obtained experimental results of temperatures at various locations of burner during the direct burning of oil shale showed that the maximum temperature reached 962 K for oil shale. These results were used in economic and environmental analysis which show that oil shale may be used as alternative fuel for coal in cement industry in Jordan.

Chatter reduction in boring process by using piezoelectric shunt damping with experimental verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yigit, Ufuk; Cigeroglu, Ender; Budak, Erhan

2017-09-01

Chatter is a self-excited type of vibration that develops during machining due to process-structure dynamic interactions resulting in modulated chip thickness. Chatter is an important problem as it results in poor surface quality, reduced productivity and tool life. The stability of a cutting process is strongly influenced by the frequency response function (FRF) at the cutting point. In this study, the effect of piezoelectric shunt damping on chatter vibrations in a boring process is studied. In piezoelectric shunt damping method, an electrical impedance is connected to a piezoelectric transducer which is bonded on cutting tool. Electrical impedance of the circuit consisting of piezoceramic transducer and passive shunt is tuned to the desired natural frequency of the cutting tool in order to maximize damping. The optimum damping is achieved in analytical and finite element models (FEM) by using a genetic algorithm focusing on the real part of the tool point FRF rather than the amplitude. Later, a practical boring bar is considered where the optimum circuit parameters are obtained by the FEM. Afterwards, the effect of the optimized piezoelectric shunt damping on the dynamic rigidity and absolute stability limit of the cutting process are investigated experimentally by modal analysis and cutting tests. It is both theoretically and experimentally shown that application of piezoelectric shunt damping results in a significant increase in the absolute stability limit in boring operations.

A novel restraint spraying-Conform process for manufacturing hypereutectic Al-Si alloy with enhanced properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Y. G.; Yang, H.; Zhang, B. Q.; Liu, Y. L.; Yin, J. C.; Wei, W.; Zhong, Y.

2017-02-01

A novel restraint spraying-Conform (RS-C) process, which directly combines spraying with Conform to process metals in one step, has been proposed. Al-20Si alloy selected as experimental material was successfully fabricated by the RS-C process. The microstructures were dominated with fine and uniform primary silicon phases. The tensile strength and elongation to failure of the Al-20Si alloy were 204 MPa and 7.2% respectively after the RS-C process. The wear resistance of the processed Al-20Si alloy was increased significantly, about 1.7 times over the as-cast ingot. The experimental results indicate that RS-C is a promising near net shape forming technology.

Measurement of the radiative capture cross section of the s-process branching points 204Tl and 171Tm at the n_TOF facility (CERN)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casanovas, A.; Domingo-Pardo, C.; Guerrero, C.; Lerendegui-Marco, J.; Calviño, F.; Tarifeño-Saldivia, A.; Dressler, R.; Heinitz, S.; Kivel, N.; Quesada, J. M.; Schumann, D.; Aberle, O.; Alcayne, V.; Andrzejewski, J.; Audouin, L.; Bécares, V.; Bacak, M.; Barbagallo, M.; Bečvář, F.; Bellia, G.; Berthoumieux, E.; Billowes, J.; Bosnar, D.; Brown, A.; Busso, M.; Caamaño, M.; Caballero-Ontanaya, L.; Calviani, M.; Cano-Ott, D.; Cerutti, F.; Chen, Y. H.; Chiaveri, E.; Colonna, N.; Cortés, G.; Cortés-Giraldo, M. A.; Cosentino, L.; Cristallo, S.; Damone, L. A.; Diakaki, M.; Dietz, M.; Dupont, E.; Durán, I.; Eleme, Z.; Fernández-Domínguez, B.; Ferrari, A.; Ferreira, P.; Finocchiaro, P.; Furman, V.; Göbel, K.; Gawlik, A.; Gilardoni, S.; Glodariu, T.; Gonçalves, I. F.; González-Romero, E.; Gunsing, F.; Heyse, J.; Jenkins, D. G.; Käppeler, F.; Kadi, Y.; Katabuchi, T.; Kimura, A.; Kokkoris, M.; Kopatch, Y.; Krtička, M.; Kurtulgil, D.; Ladarescu, I.; Lederer-Woods, C.; Meo, S. Lo; Lonsdale, S. J.; Macina, D.; Martínez, T.; Masi, A.; Massimi, C.; Mastinu, P.; Mastromarco, M.; Matteucci, F.; Maugeri, E. A.; Mazzone, A.; Mendoza, E.; Mengoni, A.; Michalopoulou, V.; Milazzo, P. M.; Mingrone, F.; Musumarra, A.; Negret, A.; Nolte, R.; Ogállar, F.; Oprea, A.; Patronis, N.; Pavlik, A.; Perkowski, J.; Persanti, L.; Porras, I.; Praena, J.; Radeck, D.; Ramos, D.; Rauscher, T.; Reifarth, R.; Rochman, D.; Sabaté-Gilarte, M.; Saxena, A.; Schillebeeckx, P.; Simone, S.; Smith, A. G.; Sosnin, N. V.; Stamatopoulos, A.; Tagliente, G.; Tain, J. L.; Talip, T.; Tassan-Got, L.; Tsinganis, A.; Ulrich, J.; Valenta, S.; Vannini, G.; Variale, V.; Vaz, P.; Ventura, A.; Vlachoudis, V.; Vlastou, R.; Wallner, A.; Woods, P. J.; Wright, T.; Žugec, P.; Köster, U.

2018-05-01

The neutron capture cross section of some unstable nuclei is especially relevant for s-process nucleosynthesis studies. This magnitude is crucial to determine the local abundance pattern, which can yield valuable information of the s-process stellar environment. In this work we describe the neutron capture (n,γ) measurement on two of these nuclei of interest, 204Tl and 171Tm, from target production to the final measurement, performed successfully at the n_TOF facility at CERN in 2014 and 2015. Preliminary results on the ongoing experimental data analysis will also be shown. These results include the first ever experimental observation of capture resonances for these two nuclei.

Design of virtual simulation experiment based on key events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhong, Zheng; Zhou, Dongbo; Song, Lingxiu

2018-06-01

Considering complex content and lacking of guidance in virtual simulation experiments, the key event technology in VR narrative theory was introduced for virtual simulation experiment to enhance fidelity and vividness process. Based on the VR narrative technology, an event transition structure was designed to meet the need of experimental operation process, and an interactive event processing model was used to generate key events in interactive scene. The experiment of" margin value of bees foraging" based on Biologic morphology was taken as an example, many objects, behaviors and other contents were reorganized. The result shows that this method can enhance the user's experience and ensure experimental process complete and effectively.

Improving knowledge of garlic paste greening through the design of an experimental strategy.

PubMed

Aguilar, Miguel; Rincón, Francisco

2007-12-12

The furthering of scientific knowledge depends in part upon the reproducibility of experimental results. When experimental conditions are not set with sufficient precision, the resulting background noise often leads to poorly reproduced and even faulty experiments. An example of the catastrophic consequences of this background noise can be found in the design of strategies for the development of solutions aimed at preventing garlic paste greening, where reported results are contradictory. To avoid such consequences, this paper presents a two-step strategy based on the concept of experimental design. In the first step, the critical factors inherent to the problem are identified, using a 2(III)(7-4) Plackett-Burman experimental design, from a list of seven apparent critical factors (ACF); subsequently, the critical factors thus identified are considered as the factors to be optimized (FO), and optimization is performed using a Box and Wilson experimental design to identify the stationary point of the system. Optimal conditions for preventing garlic greening are examined after analysis of the complex process of green-pigment development, which involves both chemical and enzymatic reactions and is strongly influenced by pH, with an overall pH optimum of 4.5. The critical step in the greening process is the synthesis of thiosulfinates (allicin) from cysteine sulfoxides (alliin). Cysteine inhibits the greening process at this critical stage; no greening precursors are formed in the presence of around 1% cysteine. However, the optimal conditions for greening prevention are very sensitive both to the type of garlic and to manufacturing conditions. This suggests that optimal solutions for garlic greening prevention should be sought on a case-by-case basis, using the strategy presented here.

Neutron capture on short-lived nuclei via the surrogate (d,pγ) reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cizewski, Jolie A.; Ratkiewicz, Andrew

2018-05-01

Rapid r-process nucleosynthesis is responsible for the creation of about half of the elements heavier than iron. Neutron capture on shortlived nuclei in cold processes or during freeze out from hot processes can have a significant impact on the final observed r-process abundances. We are validating the (d,pγ) reaction as a surrogate for neutron capture with measurements on 95Mo targets and a focus on discrete transitions. The experimental results have been analyzed within the Hauser-Feshbach approach with non-elastic breakup of the deuteron providing a neutron to be captured. Preliminary results support the (d,pγ) reaction as a valid surrogate for neutron capture. We are poised to measure the (d,pγ) reaction in inverse kinematics with unstable beams following the development of the experimental techniques.

Optimization of an angle-beam ultrasonic approach for characterization of impact damage in composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, Christine; Kramb, Victoria; Welter, John T.; Wertz, John N.; Lindgren, Eric A.; Aldrin, John C.; Zainey, David

2018-04-01

Advances in NDE method development are greatly improved through model-guided experimentation. In the case of ultrasonic inspections, models which provide insight into complex mode conversion processes and sound propagation paths are essential for understanding the experimental data and inverting the experimental data into relevant information. However, models must also be verified using experimental data obtained under well-documented and understood conditions. Ideally, researchers would utilize the model simulations and experimental approach to efficiently converge on the optimal solution. However, variability in experimental parameters introduce extraneous signals that are difficult to differentiate from the anticipated response. This paper discusses the results of an ultrasonic experiment designed to evaluate the effect of controllable variables on the anticipated signal, and the effect of unaccounted for experimental variables on the uncertainty in those results. Controlled experimental parameters include the transducer frequency, incidence beam angle and focal depth.

Large scale neural circuit mapping data analysis accelerated with the graphical processing unit (GPU)

PubMed Central

Shi, Yulin; Veidenbaum, Alexander V.; Nicolau, Alex; Xu, Xiangmin

2014-01-01

Background Modern neuroscience research demands computing power. Neural circuit mapping studies such as those using laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) produce large amounts of data and require intensive computation for post-hoc processing and analysis. New Method Here we report on the design and implementation of a cost-effective desktop computer system for accelerated experimental data processing with recent GPU computing technology. A new version of Matlab software with GPU enabled functions is used to develop programs that run on Nvidia GPUs to harness their parallel computing power. Results We evaluated both the central processing unit (CPU) and GPU-enabled computational performance of our system in benchmark testing and practical applications. The experimental results show that the GPU-CPU co-processing of simulated data and actual LSPS experimental data clearly outperformed the multi-core CPU with up to a 22x speedup, depending on computational tasks. Further, we present a comparison of numerical accuracy between GPU and CPU computation to verify the precision of GPU computation. In addition, we show how GPUs can be effectively adapted to improve the performance of commercial image processing software such as Adobe Photoshop. Comparison with Existing Method(s) To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of GPU application in neural circuit mapping and electrophysiology-based data processing. Conclusions Together, GPU enabled computation enhances our ability to process large-scale data sets derived from neural circuit mapping studies, allowing for increased processing speeds while retaining data precision. PMID:25277633

Model of the material removal function and an experimental study on a magnetorheological finishing process using a small ball-end permanent-magnet polishing head.

PubMed

Chen, Mingjun; Liu, Henan; Cheng, Jian; Yu, Bo; Fang, Zhen

2017-07-01

In order to achieve the deterministic finishing of optical components with concave surfaces of a curvature radius less than 10 mm, a novel magnetorheological finishing (MRF) process using a small ball-end permanent-magnet polishing head with a diameter of 4 mm is introduced. The characteristics of material removal in the proposed MRF process are studied. The model of the material removal function for the proposed MRF process is established based on the three-dimensional hydrodynamics analysis and Preston's equation. The shear stress on the workpiece surface is calculated by means of resolving the presented mathematical model using a numerical solution method. The analysis result reveals that the material removal in the proposed MRF process shows a positive dependence on shear stress. Experimental research is conducted to investigate the effect of processing parameters on the material removal rate and improve the surface accuracy of a typical rotational symmetrical optical component. The experimental results show that the surface accuracy of the finished component of K9 glass material has been improved to 0.14 μm (PV) from the initial 0.8 μm (PV), and the finished surface roughness Ra is 0.0024 μm. It indicates that the proposed MRF process can be used to achieve the deterministic removal of surface material and perform the nanofinishing of small curvature radius concave surfaces.

Flocculation kinetics of low-turbidity raw water and the irreversible floc breakup process.

PubMed

Marques, Rodrigo de Oliveira; Ferreira Filho, Sidney Seckler

2017-04-01

The main objective of this study was to propose an improvement to the flocculation kinetics model presented by Argaman and Kaufman, by including a new term that accounts for the irreversible floc breakup process. Both models were fitted to the experimental results obtained with flocculation kinetics assays of low turbidity raw water containing Microcystis aeruginosa cells. Aluminum sulfate and ferric chloride were used as coagulants, and three distinct average velocity gradient (G) values were applied in the flocculation stage (20, 40 and 60 s -1 ). Experimental results suggest that the equilibrium between the aggregation and breakup process, as depicted by Argaman and Kaufman's original model, might not be constant over time, since the residual turbidity increased in various assays (phenomenon that was attributed to the irreversible floc breakup process). In the aluminum sulfate assays, the residual turbidity increase was visible when G = 20 s -1 (dosages of 60 and 80 mg L -1 ). For the ferric chloride assays, the phenomenon was noticed when G = 60 s -1 (dosages of 60 and 80 mg L -1 ). The proposed model presented a better fit to the experimental results, especially at higher coagulant dosages and/or higher values of average velocity gradient (G).

Implementation of atomic layer etching of silicon: Scaling parameters, feasibility, and profile control

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ranjan, Alok, E-mail: alok.ranjan@us.tel.com; Wang, Mingmei; Sherpa, Sonam D.

2016-05-15

Atomic or layer by layer etching of silicon exploits temporally segregated self-limiting adsorption and material removal steps to mitigate the problems associated with continuous or quasicontinuous (pulsed) plasma processes: selectivity loss, damage, and profile control. Successful implementation of atomic layer etching requires careful choice of the plasma parameters for adsorption and desorption steps. This paper illustrates how process parameters can be arrived at through basic scaling exercises, modeling and simulation, and fundamental experimental tests of their predictions. Using chlorine and argon plasma in a radial line slot antenna plasma source as a platform, the authors illustrate how cycle time, ionmore » energy, and radical to ion ratio can be manipulated to manage the deviation from ideality when cycle times are shortened or purges are incomplete. Cell based Monte Carlo feature scale modeling is used to illustrate profile outcomes. Experimental results of atomic layer etching processes are illustrated on silicon line and space structures such that iso-dense bias and aspect ratio dependent free profiles are produced. Experimental results also illustrate the profile control margin as processes move from atomic layer to multilayer by layer etching. The consequence of not controlling contamination (e.g., oxygen) is shown to result in deposition and roughness generation.« less

Hydrogen suppression of 'ductile' processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sisson, R. D., Jr.; Wilson, J. H.; Adler, T. A.; Mcnitt, R. P.; Louthan, M. R., Jr.

1980-01-01

Experimental results are reported for torsional fatigue specimens of high-strength steel 4370 and tensile bars of mild steel A-106 which present evidence of a hydrogen-induced strain-aided hardening effect. These results are consistent with the postulate that hydrogen suppresses ductile processes required for crack initiation at large plastic strains.

How scientific experiments are designed: Problem solving in a knowledge-rich, error-rich environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Lisa M.

While theory formation and the relation between theory and data has been investigated in many studies of scientific reasoning, researchers have focused less attention on reasoning about experimental design, even though the experimental design process makes up a large part of real-world scientists' reasoning. The goal of this thesis was to provide a cognitive account of the scientific experimental design process by analyzing experimental design as problem-solving behavior (Newell & Simon, 1972). Three specific issues were addressed: the effect of potential error on experimental design strategies, the role of prior knowledge in experimental design, and the effect of characteristics of the space of alternate hypotheses on alternate hypothesis testing. A two-pronged in vivo/in vitro research methodology was employed, in which transcripts of real-world scientific laboratory meetings were analyzed as well as undergraduate science and non-science majors' design of biology experiments in the psychology laboratory. It was found that scientists use a specific strategy to deal with the possibility of error in experimental findings: they include "known" control conditions in their experimental designs both to determine whether error is occurring and to identify sources of error. The known controls strategy had not been reported in earlier studies with science-like tasks, in which participants' responses to error had consisted of replicating experiments and discounting results. With respect to prior knowledge: scientists and undergraduate students drew on several types of knowledge when designing experiments, including theoretical knowledge, domain-specific knowledge of experimental techniques, and domain-general knowledge of experimental design strategies. Finally, undergraduate science students generated and tested alternates to their favored hypotheses when the space of alternate hypotheses was constrained and searchable. This result may help explain findings of confirmation bias in earlier studies using science-like tasks, in which characteristics of the alternate hypothesis space may have made it unfeasible for participants to generate and test alternate hypotheses. In general, scientists and science undergraduates were found to engage in a systematic experimental design process that responded to salient features of the problem environment, including the constant potential for experimental error, availability of alternate hypotheses, and access to both theoretical knowledge and knowledge of experimental techniques.

Chemical vapor deposition growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ruth, R. P.; Manasevit, H. M.; Campbell, A. G.; Johnson, R. E.; Kenty, J. L.; Moudy, L. A.; Shaw, G. L.; Simpson, W. I.; Yang, J. J.

1978-01-01

The objective was to investigate and develop chemical vapor deposition (CVD) techniques for the growth of large areas of Si sheet on inexpensive substrate materials, with resulting sheet properties suitable for fabricating solar cells that would meet the technical goals of the Low Cost Silicon Solar Array Project. The program involved six main technical tasks: (1) modification and test of an existing vertical-chamber CVD reactor system; (2) identification and/or development of suitable inexpensive substrate materials; (3) experimental investigation of CVD process parameters using various candidate substrate materials; (4) preparation of Si sheet samples for various special studies, including solar cell fabrication; (5) evaluation of the properties of the Si sheet material produced by the CVD process; and (6) fabrication and evaluation of experimental solar cell structures, using impurity diffusion and other standard and near-standard processing techniques supplemented late in the program by the in situ CVD growth of n(+)/p/p(+) sheet structures subsequently processed into experimental cells.

Thermoreflectance spectroscopy—Analysis of thermal processes in semiconductor lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierścińska, D.

2018-01-01

This review focuses on theoretical foundations, experimental implementation and an overview of experimental results of the thermoreflectance spectroscopy as a powerful technique for temperature monitoring and analysis of thermal processes in semiconductor lasers. This is an optical, non-contact, high spatial resolution technique providing high temperature resolution and mapping capabilities. Thermoreflectance is a thermometric technique based on measuring of relative change of reflectivity of the surface of laser facet, which provides thermal images useful in hot spot detection and reliability studies. In this paper, principles and experimental implementation of the technique as a thermography tool is discussed. Some exemplary applications of TR to various types of lasers are presented, proving that thermoreflectance technique provides new insight into heat management problems in semiconductor lasers and in particular, that it allows studying thermal degradation processes occurring at laser facets. Additionally, thermal processes and basic mechanisms of degradation of the semiconductor laser are discussed.

Influence of subsolvus thermomechanical processing on the low-cycle fatigue properties of haynes 230 alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vecchio, Kenneth S.; Fitzpatrick, Michael D.; Klarstrom, Dwaine

1995-03-01

Strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue tests have been conducted in air at elevated temperature to determine the influence of subsolvus thermomechanical processing on the low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of HAYNES 230 alloy. A series of tests at various strain ranges was conducted on material experimentally processed at 1121 °C, which is below the M23C6 carbide solvus temperature, and on material fully solution annealed at 1232 °C. A comparative strain-life analysis was performed on the LCF results, and the cyclic hardening/softening characteristics were examined. At 760 °C and 871 °C, the fatigue life of the experimental 230/1121 material was improved relative to the standard 230/1232 material up to a factor of 3. The fatigue life advantage of the experimental material was related primarily to a lower plastic (inelastic) strain amplitude response for a given imposed total strain range. It appears the increase in monotonic flow stress exhibited by the finer grain size experimental material has been translated into an increase in cyclic flow stress at the 760 °C and 871 °C test temperatures. Both materials exhibited entirely transgranular fatigue crack initiation and propagation modes at these temperatures. The LCF performance of the experimental material in tests performed at 982 °C was improved relative to the standard material up to a factor as high as 2. The life advantage of the 230/1121 material occurred despite having a larger plastic strain amplitude than the standard 230/1232 material for a given total strain range. Though not fully understood at present, it is suspected that this behavior is related to the deleterious influence of grain boundaries in the fatigue crack initiations of the standard processed material relative to the experimental material, and ultimately to differences in carbide morphology as a result of thermomechanical processing.

Energy Research - Sandia Energy

Science.gov Websites

learning process and validating the MagLIF approach. Sandia's team will also use their experimental results monitoring, to non-destructively measure the transport and composition of plant sap and products of experimental systems, at different polymer fractions, compared with corresponding SCFT calculations. Bottom

Experimental and Computational Studies of Cortical Neural Network Properties Through Signal Processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clawson, Wesley Patrick

Previous studies, both theoretical and experimental, of network level dynamics in the cerebral cortex show evidence for a statistical phenomenon called criticality; a phenomenon originally studied in the context of phase transitions in physical systems and that is associated with favorable information processing in the context of the brain. The focus of this thesis is to expand upon past results with new experimentation and modeling to show a relationship between criticality and the ability to detect and discriminate sensory input. A line of theoretical work predicts maximal sensory discrimination as a functional benefit of criticality, which can then be characterized using mutual information between sensory input, visual stimulus, and neural response,. The primary finding of our experiments in the visual cortex in turtles and neuronal network modeling confirms this theoretical prediction. We show that sensory discrimination is maximized when visual cortex operates near criticality. In addition to presenting this primary finding in detail, this thesis will also address our preliminary results on change-point-detection in experimentally measured cortical dynamics.

Dynamics of the brain: Mathematical models and non-invasive experimental studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toronov, V.; Myllylä, T.; Kiviniemi, V.; Tuchin, V. V.

2013-10-01

Dynamics is an essential aspect of the brain function. In this article we review theoretical models of neural and haemodynamic processes in the human brain and experimental non-invasive techniques developed to study brain functions and to measure dynamic characteristics, such as neurodynamics, neurovascular coupling, haemodynamic changes due to brain activity and autoregulation, and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen. We focus on emerging theoretical biophysical models and experimental functional neuroimaging results, obtained mostly by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). We also included our current results on the effects of blood pressure variations on cerebral haemodynamics and simultaneous measurements of fast processes in the brain by near-infrared spectroscopy and a very novel functional MRI technique called magnetic resonance encephalography. Based on a rapid progress in theoretical and experimental techniques and due to the growing computational capacities and combined use of rapidly improving and emerging neuroimaging techniques we anticipate during next decade great achievements in the overall knowledge of the human brain.

Experimental research of radio-frequency ion thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antropov, N. N.; Akhmetzhanov, R. V.; Bogatyy, A. V.; Grishin, R. A.; Kozhevnikov, V. V.; Plokhikh, A. P.; Popov, G. A.; Khartov, S. A.

2016-12-01

The article is devoted to the research of low-power (300 W) radio-frequency ion thruster designed at the Moscow Aviation Institute. The main results of experimental research of the thruster using the testfacility power supplies and the power processing unit of their own design are presented. The dependence of the working fluid ionization cost on its mass flow rate at the constant ion beam current was investigated experimentally. The influence of the shape and material of the discharge chamber on the integral characteristics of the thruster was studied. The recommendations on the optimization of the thruster primary performance were developed based on the results of experimental studies.

Experimental investigation and model verification for a GAX absorber

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmer, S.C.; Christensen, R.N.

1996-12-31

In the ammonia-water generator-absorber heat exchange (GAX) absorption heat pump, the heat and mass transfer processes which occur between the generator and absorber are the most crucial in assuring that the heat pump will achieve COPs competitive with those of current technologies. In this study, a model is developed for the heat and mass transfer processes that occur in a counter-current vertical fluted tube absorber (VFTA) with inserts. Correlations for heat and mass transfer in annuli are used to model the processes in the VTA. Experimental data is used to validate the model for three different insert geometries. Comparison ofmore » model results with experimental data provides insight into model corrections necessary to bring the model into agreement with the physical phenomena observed in the laboratory.« less

Experimental Study on Ice Forming Process of Cryogenic Liquid Releasing underwater

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Bin; Wu, Wanqing; Zhang, Xingdong; Zhang, Yi; Zhang, Chuanlin; Zhang, Haoran; Wang, Peng

2017-11-01

Cryogenic liquid releasing into water would be a process combines hyperactive boiling with ice forming. There are still few researches on the experimental study on the environmental conditions for deciding ice forming speed and liquid surviving state. In this paper, to advance our understanding of ice forming deciding factors in the process of LN2 releasing underwater, a visualization experimental system is built. The results show that the pressure difference significantly influences the ice forming speed and liquid surviving distance, which is observed by the experiment and theoretically analysed by Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. Adding nucleating agent is helpful to provide ice nucleus which can accelerate the ice forming speed. Water flowing has some effect on changing pressure difference, which can affect the ice forming speed and liquid surviving distance.

Effects of video-game play on information processing: a meta-analytic investigation.

PubMed

Powers, Kasey L; Brooks, Patricia J; Aldrich, Naomi J; Palladino, Melissa A; Alfieri, Louis

2013-12-01

Do video games enhance cognitive functioning? We conducted two meta-analyses based on different research designs to investigate how video games impact information-processing skills (auditory processing, executive functions, motor skills, spatial imagery, and visual processing). Quasi-experimental studies (72 studies, 318 comparisons) compare habitual gamers with controls; true experiments (46 studies, 251 comparisons) use commercial video games in training. Using random-effects models, video games led to improved information processing in both the quasi-experimental studies, d = 0.61, 95% CI [0.50, 0.73], and the true experiments, d = 0.48, 95% CI [0.35, 0.60]. Whereas the quasi-experimental studies yielded small to large effect sizes across domains, the true experiments yielded negligible effects for executive functions, which contrasted with the small to medium effect sizes in other domains. The quasi-experimental studies appeared more susceptible to bias than were the true experiments, with larger effects being reported in higher-tier than in lower-tier journals, and larger effects reported by the most active research groups in comparison with other labs. The results are further discussed with respect to other moderators and limitations in the extant literature.

Experimental, theoretical, and device application development of nanoscale focused electron-beam-induced deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Randolph, Steven Jeffrey

Electron-beam-induced deposition (EBID) is a highly versatile nanofabrication technique that allows for growth of a variety of materials with nanoscale precision and resolution. While several applications and studies of EBID have been reported and published, there is still a significant lack of understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in the process. Consequently, EBID process control is, in general, limited and certain common experimental results regarding nanofiber growth have yet to be fully explained. Such anomalous results have been addressed in this work both experimentally and by computer simulation. Specifically, a correlation between SiOx nanofiber deposition observations and the phenomenon of electron beam heating (EBH) was shown by comparison of thermal computer models and experimental results. Depending on the beam energy, beam current, and nanostructure geometry, the heat generated can be substantial and may influence the deposition rate. Temperature dependent EBID growth experiments qualitatively verified the results of the EBH model. Additionally, EBID was used to produce surface image layers for maskless, direct-write lithography (MDL). A single layer process used directly written SiOx features as a masking layer for amorphous silicon thin films. A bilayer process implemented a secondary masking layer consisting of standard photoresist into which a pattern---directly written by EBID tungsten---was transferred. The single layer process was found to be extremely sensitive to the etch selectivity of the plasma etch. In the bilayer process, EBID tungsten was written onto photoresist and the pattern transferred by means of oxygen plasma dry development following a brief refractory descum. Conditions were developed to reduce the spatial spread of electrons in the photoresist layer and obtain ˜ 35 nm lines. Finally, an EBID-based technique for field emitter repair was applied to the Digital Electrostatically focused e-beam Array Lithography (DEAL) parallel electron beam lithography configuration to repair damaged or missing carbon nanofiber cathodes. The I-V response and lithography results from EBID tungsten-based devices were comparable to CNF-based DEAL devices indicating a successful repair technique.

Advanced oxidation of commercial herbicides mixture: experimental design and phytotoxicity evaluation.

PubMed

López, Alejandro; Coll, Andrea; Lescano, Maia; Zalazar, Cristina

2017-05-05

In this work, the suitability of the UV/H 2 O 2 process for commercial herbicides mixture degradation was studied. Glyphosate, the herbicide most widely used in the world, was mixed with other herbicides that have residual activity as 2,4-D and atrazine. Modeling of the process response related to specific operating conditions like initial pH and initial H 2 O 2 to total organic carbon molar ratio was assessed by the response surface methodology (RSM). Results have shown that second-order polynomial regression model could well describe and predict the system behavior within the tested experimental region. It also correctly explained the variability in the experimental data. Experimental values were in good agreement with the modeled ones confirming the significance of the model and highlighting the success of RSM for UV/H 2 O 2 process modeling. Phytotoxicity evolution throughout the photolytic degradation process was checked through germination tests indicating that the phytotoxicity of the herbicides mixture was significantly reduced after the treatment. The end point for the treatment at the operating conditions for maximum TOC conversion was also identified.

ARTICLES: Thermohydrodynamic models of the interaction of pulse-periodic radiation with matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arutyunyan, R. V.; Baranov, V. Yu; Bol'shov, Leonid A.; Malyuta, D. D.; Mezhevov, V. S.; Pis'mennyĭ, V. D.

1987-02-01

Experimental and theoretical investigations were made of the processes of drilling and deep melting of metals by pulsed and pulse-periodic laser radiation. Direct photography of the surface revealed molten metal splashing due to interaction with single CO2 laser pulses. A proposed thermohydrodynamic model was used to account for the experimental results and to calculate the optimal parameters of pulse-periodic radiation needed for deep melting. The melt splashing processes were simulated numerically.

Experimental study on natural circulation precooling of cryogenic pump system with gas phase inlet reflux configuration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, G. B.; Zhong, Y. K.; Zheng, X. L.; Li, Q. F.; Xie, X. M.; Gan, Z. H.; Huang, Y. H.; Tang, K.; Kong, B.; Qiu, L. M.

2003-12-01

A novel gas-phase inlet configuration in the natural circulation system instead of the liquid-phase inlet is introduced to cool down a cryogenic pump system from room temperature to cryogenic temperatures, effectively. The experimental apparatus is illustrated and test process is described. Heat transfer and pressure drop data during the cool-down process are recorded and portrayed. By contrast with liquid-phase inlet configuration, experimental results demonstrate that the natural circulation with the gas-phase inlet configuration is an easier and more controllable way to cool down the pump system and maintain it at cryogenic temperatures.

Comparison of Computational and Experimental Microphone Array Results for an 18%-Scale Aircraft Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lockard, David P.; Humphreys, William M.; Khorrami, Mehdi R.; Fares, Ehab; Casalino, Damiano; Ravetta, Patricio A.

2015-01-01

An 18%-scale, semi-span model is used as a platform for examining the efficacy of microphone array processing using synthetic data from numerical simulations. Two hybrid RANS/LES codes coupled with Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings solvers are used to calculate 97 microphone signals at the locations of an array employed in the NASA LaRC 14x22 tunnel. Conventional, DAMAS, and CLEAN-SC array processing is applied in an identical fashion to the experimental and computational results for three different configurations involving deploying and retracting the main landing gear and a part span flap. Despite the short time records of the numerical signals, the beamform maps are able to isolate the noise sources, and the appearance of the DAMAS synthetic array maps is generally better than those from the experimental data. The experimental CLEAN-SC maps are similar in quality to those from the simulations indicating that CLEAN-SC may have less sensitivity to background noise. The spectrum obtained from DAMAS processing of synthetic array data is nearly identical to the spectrum of the center microphone of the array, indicating that for this problem array processing of synthetic data does not improve spectral comparisons with experiment. However, the beamform maps do provide an additional means of comparison that can reveal differences that cannot be ascertained from spectra alone.

Customized data container for improved performance in optical cryptosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vélez Zea, Alejandro; Fredy Barrera, John; Torroba, Roberto

2016-12-01

Coherent optical encryption procedures introduce speckle noise to the output, limiting many practical applications. Until now the only method available to avoid this noise is to codify the information to be processed into a container that is encrypted instead of the original data. Although the decrypted container presents the noise due to the optical processing, their features remain recognizable enough to allow decoding, bringing the original information free of any kind of degradation. The first adopted containers were the quick response (QR) codes. However, the limitations of optical encryption procedures and the features of QR codes imply that in practice only simple codes containing small amounts of data can be processed without large experimental requirements. In order to overcome this problem, we introduce the first tailor made container to be processed in optical cryptosystems, ensuring larger noise tolerance and the ability to process more information with less experimental requirements. We present both simulations and experimental results to demonstrate the advantages of our proposal.

Experimental investigation of springback in air bending process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alhammadi, Aysha; Rafique, Hafsa; Alkaabi, Meera; Abu Qudeiri, Jaber

2018-03-01

Bending processes is one of the important processes in sheet metal forming. One of the challenge that faces the air bending process is springback, which happens due to the elastic recovery during unloading stage. An accurate analysis of springback during the bending process is crucial to achieve a required bend angle. This paper will investigate the springback experimentally by changing many parameters such as tested material, die opening, thickness, etc. and finding its effect on the value of springback. Additionally, the paper will investigate the effect of loading time at the end of loading stage on the springback by proposing a multistage bending technique (MBT). In MBT, the loading will stop during loading stage just before the end of this stage and it will restart again shortly after. In this study, three sheet metals with different thickness will be examined, namely stainless steel, aluminium and brass. Artificial neural network (ANN) will be utilized to develop a prediction model to predict springback based on the experimental results.

MCMEG: Simulations of both PDD and TPR for 6 MV LINAC photon beam using different MC codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fonseca, T. C. F.; Mendes, B. M.; Lacerda, M. A. S.; Silva, L. A. C.; Paixão, L.; Bastos, F. M.; Ramirez, J. V.; Junior, J. P. R.

2017-11-01

The Monte Carlo Modelling Expert Group (MCMEG) is an expert network specializing in Monte Carlo radiation transport and the modelling and simulation applied to the radiation protection and dosimetry research field. For the first inter-comparison task the group launched an exercise to model and simulate a 6 MV LINAC photon beam using the Monte Carlo codes available within their laboratories and validate their simulated results by comparing them with experimental measurements carried out in the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The experimental measurements were performed using an ionization chamber with calibration traceable to a Secondary Standard Dosimetry Laboratory (SSDL). The detector was immersed in a water phantom at different depths and was irradiated with a radiation field size of 10×10 cm2. This exposure setup was used to determine the dosimetric parameters Percentage Depth Dose (PDD) and Tissue Phantom Ratio (TPR). The validation process compares the MC calculated results to the experimental measured PDD20,10 and TPR20,10. Simulations were performed reproducing the experimental TPR20,10 quality index which provides a satisfactory description of both the PDD curve and the transverse profiles at the two depths measured. This paper reports in detail the modelling process using MCNPx, MCNP6, EGSnrc and Penelope Monte Carlo codes, the source and tally descriptions, the validation processes and the results.

Investigation of approximate models of experimental temperature characteristics of machines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parfenov, I. V.; Polyakov, A. N.

2018-05-01

This work is devoted to the investigation of various approaches to the approximation of experimental data and the creation of simulation mathematical models of thermal processes in machines with the aim of finding ways to reduce the time of their field tests and reducing the temperature error of the treatments. The main methods of research which the authors used in this work are: the full-scale thermal testing of machines; realization of various approaches at approximation of experimental temperature characteristics of machine tools by polynomial models; analysis and evaluation of modelling results (model quality) of the temperature characteristics of machines and their derivatives up to the third order in time. As a result of the performed researches, rational methods, type, parameters and complexity of simulation mathematical models of thermal processes in machine tools are proposed.

Premixed flame propagation in combustible particle cloud mixtures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Seshadri, K.; Yang, B.

1993-01-01

The structures of premixed flames propagating in combustible systems, containing uniformly distributed volatile fuel particles, in an oxidizing gas mixtures is analyzed. The experimental results show that steady flame propagation occurs even if the initial equivalence ratio of the combustible mixture based on the gaseous fuel available in the particles, phi(u) is substantially larger than unity. A model is developed to explain these experimental observations. In the model it is presumed that the fuel particles vaporize first to yield a gaseous fuel of known chemical composition which then reacts with oxygen in a one-step overall process. It is shown that the interplay of vaporization kinetics and oxidation process, can result in steady flame propagation in combustible mixtures where the value of phi(u) is substantially larger than unity. This prediction is in agreement with experimental observations.

Traveling Magnetic Field Applications for Materials Processing in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, R. N.; Mazuruk, K.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Including the capability to induce a controlled fluid flow in the melt can significantly enrich research on solidification phenomena in a microgravity environment. The traveling magnetic field (TMF) is a promising technique to achieve this goal and is the aim of our ground-based project. In this presentation we will discuss new theoretical as well as experimental results recently obtained by our group. In particular, we experimentally demonstrated efficient mixing of metal alloys in long tubes subjected to TMF during processing. Application of this technique can provide an elegant solution to ensure melt homogenization prior to solidification in a microgravity environment where natural convection is generally absent. Results of our experimental work of applying the TMF technique to alloy melts will be presented. Possible applications of TMF on board the International Space Station will also be discussed.

Optimization of critical quality attributes in continuous twin-screw wet granulation via design space validated with pilot scale experimental data.

PubMed

Liu, Huolong; Galbraith, S C; Ricart, Brendon; Stanton, Courtney; Smith-Goettler, Brandye; Verdi, Luke; O'Connor, Thomas; Lee, Sau; Yoon, Seongkyu

2017-06-15

In this study, the influence of key process variables (screw speed, throughput and liquid to solid (L/S) ratio) of a continuous twin screw wet granulation (TSWG) was investigated using a central composite face-centered (CCF) experimental design method. Regression models were developed to predict the process responses (motor torque, granule residence time), granule properties (size distribution, volume average diameter, yield, relative width, flowability) and tablet properties (tensile strength). The effects of the three key process variables were analyzed via contour and interaction plots. The experimental results have demonstrated that all the process responses, granule properties and tablet properties are influenced by changing the screw speed, throughput and L/S ratio. The TSWG process was optimized to produce granules with specific volume average diameter of 150μm and the yield of 95% based on the developed regression models. A design space (DS) was built based on volume average granule diameter between 90 and 200μm and the granule yield larger than 75% with a failure probability analysis using Monte Carlo simulations. Validation experiments successfully validated the robustness and accuracy of the DS generated using the CCF experimental design in optimizing a continuous TSWG process. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prediction of Time Response of Electrowetting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seung Jun; Hong, Jiwoo; Kang, Kwan Hyoung

2009-11-01

It is very important to predict the time response of electrowetting-based devices, such as liquid lenses, reflective displays, and optical switches. We investigated the time response of electrowetting, based on an analytical and a numerical method, to find out characteristic scales and a scaling law for the switching time. For this, spreading process of a sessile droplet was analyzed based on the domain perturbation method. First, we considered the case of weakly viscous fluids. The analytical result for the spreading process was compared with experimental results, which showed very good agreement in overall time response. It was shown that the overall dynamics is governed by P2 shape mode. We derived characteristic scales combining the droplet volume, density, and surface tension. The overall dynamic process was scaled quite well by the scales. A scaling law was derived from the analytical solution and was verified experimentally. We also suggest a scaling law for highly viscous liquids, based on results of numerical analysis for the electrowetting-actuated spreading process.

Astigmatism transfer phenomena in the optical parametric amplification process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Wenkai; Chen, Yun; Li, Yanyan; Xu, Yi; Guo, Xiaoyang; Lu, Jun; Leng, Yuxin

2017-01-01

We numerically and experimentally investigate the astigmatism transfer phenomena in femtosecond optical parametric amplification (OPA). We model the OPA process based on the coupled second-order three-wave nonlinear propagation equations. The numerical and experimental results support that the input pump pulse astigmatism can be transferred into the idler pulse but not the signal pulse, and the idler pulse astigmatism originating from spatial walk-off is less than the idler pulse astigmatism received from the pump. Thus, we can provide a clear understanding of astigmatism transfer mechanisms in the OPA process, and make better use of broadband tunable OPA sources.

A Theoretical and Experimental Analysis of the Outside World Perception Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wewerinke, P. H.

1978-01-01

The outside scene is often an important source of information for manual control tasks. Important examples of these are car driving and aircraft control. This paper deals with modelling this visual scene perception process on the basis of linear perspective geometry and the relative motion cues. Model predictions utilizing psychophysical threshold data from base-line experiments and literature of a variety of visual approach tasks are compared with experimental data. Both the performance and workload results illustrate that the model provides a meaningful description of the outside world perception process, with a useful predictive capability.

Study the effect of elevated dies temperature on aluminium and steel round deep drawing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lean, Yeong Wei; Azuddin, M.

2016-02-01

Round deep drawing operation can only be realized by expensive multi-step production processes. To reduce the cost of processes while expecting an acceptable result, round deep drawing can be done at elevated temperature. There are 3 common problems which are fracture, wrinkling and earing of deep drawing a round cup. The main objective is to investigate the effect of dies temperature on aluminium and steel round deep drawing; with a sub-objective of eliminate fracture and reducing wrinkling effect. Experimental method is conducted with 3 different techniques on heating the die. The techniques are heating both upper and lower dies, heating only the upper dies, and heating only the lower dies. 4 different temperatures has been chosen throughout the experiment. The experimental result then will be compared with finite element analysis software. There is a positive result from steel material on heating both upper and lower dies, where the simulation result shows comparable as experimental result. Heating both upper and lower dies will be the best among 3 types of heating techniques.

Ultrasonic Vibration Assisted Grinding of Bio-ceramic Materials: Modeling, Simulation, and Experimental Investigations on Edge Chipping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tesfay, Hayelom D.

Bio-ceramics are those engineered materials that find their applications in the field of biomedical engineering or medicine. They have been widely used in dental restorations, repairing bones, joint replacements, pacemakers, kidney dialysis machines, and respirators. etc. due to their physico-chemical properties, such as excellent corrosion resistance, good biocompatibility, high strength and high wear resistance. Because of their inherent brittleness and hardness nature they are difficult to machine to exact sizes and dimensions. Abrasive machining processes such as grinding is one of the most widely used manufacturing processes for bioceramics. However, the principal technical challenge resulted from these machining is edge chipping. Edge chipping is a common edge failure commonly observed during the machining of bio-ceramic materials. The presence of edge chipping on bio-ceramic products affects dimensional accuracy, increases manufacturing cost, hider their industrial applications and causes potential failure during service. To overcome these technological challenges, a new ultrasonic vibration-assisted grinding (UVAG) manufacturing method has been developed and employed in this research. The ultimate aim of this study is to develop a new cost-effective manufacturing process relevant to eliminate edge chippings in grinding of bio-ceramic materials. In this dissertation, comprehensive investigations will be carried out using experimental, theoretical, and numerical approaches to evaluate the effect of ultrasonic vibrations on edge chipping of bioceramics. Moreover, effects of nine input variables (static load, vibration frequency, grinding depth, spindle speed, grinding distance, tool speed, grain size, grain number, and vibration amplitude) on edge chipping will be studied based on the developed models. Following a description of previous research and existing approaches, a series of experimental tests on three bio-ceramic materials (Lava, partially fired Lava, and Alumina) were conducted. Based on the experimental results, analytical models for UVAG and CG (conventional grinding without ultrasonic vibration) processes were developed. As for the numerical study, an extended finite element method (XFEM) based on Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) in ABAQUS was used to model the formation of edge chippings both for UVAG and CG processes. The experimental results are compared against the numerical FEA and the analytical models. The experimental, theoretical, and computational simulation results revealed that the edge chipping size of bioceramics can be significantly reduced with the assistance of ultrasonic vibration. The investigation procedures and the results obtained in this dissertation would be used as a reference and practical guidance for choosing reasonable process variables as well as designing mathematical (analytical and numerical) models in manufacturing industries and academic institutions when the edge chippings of brittle materials are expected to be controlled.

Optimization of processing parameters of amaranth grits before grinding into flour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zharkova, I. M.; Safonova, Yu A.; Slepokurova, Yu I.

2018-05-01

There are the results of experimental studies about the influence of infrared treatment (IR processing) parameters of the amaranth grits before their grinding into flour on the composition and properties of the received product. Using the method called as regressionfactor analysis, the optimal conditions of the thermal processing to the amaranth grits were obtained: the belt speed of the conveyor – 0.049 m/s; temperature of amaranth grits in the tempering silo – 65.4 °C the thickness of the layer of amaranth grits on the belt is 3 - 5 mm and the lamp power is 69.2 kW/m2. The conducted researches confirmed that thermal effect to the amaranth grains in the IR setting allows getting flour with a smaller size of starch grains, with the increased water-holding ability, and with a changed value of its glycemic index. Mathematical processing of experimental data allowed establishing the dependence of the structural and technological characteristics of the amaranth flour on the IR processing parameters of amaranth grits. The obtained results are quite consistent with the experimental ones that proves the effectiveness of optimization based on mathematical planning of the experiment to determine the influence of heat treatment optimal parameters of the amaranth grits on the functional and technological properties of the flour received from it.

Dimensional processing of composite materials by picosecond pulsed ytterbium fiber laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotov, S. A.

2017-12-01

In this paper, an experimental study of laser dimensional processing of thermoset carbon fiber reinforced plastics with a thickness of 2 and 3 mm was performed. In the process of work test rig setup based on picosecond pulsed fiber laser with 1.06 microns wavelength and 30 W average power was developed. Experimental tests were carried out at the maximum average power, with laser beam moved by a galvanometric mirrors system. Cutting tests were executed with different scanning velocity, using different laser modes, number of repetitions, hatching distance and focal plane position without process gas. As a result of the research recommendations for the selection processing mode parameters, providing minimal heat affected zone, good kerf geometry and high cutting speed were produced.

Welding of Al6061and Al6082-Cu composite by friction stir processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iyer, R. B.; Dhabale, R. B.; Jatti, V. S.

2016-09-01

Present study aims at investigating the influence of process parameters on the microstructure and mechanical properties such as tensile strength and hardness of the dissimilar metal without and with copper powder. Before conducting the copper powder experiments, optimum process parameters were obtained by conducting experiments without copper powder. Taguchi's experimental L9 orthogonal design layout was used to carry out the experiments without copper powder. Threaded pin tool geometry was used for conducting the experiments. Based on the experimental results and Taguchi's analysis it was found that maximum tensile strength of 66.06 MPa was obtained at 1400 rpm spindle speed and weld speed of 20 mm/min. Maximum micro hardness (92 HV) was obtained at 1400 rpm spindle speed and weld speed of 16 mm/min. At these optimal setting of process parameters aluminium alloys were welded with the copper powder. Experimental results demonstrated that the tensile strength (96.54 MPa) and micro hardness (105 HV) of FSW was notably affected by the addition of copper powder when compared with FSW joint without copper powder. Tensile failure specimen was analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy in order to study the failure mechanism.

Experimental simulation of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius, Italy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jolis, E. M.; Freda, C.; Troll, V. R.; Deegan, F. M.; Blythe, L. S.; McLeod, C. L.; Davidson, J. P.

2013-11-01

We simulated the process of magma-carbonate interaction beneath Mt. Vesuvius in short duration piston-cylinder experiments under controlled magmatic conditions (from 0 to 300 s at 0.5 GPa and 1,200 °C), using a Vesuvius shoshonite composition and upper crustal limestone and dolostone as starting materials. Backscattered electron images and chemical analysis (major and trace elements and Sr isotopes) of sequential experimental products allow us to identify the textural and chemical evolution of carbonated products during the assimilation process. We demonstrate that melt-carbonate interaction can be extremely fast (minutes), and results in dynamic contamination of the host melt with respect to Ca, Mg and 87Sr/86Sr, coupled with intense CO2 vesiculation at the melt-carbonate interface. Binary mixing between carbonate and uncontaminated melt cannot explain the geochemical variations of the experimental charges in full and convection and diffusion likely also operated in the charges. Physical mixing and mingling driven by exsolving volatiles seems to be a key process to promote melt homogenisation. Our results reinforce hypotheses that magma-carbonate interaction is a relevant and ongoing process at Mt. Vesuvius and one that may operate not only on a geological, but on a human timescale.

Analysis and Evaluation of Parameters Determining Maximum Efficiency of Fish Protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khetsuriani, E. D.; Kostyukov, V. P.; Khetsuriani, T. E.

2017-11-01

The article is concerned with experimental research findings. The efficiency of fish fry protection from entering water inlets is the main criterion of any fish protection facility or device. The research was aimed to determine an adequate mathematical model E = f(PCT, Vp, α), where PCT, Vp and α are controlled factors influencing the process of fish fry protection. The result of the processing of experimental data was an adequate regression model. We determined the maximum of fish protection Emax=94,21 and the minimum of optimization function Emin=44,41. As a result of the statistical processing of experimental data we obtained adequate dependences for determining an optimal rotational speed of tip and fish protection efficiency. The analysis of fish protection efficiency dependence E% = f(PCT, Vp, α) allowed the authors to recommend the following optimized operating modes for it: the maximum fish protection efficiency is achieved at the process pressure PCT=3 atm, stream velocity Vp=0,42 m/s and nozzle inclination angle α=47°49’. The stream velocity Vp has the most critical influence on fish protection efficiency. The maximum efficiency of fish protection is obtained at the tip rotational speed of 70.92 rpm.

Simulation of thermally induced processes of diffusion and phase formation in layered binary metallic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusakov, V. S.; Sukhorukov, I. A.; Zhankadamova, A. M.; Kadyrzhanov, K. K.

2010-05-01

Results of the simulation of thermally induced processes of diffusion and phase formation in model and experimentally investigated layered binary metallic systems are presented. The physical model is based on the Darken phenomenological theory and on the mechanism of interdiffusion of components along the continuous diffusion channels of phases in the two-phase regions of the system. The simulation of processes in the model systems showed that the thermally stabilized concentration profiles in two-layer binary metallic systems are virtually independent of the partial diffusion coefficients; for the systems with the average concentration of components that is the same over the sample depth, the time of the thermal stabilization of the structural and phase state inhomogeneous over the depth grows according to a power law with increasing thickness of the system in such a manner that the thicknesses of the surface layers grow, while the thickness of the intermediate layer approaches a constant value. The results of the simulation of the processes of diffusion and phase formation in experimentally investigated layered binary systems Fe-Ti and Cu-Be upon sequential isothermal and isochronous annealings agree well with the experimental data.

Real-cinematographic visualization of droplet ejection in thermal ink jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rembe, Christian; Patzer, Joachim; Hofer, Eberhard P.; Krehl, Peter

1996-03-01

Although thermal ink jet printers have gained a high market share there are still open questions left in the understanding of the processes in ink jet firing chambers. The experimental investigation of these processes is difficult due to the extremely short time durations of the different phenomena. For example, the bubble life time amounts to approximately 20 microsecond(s) . A new experimental set-up is presented to record phenomena of very short time duration like the bubble nucleation process and the beginning of droplet ejection. This set-up allows realcinematographic visualization with a local resolution of less than 1 micrometers and a time resolution of 10 ns. This also offers the possibility to investigate transient processes like the droplet ejection at high printing frequencies. The essential part of the set-up is a new high speed camera. With an exact evaluation of the digitized images the locus, velocity, and acceleration distributions of the phase interface from liquid to vapor/air can be measured. In addition the results of a numerical model with realistic geometry of the firing chamber and the nozzle have been compared with the experimental results to draw conclusions for pressure propagation in the vapor bubble.

Real-time discrete suboptimal control for systems with input and state delays: Experimental tests on a dehydration process.

PubMed

Rodríguez-Guerrero, Liliam; Santos-Sánchez, Omar-Jacobo; Cervantes-Escorcia, Nicolás; Romero, Hugo

2017-11-01

This article presents a suboptimal control strategy with finite horizon for affine nonlinear discrete systems with both state and input delays. The Dynamic Programming Approach is used to obtain the suboptimal control sequence, but in order to avoid the computation of the Bellman functional, a numerical approximation of this function is proposed in every step. The feasibility of our proposal is demonstrated via an experimental test on a dehydration process and the obtained results show a good performance and behavior of this process. Then in order to demonstrate the benefits of using this kind of control strategy, the results are compared with a non optimal control strategy, particularly with respect to results produced by an industrial Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) Honeywell controller, which is tuned using the Ziegler-Nichols method. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling and optimization of joint quality for laser transmission joint of thermoplastic using an artificial neural network and a genetic algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiao; Zhang, Cheng; Li, Pin; Wang, Kai; Hu, Yang; Zhang, Peng; Liu, Huixia

2012-11-01

A central composite rotatable experimental design(CCRD) is conducted to design experiments for laser transmission joining of thermoplastic-Polycarbonate (PC). The artificial neural network was used to establish the relationships between laser transmission joining process parameters (the laser power, velocity, clamp pressure, scanning number) and joint strength and joint seam width. The developed mathematical models are tested by analysis of variance (ANOVA) method to check their adequacy and the effects of process parameters on the responses and the interaction effects of key process parameters on the quality are analyzed and discussed. Finally, the desirability function coupled with genetic algorithm is used to carry out the optimization of the joint strength and joint width. The results show that the predicted results of the optimization are in good agreement with the experimental results, so this study provides an effective method to enhance the joint quality.

The effective molarity (EM)--a computational approach.

PubMed

Karaman, Rafik

2010-08-01

The effective molarity (EM) for 12 intramolecular S(N)2 processes involving the formation of substituted aziridines and substituted epoxides were computed using ab initio and DFT calculation methods. Strong correlation was found between the calculated effective molarity and the experimentally determined values. This result could open a door for obtaining EM values for intramolecular processes that are difficult to be experimentally provided. Furthermore, the calculation results reveal that the driving forces for ring-closing reactions in the two different systems are proximity orientation of the nucleophile to the electrophile and the ground strain energies of the products and the reactants. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optical Multiple Access Network (OMAN) for advanced processing satellite applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mendez, Antonio J.; Gagliardi, Robert M.; Park, Eugene; Ivancic, William D.; Sherman, Bradley D.

1991-01-01

An OMAN breadboard for exploring advanced processing satellite circuit switch applications is introduced. Network architecture, hardware trade offs, and multiple user interference issues are presented. The breadboard test set up and experimental results are discussed.

Effect of drying parameters on physiochemical and sensory properties of fruit powders processed by PGSS-, Vacuum- and Spray-drying.

PubMed

Feguš, Urban; Žigon, Uroš; Petermann, Marcus; Knez, Željko

2015-01-01

Aim of this experimental work was to investigate the possibility of producing fruit powders without employing drying aid and to investigate the effect of drying temperatures on the final powder characteristics. Raw fruit materials (banana puree, strawberry puree and blueberry concentrate) were processed using three different drying techniques each operating at a different temperature conditions: vacuum-drying (-27-17 °C), Spray-drying (130-160 °C) and PGSS-drying (112-152 °C). Moisture content, total colour difference, antioxidant activity and sensory characteristics of the processed fruit powders were analysed. The results obtained from the experimental work indicate that investigated fruit powders without or with minimal addition of maltodextrin can be produced. Additionally, it was observed that an increase in process temperature results in a higher loss of colour, antioxidant activity and intensity of the flavour profile.

Free-energy landscape of protein oligomerization from atomistic simulations

PubMed Central

Barducci, Alessandro; Bonomi, Massimiliano; Prakash, Meher K.; Parrinello, Michele

2013-01-01

In the realm of protein–protein interactions, the assembly process of homooligomers plays a fundamental role because the majority of proteins fall into this category. A comprehensive understanding of this multistep process requires the characterization of the driving molecular interactions and the transient intermediate species. The latter are often short-lived and thus remain elusive to most experimental investigations. Molecular simulations provide a unique tool to shed light onto these complex processes complementing experimental data. Here we combine advanced sampling techniques, such as metadynamics and parallel tempering, to characterize the oligomerization landscape of fibritin foldon domain. This system is an evolutionarily optimized trimerization motif that represents an ideal model for experimental and computational mechanistic studies. Our results are fully consistent with previous experimental nuclear magnetic resonance and kinetic data, but they provide a unique insight into fibritin foldon assembly. In particular, our simulations unveil the role of nonspecific interactions and suggest that an interplay between thermodynamic bias toward native structure and residual conformational disorder may provide a kinetic advantage. PMID:24248370

Free-energy landscape of protein oligomerization from atomistic simulations.

PubMed

Barducci, Alessandro; Bonomi, Massimiliano; Prakash, Meher K; Parrinello, Michele

2013-12-03

In the realm of protein-protein interactions, the assembly process of homooligomers plays a fundamental role because the majority of proteins fall into this category. A comprehensive understanding of this multistep process requires the characterization of the driving molecular interactions and the transient intermediate species. The latter are often short-lived and thus remain elusive to most experimental investigations. Molecular simulations provide a unique tool to shed light onto these complex processes complementing experimental data. Here we combine advanced sampling techniques, such as metadynamics and parallel tempering, to characterize the oligomerization landscape of fibritin foldon domain. This system is an evolutionarily optimized trimerization motif that represents an ideal model for experimental and computational mechanistic studies. Our results are fully consistent with previous experimental nuclear magnetic resonance and kinetic data, but they provide a unique insight into fibritin foldon assembly. In particular, our simulations unveil the role of nonspecific interactions and suggest that an interplay between thermodynamic bias toward native structure and residual conformational disorder may provide a kinetic advantage.

Analysis of the influence of manufacturing and alignment related errors on an optical tweezer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kampmann, R.; Sinzinger, S.

2014-12-01

In this work we present the design process as well as experimental results of an optical system for trapping particles in air. For positioning applications of micro-sized objects onto a glass wafer we developed a highly efficient optical tweezer. The focus of this paper is the iterative design process where we combine classical optics design software with a ray optics based force simulation tool. Thus we can find the best compromise which matches the optical systems restrictions with stable trapping conditions. Furthermore we analyze the influence of manufacturing related tolerances and errors in the alignment process of the optical elements on the optical forces. We present the design procedure for the necessary optical elements as well as experimental results for the aligned system.

Analysis Method of Friction Torque and Weld Interface Temperature during Friction Process of Steel Friction Welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, Masaaki; Inoue, Haruo; Kusaka, Masahiro; Kaizu, Koichi; Fuji, Akiyoshi

This paper describes an analysis method of the friction torque and weld interface temperature during the friction process for steel friction welding. The joining mechanism model of the friction welding for the wear and seizure stages was constructed from the actual joining phenomena that were obtained by the experiment. The non-steady two-dimensional heat transfer analysis for the friction process was carried out by calculation with FEM code ANSYS. The contact pressure, heat generation quantity, and friction torque during the wear stage were calculated using the coefficient of friction, which was considered as the constant value. The thermal stress was included in the contact pressure. On the other hand, those values during the seizure stage were calculated by introducing the coefficient of seizure, which depended on the seizure temperature. The relationship between the seizure temperature and the relative speed at the weld interface in the seizure stage was determined using the experimental results. In addition, the contact pressure and heat generation quantity, which depended on the relative speed of the weld interface, were solved by taking the friction pressure, the relative speed and the yield strength of the base material into the computational conditions. The calculated friction torque and weld interface temperatures of a low carbon steel joint were equal to the experimental results when friction pressures were 30 and 90 MPa, friction speed was 27.5 s-1, and weld interface diameter was 12 mm. The calculation results of the initial peak torque and the elapsed time for initial peak torque were also equal to the experimental results under the same conditions. Furthermore, the calculation results of the initial peak torque and the elapsed time for initial peak torque at various friction pressures were equal to the experimental results.

Optimization of the synthesis process of an iron oxide nanocatalyst supported on activated carbon for the inactivation of Ascaris eggs in water using the heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction.

PubMed

Morales-Pérez, Ariadna A; Maravilla, Pablo; Solís-López, Myriam; Schouwenaars, Rafael; Durán-Moreno, Alfonso; Ramírez-Zamora, Rosa-María

2016-01-01

An experimental design methodology was used to optimize the synthesis of an iron-supported nanocatalyst as well as the inactivation process of Ascaris eggs (Ae) using this material. A factor screening design was used for identifying the significant experimental factors for nanocatalyst support (supported %Fe, (w/w), temperature and time of calcination) and for the inactivation process called the heterogeneous Fenton-like reaction (H2O2 dose, mass ratio Fe/H2O2, pH and reaction time). The optimization of the significant factors was carried out using a face-centered central composite design. The optimal operating conditions for both processes were estimated with a statistical model and implemented experimentally with five replicates. The predicted value of the Ae inactivation rate was close to the laboratory results. At the optimal operating conditions of the nanocatalyst production and Ae inactivation process, the Ascaris ova showed genomic damage to the point that no cell reparation was possible showing that this advanced oxidation process was highly efficient for inactivating this pathogen.

A review of blood sample handling and pre-processing for metabolomics studies.

PubMed

Hernandes, Vinicius Veri; Barbas, Coral; Dudzik, Danuta

2017-09-01

Metabolomics has been found to be applicable to a wide range of clinical studies, bringing a new era for improving clinical diagnostics, early disease detection, therapy prediction and treatment efficiency monitoring. A major challenge in metabolomics, particularly untargeted studies, is the extremely diverse and complex nature of biological specimens. Despite great advances in the field there still exist fundamental needs for considering pre-analytical variability that can introduce bias to the subsequent analytical process and decrease the reliability of the results and moreover confound final research outcomes. Many researchers are mainly focused on the instrumental aspects of the biomarker discovery process, and sample related variables sometimes seem to be overlooked. To bridge the gap, critical information and standardized protocols regarding experimental design and sample handling and pre-processing are highly desired. Characterization of a range variation among sample collection methods is necessary to prevent results misinterpretation and to ensure that observed differences are not due to an experimental bias caused by inconsistencies in sample processing. Herein, a systematic discussion of pre-analytical variables affecting metabolomics studies based on blood derived samples is performed. Furthermore, we provide a set of recommendations concerning experimental design, collection, pre-processing procedures and storage conditions as a practical review that can guide and serve for the standardization of protocols and reduction of undesirable variation. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Investigation of heat transfer of tube line of staggered tube bank in two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jakubcionis, Mindaugas

2015-06-01

This article presents the results of experimental investigation of heat transfer process, carried out using the model of heat exchanger. Two-phase statically stable foam flow was used as a heat transfer fluid. Heat exchanger model consisted of staggered tube bank. Experimental results are presented with the focus on influence of tube position in the line of the bank, volumetric void component and velocity of gas component of the foam. The phenomena of liquid draining in cellular foam flow and its influence on heat transfer rate has also been discussed. The experimental results have been generalized by relationship between Nusselt, Reynolds and Prandtl numbers.

Experimental approaches to well controlled studies of thin-film nucleation and growth.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poppa, H.; Moorhead, R. D.; Heinemann, K.

1972-01-01

Particular features and the performance of two experimental systems are described for quantitative studies of thin-film nucleation and growth processes including epitaxial depositions. System I consists of a modified LEED-Auger instrument combined with high-resolution electron microscopy. System II is a UHV electron microscope adapted for in-situ deposition studies. The two systems complement each other ideally, and the combined use of both can result in a comprehensive investigation of vapor deposition processes not obtainable with any other known method.

Detection of fuze defects by image-processing methods

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chung, M.J.

1988-03-01

This paper describes experimental studies of the detection of mechanical defects by the application of computer-processing methods to real-time radiographic images of fuze assemblies. The experimental results confirm that a new algorithm developed at Materials Research Laboratory has potential for the automatic inspection of these assemblies and of others that contain discrete components. The algorithm was applied to images that contain a range of grey levels and has been found to be tolerant to image variations encountered under simulated production conditions.

Development of Switchable Polarity Solvent Draw Solutes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wilson, Aaron D.

Results of a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) study of flow and heat transfer in a printed circuit heat exchanger (PCHE) geometry are presented. CFD results obtained from a two-plate model are compared to corresponding experimental results for the validation. This process provides the basis for further application of the CFD code to PCHE design and performance analysis in a variety of internal flow geometries. As a part of the code verification and validation (V&V) process, CFD simulation of a single semicircular straight channel under laminar isothermal conditions was also performed and compared to theoretical results. This comparison yielded excellent agreementmore » with the theoretical values. The two-plate CFD model based on the experimental PCHE design overestimated the effectiveness and underestimated the pressure drop. However, it is found that the discrepancy between the CFD result and experimental data was mainly caused by the uncertainty in the geometry of heat exchanger during the fabrication. The CFD results obtained using a slightly smaller channel diameter yielded good agreement with the experimental data. A separate investigation revealed that the average channel diameter of the OSU PCHE after the diffusion-bonding was 1.93 mm on the cold fluid side and 1.90 mm on the hot fluid side which are both smaller than the nominal design value. Consequently, the CFD code was shown to have sufficient capability to evaluate the heat exchanger thermal-hydraulic performance.« less

Microgravity Effects on Materials Processing: A Review. Appendix D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, William R.; Regel, Liya L.

2003-01-01

Materials processing in space has been studied both theoretically and experimentally for over 1/4 of a century. In the beginning, we naively spoke of zero gravity, elimination of convection, growth of perfect crystals, and eventual manufacturing in space. All of these appear to have fallen by the wayside. On the other hand, we have learned an unprecedented amount about the influences of gravity on materials processing. We have had many surprises, and not all experimental results have yet been satisfactorily explained. Gravity was found to influence processes that were thought to be gravity-independent. One consequence is that materials processing on earth has often been improved. And it is difficult to imagine how the materials-processing industries could have flourished without the engineers and scientists who received their training by working on microgravity materials processing.

Using Wikis for Learning and Knowledge Building: Results of an Experimental Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimmerle, Joachim; Moskaliuk, Johannes; Cress, Ulrike

2011-01-01

Computer-supported learning and knowledge building play an increasing role in online collaboration. This paper outlines some theories concerning the interplay between individual processes of learning and collaborative processes of knowledge building. In particular, it describes the co-evolution model that attempts to examine processes of learning…

Aviation Human-in-the-Loop Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design, and Data Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

Aviation Human-in-the-Loop Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design , and Data Management Kevin W. Williams1 Bonny Christopher2 Gena...Simulation Studies: Experimental Planning, Design , and Data Management January 2014 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing...describe the process by which we designed our human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation study and the methodology used to collect and analyze the results

Analysis of reaction cross-section production in neutron induced fission reactions on uranium isotope using computer code COMPLET.

PubMed

Asres, Yihunie Hibstie; Mathuthu, Manny; Birhane, Marelgn Derso

2018-04-22

This study provides current evidence about cross-section production processes in the theoretical and experimental results of neutron induced reaction of uranium isotope on projectile energy range of 1-100 MeV in order to improve the reliability of nuclear stimulation. In such fission reactions of 235 U within nuclear reactors, much amount of energy would be released as a product that able to satisfy the needs of energy to the world wide without polluting processes as compared to other sources. The main objective of this work is to transform a related knowledge in the neutron-induced fission reactions on 235 U through describing, analyzing and interpreting the theoretical results of the cross sections obtained from computer code COMPLET by comparing with the experimental data obtained from EXFOR. The cross section value of 235 U(n,2n) 234 U, 235 U(n,3n) 233 U, 235 U(n,γ) 236 U, 235 U(n,f) are obtained using computer code COMPLET and the corresponding experimental values were browsed by EXFOR, IAEA. The theoretical results are compared with the experimental data taken from EXFOR Data Bank. Computer code COMPLET has been used for the analysis with the same set of input parameters and the graphs were plotted by the help of spreadsheet & Origin-8 software. The quantification of uncertainties stemming from both experimental data and computer code calculation plays a significant role in the final evaluated results. The calculated results for total cross sections were compared with the experimental data taken from EXFOR in the literature, and good agreement was found between the experimental and theoretical data. This comparison of the calculated data was analyzed and interpreted with tabulation and graphical descriptions, and the results were briefly discussed within the text of this research work. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Detection of interaction articles and experimental methods in biomedical literature.

PubMed

Schneider, Gerold; Clematide, Simon; Rinaldi, Fabio

2011-10-03

This article describes the approaches taken by the OntoGene group at the University of Zurich in dealing with two tasks of the BioCreative III competition: classification of articles which contain curatable protein-protein interactions (PPI-ACT) and extraction of experimental methods (PPI-IMT). Two main achievements are described in this paper: (a) a system for document classification which crucially relies on the results of an advanced pipeline of natural language processing tools; (b) a system which is capable of detecting all experimental methods mentioned in scientific literature, and listing them with a competitive ranking (AUC iP/R > 0.5). The results of the BioCreative III shared evaluation clearly demonstrate that significant progress has been achieved in the domain of biomedical text mining in the past few years. Our own contribution, together with the results of other participants, provides evidence that natural language processing techniques have become by now an integral part of advanced text mining approaches.

Communication: Protonation process of formic acid from the ionization and fragmentation of dimers induced by synchrotron radiation in the valence region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arruda, Manuela S.; Medina, Aline; Sousa, Josenilton N.; Mendes, Luiz A. V.; Marinho, Ricardo R. T.; Prudente, Frederico V.

2016-04-01

The ionization and fragmentation of monomers of organic molecules have been extensively studied in the gas phase using mass spectroscopy. In the spectra of these molecules it is possible to identify the presence of protonated cations, which have a mass-to-charge ratio one unit larger than the parent ion. In this work, we investigate this protonation process as a result of dimers photofragmentation. Experimental photoionization and photofragmentation results of doubly deuterated formic acid (DCOOD) in the gas phase by photons in the vacuum ultraviolet region are presented. The experiment was performed by using a time-of-flight mass spectrometer installed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory and spectra for different pressure values in the experimental chamber were obtained. The coupled cluster approach with single and double substitutions was employed to assist the experimental analysis. Results indicate that protonated formic acid ions are originated from dimer dissociation, and the threshold photoionization of (DCOOD)ṡD+ is also determined.

Fuel-rich, catalytic reaction experimental results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rollbuhler, R. James

1991-01-01

Future aeropropulsion gas turbine combustion requirements call for operating at very high inlet temperatures, pressures, and large temperature rises. At the same time, the combustion process is to have minimum pollution effects on the environment. Aircraft gas turbine engines utilize liquid hydrocarbon fuels which are difficult to uniformly atomize and mix with combustion air. An approach for minimizing fuel related problems is to transform the liquid fuel into gaseous form prior to the completion of the combustion process. Experimentally obtained results are presented for vaporizing and partially oxidizing a liquid hydrocarbon fuel into burnable gaseous components. The presented experimental data show that 1200 to 1300 K reaction product gas, rich in hydrogen, carbon monoxide, and light-end hydrocarbons, is formed when flowing 0.3 to 0.6 fuel to air mixes through a catalyst reactor. The reaction temperatures are kept low enough that nitrogen oxides and carbon particles (soot) do not form. Results are reported for tests using different catalyst types and configurations, mass flowrates, input temperatures, and fuel to air ratios.

Real-Time Parameter Estimation Method Applied to a MIMO Process and its Comparison with an Offline Identification Method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kaplanoglu, Erkan; Safak, Koray K.; Varol, H. Selcuk

2009-01-12

An experiment based method is proposed for parameter estimation of a class of linear multivariable systems. The method was applied to a pressure-level control process. Experimental time domain input/output data was utilized in a gray-box modeling approach. Prior knowledge of the form of the system transfer function matrix elements is assumed to be known. Continuous-time system transfer function matrix parameters were estimated in real-time by the least-squares method. Simulation results of experimentally determined system transfer function matrix compare very well with the experimental results. For comparison and as an alternative to the proposed real-time estimation method, we also implemented anmore » offline identification method using artificial neural networks and obtained fairly good results. The proposed methods can be implemented conveniently on a desktop PC equipped with a data acquisition board for parameter estimation of moderately complex linear multivariable systems.« less

Osmotically-driven membrane processes for water reuse and energy recovery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilli, Andrea

Osmotically-driven membrane processes are an emerging class of membrane separation processes that utilize concentrated brines to separate liquid streams. Their versatility of application make them an attractive alternative for water reuse and energy production/recovery. This work focused on innovative applications of osmotically-driven membrane processes. The novel osmotic membrane bioreactor (OMBR) system for water reuse was presented. Experimental results demonstrated high sustainable flux and relatively low reverse diffusion of solutes from the draw solution into the mixed liquor. Membrane fouling was minimal and controlled with osmotic backwashing. The OMBR system was found to remove greater than 99% of organic carbon and ammonium-nitrogen. Forward osmosis (FO) can employ different draw solution in its process. More than 500 inorganic compounds were screened as draw solution candidates, the desktop screening process resulted in 14 draw solutions suitable for FO applications. The 14 draw solutions were then tested in the laboratory to evaluate water flux and reverse salt diffusion through the membrane. Results indicated a wide range of water flux and reverse salt diffusion depending on the draw solution utilized. Internal concentration polarization was found to lower both water flux and reverse salt diffusion by reducing the draw solution concentration at the interface between the support and dense layer of the membrane. A small group of draw solutions was found to be most suitable for FO processes with currently available FO membranes. Another application of osmotically-driven membrane processes is pressure retarded osmosis (PRO). PRO was investigated as a viable source of renewable energy. A PRO model was developed to predict water flux and power density under specific experimental conditions. The predictive model was tested using experimental results from a bench-scale PRO system. Previous investigations of PRO were unable to verify model predictions due to the lack of suitable membranes and membrane modules. In this investigation, for the first time, the use of a custom-made laboratory-scale membrane module enabled the collection of experimental PRO data. Results obtained with a flat-sheet cellulose triacetate FO membrane and NaCl feed and draw solutions closely matched model predictions. Power density was substantially reduced due to internal concentration polarization in the asymmetric membrane and, to a lesser degree, to salt passage. External concentration polarization was found to exhibit a relatively small effect on reducing the osmotic pressure driving force. Using the predictive PRO model, optimal membrane characteristics and module configuration can be determined in order to design a system specifically tailored for PRO processes.

Mindfulness and the attenuation of post-event processing in social phobia: an experimental investigation.

PubMed

Cassin, Stephanie E; Rector, Neil A

2011-01-01

The present experimental study examined the ability of metacognitive strategies to reduce the distress associated with post-event processing (PEP). Individuals with DSM-IV generalized social phobia (N = 57) were randomly allocated to receive brief training in mindfulness, distraction, or no training (control group). Next, they underwent an experimental PEP induction. Following the induction, they were instructed to apply the metacognitive strategy (mindfulness or distraction) they were taught or to continue thinking about the social event the way they typically would following such an event (control). Participants rated their distress on a visual analogue scale prior to the PEP induction, and then every minute for 5 min while applying the metacognitive strategy. They also rated their affect immediately after applying the metacognitive strategy. Results suggest that mindfulness reduces distress significantly over the post-event period and results in significantly more positive affect than when receiving no training. In contrast, distraction does not reduce distress over the post-event period performs comparable to receiving no training. The results of this experimental investigation suggest that mindfulness has the potential to reduce distress associated with PEP and provide further support for the clinical utility of mindfulness in the treatment of generalized social phobia.

Evaluation of shrinking core model in leaching process of Pomalaa nickel laterite using citric acid as leachant at atmospheric conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wanta, K. C.; Perdana, I.; Petrus, H. T. B. M.

2016-11-01

Most of kinetics studies related to leaching process used shrinking core model to describe physical phenomena of the process. Generally, the model was developed in connection with transport and/or reaction of reactant components. In this study, commonly used internal diffusion controlled shrinking core model was evaluated for leaching process of Pomalaa nickel laterite using citric acid as leachant. Particle size was varied at 60-70, 100-120, -200 meshes, while the operating temperature was kept constant at 358 K, citric acid concentration at 0.1 M, pulp density at 20% w/v and the leaching time was for 120 minutes. Simulation results showed that the shrinking core model was inadequate to closely approach the experimental data. Meanwhile, the experimental data indicated that the leaching process was determined by the mobility of product molecules in the ash layer pores. In case of leaching resulting large product molecules, a mathematical model involving steps of reaction and product diffusion might be appropriate to develop.

Automatic processing of pragmatic information in the human brain: a mismatch negativity study.

PubMed

Zhao, Ming; Liu, Tao; Chen, Feiyan

2018-05-23

Language comprehension involves pragmatic information processing, which allows world knowledge to influence the interpretation of a sentence. This study explored whether pragmatic information can be automatically processed during spoken sentence comprehension. The experiment adopted the mismatch negativity (MMN) paradigm to capture the neurophysiological indicators of automatic processing of spoken sentences. Pragmatically incorrect ('Foxes have wings') and correct ('Butterflies have wings') sentences were used as the experimental stimuli. In condition 1, the pragmatically correct sentence was the deviant and the pragmatically incorrect sentence was the standard stimulus, whereas the opposite case was presented in condition 2. The experimental results showed that, compared with the condition that the pragmatically correct sentence is the deviant stimulus, when the condition that the pragmatically incorrect sentence is the deviant stimulus MMN effects were induced within 60-120 and 220-260 ms. The results indicated that the human brain can monitor for incorrect pragmatic information in the inattentive state and can automatically process pragmatic information at the beginning of spoken sentence comprehension.

Tranpsort phenomena in solidification processing of functionally graded materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Juwen

A combined numerical and experimental study of the transport phenomena during solidification processing of metal matrix composite functionally graded materials (FGMs) is conducted in this work. A multiphase transport model for the solidification of metal-matrix composite FGMs has been developed that accounts for macroscopic particle segregation due to liquid-particle flow and particle-solid interactions. An experimental study has also been conducted to gain physical insight as well as to validate the model. A novel method to in-situ measure the particle volume fraction using fiber optic probes is developed for transparent analogue solidification systems. The model is first applied to one-dimensional pure matrix FGM solidification under gravity or centrifugal field and is extensively validated against the experimental results. The mechanisms for the formation of particle concentration gradient are identified. Two-dimensional solidification of pure matrix FGM with convection is then studied using the model as well as experiments. The interaction among convection flow, solidification process and the particle transport is demonstrated. The results show the importance of convection in the particle concentration gradient formation. Then, simulations for alloy FGM solidification are carried out for unidirectional solidification as well as two-dimensional solidification with convection. The interplay among heat and species transport, convection and particle motion is investigated. Finally, future theoretical and experimental work is outlined.

Does skill retention benefit from retentivity and symbolic rehearsal? - two studies with a simulated process control task.

PubMed

Kluge, Annette; Frank, Barbara; Maafi, Sanaz; Kuzmanovska, Aleksandra

2016-05-01

Two experiments were designed to compare two symbolic rehearsal refresher interventions (imaginary practice, a hidden introspective process) and investigate the role of retentivity in skill retention. Retentivity is investigated as the ability to memorise and reproduce information and associations that were learned a short time ago. Both experiments comprised initial training (week 1), a symbolic rehearsal for the experimental group (week 2) and a retention assessment (week 3). In the first study, the experimental group received a symbolic rehearsal, while the control group received no rehearsal. In the second study, the experimental group received the same symbolic rehearsal used in study 1, enhanced with rehearsal tasks addressing human-computer interaction. The results showed that both symbolic rehearsal interventions were equally likely to mitigate skill decay. The retentivity showed medium to high correlations with skill retention in both studies, and the results suggest that subjects high in retentivity benefit more from a symbolic rehearsal refresher intervention. Practitioner Summary: Skill decay becomes a problem in situations in which jobs require the correct mastery of non-routine situations. Two experimental studies with simulated process control tasks showed that symbolic rehearsal and retentivity can significantly mitigate skill decay and that subjects higher in retentivity benefit more from refresher interventions.

Mechanisms underlying syntactic comprehension deficits in vascular aphasia: new evidence from self-paced listening.

PubMed

Caplan, David; Michaud, Jennifer; Hufford, Rebecca

2015-01-01

Sixty-one people with aphasia (pwa) and 41 matched controls were tested for the ability to understand sentences that required the ability to process particular syntactic elements and assign particular syntactic structures. Participants paced themselves word-by-word through 20 examples of 11 spoken sentence types and indicated which of two pictures corresponded to the meaning of each sentence. Sentences were developed in pairs such that comprehension of the experimental version of a pair required an aspect of syntactic processing not required in the corresponding baseline sentence. The need for the syntactic operations required only in the experimental version was triggered at a "critical word" in the experimental sentence. Listening times for critical words in experimental sentences were compared to those for corresponding words in the corresponding baseline sentences. The results were consistent with several models of syntactic comprehension deficits in pwa: resource reduction, slowed lexical and/or syntactic processing, abnormal susceptibility to interference from thematic roles generated non-syntactically. They suggest that a previously unidentified disturbance limiting the duration of parsing and interpretation may lead to these deficits, and that this mechanism may lead to structure-specific deficits in pwa. The results thus point to more than one mechanism underlying syntactic comprehension disorders both across and within pwa.

Mechanical characterization of a short fiber-reinforced polymer at room temperature: experimental setups evaluated by an optical measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Röhrig, C.; Scheffer, T.; Diebels, S.

2017-09-01

Composite materials are of great interest for industrial applications because of their outstanding properties. Each composite material has its own characteristics due to the large number of possible combinations of matrix and filler. As a result of their compounding, composites usually show a complex material behavior. This work is focused on the experimental testing of a short fiber-reinforced thermoplastic composite at room temperature. The characteristic behavior of this material class is often based on a superposition of typical material effects. The predicted characteristic material properties such as elasto-plasticity, damage and anisotropy of the investigated material are obtained from results of cyclic uniaxial tensile tests at constant strain rate. Concerning the manufacturing process as well as industrial applications, the experimental investigations are extended to multiaxial loading situations. Therefore, the composite material is examined with a setup close to a deep-drawing process, the Nakajima test (Nakazima et al. in Study on the formability of steel sheets. Yawate Technical Report No. 264, pp 8517-8530, 1968). The evaluation of the experimental investigations is provided by an optical analysis system using a digital image correlation software. Finally, based on the results of the uniaxial tensile tests, a one-dimensional macroscopic model is introduced and first results of the simulation are provided.

DEVELOPMENT AND OPTIMIZATION OF GAS-ASSISTED GRAVITY DRAINAGE (GAGD) PROCESS FOR IMPROVED LIGHT OIL RECOVERY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dandina N. Rao; Subhash C. Ayirala; Madhav M. Kulkarni

This report describes the progress of the project ''Development and Optimization of Gas-Assisted Gravity Drainage (GAGD) Process for Improved Light Oil Recovery'' for the duration of the second project year (October 1, 2003--September 30, 2004). There are three main tasks in this research project. Task 1 is scaled physical model study of GAGD process. Task 2 is further development of vanishing interfacial tension (VIT) technique for miscibility determination. Task 3 is determination of multiphase displacement characteristics in reservoir rocks. In Section I, preliminary design of the scaled physical model using the dimensional similarity approach has been presented. Scaled experiments onmore » the current physical model have been designed to investigate the effect of Bond and capillary numbers on GAGD oil recovery. Experimental plan to study the effect of spreading coefficient and reservoir heterogeneity has been presented. Results from the GAGD experiments to study the effect of operating mode, Bond number and capillary number on GAGD oil recovery have been reported. These experiments suggest that the type of the gas does not affect the performance of GAGD in immiscible mode. The cumulative oil recovery has been observed to vary exponentially with Bond and capillary numbers, for the experiments presented in this report. A predictive model using the bundle of capillary tube approach has been developed to predict the performance of free gravity drainage process. In Section II, a mechanistic Parachor model has been proposed for improved prediction of IFT as well as to characterize the mass transfer effects for miscibility development in reservoir crude oil-solvent systems. Sensitivity studies on model results indicate that provision of a single IFT measurement in the proposed model is sufficient for reasonable IFT predictions. An attempt has been made to correlate the exponent (n) in the mechanistic model with normalized solute compositions present in both fluid phases. IFT measurements were carried out in a standard ternary liquid system of benzene, ethanol and water using drop shape analysis and capillary rise techniques. The experimental results indicate strong correlation among the three thermodynamic properties solubility, miscibility and IFT. The miscibility determined from IFT measurements for this ternary liquid system is in good agreement with phase diagram and solubility data, which clearly indicates the sound conceptual basis of VIT technique to determine fluid-fluid miscibility. Model fluid systems have been identified for VIT experimentation at elevated pressures and temperatures. Section III comprises of the experimental study aimed at evaluating the multiphase displacement characteristics of the various gas injection EOR process performances using Berea sandstone cores. During this reporting period, extensive literature review was completed to: (1) study the gravity drainage concepts, (2) identify the various factors influencing gravity stable gas injection processes, (3) identify various multiphase mechanisms and fluid dynamics operative during the GAGD process, and (4) identify important dimensionless groups governing the GAGD process performance. Furthermore, the dimensional analysis of the GAGD process, using Buckingham-Pi theorem to isolate the various dimensionless groups, as well as experimental design based on these dimensionless quantities have been completed in this reporting period. On the experimental front, recommendations from previous WAG and CGI have been used to modify the experimental protocol. This report also includes results from scaled preliminary GAGD displacements as well as the details of the planned GAGD corefloods for the next quarter. The technology transfer activities have mainly consisted of preparing technical papers, progress reports and discussions with industry personnel for possible GAGD field tests.« less

Process Development of Porcelain Ceramic Material with Binder Jetting Process for Dental Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyanaji, Hadi; Zhang, Shanshan; Lassell, Austin; Zandinejad, Amirali; Yang, Li

2016-03-01

Custom ceramic structures possess significant potentials in many applications such as dentistry and aerospace where extreme environments are present. Specifically, highly customized geometries with adequate performance are needed for various dental prostheses applications. This paper demonstrates the development of process and post-process parameters for a dental porcelain ceramic material using binder jetting additive manufacturing (AM). Various process parameters such as binder amount, drying power level, drying time and powder spread speed were studied experimentally for their effect on geometrical and mechanical characteristics of green parts. In addition, the effects of sintering and printing parameters on the qualities of the densified ceramic structures were also investigated experimentally. The results provide insights into the process-property relationships for the binder jetting AM process, and some of the challenges of the process that need to be further characterized for the successful adoption of the binder jetting technology in high quality ceramic fabrications are discussed.

Responses of hydrochemical inorganic ions in the rainfall-runoff processes of the experimental catchments and its significance for tracing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gu, W.-Z.; Lu, J.-J.; Zhao, X.; Peters, N.E.

2007-01-01

Aimed at the rainfall-runoff tracing using inorganic ions, the experimental study is conducted in the Chuzhou Hydrology Laboratory with special designed experimental catchments, lysimeters, etc. The various runoff components including the surface runoff, interflow from the unsaturated zone and the groundwater flow from saturated zone were monitored hydrometrically. Hydrochemical inorganic ions including Na+, K+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Cl-, SO42-, HCO3- + CO32-, NO3-, F-, NH4-, PO42-, SiO2 and, pH, EC, 18O were measured within a one month period for all processes of rainfall, various runoff components and groundwater within the catchment from 17 boreholes distributed in the Hydrohill Catchment, few soil water samples were also included. The results show that: (a) all the runoff components are distinctly identifiable from both the relationships of Ca2+ versus Cl-/SO42-, EC versus Na+/(Na+ + Ca2+) and, from most inorganic ions individually; (b) the variation of inorganic ions in surface runoff is the biggest than that in other flow components; (c) most ions has its lowermost concentration in rainfall process but it increases as the generation depths of runoff components increased; (d) quantitatively, ion processes of rainfall and groundwater flow display as two end members of that of other runoff components; and (e) the 18O processes of rainfall and runoff components show some correlation with that of inorganic ions. The results also show that the rainfall input is not always the main source of inorganic ions of various runoff outputs due to the process of infiltration and dissolution resulted from the pre-event processes. The amount and sources of Cl- of runoff components with various generation mechanisms challenge the current method of groundwater recharge estimation using Cl-.

The spatial evolution of energetic electrons and plasma waves during the steady state beam plasma discharge

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Llobet, X.; Bernstein, W.; Kondradi, A.

1985-01-01

Experiments, involving the injection of energetic (keV) electron beams into the ionosphere-upper atmosphere system from rocket-borne electron guns, have provided evidence for the occurrence of strong beam-plasma interactions (BPI) both near to and remote from the injection point. However, the flight experiments have not provided clear and unambiguous evidence for the basic physical processes which produce the variety of confusing signatures. A laboratory experimental program was initiated to clarify some of a number of ambiguities regarding the obtained results. The present investigation is concerned with some experimental studies of the evolution of both the beam energy spectrum and the local wave amplitude-frequency spectrum at increasing axial distances from the electron gun for a variety of experimental conditions. The results of the studies show that the high frequency beam-plasma interaction represents the most important process.

Regularization of the double period method for experimental data processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belov, A. A.; Kalitkin, N. N.

2017-11-01

In physical and technical applications, an important task is to process experimental curves measured with large errors. Such problems are solved by applying regularization methods, in which success depends on the mathematician's intuition. We propose an approximation based on the double period method developed for smooth nonperiodic functions. Tikhonov's stabilizer with a squared second derivative is used for regularization. As a result, the spurious oscillations are suppressed and the shape of an experimental curve is accurately represented. This approach offers a universal strategy for solving a broad class of problems. The method is illustrated by approximating cross sections of nuclear reactions important for controlled thermonuclear fusion. Tables recommended as reference data are obtained. These results are used to calculate the reaction rates, which are approximated in a way convenient for gasdynamic codes. These approximations are superior to previously known formulas in the covered temperature range and accuracy.

Development of a Process Signature for Manufacturing Processes with Thermal Loads

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Frerichs, Friedhelm; Meyer, Heiner; Strunk, Rebecca; Kolkwitz, Benjamin; Epp, Jeremy

2018-06-01

The newly proposed concept of Process Signatures enables the comparison of seemingly different manufacturing processes via a process-independent approach based on the analysis of the loading condition and resulting material modification. This contribution compares the recently published results, based on numerically achieved data for the development of Process Signatures for sole surface and volume heatings without phase transformations, with the experimental data. The numerical approach applies the moving heat source theory in combination with energetic quantities. The external thermal loadings of both processes were characterized by the resulting temperature development, which correlates with a change in the residual stress state. The numerical investigations show that surface and volume heatings are interchangeable for certain parameter regimes regarding the changes in the residual stress state. Mainly, temperature gradients and thermal diffusion are responsible for the considered modifications. The applied surface- and volume-heating models are used in shallow cut grinding and induction heating, respectively. The comparison of numerical and experimental data reveals similarities, but also some systematic deviations of the residual stresses at the surface. The evaluation and final discussion support the assertion for very fast stress relaxation processes within the subsurface region. A consequence would be that the stress relaxation processes, which are not yet included in the numerical models, must be included in the Process Signatures for sole thermal impacts.

GTE blade injection moulding modeling and verification of models during process approbation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepanenko, I. S.; Khaimovich, A. I.

2017-02-01

The simulation model for filling the mould was developed using Moldex3D, and it was experimentally verified in order to perform further optimization calculations of the moulding process conditions. The method described in the article allows adjusting the finite-element model by minimizing the airfoil profile difference between the design and experimental melt motion front due to the differentiated change of power supplied to heating elements, which heat the injection mould in simulation. As a result of calibrating the injection mould for the gas-turbine engine blade, the mean difference between the design melt motion profile and the experimental airfoil profile of no more than 4% was achieved.

Complex optimization for big computational and experimental neutron datasets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bao, Feng; Oak Ridge National Lab.; Archibald, Richard

Here, we present a framework to use high performance computing to determine accurate solutions to the inverse optimization problem of big experimental data against computational models. We demonstrate how image processing, mathematical regularization, and hierarchical modeling can be used to solve complex optimization problems on big data. We also demonstrate how both model and data information can be used to further increase solution accuracy of optimization by providing confidence regions for the processing and regularization algorithms. Finally, we use the framework in conjunction with the software package SIMPHONIES to analyze results from neutron scattering experiments on silicon single crystals, andmore » refine first principles calculations to better describe the experimental data.« less

Complex optimization for big computational and experimental neutron datasets

DOE PAGES

Bao, Feng; Oak Ridge National Lab.; Archibald, Richard; ...

2016-11-07

Here, we present a framework to use high performance computing to determine accurate solutions to the inverse optimization problem of big experimental data against computational models. We demonstrate how image processing, mathematical regularization, and hierarchical modeling can be used to solve complex optimization problems on big data. We also demonstrate how both model and data information can be used to further increase solution accuracy of optimization by providing confidence regions for the processing and regularization algorithms. Finally, we use the framework in conjunction with the software package SIMPHONIES to analyze results from neutron scattering experiments on silicon single crystals, andmore » refine first principles calculations to better describe the experimental data.« less

Experimental research on the dam-break mechanisms of the Jiadanwan landslide dam triggered by the Wenchuan earthquake in China.

PubMed

Xu, Fu-gang; Yang, Xing-guo; Zhou, Jia-wen; Hao, Ming-hui

2013-01-01

Dam breaks of landslide dams are always accompanied by large numbers of casualties, a large loss of property, and negative influences on the downstream ecology and environment. This study uses the Jiadanwan landslide dam, created by the Wenchuan earthquake, as a case study example. Several laboratory experiments are carried out to analyse the dam-break mechanism of the landslide dam. The different factors that impact the dam-break process include upstream flow, the boulder effect, dam size, and channel discharge. The development of the discharge channel and the failure of the landslide dam are monitored by digital video and still cameras. Experimental results show that the upstream inflow and the dam size are the main factors that impact the dam-break process. An excavated discharge channel, especially a trapezoidal discharge channel, has a positive effect on reducing peak flow. The depth of the discharge channel also has a significant impact on the dam-break process. The experimental results are significant for landslide dam management and flood disaster prevention and mitigation.

Experimental Research on the Dam-Break Mechanisms of the Jiadanwan Landslide Dam Triggered by the Wenchuan Earthquake in China

PubMed Central

Xu, Fu-gang; Yang, Xing-guo; Hao, Ming-hui

2013-01-01

Dam breaks of landslide dams are always accompanied by large numbers of casualties, a large loss of property, and negative influences on the downstream ecology and environment. This study uses the Jiadanwan landslide dam, created by the Wenchuan earthquake, as a case study example. Several laboratory experiments are carried out to analyse the dam-break mechanism of the landslide dam. The different factors that impact the dam-break process include upstream flow, the boulder effect, dam size, and channel discharge. The development of the discharge channel and the failure of the landslide dam are monitored by digital video and still cameras. Experimental results show that the upstream inflow and the dam size are the main factors that impact the dam-break process. An excavated discharge channel, especially a trapezoidal discharge channel, has a positive effect on reducing peak flow. The depth of the discharge channel also has a significant impact on the dam-break process. The experimental results are significant for landslide dam management and flood disaster prevention and mitigation. PMID:23844387

Simulation of the detonation process of an ammonium nitrate based emulsion explosive using the lee-tarver reactive flow model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, José B.; Silva, Cristóvão; Mendes, Ricardo; Plaksin, I.; Campos, Jose

2012-03-01

The use of emulsion explosives [EEx] for processing materials (compaction, welding and forming) requires the ability to perform detailed simulations of its detonation process [DP]. Detailed numerical simulations of the DP of this kind of explosives, characterized by having a finite reaction zone thickness, are thought to be suitably performed using the Lee-Tarver reactive flow model. In this work a real coded genetic algorithm methodology was used to estimate the 15 parameters of the reaction rate equation [RRE] of that model for a particular EEx. This methodology allows, in a single optimization procedure, using only one experimental result and without the need of any starting solution, to seek for the 15 parameters of the RRE that fit the numerical to the experimental results. Mass averaging and the Plate-Gap Model have been used for the determination of the shock data used in the unreacted explosive JWL EoS assessment, and the thermochemical code THOR retrieved the data used in the detonation products JWL EoS assessment. The obtained parameters allow a reasonable description of the experimental data.

Multiphysics numerical modeling of the continuous flow microwave-assisted transesterification process.

PubMed

Muley, Pranjali D; Boldor, Dorin

2012-01-01

Use of advanced microwave technology for biodiesel production from vegetable oil is a relatively new technology. Microwave dielectric heating increases the process efficiency and reduces reaction time. Microwave heating depends on various factors such as material properties (dielectric and thermo-physical), frequency of operation and system design. Although lab scale results are promising, it is important to study these parameters and optimize the process before scaling up. Numerical modeling approach can be applied for predicting heating and temperature profiles including at larger scale. The process can be studied for optimization without actually performing the experiments, reducing the amount of experimental work required. A basic numerical model of continuous electromagnetic heating of biodiesel precursors was developed. A finite element model was built using COMSOL Multiphysics 4.2 software by coupling the electromagnetic problem with the fluid flow and heat transfer problem. Chemical reaction was not taken into account. Material dielectric properties were obtained experimentally, while the thermal properties were obtained from the literature (all the properties were temperature dependent). The model was tested for the two different power levels 4000 W and 4700 W at a constant flow rate of 840ml/min. The electric field, electromagnetic power density flow and temperature profiles were studied. Resulting temperature profiles were validated by comparing to the temperatures obtained at specific locations from the experiment. The results obtained were in good agreement with the experimental data.

An electromechanical model of myosin molecular motors.

PubMed

Masuda, Tadashi

2003-12-21

There is a long-running debate on the working mechanism of myosin molecular motors, which, by interacting with actin filaments, convert the chemical energy of ATP into a variety of mechanical work. After the development of technologies for observing and manipulating individual working molecules, experimental results negating the widely accepted 'lever-arm hypothesis' have been reported. In this paper, based on the experimental results so far accumulated, an alternative hypothesis is proposed, in which motor molecules are modelled as electromechanical components that interact with each other through electrostatic force. Electrostatic attractive force between myosin and actin is assumed to cause a conformational change in the myosin head during the attachment process. An elastic energy resulting from the conformational change then produces the power stroke. The energy released at the ATP hydrolysis is mainly used to detach the myosin head from actin filaments. The mechanism presented in this paper is compatible with the experimental results contradictory to the previous theories. It also explains the behavior of myosins V and VI, which are engaged in cellular transport and move processively along actin filaments.

[Cognitive experimental approach to anxiety disorders].

PubMed

Azaïs, F

1995-01-01

Cognitive psychology is proposing a functional model to explain the mental organisation leading to emotional disorders. Among these disorders, anxiety spectrum represents a domain in which this model seems to be interesting for an efficient and comprehensive approach of the pathology. Number of behavioral or cognitive psychotherapeutic methods are relating to these cognitive references, but the theorical concepts of cognitive "shemata" or cognitive "processes" evoked to describe mental functioning in anxiety need an experimental approach for a better rational understanding. Cognitive function as perception, attention or memory can be explored in this domaine in an efficient way, allowing a more precise study of each stage of information processing. The cognitive model proposed in the psychopathology of anxiety suggests that anxious subjects are characterized by biases in processing of emotionally valenced information. This hypothesis suggests functional interference in information processing in these subjects, leading to an anxious response to the most of different stimuli. Experimental approach permit to explore this hypothesis, using many tasks for testing different cognitive dysfunction evoked in the anxious cognitive organisation. Impairments revealed in anxiety disorders seem to result from specific biases in threat-related information processing, involving several stages of cognitive processes. Semantic interference, attentional bias, implicit memory bias and priming effect are the most often disorders observed in anxious pathology, like simple phobia, generalised anxiety, panic disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder. These results suggest a top-down organisation of information processing in anxious subjects, who tend to detect, perceive and label many situations as threatening experience. The processes of reasoning and elaboration are consequently impaired in their adaptative function to threat, leading to the anxious response observed in clinical condition. The cognitive, behavioral and emotional components of this anxious reaction maintain the stressful experience for the subject, in which the self cognitive competence remain pathologically decreased. Cognitive psychology proposes an interesting model for the understanding of anxiety, in a domain in which subjectivity could benefit from an experimental approach.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

A Practice-Oriented Bifurcation Analysis for Pulse Energy Converters: A Stability Margin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolokolov, Yury; Monovskaya, Anna

The popularity of systems of pulse energy conversion (PEC-systems) for practical applications is due to the heightened efficiency of energy conversion processes with comparatively simple realizations. Nevertheless, a PEC-system represents a nonlinear object with a variable structure, and the bifurcation analysis remains the basic tool to describe PEC dynamics evolution. The paper is devoted to the discussion on whether the scientific viewpoint on the natural nonlinear dynamics evolution can be involved in practical applications. We focus on the problems connected with stability boundaries of an operating regime. The results of both small-signal analysis and computational bifurcation analysis are considered in the parametrical space in comparison with the results of the experimental identification of the zonal heterogeneity of the operating process. This allows to propose an adapted stability margin as a sufficiently safe distance before the point after which the operating process begins to lose the stability. Such stability margin can extend the permissible operating domain in the parametrical space at the expense of using cause-and-effect relations in the context of natural regularities of nonlinear dynamics. Reasoning and discussion are based on the experimental and computational results for a synchronous buck converter with a pulse-width modulation. The presented results can be useful, first of all, for PEC-systems with significant variation of equivalent inductance and/or capacity. We believe that the discussion supports a viewpoint by which the contemporary methods of the computational and experimental bifurcation analyses possess both analytical abilities and experimental techniques for promising solutions which could be practice-oriented for PEC-systems.

Processing and refinement of steel microstructure images for assisting in computerized heat treatment of plain carbon steel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, Shubhank; Panda, Aditi; Naskar, Ruchira; Mishra, Dinesh Kumar; Pal, Snehanshu

2017-11-01

Steels are alloys of iron and carbon, widely used in construction and other applications. The evolution of steel microstructure through various heat treatment processes is an important factor in controlling properties and performance of steel. Extensive experimentations have been performed to enhance the properties of steel by customizing heat treatment processes. However, experimental analyses are always associated with high resource requirements in terms of cost and time. As an alternative solution, we propose an image processing-based technique for refinement of raw plain carbon steel microstructure images, into a digital form, usable in experiments related to heat treatment processes of steel in diverse applications. The proposed work follows the conventional steps practiced by materials engineers in manual refinement of steel images; and it appropriately utilizes basic image processing techniques (including filtering, segmentation, opening, and clustering) to automate the whole process. The proposed refinement of steel microstructure images is aimed to enable computer-aided simulations of heat treatment of plain carbon steel, in a timely and cost-efficient manner; hence it is beneficial for the materials and metallurgy industry. Our experimental results prove the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed technique.

The NASA, Marshall Space Flight Center drop tube user's manual

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rathz, Thomas J.; Robinson, Michael B.

1990-01-01

A comprehensive description of the structural and instrumentation hardware and the experimental capabilities of the 105-meter Marshall Space Flight Center Drop Tube Facility is given. This document is to serve as a guide to the investigator who wishes to perform materials processing experiments in the Drop Tube. Particular attention is given to the Tube's hardware to which an investigator must interface to perform experiments. This hardware consists of the permanent structural hardware (with such items as vacuum flanges), and the experimental hardware (with the furnaces and the sample insertion devices). Two furnaces, an electron-beam and an electromagnetic levitator, are currently used to melt metallic samples in a process environment that can range from 10(exp -6) Torr to 1 atmosphere. Details of these furnaces, the processing environment gases/vacuum, the electrical power, and data acquisition capabilities are specified to allow an investigator to design his/her experiment to maximize successful results and to reduce experimental setup time on the Tube. Various devices used to catch samples while inflicting minimum damage and to enhance turnaround time between experiments are described. Enough information is provided to allow an investigator who wishes to build his/her own furnace or sample catch devices to easily interface it to the Tube. The experimental instrumentation and data acquisition systems used to perform pre-drop and in-flight measurements of the melting and solidification process are also detailed. Typical experimental results are presented as an indicator of the type of data that is provided by the Drop Tube Facility. A summary bibliography of past Drop Tube experiments is provided, and an appendix explaining the noncontact temperature determination of free-falling drops is provided. This document is to be revised occasionally as improvements to the Facility are made and as the summary bibliography grows.

Numerical modelling and experimental study of liquid evaporation during gel formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pokusaev, B. G.; Khramtsov, D. P.

2017-11-01

Gels are promising materials in biotechnology and medicine as a medium for storing cells for bioprinting applications. Gel is a two-phase system consisting of solid medium and liquid phase. Understanding of a gel structure evolution and gel aging during liquid evaporation is a crucial step in developing new additive bioprinting technologies. A numerical and experimental study of liquid evaporation was performed. In experimental study an evaporation process of an agarose gel layer located on Petri dish was observed and mass difference was detected using electronic scales. Numerical model was based on a smoothed particle hydrodynamics method. Gel in a model was represented as a solid-liquid system and liquid evaporation was modelled due to capillary forces and heat transfer. Comparison of experimental data and numerical results demonstrated that model can adequately represent evaporation process in agarose gel.

Theoretical model and experimental investigation of current density boundary condition for welding arc study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boutaghane, A.; Bouhadef, K.; Valensi, F.; Pellerin, S.; Benkedda, Y.

2011-04-01

This paper presents results of theoretical and experimental investigation of the welding arc in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW) and Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) processes. A theoretical model consisting in simultaneous resolution of the set of conservation equations for mass, momentum, energy and current, Ohm's law and Maxwell equation is used to predict temperatures and current density distribution in argon welding arcs. A current density profile had to be assumed over the surface of the cathode as a boundary condition in order to make the theoretical calculations possible. In stationary GTAW process, this assumption leads to fair agreement with experimental results reported in literature with maximum arc temperatures of ~21 000 K. In contrast to the GTAW process, in GMAW process, the electrode is consumable and non-thermionic, and a realistic boundary condition of the current density is lacking. For establishing this crucial boundary condition which is the current density in the anode melting electrode, an original method is setup to enable the current density to be determined experimentally. High-speed camera (3000 images/s) is used to get geometrical dimensions of the welding wire used as anode. The total area of the melting anode covered by the arc plasma being determined, the current density at the anode surface can be calculated. For a 330 A arc, the current density at the melting anode surface is found to be of 5 × 107 A m-2 for a 1.2 mm diameter welding electrode.

Data Processing of LAPAN-A3 Thermal Imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartono, R.; Hakim, P. R.; Syafrudin, AH

2018-04-01

As an experimental microsatellite, LAPAN-A3/IPB satellite has an experimental thermal imager, which is called as micro-bolometer, to observe earth surface temperature for horizon observation. The imager data is transmitted from satellite to ground station by S-band video analog signal transmission, and then processed by ground station to become sequence of 8-bit enhanced and contrasted images. Data processing of LAPAN-A3/IPB thermal imager is more difficult than visual digital camera, especially for mosaic and classification purpose. This research aims to describe simple mosaic and classification process of LAPAN-A3/IPB thermal imager based on several videos data produced by the imager. The results show that stitching using Adobe Photoshop produces excellent result but can only process small area, while manual approach using ImageJ software can produce a good result but need a lot of works and time consuming. The mosaic process using image cross-correlation by Matlab offers alternative solution, which can process significantly bigger area in significantly shorter time processing. However, the quality produced is not as good as mosaic images of the other two methods. The simple classifying process that has been done shows that the thermal image can classify three distinct objects, i.e.: clouds, sea, and land surface. However, the algorithm fail to classify any other object which might be caused by distortions in the images. All of these results can be used as reference for development of thermal imager in LAPAN-A4 satellite.

DLSanalysis.org: a web interface for analysis of dynamic light scattering data.

PubMed

Hansen, Steen

2018-03-01

A web interface ( www.DLSanalysis.org ) for indirect Laplace transformation of dynamic light scattering data is presented. When experimental data are uploaded to the server they are processed in a few seconds, and the result is displayed on the screen in the form of a size distribution together with the experimental data and the fit to the data. No other user input than the experimental data is necessary, but various options for the analysis may be selected. No local installation of software or registration is necessary. The result of the analysis can be downloaded.

Performance of the Landsat-Data Collection System in a Total System Context

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paulson, R. W. (Principal Investigator); Merk, C. F.

1975-01-01

The author has identified the following significant results. This experiment was, and continues to be, an integration of the LANDSAT-DCS with the data collection and processing system of the Geological Survey. Although an experimental demonstration, it was a successful integration of a satellite relay system that is capable of continental data collection, and an existing governmental nationwide operational data processing and distributing networks. The Survey's data processing system uses a large general purpose computer with insufficient redundancy for 24-hour a day, 7 day a week operation. This is significant, but soluble obstacle to converting the experimental integration of the system to an operational integration.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nabeel A. Riza

The goals of the first six months of this project were to lay the foundations for both the SiC front-end optical chip fabrication as well as the free-space laser beam interferometer designs and preliminary tests. In addition, a Phase I goal was to design and experimentally build the high temperature and pressure infrastructure and test systems that will be used in the next 6 months for proposed sensor experimentation and data processing. All these goals have been achieved and are described in detail in the report. Both design process and diagrams for the mechanical elements as well as the opticalmore » systems are provided. In addition, photographs of the fabricated SiC optical chips, the high temperature & pressure test chamber instrument, the optical interferometer, the SiC sample chip holder, and signal processing data are provided. The design and experimentation results are summarized to give positive conclusions on the proposed novel high temperature optical sensor technology. The goals of the second six months of this project were to conduct high temperature sensing tests using the test chamber and optical sensing instrument designs developed in the first part of the project. In addition, a Phase I goal was to develop the basic processing theory and physics for the proposed first sensor experimentation and data processing. All these goals have been achieved and are described in detail. Both optical experimental design process and sensed temperature are provided. In addition, photographs of the fabricated SiC optical chips after deployment in the high temperature test chamber are shown from a material study point-of-view.« less

Experimental analysis and modeling of ultrasound assisted freezing of potato spheres.

PubMed

Kiani, Hossein; Zhang, Zhihang; Sun, Da-Wen

2015-09-01

In recent years, innovative methods such as ultrasound assisted freezing have been developed in order to improve the freezing process. During freezing of foods, accurate prediction of the temperature distribution, phase ratios, and process time is very important. In the present study, ultrasound assisted immersion freezing process (in 1:1 ethylene glycol-water solution at 253.15K) of potato spheres (0.02 m diameter) was evaluated using experimental, numerical and analytical approaches. Ultrasound (25 kHz, 890 W m(-2)) was irradiated for different duty cycles (DCs=0-100%). A finite volume based enthalpy method was used in the numerical model, based on which temperature and liquid fraction profiles were simulated by a program developed using OpenFOAM® CFD software. An analytical technique was also employed to calculate freezing times. The results showed that ultrasound irradiation could decrease the characteristic freezing time of potatoes. Since ultrasound irradiation increased the heat transfer coefficient but simultaneously generated heat at the surface of the samples, an optimum DC was needed for the shortest freezing time which occurred in the range of 30-70% DC. DCs higher than 70% increased the freezing time. DCs lower than 30% did not provide significant effects on the freezing time compared to the control sample. The numerical model predicted the characteristic freezing time in accordance with the experimental results. In addition, analytical calculation of characteristic freezing time exhibited qualitative agreement with the experimental results. As the numerical simulations provided profiles of temperature and water fraction within potatoes frozen with or without ultrasound, the models can be used to study and control different operation situations, and to improve the understanding of the freezing process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Process simulation and dynamic control for marine oily wastewater treatment using UV irradiation.

PubMed

Jing, Liang; Chen, Bing; Zhang, Baiyu; Li, Pu

2015-09-15

UV irradiation and advanced oxidation processes have been recently regarded as promising solutions in removing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from marine oily wastewater. However, such treatment methods are generally not sufficiently understood in terms of reaction mechanisms, process simulation and process control. These deficiencies can drastically hinder their application in shipping and offshore petroleum industries which produce bilge/ballast water and produced water as the main streams of marine oily wastewater. In this study, the factorial design of experiment was carried out to investigate the degradation mechanism of a typical PAH, namely naphthalene, under UV irradiation in seawater. Based on the experimental results, a three-layer feed-forward artificial neural network simulation model was developed to simulate the treatment process and to forecast the removal performance. A simulation-based dynamic mixed integer nonlinear programming (SDMINP) approach was then proposed to intelligently control the treatment process by integrating the developed simulation model, genetic algorithm and multi-stage programming. The applicability and effectiveness of the developed approach were further tested though a case study. The experimental results showed that the influences of fluence rate and temperature on the removal of naphthalene were greater than those of salinity and initial concentration. The developed simulation model could well predict the UV-induced removal process under varying conditions. The case study suggested that the SDMINP approach, with the aid of the multi-stage control strategy, was able to significantly reduce treatment cost when comparing to the traditional single-stage process optimization. The developed approach and its concept/framework have high potential of applicability in other environmental fields where a treatment process is involved and experimentation and modeling are used for process simulation and control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Experimental Evidence of the Knowledge Gap: Message Arousal, Motivation, and Time Delay

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grabe, Maria Elizabeth; Yegiyan, Narine; Kamhawi, Rasha

2008-01-01

This study experimentally tested the knowledge gap from an information processing perspective. Specifically, knowledge acquisition was investigated under conditions of medium and low news message arousal, with time delay. Results show the persistence of a knowledge gap, particularly for low arousing messages. In fact, at low levels of message…

Revision Vodcast Influence on Assessment Scores and Study Processes in Secondary Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marencik, Joseph J.

2012-01-01

A quasi-experimental switching replications design with matched participants was employed to determine the influence of revision vodcasts, or video podcasts, on students' assessment scores and study processes in secondary physics. This study satisfied a need for quantitative results in the area of vodcast influence on students' learning processes.…

The Effects of Blade Count on Boundary Layer Development in a Low-Pressure Turbine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dorney, Daniel J.; Flitan, Horia C.; Ashpis, David E.; Solomon, William J.

2000-01-01

Experimental data from jet-engine tests have indicated that turbine efficiencies at takeoff can be as much as two points higher than those at cruise conditions. Recent studies have shown that Reynolds number effects contribute to the lower efficiencies at cruise conditions. In the current study numerical simulations have been performed to study the boundary layer development in a two-stage low-pressure turbine, and to evaluate the models available for low Reynolds number flows in turbomachinery. In a previous study using the same geometry the predicted time-averaged boundary layer quantities showed excellent agreement with the experimental data, but the predicted unsteady results showed only fair agreement with the experimental data. It was surmised that the blade count approximation used in the numerical simulations generated more unsteadiness than was observed in the experiments. In this study a more accurate blade approximation has been used to model the turbine, and the method of post-processing the boundary layer information has been modified to more closely resemble the process used in the experiments. The predicted results show improved agreement with the unsteady experimental data.

Lipid membrane-mediated attraction between curvature inducing objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Wel, Casper; Vahid, Afshin; Šarić, Anđela; Idema, Timon; Heinrich, Doris; Kraft, Daniela J.

2016-09-01

The interplay of membrane proteins is vital for many biological processes, such as cellular transport, cell division, and signal transduction between nerve cells. Theoretical considerations have led to the idea that the membrane itself mediates protein self-organization in these processes through minimization of membrane curvature energy. Here, we present a combined experimental and numerical study in which we quantify these interactions directly for the first time. In our experimental model system we control the deformation of a lipid membrane by adhering colloidal particles. Using confocal microscopy, we establish that these membrane deformations cause an attractive interaction force leading to reversible binding. The attraction extends over 2.5 times the particle diameter and has a strength of three times the thermal energy (-3.3 kBT). Coarse-grained Monte-Carlo simulations of the system are in excellent agreement with the experimental results and prove that the measured interaction is independent of length scale. Our combined experimental and numerical results reveal membrane curvature as a common physical origin for interactions between any membrane-deforming objects, from nanometre-sized proteins to micrometre-sized particles.

Experimental investigation of acoustic self-oscillation influence on decay process for underexpanded supersonic jet in submerged space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aleksandrov, V. Yu.; Arefyev, K. Yu.; Ilchenko, M. A.

2016-07-01

Intensification of mixing between the gaseous working body ejected through a jet nozzle with ambient medium is an important scientific and technical problem. Effective mixing can increase the total efficiency of power and propulsion apparatuses. The promising approach, although poorly studied, is generation of acoustic self-oscillation inside the jet nozzle: this impact might enhance the decay of a supersonic jet and improve the mixing parameters. The paper presents peculiar properties of acoustic self-excitation in jet nozzle. The paper presents results of experimental study performed for a model injector with a set of plates placed into the flow channel, enabling the excitation of acoustic self-oscillations. The study reveals the regularity of under-expanded supersonic jet decay in submerged space for different flow modes. Experimental data support the efficiency of using the jet nozzle with acoustic self-oscillation in application to the systems of gas fuel supply. Experimental results can be used for designing new power apparatuses for aviation and space industry and for process plants.

Study of inelastic processes in Li+-Ar, K+-Ar, and Na+-He collisions in the energy range 0.5-10 keV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lomsadze, Ramaz A.; Gochitashvili, Malkhaz R.; Kezerashvili, Roman Ya; Schulz, Michael

2017-11-01

Absolute cross sections are measured for charge-exchange, ionization, and excitation processes within the same experimental setup for the Li{}+-Ar, K{}+-Ar, and Na{}+-He collisions in the ion energy range of 0.5-10 keV. The results of the measurements and schematic correlation diagrams are used to analyze and determine the mechanisms for these processes. The experimental results show that the charge-exchange processes occur with high probabilities and electrons are predominantly captured in ground states. The contributions of various partial inelastic channels to the total ionization cross section are estimated, and a primary mechanism for the process is identified. In addition, the energy-loss spectrum is applied in order to estimate the relative contribution of different inelastic channels, and to determine the mechanisms for the ionization and for some excitation processes of Ar resonance lines for the {{{K}}}+-Ar collision system. The excitation cross sections for the helium and for the sodium doublet lines for the Na{}+-He collision system both reveal some unexpected features. A mechanism to explain this observation is suggested.

Experimental rill erosion research vs. model concepts - quantification of the hydraulic and erosional efficiency of rills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wirtz, Stefan

2014-05-01

In soil erosion research, rills are believed to be one of the most efficient forms. They act as preferential flow paths for overland flow and hence become the most efficient sediment sources in a catchment. However their fraction of the overall detachment in a certain area compared to other soil erosion processes is contentious. The requirement for handling this subject is the standardization of the used measurement methods for rill erosion quantification. Only by using a standardized method, the results of different studies become comparable and can be synthesized to one overall statement. In rill erosion research, such a standardized field method was missing until now. Hence, the first aim of this study is to present an experimental setup that enables us to obtain comparable data about process dynamics in eroding rills under standardized conditions in the field. Using this rill experiment, the runoff efficiency of rills (second aim) and the fraction of rill erosion on total soil loss (third aim) in a catchment are quantified. The erosion rate [g m-2] in the rills is between twenty- and sixty-times higher compared to the interrill areas, the specific discharge [L s-1 m-2] in the rills is about 2000 times higher. The identification and quantification of different rill erosion processes are the fourth aim within this project. Gravitative processes like side wall failure, headcut- and knickpoint retreat provide up to 94 % of the detached sediment quantity. In soil erosion models, only the incision into the rill's bottom is considered, hence the modelled results are unsatisfactorily. Due to the low quality of soil erosion model results, the fifth aim of the study is to review two physical basic assumptions using the rill experiments. Contrasting with the model assumptions, there is no clear linear correlation between any hydraulic parameter and the detachment rate and the transport rate is capable of exceeding the transport capacity. In conclusion, the results clearly show the need of experimental field data obtained under conditions as close as possible to reality. This is the only way to improve the fundamental knowledge about the function and the impact of the different processes in rill erosion. A better understanding of the process combinations is a fundamental request for developing a really functioning soil erosion model. In such a model, spatial and temporal variability as well as the combination of different sub-processes must be considered. Regarding the experimental results of this study, the simulation of natural processes using simple, static mathematical equations seems not to be possible.

Mechanical Behaviour of Conventional Materials at Experimental Conditions of Deep Drawing Technological Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolov, N.; Pashkouleva, D.; Kavardzhikov, V.

2012-09-01

The paper deals with experimental investigations on the mechanical behaviour of body-centred-cubic (BCC) and face-centred-cubic (FCC)-conventionally structured sheet metalic-metalic materials under stress-strain conditions of a deep drawing process determined by a coefficient close to the limiting one for Steel 08 and punch diameter of 50 mm. The mechanical characteristics of the investigated materials are identified by one-dimensional tension tests. The materials' responses, as results of identical loading conditions, are described by the change of blank sizes and characteristics of the forming processes. The chosen deformation path ensures obtaining a qualitative steel piece and leads to failures of aluminium and brass blanks. The reported results could be useful for investigations and predictions of the mechanical responses of such type metallic structures applying microscopic instrumented observations and numerical simulations.

Quantitative computer simulations of extraterrestrial processing operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vincent, T. L.; Nikravesh, P. E.

1989-01-01

The automation of a small, solid propellant mixer was studied. Temperature control is under investigation. A numerical simulation of the system is under development and will be tested using different control options. Control system hardware is currently being put into place. The construction of mathematical models and simulation techniques for understanding various engineering processes is also studied. Computer graphics packages were utilized for better visualization of the simulation results. The mechanical mixing of propellants is examined. Simulation of the mixing process is being done to study how one can control for chaotic behavior to meet specified mixing requirements. An experimental mixing chamber is also being built. It will allow visual tracking of particles under mixing. The experimental unit will be used to test ideas from chaos theory, as well as to verify simulation results. This project has applications to extraterrestrial propellant quality and reliability.

Composition and Manufacturing Effects on Electrical Conductivity of Li/FeS 2 Thermal Battery Cathodes

DOE PAGES

Reinholz, Emilee L.; Roberts, Scott A.; Apblett, Christopher A.; ...

2016-06-11

The electrical conductivity is key to the performance of thermal battery cathodes. In this work we present the effects of manufacturing and processing conditions on the electrical conductivity of Li/FeS2 thermal battery cathodes. Finite element simulations were used to compute the conductivity of three-dimensional microcomputed tomography cathode microstructures and compare results to experimental impedance spectroscopy measurements. A regression analysis reveals a predictive relationship between composition, processing conditions, and electrical conductivity; a trend which is largely erased after thermally-induced deformation. Moreover, the trend applies to both experimental and simulation results, although is not as apparent in simulations. This research is amore » step toward a more fundamental understanding of the effects of processing and composition on thermal battery component microstructure, properties, and performance.« less

Effects of nursing process-based simulation for maternal child emergency nursing care on knowledge, attitude, and skills in clinical nurses.

PubMed

Kim, Sunghee; Shin, Gisoo

2016-02-01

Since previous studies on simulation-based education have been focused on fundamental nursing skills for nursing students in South Korea, there is little research available that focuses on clinical nurses in simulation-based training. Further, there is a paucity of research literature related to the integration of the nursing process into simulation training particularly in the emergency nursing care of high-risk maternal and neonatal patients. The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of nursing process-based simulation on knowledge, attitudes, and skills for maternal and child emergency nursing care in clinical nurses in South Korea. Data were collected from 49 nurses, 25 in the experimental group and 24 in the control group, from August 13 to 14, 2013. This study was an equivalent control group pre- and post-test experimental design to compare the differences in knowledge, attitudes, and skills for maternal and child emergency nursing care between the experimental group and the control group. The experimental group was trained by the nursing process-based simulation training program, while the control group received traditional methods of training for maternal and child emergency nursing care. The experimental group was more likely to improve knowledge, attitudes, and skills required for clinical judgment about maternal and child emergency nursing care than the control group. Among five stages of nursing process in simulation, the experimental group was more likely to improve clinical skills required for nursing diagnosis and nursing evaluation than the control group. These results will provide valuable information on developing nursing process-based simulation training to improve clinical competency in nurses. Further research should be conducted to verify the effectiveness of nursing process-based simulation with more diverse nurse groups on more diverse subjects in the future. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Illusion optics in chaotic light

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang Suheng; Gan Shu; Xiong Jun

2010-08-15

The time-reversal process provides the possibility to counteract the time evolution of a physical system. Recent research has shown that such a process can occur in the first-order field correlation of chaotic light and result in the spatial interference and phase-reversal diffraction in an unbalanced interferometer. Here we report experimental investigations on the invisibility cloak and illusion phenomena in chaotic light. In an unbalanced interferometer illuminated by thermal light, we have observed the cloak effect and the optical transformation of one object into another object. The experimental results can be understood by the phase-reversal diffraction, and they demonstrate the theoreticalmore » proposal of similar effects in complementary media.« less

Standing wave design and experimental validation of a tandem simulated moving bed process for insulin purification.

PubMed

Xie, Yi; Mun, Sungyong; Kim, Jinhyun; Wang, Nien-Hwa Linda

2002-01-01

A tandem simulated moving bed (SMB) process for insulin purification has been proposed and validated experimentally. The mixture to be separated consists of insulin, high molecular weight proteins, and zinc chloride. A systematic approach based on the standing wave design, rate model simulations, and experiments was used to develop this multicomponent separation process. The standing wave design was applied to specify the SMB operating conditions of a lab-scale unit with 10 columns. The design was validated with rate model simulations prior to experiments. The experimental results show 99.9% purity and 99% yield, which closely agree with the model predictions and the standing wave design targets. The agreement proves that the standing wave design can ensure high purity and high yield for the tandem SMB process. Compared to a conventional batch SEC process, the tandem SMB has 10% higher yield, 400% higher throughput, and 72% lower eluant consumption. In contrast, a design that ignores the effects of mass transfer and nonideal flow cannot meet the purity requirement and gives less than 96% yield.

Modeling sediment transport after ditch network maintenance of a forested peatland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haahti, K.; Marttila, H.; Warsta, L.; Kokkonen, T.; Finér, L.; Koivusalo, H.

2016-11-01

Elevated suspended sediment (SS) loads released from peatlands after drainage operations and the resulting negative effect on the ecological status of the receiving water bodies have been widely recognized. Understanding the processes controlling erosion and sediment transport within the ditch network forms a prerequisite for adequate sediment control. While numerous experimental studies have been reported in this field, model based assessments are rare. This study presents a modeling approach to investigate sediment transport in a peatland ditch network. The transport model describes bed erosion, rain-induced bank erosion, floc deposition, and consolidation of the bed. Coupled to a distributed hydrological model, sediment transport was simulated in a 5.2 ha forestry-drained peatland catchment for 2 years after ditch cleaning. Comparing simulation results to measured SS concentrations suggested that the loose peat material, produced during excavation, contributed markedly to elevated SS concentrations immediately after ditch cleaning. Both snowmelt and summer rainstorms contributed critically to annual loads. Springtime peat erosion during snowmelt was driven by ditch flow whereas during summer rainfalls, bank erosion by raindrop impact was identified as an important process. Relating modeling results to observed spatial topographic changes in the ditch network was challenging and the results were difficult to verify. Nevertheless, the model has potential to identify risk areas for erosion. The results demonstrate that modeling is effective in separating the importance of different processes and complements pure experimental approaches. Modeling results can aid planning and designing efficient sediment control measures and guide the focus of experimental studies.

Multiple electron processes of He and Ne by proton impact

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terekhin, Pavel Nikolaevich; Montenegro, Pablo; Quinto, Michele; Monti, Juan; Fojon, Omar; Rivarola, Roberto

2016-05-01

A detailed investigation of multiple electron processes (single and multiple ionization, single capture, transfer-ionization) of He and Ne is presented for proton impact at intermediate and high collision energies. Exclusive absolute cross sections for these processes have been obtained by calculation of transition probabilities in the independent electron and independent event models as a function of impact parameter in the framework of the continuum distorted wave-eikonal initial state theory. A binomial analysis is employed to calculate exclusive probabilities. The comparison with available theoretical and experimental results shows that exclusive probabilities are needed for a reliable description of the experimental data. The developed approach can be used for obtaining the input database for modeling multiple electron processes of charged particles passing through the matter.

Integration between chemical oxidation and membrane thermophilic biological process.

PubMed

Bertanza, G; Collivignarelli, M C; Crotti, B M; Pedrazzani, R

2010-01-01

Full scale applications of activated sludge thermophilic aerobic process for treatment of liquid wastes are rare. This experimental work was carried out at a facility, where a thermophilic reactor (1,000 m(3) volume) is operated. In order to improve the global performance of the plant, it was decided to upgrade it, by means of two membrane filtration units (ultrafiltration -UF-, in place of the final sedimentation, and nanofiltration -NF-). Subsequently, the integration with chemical oxidation (O(3) and H(2)O(2)/UV processes) was taken into consideration. Studied solutions dealt with oxidation of both the NF effluents (permeate and concentrate). Based on experimental results and economic evaluation, an algorithm was proposed for defining limits of convenience of this process.

Interatomic relaxation processes induced in neon dimers by electron-impact ionization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, S.; Zhang, P.; Stumpf, V.; Gokhberg, K.; Zhang, X. C.; Xu, S.; Li, B.; Shen, L. L.; Zhu, X. L.; Feng, W. T.; Zhang, S. F.; Zhao, D. M.; Ma, X.

2018-01-01

We report an experimental observation of the interatomic Coulombic decay (ICD) and radiative charge-transfer (RCT) processes in a Ne dimer (e ,2 e ) following a 380-eV electron impact. By detecting the N e+-N e+ cation pair and one of the emitted electrons in coincidence, the fingerprint of the ICD process initiated by the inner-valence ionization of Ne is obtained. Furthermore, the experimental results and ab initio calculations together unambiguously confirm the occurrence of the RCT process, and we show that most of the low-energy electrons produced in ionization of the Ne dimers are due to the ICD, which strongly suggests the importance of the ICD in causing radiation damage in a biological medium.

A critical literature review of focused electron beam induced deposition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Dorp, W. F.; Hagen, C. W.

2008-10-01

An extensive review is given of the results from literature on electron beam induced deposition. Electron beam induced deposition is a complex process, where many and often mutually dependent factors are involved. The process has been studied by many over many years in many different experimental setups, so it is not surprising that there is a great variety of experimental results. To come to a better understanding of the process, it is important to see to which extent the experimental results are consistent with each other and with the existing model. All results from literature were categorized by sorting the data according to the specific parameter that was varied (current density, acceleration voltage, scan patterns, etc.). Each of these parameters can have an effect on the final deposit properties, such as the physical dimensions, the composition, the morphology, or the conductivity. For each parameter-property combination, the available data are discussed and (as far as possible) interpreted. By combining models for electron scattering in a solid, two different growth regimes, and electron beam induced heating, the majority of the experimental results were explained qualitatively. This indicates that the physical processes are well understood, although quantitatively speaking the models can still be improved. The review makes clear that several major issues remain. One issue encountered when interpreting results from literature is the lack of data. Often, important parameters (such as the local precursor pressure) are not reported, which can complicate interpretation of the results. Another issue is the fact that the cross section for electron induced dissociation is unknown. In a number of cases, a correlation between the vertical growth rate and the secondary electron yield was found, which suggests that the secondary electrons dominate the dissociation rather than the primary electrons. Conclusive evidence for this hypothesis has not been found. Finally, there is a limited understanding of the mechanism of electron induced precursor dissociation. In many cases, the deposit composition is not directly dependent on the stoichiometric composition of the precursor and the electron induced decomposition paths can be very different from those expected from calculations or thermal decomposition. The dissociation mechanism is one of the key factors determining the purity of the deposits and a better understanding of this process will help develop electron beam induced deposition into a viable nanofabrication technique.

Production of synthetic fuels using syngas from a steam hydrogasification and reforming process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raju, Arun Satheesh Kumar

This thesis is aimed at the research, optimization and development of a thermo-chemical process aimed at the production of synthesis gas (mixture of H2 and CO) with a flexible H2 to CO ratio using coupled steam hydrogasification and steam reforming processes. The steam hydrogasification step generates a product gas containing significant amounts of methane by gasifying a carbonaceous feed material with steam and internally generated H2. This product gas is converted to synthesis gas with an excess H2 to CO using the steam reformer. Research involving experimental and simulation work has been conducted on steam hydrogasification, steam reforming and the Fischer-Tropsch reaction. The Aspen Plus simulation tool has been used to develop a process model that can perform heat and mass balance calculations of the whole process using built-in reactor modules and an empirical FT model available in the literature. This model has been used to estimate optimum feed ratios and process conditions for specific feedstocks and products. Steam hydrogasification of coal and wood mixtures of varying coal to wood ratios has been performed in a stirred batch reactor. The carbon conversion of the feedstocks to gaseous products is around 60% at 700°C and 80% at 800°C. The coal to wood ratio of the feedstock does not exert a significant influence on the carbon conversion. The rates of formation of CO, CO 2 and CH4 during gasification have been calculated based on the experimental results using a simple kinetic model. Experimental research on steam reforming has been performed. It has been shown that temperature and the feed CO2/CH4 ratio play a dominant role in determining the product gas H2/CO ratio. Reforming of typical steam hydrogasification product-gas stream has been investigated over a commercial steam reforming catalyst. The results demonstrate that the combined use of steam hydrogasification process with a reformer can generate a synthesis gas with a predetermined H2/CO ratio from carbonaceous feedstocks. Experimental work on the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis has also been performed. A life cycle analysis has been performed with the objective of comparing the life cycle energy consumption and emissions of synthetic diesel fuel produced through the CE-CERT process with other fuel/vehicle combinations. The experimental and simulation results presented here demonstrate that the CE-CERT process is versatile and can potentially handle a number of different feedstocks. CE-CERT process appears to be suitable for commercialization in very large scales with a coal feedstock and also in a distributed network of smaller scale reactors utilizing localized renewable feedstocks.

Spatial Control of Photoacid Diffusion in Chemically Amplified Resist (CAR) via External Electric Field.

PubMed

Kim, Jinok; Yoo, Gwangwe; Park, Jin; Park, Jin-Hong

2018-09-01

We investigated the effect of an electric field-based post exposure bake (EF-PEB) process on photoacid diffusion and pattern formation. To investigate the control of photoacid diffusion experimentally, the EF-PEB processes was performed at various temperatures. Cross sectional images of various EF-PEB processed samples were obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) after ion beam milling. In addition, we conducted a numerical analysis of photoacid distribution and diffusion with following Fick's second law and compared the experimental results with our theoretical model. The drift distance was theoretically predicted by multiplying drift velocity and EF-PEB time, and the experimental values were obtained by finding the difference in pattern depths of PEB/EFPEB samples. Finally, an EF-PEB temperature of 85 °C was confirmed as the optimum condition to maximize photoacid drift distance using the electric field.

Experiment Analysis and Modelling of Compaction Behaviour of Ag60Cu30Sn10 Mixed Metal Powders

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Mengcheng; Huang, Shangyu; Liu, Wei; Lei, Yu; Yan, Shiwei

2018-03-01

A novel process method combines powder compaction and sintering was employed to fabricate thin sheets of cadmium-free silver based filler metals, the compaction densification behaviour of Ag60Cu30Sn10 mixed metal powders was investigated experimentally. Based on the equivalent density method, the density-dependent Drucker-Prager Cap (DPC) model was introduced to model the powder compaction behaviour. Various experiment procedures were completed to determine the model parameters. The friction coefficients in lubricated and unlubricated die were experimentally determined. The determined material parameters were validated by experiments and numerical simulation of powder compaction process using a user subroutine (USDFLD) in ABAQUS/Standard. The good agreement between the simulated and experimental results indicates that the determined model parameters are able to describe the compaction behaviour of the multicomponent mixed metal powders, which can be further used for process optimization simulations.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nabeel A. Riza

The goals of the first six months of this project were to lay the foundations for both the SiC front-end optical chip fabrication as well as the free-space laser beam interferometer designs and preliminary tests. In addition, a Phase I goal was to design and experimentally build the high temperature and pressure infrastructure and test systems that will be used in the next 6 months for proposed sensor experimentation and data processing. All these goals have been achieved and are described in detail in the report. Both design process and diagrams for the mechanical elements as well as the opticalmore » systems are provided. In addition, photographs of the fabricated SiC optical chips, the high temperature & pressure test chamber instrument, the optical interferometer, the SiC sample chip holder, and signal processing data are provided. The design and experimentation results are summarized to give positive conclusions on the proposed novel high temperature optical sensor technology.« less

Numerical Simulation of Austempering Heat Treatment of a Ductile Cast Iron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boccardo, Adrián D.; Dardati, Patricia M.; Celentano, Diego J.; Godoy, Luis A.; Górny, Marcin; Tyrała, Edward

2016-02-01

This paper presents a coupled thermo-mechanical-metallurgical formulation to predict the dimensional changes and microstructure of a ductile cast iron part as a consequence of an austempering heat process. To take into account the different complex phenomena which are present in the process, the stress-strain law and plastic evolution equations are defined within the context of the associate rate-independent thermo-plasticity theory. The metallurgical model considers the reverse eutectoid, ausferritic, and martensitic transformations using macro- and micro-models. The resulting model is solved using the finite element method. The performance of this model is evaluated by comparison with experimental results of a dilatometric test. The results indicate that both the experimental evolution of deformation and temperature are well represented by the numerical model.

Destruction of acenaphthene, fluorene, anthracene and pyrene by a dc gliding arc plasma reactor.

PubMed

Yu, Liang; Tu, Xin; Li, Xiaodong; Wang, Yu; Chi, Yong; Yan, Jianhua

2010-08-15

In this study, four kinds of PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) i.e. acenaphthene, fluorene, anthracene and pyrene are used as targets for investigation of PAHs treatment process assisted by dc gliding arc discharge. The effects of carrier gas and external resistance on the PAHs decomposition process are discussed. The results indicate that the destruction rate can be achieved to the highest with the carrier gas of oxygen and the external resistance of 50 kOmega independent of type of PAHs. Furthermore, experimental results suggest that destruction energy efficiency of gliding arc plasma would be improved by treating higher concentration pollutants. Based on the analysis of experimental results, possible destruction mechanisms in different gas discharge are discussed. Copyright 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The numerical simulation and experiment on extrusion roller embossing of light diffusion plate with micro-structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zang, Gongzheng; Fu, Zhihong; Zhang, Lei; Wan, Yue

2018-01-01

Extrusion roller embossing process has demonstrated the ability to produce polymer film with micro-structure. However the influence of various parameters on the forming quality has not been understood clearly. In this paper, a light diffusion plate with semi cylindrical micro-structure array as the research object, the influence of the main processing parameters such as roller speed, pressuring distance and polymer film temperature to the rolling quality was investigated in detail by simulation and experimental methods. The results show that the thickness of the light diffusion plate and the micro-structure fitting diameter increases with the increasing of the roll speed and the polymer film temperature, and decreases with the increasing of the pressing distance. Besides, the simulation results conformed well to the experimental results.

Towards Prognostics of Power MOSFETs: Accelerated Aging and Precursors of Failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Celaya, Jose R.; Saxena, Abhinav; Wysocki, Philip; Saha, Sankalita; Goebel, Kai

2010-01-01

This paper presents research results dealing with power MOSFETs (metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor) within the prognostics and health management of electronics. Experimental results are presented for the identification of the on-resistance as a precursor to failure of devices with die-attach degradation as a failure mechanism. Devices are aged under power cycling in order to trigger die-attach damage. In situ measurements of key electrical and thermal parameters are collected throughout the aging process and further used for analysis and computation of the on-resistance parameter. Experimental results show that the devices experience die-attach damage and that the on-resistance captures the degradation process in such a way that it could be used for the development of prognostics algorithms (data-driven or physics-based).

Expectation-induced placebo responses fail to accelerate wound healing in healthy volunteers: results from a prospective controlled experimental trial.

PubMed

Vits, Sabine; Dissemond, Joachim; Schadendorf, Dirk; Kriegler, Lisa; Körber, Andreas; Schedlowski, Manfred; Cesko, Elvir

2015-12-01

Placebo responses have been shown to affect the symptomatology of skin diseases. However, expectation-induced placebo effects on wound healing processes have not been investigated yet. We analysed whether subjects' expectation of receiving an active drug accelerates the healing process of experimentally induced wounds. In 22 healthy men (experimental group, n = 11; control group, n = 11) wounds were induced by ablative laser on both thighs. Using a deceptive paradigm, participants in the experimental group were informed that an innovative 'wound gel' was applied on one of the two wounds, whereas a 'non-active gel' was applied on the wound of the other thigh. In fact, both gels were identical hydrogels without any active components. A control group was informed to receive a non-active gel on both wounds. Progress in wound healing was documented via planimetry on days 1, 4 and 7 after wound induction. From day 9 onwards wound inspections were performed daily accompanied by a change of the dressing and a new application of the gel. No significant differences could be observed with regard to duration or process of wound healing, either by intraindividual or by interindividual comparisons. These data document no expectation-induced placebo effect on the healing process of experimentally induced wounds in healthy volunteers. © 2013 The Authors. International Wound Journal © 2013 Medicalhelplines.com Inc and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Depressive Rumination: Investigating Mechanisms to Improve Cognitive Behavioural Treatments

PubMed Central

Watkins, Edward R.

2009-01-01

Rumination has been identified as a core process in the development and maintenance of depression. Treatments targeting ruminative processes may, therefore, be particularly helpful for treating chronic and recurrent depression. The development of such treatments requires translational research that marries clinical trials, process–outcome research, and basic experimental research that investigates the mechanisms underpinning pathological rumination. For example, a program of experimental research has demonstrated that there are distinct processing modes during rumination that have distinct functional effects for the consequences of rumination on a range of clinically relevant cognitive and emotional processes: an adaptive style characterized by more concrete, specific processing and a maladaptive style characterized by abstract, overgeneral processing. Based on this experimental work, two new treatments for depression have been developed and evaluated: (a) rumination-focused cognitive therapy, an individual-based face-to-face therapy, which has encouraging results in the treatment of residual depression in an extended case series and a pilot randomized controlled trial; and (b) concreteness training, a facilitated self-help intervention intended to increase specificity of processing in patients with depression, which has beneficial findings in a proof-of-principle study in a dysphoric population. These findings indicate the potential value of process–outcome research (a) explicitly targeting identified vulnerability processes and (b) developing interventions informed by research into basic mechanisms. PMID:19697180

Modeling cell adhesion and proliferation: a cellular-automata based approach.

PubMed

Vivas, J; Garzón-Alvarado, D; Cerrolaza, M

Cell adhesion is a process that involves the interaction between the cell membrane and another surface, either a cell or a substrate. Unlike experimental tests, computer models can simulate processes and study the result of experiments in a shorter time and lower costs. One of the tools used to simulate biological processes is the cellular automata, which is a dynamic system that is discrete both in space and time. This work describes a computer model based on cellular automata for the adhesion process and cell proliferation to predict the behavior of a cell population in suspension and adhered to a substrate. The values of the simulated system were obtained through experimental tests on fibroblast monolayer cultures. The results allow us to estimate the cells settling time in culture as well as the adhesion and proliferation time. The change in the cells morphology as the adhesion over the contact surface progress was also observed. The formation of the initial link between cell and the substrate of the adhesion was observed after 100 min where the cell on the substrate retains its spherical morphology during the simulation. The cellular automata model developed is, however, a simplified representation of the steps in the adhesion process and the subsequent proliferation. A combined framework of experimental and computational simulation based on cellular automata was proposed to represent the fibroblast adhesion on substrates and changes in a macro-scale observed in the cell during the adhesion process. The approach showed to be simple and efficient.

Scalable UWB photonic generator based on the combination of doublet pulses.

PubMed

Moreno, Vanessa; Rius, Manuel; Mora, José; Muriel, Miguel A; Capmany, José

2014-06-30

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a scalable and reconfigurable optical scheme to generate high order UWB pulses. Firstly, various ultra wideband doublets are created through a process of phase-to-intensity conversion by means of a phase modulation and a dispersive media. In a second stage, doublets are combined in an optical processing unit that allows the reconfiguration of UWB high order pulses. Experimental results both in time and frequency domains are presented showing good performance related to the fractional bandwidth and spectral efficiency parameters.

Validation of mathematical model for CZ process using small-scale laboratory crystal growth furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergfelds, Kristaps; Sabanskis, Andrejs; Virbulis, Janis

2018-05-01

The present material is focused on the modelling of small-scale laboratory NaCl-RbCl crystal growth furnace. First steps towards fully transient simulations are taken in the form of stationary simulations that deal with the optimization of material properties to match the model to experimental conditions. For this purpose, simulation software primarily used for the modelling of industrial-scale silicon crystal growth process was successfully applied. Finally, transient simulations of the crystal growth are presented, giving a sufficient agreement to experimental results.

Experimental study of combustion processes involved in hypergolic propellant coaxial injector operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Habiballah, M.; Dubois, I.; Gicquel, P.; Foucaud, R.

1992-07-01

The first results are presented of an experimental research program to understand the operation of a coaxial injector using hypergolic propellants. Mechanisms and processes involved in coaxial injector operation are identified for a two-plate injector and a coaxial injector. The usefulness of backlight cinematography and laser sheet visualization in the study of coaxial injector operation is examined. A review of the literature on injector elements using highly reactive hypergolic propellants is presented along with an analysis of fundamental mechanisms involved in these propellants.

Distributed optical signal processing for microwave photonics subsystems.

PubMed

Chew, Suen Xin; Nguyen, Linh; Yi, Xiaoke; Song, Shijie; Li, Liwei; Bian, Pengju; Minasian, Robert

2016-03-07

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a novel and practical microwave photonic system that is capable of executing cascaded signal processing functions comprising a microwave photonic bandpass filter and a phase shifter, while providing separate and independent control for each function. The experimental results demonstrate a single bandpass microwave photonic filter with a 3-dB bandwidth of 15 MHz and an out-of-band ratio of over 40 dB, together with a simultaneous RF phase tuning control of 0-215° with less than ± 3 dB filter shape variance.

Experimental validation of a phenomenological model of the plasma contacting process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, John D.; Wilbur, Paul J.; Monheiser, Jeff M.

1988-01-01

A preliminary model of the plasma coupling process is presented which describes the phenomena observed in ground-based experiments using a hollow cathode plasma contactor to collect electrons from a dilute ambient plasma under conditions where magnetic field effects can be neglected. The locations of the double-sheath region boundaries are estimated and correlated with experimental results. Ion production mechanisms in the plasma plume caused by discharge electrons from the contactor cathode and by electrons streaming into the plasma plume through the double-sheath from the ambient plasma are also discussed.

[Theoretical and methodological bases for formation of future drivers 'readiness to application of physical-rehabilitation technologies].

PubMed

Yemets, Anatoliy V; Donchenko, Viktoriya I; Scrinick, Eugenia O

2018-01-01

Introduction: Experimental work is aimed at introducing theoretical and methodological foundations for the professional training of the future doctor. The aim: Identify the dynamics of quantitative and qualitative indicators of the readiness of a specialist in medicine. Materials and methods: The article presents the course and results of the experimental work of the conditions of forming the readiness of future specialists in medicine. Results: Our methodical bases for studying the disciplines of the general practice and specialized professional stage of experimental training of future physicians have been worked out. Conclusions: It is developed taking into account the peculiarities of future physician training of materials for various stages of experimental implementation in the educational process of higher medical educational institutions.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mehl, M; Kukkadapu, G; Kumar, K

The use of gasoline in homogeneous charge compression ignition engines (HCCI) and in duel fuel diesel - gasoline engines, has increased the need to understand its compression ignition processes under engine-like conditions. These processes need to be studied under well-controlled conditions in order to quantify low temperature heat release and to provide fundamental validation data for chemical kinetic models. With this in mind, an experimental campaign has been undertaken in a rapid compression machine (RCM) to measure the ignition of gasoline mixtures over a wide range of compression temperatures and for different compression pressures. By measuring the pressure history duringmore » ignition, information on the first stage ignition (when observed) and second stage ignition are captured along with information on the phasing of the heat release. Heat release processes during ignition are important because gasoline is known to exhibit low temperature heat release, intermediate temperature heat release and high temperature heat release. In an HCCI engine, the occurrence of low-temperature and intermediate-temperature heat release can be exploited to obtain higher load operation and has become a topic of much interest for engine researchers. Consequently, it is important to understand these processes under well-controlled conditions. A four-component gasoline surrogate model (including n-heptane, iso-octane, toluene, and 2-pentene) has been developed to simulate real gasolines. An appropriate surrogate mixture of the four components has been developed to simulate the specific gasoline used in the RCM experiments. This chemical kinetic surrogate model was then used to simulate the RCM experimental results for real gasoline. The experimental and modeling results covered ultra-lean to stoichiometric mixtures, compressed temperatures of 640-950 K, and compression pressures of 20 and 40 bar. The agreement between the experiments and model is encouraging in terms of first-stage (when observed) and second-stage ignition delay times and of heat release rate. The experimental and computational results are used to gain insight into low and intermediate temperature processes during gasoline ignition.« less

Volatilisation and competing processes computed for a pesticide applied to plants in a wind tunnel system.

PubMed

Leistra, Minze; Wolters, André; van den Berg, Frederik

2008-06-01

Volatilisation of pesticides from crop canopies can be an important emission pathway. In addition to pesticide properties, competing processes in the canopy and environmental conditions play a part. A computation model is being developed to simulate the processes, but only some of the input data can be obtained directly from the literature. Three well-defined experiments on the volatilisation of radiolabelled parathion-methyl (as example compound) from plants in a wind tunnel system were simulated with the computation model. Missing parameter values were estimated by calibration against the experimental results. The resulting thickness of the air boundary layer, rate of plant penetation and rate of phototransformation were compared with a diversity of literature data. The sequence of importance of the canopy processes was: volatilisation > plant penetration > phototransformation. Computer simulation of wind tunnel experiments, with radiolabelled pesticide sprayed on plants, yields values for the rate coefficients of processes at the plant surface. As some input data for simulations are not required in the framework of registration procedures, attempts to estimate missing parameter values on the basis of divergent experimental results have to be continued. Copyright (c) 2008 Society of Chemical Industry.

Process evaluation of the Enabling Mothers toPrevent Pediatric Obesity Through Web-Based Learning and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) randomized control trial.

PubMed

Knowlden, Adam P; Sharma, Manoj

2014-09-01

Family-and-home-based interventions are an important vehicle for preventing childhood obesity. Systematic process evaluations have not been routinely conducted in assessment of these interventions. The purpose of this study was to plan and conduct a process evaluation of the Enabling Mothers to Prevent Pediatric Obesity Through Web-Based Learning and Reciprocal Determinism (EMPOWER) randomized control trial. The trial was composed of two web-based, mother-centered interventions for prevention of obesity in children between 4 and 6 years of age. Process evaluation used the components of program fidelity, dose delivered, dose received, context, reach, and recruitment. Categorical process evaluation data (program fidelity, dose delivered, dose exposure, and context) were assessed using Program Implementation Index (PII) values. Continuous process evaluation variables (dose satisfaction and recruitment) were assessed using ANOVA tests to evaluate mean differences between groups (experimental and control) and sessions (sessions 1 through 5). Process evaluation results found that both groups (experimental and control) were equivalent, and interventions were administered as planned. Analysis of web-based intervention process objectives requires tailoring of process evaluation models for online delivery. Dissemination of process evaluation results can advance best practices for implementing effective online health promotion programs. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Structural Stability Monitoring of a Physical Model Test on an Underground Cavern Group during Deep Excavations Using FBG Sensors.

PubMed

Li, Yong; Wang, Hanpeng; Zhu, Weishen; Li, Shucai; Liu, Jian

2015-08-31

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are comprehensively recognized as a structural stability monitoring device for all kinds of geo-materials by either embedding into or bonding onto the structural entities. The physical model in geotechnical engineering, which could accurately simulate the construction processes and the effects on the stability of underground caverns on the basis of satisfying the similarity principles, is an actual physical entity. Using a physical model test of underground caverns in Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, FBG sensors were used to determine how to model the small displacements of some key monitoring points in the large-scale physical model during excavation. In the process of building the test specimen, it is most successful to embed FBG sensors in the physical model through making an opening and adding some quick-set silicon. The experimental results show that the FBG sensor has higher measuring accuracy than other conventional sensors like electrical resistance strain gages and extensometers. The experimental results are also in good agreement with the numerical simulation results. In conclusion, FBG sensors could effectively measure small displacements of monitoring points in the whole process of the physical model test. The experimental results reveal the deformation and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock mass and make some guidance for the in situ engineering construction.

Structural Stability Monitoring of a Physical Model Test on an Underground Cavern Group during Deep Excavations Using FBG Sensors

PubMed Central

Li, Yong; Wang, Hanpeng; Zhu, Weishen; Li, Shucai; Liu, Jian

2015-01-01

Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensors are comprehensively recognized as a structural stability monitoring device for all kinds of geo-materials by either embedding into or bonding onto the structural entities. The physical model in geotechnical engineering, which could accurately simulate the construction processes and the effects on the stability of underground caverns on the basis of satisfying the similarity principles, is an actual physical entity. Using a physical model test of underground caverns in Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station, FBG sensors were used to determine how to model the small displacements of some key monitoring points in the large-scale physical model during excavation. In the process of building the test specimen, it is most successful to embed FBG sensors in the physical model through making an opening and adding some quick-set silicon. The experimental results show that the FBG sensor has higher measuring accuracy than other conventional sensors like electrical resistance strain gages and extensometers. The experimental results are also in good agreement with the numerical simulation results. In conclusion, FBG sensors could effectively measure small displacements of monitoring points in the whole process of the physical model test. The experimental results reveal the deformation and failure characteristics of the surrounding rock mass and make some guidance for the in situ engineering construction. PMID:26404287

NASA Airframe Icing Research Overview Past and Current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potapczuk, Mark

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews the past and current research that NASA has done in the area of airframe icing. Both the history experimental efforts and model development to understand the process and problem of ice formation are reviewed. This has resulted in the development of new experimental methods, advanced icing simulation software, flight dynamics and experimental databases that have an impact on design, testing, construction and certification and qualification of the aircraft and its sub-systems.

Fatigue failure of materials under broad band random vibrations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huang, T. C.; Lanz, R. W.

1971-01-01

The fatigue life of material under multifactor influence of broad band random excitations has been investigated. Parameters which affect the fatigue life are postulated to be peak stress, variance of stress and the natural frequency of the system. Experimental data were processed by the hybrid computer. Based on the experimental results and regression analysis a best predicting model has been found. All values of the experimental fatigue lives are within the 95% confidence intervals of the predicting equation.

Backward Dependencies and in-Situ wh-Questions as Test Cases on How to Approach Experimental Linguistics Research That Pursues Theoretical Linguistics Questions

PubMed Central

Pablos, Leticia; Doetjes, Jenny; Cheng, Lisa L.-S.

2018-01-01

The empirical study of language is a young field in contemporary linguistics. This being the case, and following a natural development process, the field is currently at a stage where different research methods and experimental approaches are being put into question in terms of their validity. Without pretending to provide an answer with respect to the best way to conduct linguistics related experimental research, in this article we aim at examining the process that researchers follow in the design and implementation of experimental linguistics research with a goal to validate specific theoretical linguistic analyses. First, we discuss the general challenges that experimental work faces in finding a compromise between addressing theoretically relevant questions and being able to implement these questions in a specific controlled experimental paradigm. We discuss the Granularity Mismatch Problem (Poeppel and Embick, 2005) which addresses the challenges that research that is trying to bridge the representations and computations of language and their psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic evidence faces, and the basic assumptions that interdisciplinary research needs to consider due to the different conceptual granularity of the objects under study. To illustrate the practical implications of the points addressed, we compare two approaches to perform linguistic experimental research by reviewing a number of our own studies strongly grounded on theoretically informed questions. First, we show how linguistic phenomena similar at a conceptual level can be tested within the same language using measurement of event-related potentials (ERP) by discussing results from two ERP experiments on the processing of long-distance backward dependencies that involve coreference and negative polarity items respectively in Dutch. Second, we examine how the same linguistic phenomenon can be tested in different languages using reading time measures by discussing the outcome of four self-paced reading experiments on the processing of in-situ wh-questions in Mandarin Chinese and French. Finally, we review the implications that our findings have for the specific theoretical linguistics questions that we originally aimed to address. We conclude with an overview of the general insights that can be gained from the role of structural hierarchy and grammatical constraints in processing and the existing limitations on the generalization of results. PMID:29375417

Backward Dependencies and in-Situ wh-Questions as Test Cases on How to Approach Experimental Linguistics Research That Pursues Theoretical Linguistics Questions.

PubMed

Pablos, Leticia; Doetjes, Jenny; Cheng, Lisa L-S

2017-01-01

The empirical study of language is a young field in contemporary linguistics. This being the case, and following a natural development process, the field is currently at a stage where different research methods and experimental approaches are being put into question in terms of their validity. Without pretending to provide an answer with respect to the best way to conduct linguistics related experimental research, in this article we aim at examining the process that researchers follow in the design and implementation of experimental linguistics research with a goal to validate specific theoretical linguistic analyses. First, we discuss the general challenges that experimental work faces in finding a compromise between addressing theoretically relevant questions and being able to implement these questions in a specific controlled experimental paradigm. We discuss the Granularity Mismatch Problem (Poeppel and Embick, 2005) which addresses the challenges that research that is trying to bridge the representations and computations of language and their psycholinguistic/neurolinguistic evidence faces, and the basic assumptions that interdisciplinary research needs to consider due to the different conceptual granularity of the objects under study. To illustrate the practical implications of the points addressed, we compare two approaches to perform linguistic experimental research by reviewing a number of our own studies strongly grounded on theoretically informed questions. First, we show how linguistic phenomena similar at a conceptual level can be tested within the same language using measurement of event-related potentials (ERP) by discussing results from two ERP experiments on the processing of long-distance backward dependencies that involve coreference and negative polarity items respectively in Dutch. Second, we examine how the same linguistic phenomenon can be tested in different languages using reading time measures by discussing the outcome of four self-paced reading experiments on the processing of in-situ wh -questions in Mandarin Chinese and French. Finally, we review the implications that our findings have for the specific theoretical linguistics questions that we originally aimed to address. We conclude with an overview of the general insights that can be gained from the role of structural hierarchy and grammatical constraints in processing and the existing limitations on the generalization of results.

Microdesigning of Lightweight/High Strength Ceramic Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-07-31

Continue on reverse if necessary and identiy by block number) FIELD GROUP SUB- GROUP Ceramics, Composite Materials, Colloidal Processing Iii 19. ABSTRACT...to identify key processing parameters that affect the microstructure of the composite material. The second section describes experimental results in...results of the significant theoretical effort made in our group . Theoretical models of particle-particle interaction, particle-polymer interaction

Assessment of optimal control mechanism complexity by experimental landscape Hessian analysis: fragmentation of CH2BrI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xing, Xi; Rey-de-Castro, Roberto; Rabitz, Herschel

2014-12-01

Optimally shaped femtosecond laser pulses can often be effectively identified in adaptive feedback quantum control experiments, but elucidating the underlying control mechanism can be a difficult task requiring significant additional analysis. We introduce landscape Hessian analysis (LHA) as a practical experimental tool to aid in elucidating control mechanism insights. This technique is applied to the dissociative ionization of CH2BrI using shaped fs laser pulses for optimization of the absolute yields of ionic fragments as well as their ratios for the competing processes of breaking the C-Br and C-I bonds. The experimental results suggest that these nominally complex problems can be reduced to a low-dimensional control space with insights into the control mechanisms. While the optimal yield for some fragments is dominated by a non-resonant intensity-driven process, the optimal generation of other fragments maa difficult task requiring significant additionaly be explained by a non-resonant process coupled to few level resonant dynamics. Theoretical analysis and modeling is consistent with the experimental observations.

Removal of biofilms by impinging water droplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cense, A. W.; van Dongen, M. E. H.; Gottenbos, B.; Nuijs, A. M.; Shulepov, S. Y.

2006-12-01

The process of impinging water droplets on Streptococcus mutans biofilms was studied experimentally and numerically. Droplets were experimentally produced by natural breakup of a cylindrical liquid jet. Droplet diameter and velocity were varied between 20 and 200 μm and between 20 and 100 m/s, respectively. The resulting erosion process of the biofilm was determined experimentally with high-speed recording techniques and a quantitative relationship between the removal rate, droplet size, and velocity was determined. The shear stress and the pressure on the surface during droplet impact were determined by numerical simulations, and a qualitative agreement between the experiment and the simulation was obtained. Furthermore, it was shown that the stresses on the surface are strongly reduced when a water film is present.

Hot pressing and lithification of gouge during the Mount St. Helens 2004-2008 eruption: insights from high temperature deformation experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryan, Amy G.; Russell, James K.; Heap, Michael J.

2017-04-01

We present results from an experimental program designed to investigate the timescales, conditions and mechanisms responsible for the densification and lithification of volcanic gouge at Mount St. Helens (MSH). From 2004-2008, MSH produced a series of lava domes/spines that were mantled by thick layers of gouge resulting from fracturing and cataclasis at the conduit-wall rock interface. The gouge comprises fine crystal-rich rock powder containing little to no glass. The erupted gouge carapace is texturally diverse, and varies from loose granular material to moderately indurated coherent rock to fine-grained cataclasite within tens of centimeters. The spatial association of these materials suggests that the originally unconsolidated conduit-fault gouge is densified and lithified during ascent to the surface. At present the conditions, timescales and mechanisms for lithification of the glass-poor materials are unknown. Here, we present results from a series of high-temperature (T) uniaxial deformation experiments performed on natural gouge collected from MSH (spine 5). The experiments are intended to (1) establish the feasibility of experimentally densifying/lithifying natural gouge materials at laboratory conditions approximating those within the MSH conduit, and to (2) constrain the effects of T, load and time on the extents, rates and mechanisms of densification. Our experimental conditions include T up to 800°C (T

Scientific thinking in elementary school: Children's social cognition and their epistemological understanding promote experimentation skills.

PubMed

Osterhaus, Christopher; Koerber, Susanne; Sodian, Beate

2017-03-01

Do social cognition and epistemological understanding promote elementary school children's experimentation skills? To investigate this question, 402 children (ages 8, 9, and 10) in 2nd, 3rd, and 4th grades were assessed for their experimentation skills, social cognition (advanced theory of mind [AToM]), epistemological understanding (understanding the nature of science), and general information-processing skills (inhibition, intelligence, and language abilities) in a whole-class testing procedure. A multiple indicators multiple causes model revealed a significant influence of social cognition (AToM) on epistemological understanding, and a McNemar test suggested that children's development of AToM is an important precursor for the emergence of an advanced, mature epistemological understanding. Children's epistemological understanding, in turn, predicted their experimentation skills. Importantly, this relation was independent of the common influences of general information processing. Significant relations between experimentation skills and inhibition, and between epistemological understanding, intelligence, and language abilities emerged, suggesting that general information processing contributes to the conceptual development that is involved in scientific thinking. The model of scientific thinking that was tested in this study (social cognition and epistemological understanding promote experimentation skills) fitted the data significantly better than 2 alternative models, which assumed nonspecific, equally strong relations between all constructs under investigation. Our results support the conclusion that social cognition plays a foundational role in the emergence of children's epistemological understanding, which in turn is closely related to the development of experimentation skills. Our findings have significant implications for the teaching of scientific thinking in elementary school and they stress the importance of children's epistemological understanding in scientific-thinking processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Proposal for a new categorization of aseptic processing facilities based on risk assessment scores.

PubMed

Katayama, Hirohito; Toda, Atsushi; Tokunaga, Yuji; Katoh, Shigeo

2008-01-01

Risk assessment of aseptic processing facilities was performed using two published risk assessment tools. Calculated risk scores were compared with experimental test results, including environmental monitoring and media fill run results, in three different types of facilities. The two risk assessment tools used gave a generally similar outcome. However, depending on the tool used, variations were observed in the relative scores between the facilities. For the facility yielding the lowest risk scores, the corresponding experimental test results showed no contamination, indicating that these ordinal testing methods are insufficient to evaluate this kind of facility. A conventional facility having acceptable aseptic processing lines gave relatively high risk scores. The facility showing a rather high risk score demonstrated the usefulness of conventional microbiological test methods. Considering the significant gaps observed in calculated risk scores and in the ordinal microbiological test results between advanced and conventional facilities, we propose a facility categorization based on risk assessment. The most important risk factor in aseptic processing is human intervention. When human intervention is eliminated from the process by advanced hardware design, the aseptic processing facility can be classified into a new risk category that is better suited for assuring sterility based on a new set of criteria rather than on currently used microbiological analysis. To fully benefit from advanced technologies, we propose three risk categories for these aseptic facilities.

Research and development of low cost processes for integrated solar arrays. Final report, April 15, 1974--January 14, 1976

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graham, C.D.; Kulkarni, S.; Louis, E.

1976-05-01

Results of a program to study process routes leading to a low cost large area integrated silicon solar array manufacture for terrestrial applications are reported. Potential processes for the production of solar-grade silicon are evaluated from thermodynamic, economic, and technical feasibility points of view. Upgrading of the present arc-furnace process is found most favorable. Experimental studies of the Si/SiF/sub 4/ transport and purification process show considerable impurity removal and reasonable transport rates. Silicon deformation experiments indicate production of silicon sheet by rolling at 1350/sup 0/C is feasible. Significant recrystallization by strain-anneal technique has been observed. Experimental recrystallization studies using anmore » electron beam line source are discussed. A maximum recrystallization velocity of approximately 9 m/hr is calculated for silicon sheet. A comparative process rating technique based on detailed cost analysis is presented.« less

A Didactic Experiment and Model of a Flat-Plate Solar Collector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallitto, Aurelio Agliolo; Fiordilino, Emilio

2011-01-01

We report on an experiment performed with a home-made flat-plate solar collector, carried out together with high-school students. To explain the experimental results, we propose a model that describes the heating process of the solar collector. The model accounts quantitatively for the experimental data. We suggest that solar-energy topics should…

A Review of Teaching Sentence-Level Writing Skills to Students with Writing Difficulties and Learning Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Datchuk, Shawn M.; Kubina, Richard M.

2013-01-01

Students with writing difficulties and learning disabilities struggle with many aspects of the writing process, including use of sentence-level skills. This literature review summarizes results from 19 published articles that used single-case or group-experimental and quasi-experimental designs to investigate effects of intervention on the…

Study of the Reynolds Number Effect on the Process of Instability Transition Into the Turbulent Stage.

PubMed

Nevmerzhitskiy, N V; Sotskov, E A; Sen'kovskiy, E D; Krivonos, O L; Polovnikov, A A; Levkina, E V; Frolov, S V; Abakumov, S A; Marmyshev, V V

2014-09-01

The results of the experimental study of the Reynolds number effect on the process of the Rayleigh-Taylor (R-T) instability transition into the turbulent stage are presented. The experimental liquid layer was accelerated by compressed gas. Solid particles were scattered on the layer free surface to specify the initial perturbations in some experiments. The process was recorded with the use of a high-speed motion picture camera. The following results were obtained in experiments: (1) Long-wave perturbation is developed at the interface at the Reynolds numbers Re < 10 4 . If such perturbation growth is limited by a hard wall, the jet directed in gas is developed. If there is no such limitation, this perturbation is resolved into the short-wave ones with time, and their growth results in gas-liquid mixing. (2) Short-wave perturbations specified at the interface significantly reduce the Reynolds number Re for instability to pass into the turbulent mixing stage.

Surface crystallization of supercooled water in clouds

PubMed Central

Tabazadeh, A.; Djikaev, Y. S.; Reiss, H.

2002-01-01

The process by which liquid cloud droplets homogeneously crystallize into ice is still not well understood. The ice nucleation process based on the standard and classical theory of homogeneous freezing initiates within the interior volume of a cloud droplet. Current experimental data on homogeneous freezing rates of ice in droplets of supercooled water, both in air and emulsion oil samples, show considerable scatter. For example, at −33°C, the reported volume-based freezing rates of ice in supercooled water vary by as many as 5 orders of magnitude, which is well outside the range of measurement uncertainties. Here, we show that the process of ice nucleus formation at the air (or oil)-liquid water interface may help to explain why experimental results on ice nucleation rates yield different results in different ambient phases. Our results also suggest that surface crystallization of ice in cloud droplets can explain why low amounts of supercooled water have been observed in the atmosphere near −40°C. PMID:12456877

The effects of DRIE operational parameters on vertically aligned micropillar arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Kane; Li, Mingxiao; Walsh, Kevin M.; Fu, Xiao-An

2013-03-01

Vertically aligned silicon micropillar arrays have been created by deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) and used for a number of microfabricated devices including microfluidic devices, micropreconcentrators and photovoltaic cells. This paper delineates an experimental design performed on the Bosch process of DRIE of micropillar arrays. The arrays are fabricated with direct-write optical lithography without photomask, and the effects of DRIE process parameters, including etch cycle time, passivation cycle time, platen power and coil power on profile angle, scallop depth and scallop peak-to-peak distance are studied by statistical design of experiments. Scanning electron microscope images are used for measuring the resultant profile angles and characterizing the scalloping effect on the pillar sidewalls. The experimental results indicate the effects of the determining factors, etch cycle time, passivation cycle time and platen power, on the micropillar profile angles and scallop depths. An optimized DRIE process recipe for creating nearly 90° and smooth surface (invisible scalloping) has been obtained as a result of the statistical design of experiments.

Benchmark tests for a Formula SAE Student car prototyping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mariasiu, Florin

2011-12-01

Aerodynamic characteristics of a vehicle are important elements in its design and construction. A low drag coefficient brings significant fuel savings and increased engine power efficiency. In designing and developing vehicles trough computer simulation process to determine the vehicles aerodynamic characteristics are using dedicated CFD (Computer Fluid Dynamics) software packages. However, the results obtained by this faster and cheaper method, are validated by experiments in wind tunnels tests, which are expensive and were complex testing equipment are used in relatively high costs. Therefore, the emergence and development of new low-cost testing methods to validate CFD simulation results would bring great economic benefits for auto vehicles prototyping process. This paper presents the initial development process of a Formula SAE Student race-car prototype using CFD simulation and also present a measurement system based on low-cost sensors through which CFD simulation results were experimentally validated. CFD software package used for simulation was Solid Works with the FloXpress add-on and experimental measurement system was built using four piezoresistive force sensors FlexiForce type.

Turbulent Flame Processes Via Diffusion Flame-Vortex Ring Interactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahm, Werner J. A.; Chen, Shin-Juh; Silver, Joel A.; Piltch, Nancy D.; VanderWal, Randall L.

2001-01-01

Flame-vortex interactions are canonical configurations that can be used to study the underlying processes occurring in turbulent reacting flows. This configuration contains many of the fundamental aspects of the coupling between fluid dynamics and combustion that could be investigated with more controllable conditions than are possible under direct investigations of turbulent flames. Diffusion flame-vortex ring interaction contains many of the fundamental elements of flow, transport, combustion, and soot processes found in turbulent diffusion flames. Some of these elements include concentrated vorticity, entrainment and mixing, strain and nonequilibrium phenomena, diffusion and differential diffusion, partial premixing and diluent effects, soot formation and oxidation, and heat release effects. Such simplified flowfield allows the complex processes to be examined more closely and yet preserving the physical processes present in turbulent reacting flows. Furthermore, experimental results from the study of flame-vortex interactions are useful for the validation of numerical simulations and more importantly to deepen our understanding of the fundamental processes present in reacting flows. Experimental and numerical results obtained under microgravity conditions of the diffusion flame-vortex ring interaction are summarized in this paper. Results are obtained using techniques that include Flame Luminosity Imaging (FLI), Laser Soot-Mie Scattering (LSMS), Computational Fluid Dynamics and Combustion (CFDC), and Diode Laser Spectroscopy/Iterative Temperature with Assumed Chemistry (DLS/ITAC).

Computational modeling of soot nucleation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Seung-Hyun

Recent studies indicate that soot is the second most significant driver of climate change---behind CO2, but ahead of methane---and increased levels of soot particles in the air are linked to health hazards such as heart disease and lung cancer. Within the soot formation process, soot nucleation is the least understood step, and current experimental findings are still limited. This thesis presents computational modeling studies of the major pathways of the soot nucleation process. In this study, two regimes of soot nucleation---chemical growth and physical agglomeration---were evaluated and the results demonstrated that combustion conditions determine the relative importance of these two routes. Also, the dimerization process of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which has been regarded as one of the most important physical agglomeration processes in soot formation, was carefully examined with a new method for obtaining the nucleation rate using molecular dynamics simulation. The results indicate that the role of pyrene dimerization, which is the commonly accepted model, is expected to be highly dependent on various flame temperature conditions and may not be a key step in the soot nucleation process. An additional pathway, coronene dimerization in this case, needed to be included to improve the match with experimental data. The results of this thesis provide insight on the soot nucleation process and can be utilized to improve current soot formation models.

Decolorization and mineralization of Diarylide Yellow 12 (PY12) by photo-Fenton process: the Response Surface Methodology as the optimization tool.

PubMed

GilPavas, Edison; Dobrosz-Gómez, Izabela; Gómez-García, Miguel Ángel

2012-01-01

The Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied as a tool for the optimization of the operational conditions of the photo-degradation of highly concentrated PY12 wastewater, resulting from a textile industry located in the suburbs of Medellin (Colombia). The Box-Behnken experimental Design (BBD) was chosen for the purpose of response optimization. The photo-Fenton process was carried out in a laboratory-scale batch photo-reactor. A multifactorial experimental design was proposed, including the following variables: the initial dyestuff concentration, the H(2)O(2) and the Fe(+2) concentrations, as well as the UV wavelength radiation. The photo-Fenton process performed at the optimized conditions resulted in ca. 100% of dyestuff decolorization, 92% of COD and 82% of TOC degradation. A kinetic study was accomplished, including the identification of some intermediate compounds generated during the oxidation process. The water biodegradability reached a final DBO(5)/DQO = 0.86 value.

Probabilistic modeling of discourse-aware sentence processing.

PubMed

Dubey, Amit; Keller, Frank; Sturt, Patrick

2013-07-01

Probabilistic models of sentence comprehension are increasingly relevant to questions concerning human language processing. However, such models are often limited to syntactic factors. This restriction is unrealistic in light of experimental results suggesting interactions between syntax and other forms of linguistic information in human sentence processing. To address this limitation, this article introduces two sentence processing models that augment a syntactic component with information about discourse co-reference. The novel combination of probabilistic syntactic components with co-reference classifiers permits them to more closely mimic human behavior than existing models. The first model uses a deep model of linguistics, based in part on probabilistic logic, allowing it to make qualitative predictions on experimental data; the second model uses shallow processing to make quantitative predictions on a broad-coverage reading-time corpus. Copyright © 2013 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Proposal for New Experimental Tests of the Bose-Einstein Condensation Mechanism for Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction and Transmutation Processes in Deuterium Loaded - and Nano-Scale Cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Yeong E.; Koltick, David S.; Reifenberger, Ronald G.; Zubarev, Alexander L.

2006-02-01

Most of experimental results of low-energy nuclear reaction (LENR) reported so far cannot be reproduced on demand. There have been persistent experimental results indicating that the LENR and transmutation processes in condensed matters (LENRTPCM) are surface phenomena rather than bulk phenomena. Recently proposed Bose-Einstein condensation (BEC) mechanism may provide a suitable theoretical description of the surface phenomena. New experiments are proposed and described for testing the BEC mechanism for LENR and transmutation processes in micro- and nano-scale traps. (1) We propose the use of micro- or nano-porous conducting materials as a cathode in electrolysis experiments with heavy water with or without Li in order to stabilize the active surface spots and to enhance the effect for the purpose of improving the reproducibility of excess heat generation and nuclear emission. (2) We propose new experimental tests of the BEC mechanism by measuring the pressure and temperature dependence of LENR events using deuterium gas and these deuterated metals with or without Li. If the LENRTPCM are surface phenomena, the proposed use of micro-/nano-scale porous materials is expected to enhance and scale up the LENRTPCM effects by many order of magnitude, and thus may lead to better reproductivity and theoretical understanding of the phenomena.

Experimental and computational investigation of Morse taper conometric system reliability for the definition of fixed connections between dental implants and prostheses.

PubMed

Bressan, Eriberto; Lops, Diego; Tomasi, Cristiano; Ricci, Sara; Stocchero, Michele; Carniel, Emanuele Luigi

2014-07-01

Nowadays, dental implantology is a reliable technique for treatment of partially and completely edentulous patients. The achievement of stable dentition is ensured by implant-supported fixed dental prostheses. Morse taper conometric system may provide fixed retention between implants and dental prostheses. The aim of this study was to investigate retentive performance and mechanical strength of a Morse taper conometric system used as implant-supported fixed dental prostheses retention. Experimental and finite element investigations were performed. Experimental tests were achieved on a specific abutment-coping system, accounting for both cemented and non-cemented situations. The results from the experimental activities were processed to identify the mechanical behavior of the coping-abutment interface. Finally, the achieved information was applied to develop reliable finite element models of different abutment-coping systems. The analyses were developed accounting for different geometrical conformations of the abutment-coping system, such as different taper angle. The results showed that activation process, occurred through a suitable insertion force, could provide retentive performances equal to a cemented system without compromising the mechanical functionality of the system. These findings suggest that Morse taper conometrical system can provide a fixed connection between implants and dental prostheses if proper insertion force is applied. Activation process does not compromise the mechanical functionality of the system. © IMechE 2014.

An experimental investigation of hollow cathode-based plasma contactors. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, John D.

1991-01-01

Experimental results are presented which describe operation of the plasma environment associated with a hollow cathod-based plasma contactor collecting electrons from or emitting them to an ambient, low density Maxwellian plasma. A one-dimensional, phenomenological model of the near-field electron collection process, which was formulated from experimental observations, is presented. It considers three regions, namely, a plasma cloud adjacent to the contactor, an ambient plasma from which electrons are collected, and a double layer region that develops between the contactor plasma cloud and the ambient plasma regions. Results of the electron emission experiments are also presented. An important observation is made using a retarding potential analyzer (RPA) which shows that high energy ions generally stream from a contactor along with the electrons being emitted. A mechanism for this phenomenon is presented and it involves a high rate of ionization induced between electrons and atoms flowing together from the hollow cathode orifice. This can result in the development of a region of high positive potential. Langmuir and RPA probe data suggest that both electrons and ions expand spherically from this hill region. In addition to experimental observations, a one-dimensional model which describes the electron emission process and predicts the phenomena just mentioned is presented and shown to agree qualitatively with these observations.

Competitive clonal hematopoiesis in mouse chimeras explained by a stochastic model of stem cell organization.

PubMed

Roeder, Ingo; Kamminga, Leonie M; Braesel, Katrin; Dontje, Bert; de Haan, Gerald; Loeffler, Markus

2005-01-15

Many current experimental results show the necessity of new conceptual approaches to understand hematopoietic stem cell organization. Recently, we proposed a novel theoretical concept and a corresponding quantitative model based on microenvironment-dependent stem cell plasticity. The objective of our present work is to subject this model to an experimental test for the situation of chimeric hematopoiesis. Investigating clonal competition processes in DBA/2-C57BL/6 mouse chimeras, we observed biphasic chimerism development with initially increasing but long-term declining DBA/2 contribution. These experimental results were used to select the parameters of the mathematical model. To validate the model beyond this specific situation, we fixed the obtained parameter configuration to simulate further experimental settings comprising variations of transplanted DBA/2-C57BL/6 proportions, secondary transplantations, and perturbation of stabilized chimeras by cytokine and cytotoxic treatment. We show that the proposed model is able to consistently describe the situation of chimeric hematopoiesis. Our results strongly support the view that the relative growth advantage of strain-specific stem cells is not a fixed cellular property but is sensitively dependent on the actual state of the entire system. We conclude that hematopoietic stem cell organization should be understood as a flexible, self-organized rather than a fixed, preprogrammed process.

Experimental and theoretical investigation of LNAPL movement in stratified media during soil remediation.

PubMed

Lashanizadegan, A; Ayatollahi, Sh; Kazemi, H

2007-07-01

The saturation distribution and clean up efficiency of light non-aqueous phase liquid (LNAPL) in the strata beneath the earth has been the subject of many studies. Better understanding of LNAPL infiltration into layered soil is important for the effective design of remediation strategies. The objective of this study was to simulate LNAPL movement in homogenous and stratified porous media using gravity assisted inert gas injection (GAIGI) process as a cleaning technique. We used homogeneous and layered sandpacked transparent models that allows for visual observation of LNAPL movement in order to study LNAPL redistribution in a layered porous medium. Pore volume, porosity, absolute permeability, connate water saturation, and oil saturation of the models were determined experimentally. Seasonal water table movement and contaminated zone were established and then, under GAIGI process, clean up efficiency was determined. The downward displacement of LNAPL by gas drive resulted in very high LNAPL clean up efficiency. Using the contaminant production history in the homogeneous model, the LNAPL relative permeability was calculated and the results were extended to layered media. The numerical multi-phase flow model in porous media was validated with regard to the experimental results. This model is able to adequately reproduce the experimental LNAPL saturation profile and clean up efficiency.

Numerical and experimental analysis for solidification and residual stress in the GMAW process for AISI 304 stainless steel

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Choi, J.; Mazumder, J.

1996-12-31

Networking three fields of welding--thermal, microstructure, and stress--was attempted and produced a reliable model using a numerical method with the finite element analysis technique. Model prediction was compared with experimental data in order to validate the model. The effects of welding process parameters on these welding fields were analyzed and reported. The effort to correlate the residual stress and solidification was initiated, with some valuable results. The solidification process was simulated using the formulation based on the Hunt-Trivedi model. Based on the temperature history, solidification speed and primary dendrite arm spacing were predicted at given nodes of interest. Results showmore » that the variation during solidification is usually within an order of magnitude. The temperature gradient was generally in the range of 10{sup 4}--10{sup 5} K/m for the given welding conditions (welding power = 6 kW and welding speed = 3.3867 to 7.62 mm/sec), while solidification speed appeared to slow down from an order of 10{sup {minus}1} to 10{sup {minus}2} m/sec during solidification. SEM images revealed that the primary dendrite arm spacing (PDAS) fell in the range of 10{sup 1}--10{sup 2} {micro}m. For grain growth at the heat affected zone (HAZ), Ashby`s model was employed. The prediction was in agreement with experimental results. For the residual stress calculation, the same mesh generation used in the heat transfer analysis was applied to make the simulation consistent. The analysis consisted of a transient heat analysis followed by a thermal stress analysis. An experimentally measured strain history was compared with the simulated result. The relationship between microstructure and the stress/strain field of welding was also obtained. 64 refs., 18 figs., 9 tabs.« less

Appropriate drinking water treatment processes for organic micropollutants removal based on experimental and model studies - a multi-criteria analysis study.

PubMed

Sudhakaran, Sairam; Lattemann, Sabine; Amy, Gary L

2013-01-01

The presence of organic micropollutants (OMPs), pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in potable water is of great environmental and public health concern. OMPs are included in the priority list of contaminants in United States EPA and European framework directives. Advanced treatment processes such as reverse osmosis, nanofiltration, ozonation and adsorption are the usual industry-recommended processes for OMPs removal, however, natural systems, e.g., riverbank filtration and constructed wetlands, are also potentially efficient options for OMPs removal. In this study, a decision support system (DSS) based on multi-criteria analysis (MCA) was created to compare processes for OMPs removal under various criteria. Multi-criteria analysis (MCA), a transparent and reliable procedure, was adopted. Models were built for both experimental and predicted percent-removals for a range of OMPs reflecting different physicochemical properties. The experimental percent-removals for several processes (riverbank filtration (RBF), ozonation, advanced oxidation, adsorption, reverse osmosis, and nanofiltration) were considered. The predicted percent-removals were taken from validated quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) models. Analytical methods to detect OMPs in water are very laborious, thus a modeling approach such as QSAR is an attractive option. A survey among two groups of participants including academics (PhD students and post-doctoral research associates) and industry (managers and operators) representatives was conducted to assign weights for the following criteria: treatability, costs, technical considerations, sustainability and time. The process rankings varied depending on the contaminant species and personal preferences (weights). The results indicated that RBF and oxidation were preferable over adsorption and membranes processes. The results also suggest that the use of a hybrid treatment process, e.g., combining a natural system with an advanced treatment (oxidation) process, may provide benefits for OMPs removal. The proposed DSS can be used as a screening tool for experimental planning or a feasibility study preceding the main treatment system selection and design. It can also be considered as an aid in assessing a multi-barrier approach to remove OMPs. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Experimental and numerical study of two dimensional heat and mass transfer in unsaturated soil with and application to soil thermal energy storage (SBTES) systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moradi, A.; Smits, K. M.

2014-12-01

A promising energy storage option to compensate for daily and seasonal energy offsets is to inject and store heat generated from renewable energy sources (e.g. solar energy) in the ground, oftentimes referred to as soil borehole thermal energy storage (SBTES). Nonetheless in SBTES modeling efforts, it is widely recognized that the movement of water vapor is closely coupled to thermal processes. However, their mutual interactions are rarely considered in most soil water modeling efforts or in practical applications. The validation of numerical models that are designed to capture these processes is difficult due to the scarcity of experimental data, limiting the testing and refinement of heat and water transfer theories. A common assumption in most SBTES modeling approaches is to consider the soil as a purely conductive medium with constant hydraulic and thermal properties. However, this simplified approach can be improved upon by better understanding the coupled processes at play. Consequently, developing new modeling techniques along with suitable experimental tools to add more complexity in coupled processes has critical importance in obtaining necessary knowledge in efficient design and implementation of SBTES systems. The goal of this work is to better understand heat and mass transfer processes for SBTES. In this study, we implemented a fully coupled numerical model that solves for heat, liquid water and water vapor flux and allows for non-equilibrium liquid/gas phase change. This model was then used to investigate the influence of different hydraulic and thermal parameterizations on SBTES system efficiency. A two dimensional tank apparatus was used with a series of soil moisture, temperature and soil thermal properties sensors. Four experiments were performed with different test soils. Experimental results provide evidences of thermally induced moisture flow that was also confirmed by numerical results. Numerical results showed that for the test conditions applied here, moisture flow is more influenced by thermal gradients rather than hydraulic gradients. The results also demonstrate that convective fluxes are higher compared to conductive fluxes indicating that moisture flow has more contribution to the overall heat flux than conductive fluxes.

Living in a material world: Development and evaluation of a new materials science course for non-science majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brust, Gregory John

This study was designed to discover if there is a difference in the scientific attitudes and process skills between a group of students who were instructed with Living in a Material World and groups of students in non-science majors sections of introductory biology, chemistry, and geology courses at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Each of the four courses utilized different instructional techniques. Students' scientific attitudes were measured with the Scientific Attitudes Inventory (SAI II) and their knowledge of science process skills were measured with the Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS II). The Group Assessment of Logical Thinking (GALT) was also administered to determine if the cognitive levels of students are comparable. A series of four questionnaires called Qualitative Course Assessments (QCA) were also administered to students in the experimental course to evaluate subtle changes in their understanding of the nature and processes of science and attitudes towards science. Student responses to the QCA questionnaires were triangulated with results of the qualitative instruments, and students' work on the final project. Results of the GALT found a significant difference in the cognitive levels of students in the experimental course (PSC 190) and in one of the control group, the introductory biology (BSC 107). Results of the SAI II and the TIPS II found no significant difference between the experimental group and the control groups. Qualitative analyses of students' responses to selected questions from the TIPS II, selected items on the SAI II, QCA questionnaires, and Materials that Fly project reports demonstrate an improvement in the understanding of the nature and processes of science and a change to positive attitude toward science of students in the experimental group. Students indicated that hands-on, inquiry-based labs and performance assessment were the most effective methods for their learning. These results indicate that science courses for non-science majors should focus on connections to students' daily lives while utilizing an STS curriculum and inquiry-based activities. Future research could focus on long term effects of this type of course as well as the effectiveness of these teaching methods for science majors.

Feb 2008 - Feb 2009 Progress Report and Final Report for NA26215: Experimental Studies of High-Energy Processing of Proto-Planetary and Planetary Materials in the Early Solar System

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jacobsen, Stein B.

2009-05-28

The results of this project are the first experimental data on the behavior of metal-silicate mixtures under very high pressures and temperatures comparable to those of the putative Moon-forming impact experienced by Earth in its early history. Probably the most important outcome of this project was the discovery that metal-silicate interaction and equilibration during highly energetic transient events like impacts may be extremely fast and effective on relatively large scale that was not appreciated before. During the course of this project we have developed a technique for trapping supercritical melts produced in our experiments that allows studying chemical phenomena takingmore » place on a nanosecond timescales. Our results shed new light on the processes and conditions existed in the early Earth history, a subject of perennial interest of the humankind. The results of this project also provide important experimental constraints essential for development of the strategy and technology to mitigate imminent asteroid hazard.« less

Microtomography imaging of an isolated plant fiber: a digital holographic approach.

PubMed

Malek, Mokrane; Khelfa, Haithem; Picart, Pascal; Mounier, Denis; Poilâne, Christophe

2016-01-20

This paper describes a method for optical projection tomography for the 3D in situ characterization of micrometric plant fibers. The proposed approach is based on digital holographic microscopy, the holographic capability being convenient to compensate for the runout of the fiber during rotations. The setup requires a telecentric alignment to prevent from the changes in the optical magnification, and calibration results show the very good experimental adjustment. Amplitude images are obtained from the set of recorded and digitally processed holograms. Refocusing of blurred images and correction of both runout and jitter are carried out to get appropriate amplitude images. The 3D data related to the plant fiber are computed from the set of images using a dedicated numerical processing. Experimental results exhibit the internal and external shapes of the plant fiber. These experimental results constitute the first attempt to obtain 3D data of flax fiber, about 12  μm×17  μm in apparent diameter, with a full-field optical tomography approach using light in the visible range.

Evidence for age-related equivalence in the directed forgetting paradigm.

PubMed

Gamboz, Nadia; Russo, Riccardo

2002-01-01

The directed forgetting paradigm involves, under particular experimental circumstances, inhibitory mechanisms, which operate to the successful forgetting of irrelevant words. The item-by-item cueing method (e.g., Basden & Basden, 1996) was used to investigate the directed forgetting effect in young and old adults. Processing of the experimental words was manipulated between subjects by asking participants to perform either a deep or a shallow orienting task on each word of the study list before the occurrence of the cue (to remember of to forget). Results indicated that the instruction to process deeply both to-be-remembered and to-be-forgotten words led to equivalent directed forgetting effects in young and old adults. These results are discussed with respect to the implications they have for the Inhibitory Deficit theory (e.g., Hasher & Zacks, 1988), which suggests that cognitive aging is mainly characterized by a reduction in the efficiency of inhibitory processes.

A grey box model of glucose fermentation and syntrophic oxidation in microbial fuel cells.

PubMed

de Los Ángeles Fernandez, Maria; de Los Ángeles Sanromán, Maria; Marks, Stanislaw; Makinia, Jacek; Gonzalez Del Campo, Araceli; Rodrigo, Manuel; Fernandez, Francisco Jesus

2016-01-01

In this work, the fermentative and oxidative processes taking place in a microbial fuel cell (MFC) fed with glucose were studied and modeled. The model accounting for the bioelectrochemical processes was based on ordinary, Monod-type differential equations. The model parameters were estimated using experimental results obtained from three H-type MFCs operated at open or closed circuits and fed with glucose or ethanol. The experimental results demonstrate that similar fermentation processes were carried out under open and closed circuit operation, with the most important fermentation products being ethanol (with a yield of 1.81molmol(-1) glucose) and lactic acid (with a yield of 1.36molmol(-1) glucose). A peak in the electricity generation was obtained when glucose and fermentation products coexisted in the liquid bulk. However, almost 90% of the electricity produced came from the oxidation of ethanol. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analyzing Single-Molecule Protein Transportation Experiments via Hierarchical Hidden Markov Models

PubMed Central

Chen, Yang; Shen, Kuang

2017-01-01

To maintain proper cellular functions, over 50% of proteins encoded in the genome need to be transported to cellular membranes. The molecular mechanism behind such a process, often referred to as protein targeting, is not well understood. Single-molecule experiments are designed to unveil the detailed mechanisms and reveal the functions of different molecular machineries involved in the process. The experimental data consist of hundreds of stochastic time traces from the fluorescence recordings of the experimental system. We introduce a Bayesian hierarchical model on top of hidden Markov models (HMMs) to analyze these data and use the statistical results to answer the biological questions. In addition to resolving the biological puzzles and delineating the regulating roles of different molecular complexes, our statistical results enable us to propose a more detailed mechanism for the late stages of the protein targeting process. PMID:28943680

Experimental Study on Hot Metal Desulfurization Using Sintered Red Mud-Based Flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Fengshan; Zhang, Yanling; Guo, Zhancheng

2017-09-01

This research presents the results of laboratory and pilot-scale tests conducted on the use of sintered red mud (RM)-based flux in the hot metal desulfurization (HMD) process. Al2O3/Na2O in RM can decrease the melting point of lime-based slag and can work as a flux in the HMD process. Good slag fluidity was observed throughout the process, and high desulfurization rates ( 80%) with a low final S content (<0.02%) were experimentally obtained when the RM:CaO ratio was between 1.2:1 and 2.4:1. The pilot-scale test results indicated that a desulfurization rate as high as 91% and a S content <0.0099% could be acquired when RM:lime = 1:1, verifying the feasibility of using sintered RM-based flux in HMD. The data obtained provide important information for promoting the large-scale application of sintered RM in steelmaking.

Determination of injection molding process windows for optical lenses using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Tsai, Kuo-Ming; Wang, He-Yi

2014-08-20

This study focuses on injection molding process window determination for obtaining optimal imaging optical properties, astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration using plastic lenses. The Taguchi experimental method was first used to identify the optimized combination of parameters and significant factors affecting the imaging optical properties of the lens. Full factorial experiments were then implemented based on the significant factors to build the response surface models. The injection molding process windows for lenses with optimized optical properties were determined based on the surface models, and confirmation experiments were performed to verify their validity. The results indicated that the significant factors affecting the optical properties of lenses are mold temperature, melt temperature, and cooling time. According to experimental data for the significant factors, the oblique ovals for different optical properties on the injection molding process windows based on melt temperature and cooling time can be obtained using the curve fitting approach. The confirmation experiments revealed that the average errors for astigmatism, coma, and spherical aberration are 3.44%, 5.62%, and 5.69%, respectively. The results indicated that the process windows proposed are highly reliable.

STEP wastewater treatment: a solar thermal electrochemical process for pollutant oxidation.

PubMed

Wang, Baohui; Wu, Hongjun; Zhang, Guoxue; Licht, Stuart

2012-10-01

A solar thermal electrochemical production (STEP) pathway was established to utilize solar energy to drive useful chemical processes. In this paper, we use experimental chemistry for efficient STEP wastewater treatment, and suggest a theory based on the decreasing stability of organic pollutants (hydrocarbon oxidation potentials) with increasing temperature. Exemplified by the solar thermal electrochemical oxidation of phenol, the fundamental model and experimental system components of this process outline a general method for the oxidation of environmentally stable organic pollutants into carbon dioxide, which is easily removed. Using thermodynamic calculations we show a sharply decreasing phenol oxidation potential with increasing temperature. The experimental results demonstrate that this increased temperature can be supplied by solar thermal heating. In combination this drives electrochemical phenol removal with enhanced oxidation efficiency through (i) a thermodynamically driven decrease in the energy needed to fuel the process and (ii) improved kinetics to sustain high rates of phenol oxidation at low electrochemical overpotential. The STEP wastewater treatment process is synergistic in that it is performed with higher efficiency than either electrochemical or photovoltaic conversion process acting alone. STEP is a green, efficient, safe, and sustainable process for organic wastewater treatment driven solely by solar energy. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Modeling of two-hot-arm horizontal thermal actuator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Dong; Khajepour, Amir; Mansour, Raafat

2003-03-01

Electrothermal actuators have a very promising future in MEMS applications since they can generate large deflection and force with low actuating voltages and small device areas. In this study, a lumped model of a two-hot-arm horizontal thermal actuator is presented. In order to prove the accuracy of the lumped model, finite element analysis (FEA) and experimental results are provided. The two-hot-arm thermal actuator has been fabricated using the MUMPs process. Both the experimental and FEA results are in good agreement with the results of lumped modeling.

SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY: Material removal rate in chemical-mechanical polishing of wafers based on particle trajectories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jianxiu, Su; Xiqu, Chen; Jiaxi, Du; Renke, Kang

2010-05-01

Distribution forms of abrasives in the chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process are analyzed based on experimental results. Then the relationships between the wafer, the abrasive and the polishing pad are analyzed based on kinematics and contact mechanics. According to the track length of abrasives on the wafer surface, the relationships between the material removal rate and the polishing velocity are obtained. The analysis results are in accord with the experimental results. The conclusion provides a theoretical guide for further understanding the material removal mechanism of wafers in CMP.

Sensors of vibration and acoustic emission for monitoring of boring with skiving cutters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamarin, N. N.; Filippov, A. V.; Podgornyh, O. A.; Filippova, E. O.

2017-01-01

Diagnosing processing system conditions is a key area in automation of modern machinery production. The article presents the results of a preliminary experimental research of the boring process using conventional and skiving cutters under the conditions of the low stiffness processing system. Acoustic emission and vibration sensors are used for cutting process diagnosis. Surface roughness after machining is determined using a laser scanning microscope. As a result, it is found that the use of skiving cutters provides greater stability of the cutting process and lower surface roughness as compared with conventional cutters.

Improvement of the model for surface process of tritium release from lithium oxide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamaki, Daiju; Iwamoto, Akira; Jitsukawa, Shiro

2000-12-01

Among the various tritium transport processes in lithium ceramics, the importance and the detailed mechanism of surface reactions remain to be elucidated. The dynamic adsorption and desorption model for tritium desorption from lithium ceramics, especially Li 2O was constructed. From the experimental results, it was considered that both H 2 and H 2O are dissociatively adsorbed on Li 2O and generate OH - on the surface. In the first model developed in 1994, it was assumed that either the dissociative adsorption of H 2 or H 2O on Li 2O generates two OH - on the surface. However, recent calculation results show that the generation of one OH - and one H - is more stable than that of two OH -s by the dissociative adsorption of H 2. Therefore, assumption of H 2 adsorption and desorption in the first model is improved and the tritium release behavior from Li 2O surface is evaluated again by using the improved model. The tritium residence time on the Li 2O surface is calculated using the improved model, and the results are compared with the experimental results. The calculation results using the improved model agree well with the experimental results than those using the first model.

Understanding Geomorphological Processes on the Earth's Surface from Laboratory Experiments and the Role of Communities of Practice in Generating Reusable Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, L.

2016-12-01

Geomorphological processes move masses of sediment across the face of the Earth, from mountain tops to hillslopes, rivers, flood plains, and coastlines, on a range of temporal and spatial scales that span many orders of magnitude. These processes, sometimes spanning millennia and sometimes occurring catastrophically, affect human communities that live on and near these surface landforms. Experiments conveniently scale these processes to time and space that can be observed and measured in the laboratory. As a result, the research community has produced remarkable experimental datasets for processes such as particle transport, hillslope erosion, channel migration, and coastline evolution. These datasets build a collection that quantifies a wide range of environmental processes and contributes to hazards mitigation and the understanding of long-term effects of climate and tectonics on landscape evolution. However, technology and data acquisition rates are outgrowing capabilities for storing, maintaining, and serving the data. Solutions that improve preservation, reuse, and attribution of geomorphological data from unique experimental set-ups are germinating at different research centers. These solutions allow the cross-disciplinary data integration that is often necessary to achieving a mechanistic and holistic understanding of the processes that shape the Earth's surface. Communities of practice such as the Sediment Experimentalist Network (SEN) and the U.S. Geological Survey's Community for Data Integration (USGS CDI) play a critical role in effectively facilitating information exchange about tools, methods, and results that accelerate experimental success. Through community interactions and a culture change to generate data more fit for reuse, broad challenges in reproducibility, scaling, and integration may be addressed, leading to more rapid progress in Earth surface process research.

Boostream: a dynamic fluid flow process to assemble nanoparticles at liquid interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delléa, Olivier; Lebaigue, Olivier

2017-12-01

CEA-LITEN develops an original process called Boostream® to manipulate, assemble and connect micro- or nanoparticles of various materials, sizes, shapes and functions to obtain monolayer colloidal crystals (MCCs). This process uses the upper surface of a liquid film flowing down a ramp to assemble particles in a manner that is close to the horizontal situation of a Langmuir-Blodgett film construction. In presence of particles at the liquid interface, the film down-flow configuration exhibits an unusual hydraulic jump which results from the fluid flow accommodation to the particle monolayer. In order to master our process, the fluid flow has been modeled and experimentally characterized by optical means, such as with the moiré technique that consists in observing the reflection of a succession of periodic black-and-red fringes on the liquid surface mirror. The fringe images are deformed when reflected by the curved liquid surface associated with the hydraulic jump, the fringe deformation being proportional to the local slope of the surface. This original experimental setup allowed us to get the surface profile in the jump region and to measure it along with the main process parameters (liquid flow rate, slope angle, temperature sensitive fluid properties such as dynamic viscosity or surface tension, particle sizes). This work presents the experimental setup and its simple model, the different experimental characterization techniques used and will focus on the way the hydraulic jump relies on the process parameters.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Elliott, G.R.B.; Vanderborgh, N.E.

Experimental and theoretical analyses show that uncontrolled water invasion during underground coal conversion (UCC) is harmful at all stages of UCC. By contrast, if water invasion is prevented, coal porosity can be created for further processing, pyrolysis can yield uniform hydrocarbon products, gasification can produce a uniform product, coal is fully consumed (not bypassed) during combustion, and environmental problems are minimized. In all cases the experimental results are supportive of the theory of underground coal processing presented. We see no insurmountable technical problems existing for a staged underground coal conversion process, but we emphasize that all concepts in underground coalmore » processing depend critically upon control of water influx. It is important that techniques for measuring and controlling water flow be developed if this technology is to make a contribution to the Nation's energy supply.« less

Radar Array Processing of Experimental Data Via the Scan-MUSIC Algorithm

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

Radar Array Processing of Experimental Data Via the Scan- MUSIC Algorithm by Canh Ly ARL-TR-3135 June 2004...Processing of Experimental Data Via the Scan- MUSIC Algorithm Canh Ly Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate, ARL...NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Radar Array Processing of Experimental Data Via the Scan- MUSIC Algorithm 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d

Experimental evidence for a new single-event upset (SEU) mode in a CMOS SRAM obtained from model verification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zoutendyk, J. A.; Smith, L. S.; Soli, G. A.; Lo, R. Y.

1987-01-01

Modeling of SEU has been done in a CMOS static RAM containing 1-micron-channel-length transistors fabricated from a p-well epilayer process using both circuit-simulation and numerical-simulation techniques. The modeling results have been experimentally verified with the aid of heavy-ion beams obtained from a three-stage tandem van de Graaff accelerator. Experimental evidence for a novel SEU mode in an ON n-channel device is presented.

Single-shot Monitoring of Ultrafast Processes via X-ray Streaking at a Free Electron Laser.

PubMed

Buzzi, Michele; Makita, Mikako; Howald, Ludovic; Kleibert, Armin; Vodungbo, Boris; Maldonado, Pablo; Raabe, Jörg; Jaouen, Nicolas; Redlin, Harald; Tiedtke, Kai; Oppeneer, Peter M; David, Christian; Nolting, Frithjof; Lüning, Jan

2017-08-03

The advent of x-ray free electron lasers has extended the unique capabilities of resonant x-ray spectroscopy techniques to ultrafast time scales. Here, we report on a novel experimental method that allows retrieving with a single x-ray pulse the time evolution of an ultrafast process, not only at a few discrete time delays, but continuously over an extended time window. We used a single x-ray pulse to resolve the laser-induced ultrafast demagnetisation dynamics in a thin cobalt film over a time window of about 1.6 ps with an excellent signal to noise ratio. From one representative single shot measurement we extract a spin relaxation time of (130 ± 30) fs with an average value, based on 193 single shot events of (113 ± 20) fs. These results are limited by the achieved experimental time resolution of 120 fs, and both values are in excellent agreement with previous results and theoretical modelling. More generally, this new experimental approach to ultrafast x-ray spectroscopy paves the way to the study of non-repetitive processes that cannot be investigated using traditional repetitive pump-probe schemes.

Effects of a malfunctional column on conventional and FeedCol-simulated moving bed chromatography performance.

PubMed

Song, Ji-Yeon; Oh, Donghoon; Lee, Chang-Ha

2015-07-17

The effects of a malfunctional column on the performance of a simulated moving bed (SMB) process were studied experimentally and theoretically. The experimental results of conventional four-zone SMB (2-2-2-2 configuration) and FeedCol operation (2-2-2-2 configuration with one feed column) with one malfunctional column were compared with simulation results of the corresponding SMB processes with a normal column configuration. The malfunctional column in SMB processes significantly deteriorated raffinate purity. However, the extract purity was equivalent or slightly improved compared with the corresponding normal SMB operation because the complete separation zone of the malfunctional column moved to a lower flow rate range in zones II and III. With the malfunctional column configuration, FeedCol operation gave better experimental performance (up to 7%) than conventional SMB operation because controlling product purity with FeedCol operation was more flexible through the use of two additional operating variables, injection time and injection length. Thus, compared with conventional SMB separation, extract with equivalent or slightly better purity could be produced from FeedCol operation even with a malfunctional column, while minimizing the decrease in raffinate purity (less than 2%). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Simulation of the detonation process of an ammonium nitrate based emulsion explosive using the Lee-Tarver reactive flow model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribeiro, Jose; Silva, Cristovao; Mendes, Ricardo; Plaksin, Igor; Campos, Jose

2011-06-01

The use of emulsion explosives [EEx] for processing materials (compaction, welding and forming) requires the ability to perform detailed simulations of its detonation process [DP]. Detailed numerical simulations of the DP of this kind of explosives, characterized by having a finite reaction zone thickness, are thought to be suitable performed using the Lee-Tarver reactive flow model. In this work a real coded genetic algorithm methodology was used to estimate the 15 parameters of the reaction rate equation [RRE] of that model for a particular EEx. This methodology allows, in a single optimization procedure, using only one experimental result and without the need of any starting solution, to seek for the 15 parameters of the RRE that fit the numerical to the experimental results. Mass averaging and the Plate-Gap Model have been used for the determination of the shock data used in the unreacted explosive JWL EoS assessment and the thermochemical code THOR retrieved the data used in the detonation products JWL EoS assessment. The obtained parameters allow a good description of the experimental data and show some peculiarities arising from the intrinsic nature of this kind of composite explosive.

Sol-gel derived antireflective structures for applications in silicon solar cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karasiński, Paweł; Skolik, Marcin

2016-12-01

This work presents theoretical and experimental results of antireflective coatings (ARCs) obtained for applications in silicon solar cells. ARCs were derived from sol-gel process and dip-coated using silica (SiO2) and titania (TiO2). Theoretical results were obtained using 2×2 transfer matrix calculation method. Technological process of SiO2 and TiO2 thin film fabrication as well as measurement techniques are described in this paper. Strong correlation between theoretical and experimental data is demonstrated. It is shown, that weighted average reflection from a substrate can be reduced ten times with the use of SiO2/TiO2/Si double layer ARCs, when compared to a bare silica substrate.

Evaluation of laser ablation crater relief by white light micro interferometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurov, Igor; Volkov, Mikhail; Zhukova, Ekaterina; Ivanov, Nikita; Margaryants, Nikita; Potemkin, Andrey; Samokhvalov, Andrey; Shelygina, Svetlana

2017-06-01

A multi-view scanning method is suggested to assess a complicated surface relief by white light interferometer. Peculiarities of the method are demonstrated on a special object in the form of quadrangular pyramid cavity, which is formed at measurement of micro-hardness of materials using a hardness gauge. An algorithm of the joint processing of multi-view scanning results is developed that allows recovering correct relief values. Laser ablation craters were studied experimentally, and their relief was recovered using the developed method. It is shown that the multi-view scanning reduces ambiguity when determining the local depth of the laser ablation craters micro relief. Results of experimental studies of the multi-view scanning method and data processing algorithm are presented.

Simplified calculation procedure of a latent heat reservoir for stabilizing the temperature of electronic devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Witzman, S.; Shitzer, A.; Zvirin, Y.

A simple mathematical algorithm which facilitates the design of a latent heat reservoir for stabilizing the temperature of an inflight electronic device is developed, and the behavior of paraffin wax in a heat storage capacitor is experimentally studied. The results show that in the solidification stage the heat transfer coefficient h is smaller than 35 W/sq m - C and decreases with time. During the melting process, natural convection could significantly increase h on the internal side and thereby reduce the time required to melt the section compared to the conduction process alone. Values of h up to 60 W/sq m - C can be achieved. The correlation between experimental and theoretical results is good.

Industrial Chemistry, Science (Experimental): 5316.07.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scholz, Robert

This unit of instruction presents some important and interesting processes carried on daily in industry and which result in products with which the student is familiar. The student will be responsible for learning some reactions involving these chemical processes and the quantitative calculations of these reactions. Fractional distillation,…

Noise limitations in optical linear algebra processors.

PubMed

Batsell, S G; Jong, T L; Walkup, J F; Krile, T F

1990-05-10

A general statistical noise model is presented for optical linear algebra processors. A statistical analysis which includes device noise, the multiplication process, and the addition operation is undertaken. We focus on those processes which are architecturally independent. Finally, experimental results which verify the analytical predictions are also presented.

Fundamental Research on Heat Transfer Characteristics in Shell & Tube Type Ice Forming Cold Energy Storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saito, Akio; Utaka, Yoshio; Okawa, Seiji; Ishibashi, Hiroaki

Investigation of heat transfer characteristics in an ice making cold energy storage using a set of horizontal cooling pipes was carried out experimentally. Cooling pipe arrangement, number of pipes used and initial water temperature were varied, and temperature distribution in the tank and the volume of ice formed around the pipe were measured. Natural convection was also observed visually. During the experiment, two kinds of layers were observed. One is the layer where ice forming is interfered by natural convection and its temperature decreases rapidly with an almost uniform temperature distribution, and the other is the layer where ice forms steadily under a stagnant water condition. The former was called that the layer is under a cooling process and the latter that the layer is under an ice forming process. The effect of the experimental parameters, such as the arrangement of the cooling pipes, the number of pipes, the initial water temperature and the flow rate of the cooling medium, on the cooling process and the ice forming process were discussed. Approximate analysis was also carried out and compared with the experimental results. Finally, the relationship between the ice packing factor, which is significant in preventing the blockade, and experimental parameters was discussed.

Evaluating the quality of a cell counting measurement process via a dilution series experimental design.

PubMed

Sarkar, Sumona; Lund, Steven P; Vyzasatya, Ravi; Vanguri, Padmavathy; Elliott, John T; Plant, Anne L; Lin-Gibson, Sheng

2017-12-01

Cell counting measurements are critical in the research, development and manufacturing of cell-based products, yet determining cell quantity with accuracy and precision remains a challenge. Validating and evaluating a cell counting measurement process can be difficult because of the lack of appropriate reference material. Here we describe an experimental design and statistical analysis approach to evaluate the quality of a cell counting measurement process in the absence of appropriate reference materials or reference methods. The experimental design is based on a dilution series study with replicate samples and observations as well as measurement process controls. The statistical analysis evaluates the precision and proportionality of the cell counting measurement process and can be used to compare the quality of two or more counting methods. As an illustration of this approach, cell counting measurement processes (automated and manual methods) were compared for a human mesenchymal stromal cell (hMSC) preparation. For the hMSC preparation investigated, results indicated that the automated method performed better than the manual counting methods in terms of precision and proportionality. By conducting well controlled dilution series experimental designs coupled with appropriate statistical analysis, quantitative indicators of repeatability and proportionality can be calculated to provide an assessment of cell counting measurement quality. This approach does not rely on the use of a reference material or comparison to "gold standard" methods known to have limited assurance of accuracy and precision. The approach presented here may help the selection, optimization, and/or validation of a cell counting measurement process. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Opening the Implicit Leadership Theories’ Black Box: An Experimental Approach with Conjoint Analysis

PubMed Central

Tavares, Gustavo M.; Sobral, Filipe; Goldszmidt, Rafael; Araújo, Felipe

2018-01-01

Although research on implicit leadership theories (ILTs) has concentrated on determining which attributes define a leadership prototype, little attention has been paid to testing the relative importance of each of these attributes for individuals’ leadership perceptions. Building on socio-cognitive theories of impression processes, we experimentally explore the formation of leadership perceptions based on the recognition of six key attributes in a series of three experimental studies comprising 566 US-based participants recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our results show that while certain attributes play an important role in the leader categorization process, others are less relevant. We also demonstrate that some attributes’ importance is contingent on the presence of other attributes and on the leadership schema type activated in respondents’ minds. Consistent with the Leadership Categorization Theory, our findings support the premise that individuals cognitively hold a superordinate leadership prototype, which imposes constraints on their more basic level prototypes. We discuss the implications of these results for leadership theory and practice. PMID:29467706

Opening the Implicit Leadership Theories' Black Box: An Experimental Approach with Conjoint Analysis.

PubMed

Tavares, Gustavo M; Sobral, Filipe; Goldszmidt, Rafael; Araújo, Felipe

2018-01-01

Although research on implicit leadership theories (ILTs) has concentrated on determining which attributes define a leadership prototype, little attention has been paid to testing the relative importance of each of these attributes for individuals' leadership perceptions. Building on socio-cognitive theories of impression processes, we experimentally explore the formation of leadership perceptions based on the recognition of six key attributes in a series of three experimental studies comprising 566 US-based participants recruited online via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our results show that while certain attributes play an important role in the leader categorization process, others are less relevant. We also demonstrate that some attributes' importance is contingent on the presence of other attributes and on the leadership schema type activated in respondents' minds. Consistent with the Leadership Categorization Theory, our findings support the premise that individuals cognitively hold a superordinate leadership prototype, which imposes constraints on their more basic level prototypes. We discuss the implications of these results for leadership theory and practice.

An Experimental Study of Applied Ground Loads in Landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milwitzky, Benjamin; Lindquist, Dean C; Potter, Dexter M

1955-01-01

Results are presented of an experimental investigation made of the applied ground loads and the coefficient of friction between the tire and the ground during the wheel spin-up process in impacts of a small landing gear under controlled conditions on a concrete landing strip in the Langley impact basin. The basic investigation included three major phases: impacts with forward speed at horizontal velocities up to approximately 86 feet per second, impacts with forward speed and reverse wheel rotation to simulate horizontal velocities up to about 273 feet per second, and spin-up drop tests for comparison with the other tests. In addition to the basic investigation, supplementary tests were made to evaluate the drag-load alleviating effects of prerotating the wheel before impact so as to reduce the relative velocity between the tire and ground. In the presentation of the results, an attempt has been made to interpret the experimental data so as to obtain some insight into the physical phenomena involved in the wheel spin-up process.

Autoionizing resonances in electron-impact ionization of O5+ ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Müller, A.; Teng, H.; Hofmann, G.; Phaneuf, R. A.; Salzborn, E.

2000-12-01

We report on a detailed experimental and theoretical study of electron-impact ionization of O5+ ions. A high-resolution scan measurement of the K-shell excitation threshold region has been performed with statistical uncertainties as low as 0.03%. At this level of precision a wealth of features in the cross section arising from indirect ionization processes becomes visible, and even interference of direct ionization with resonant-excitation/auto-double-ionization (READI) is clearly observed. The experimental results are compared with R-matrix calculations that include both direct and indirect processes in a unified way. Radiative damping of autoionizing Li-like states is found to be about 10-15 %. The calculations almost perfectly reproduce most of the experimental resonance features found in the present measurement including READI. They also agree with the direct-ionization converged close-coupling results of I. Bray [J. Phys. B 28, L247 (1995)] and the absolute total ionization cross section measurement of K. Rinn et al. [Phys. Rev. A 36, 595 (1987)].

Modeling the curing process of thermosetting resin matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loos, A. C.

1986-01-01

A model is presented for simulating the curing process of a thermosetting resin matrix composite. The model relates the cure temperature, the cure pressure, and the properties of the prepreg to the thermal, chemical, and rheological processes occurring in the composite during cure. The results calculated with the computer code developed on the basis of the model were compared with the experimental data obtained from autoclave-curved composite laminates. Good agreement between the two sets of results was obtained.

A Revised Validation Process for Ice Accretion Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, William B.; Porter, Christopher E.

2017-01-01

A research project is underway at NASA Glenn to produce computer software that can accurately predict ice growth under any meteorological conditions for any aircraft surface. This report will present results from the latest LEWICE release, version 3.5. This program differs from previous releases in its ability to model mixed phase and ice crystal conditions such as those encountered inside an engine. It also has expanded capability to use structured grids and a new capability to use results from unstructured grid flow solvers. A quantitative comparison of the results against a database of ice shapes that have been generated in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) has also been performed. This paper will extend the comparison of ice shapes between LEWICE 3.5 and experimental data from a previous paper. Comparisons of lift and drag are made between experimentally collected data from experimentally obtained ice shapes and simulated (CFD) data on simulated (LEWICE) ice shapes. Comparisons are also made between experimentally collected and simulated performance data on select experimental ice shapes to ensure the CFD solver, FUN3D, is valid within the flight regime. The results show that the predicted results are within the accuracy limits of the experimental data for the majority of cases.

Validation Process for LEWICE by Use of a Navier-Stokes Solver

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wright, William B.; Porter, Christopher E.

2017-01-01

A research project is underway at NASA Glenn to produce computer software that can accurately predict ice growth under any meteorological conditions for any aircraft surface. This report will present results from the latest LEWICE release, version 3.5. This program differs from previous releases in its ability to model mixed phase and ice crystal conditions such as those encountered inside an engine. It also has expanded capability to use structured grids and a new capability to use results from unstructured grid flow solvers. A quantitative comparison of the results against a database of ice shapes that have been generated in the NASA Glenn Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) has also been performed. This paper will extend the comparison of ice shapes between LEWICE 3.5 and experimental data from a previous paper. Comparisons of lift and drag are made between experimentally collected data from experimentally obtained ice shapes and simulated (CFD) data on simulated (LEWICE) ice shapes. Comparisons are also made between experimentally collected and simulated performance data on select experimental ice shapes to ensure the CFD solver, FUN3D, is valid within the flight regime. The results show that the predicted results are within the accuracy limits of the experimental data for the majority of cases.

Fabrication of micro T-shaped tubular components by hydroforming process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manabe, Ken-ichi; Itai, Kenta; Tada, Kazuo

2017-10-01

This paper deals with a T-shape micro tube hydroforming (MTHF) process for 500 µm outer diameter copper microtube. The MTHF experiments were carried out using a MTHF system utilizing ultrahigh pressure. The fundamental micro hydroforming characteristics as well as forming limits are examined experimentally and numerically. From the results, a process window diagram for micro T-shape hydroforming process is created, and a suitable "success" region is revealed.

Design of negative refractive index metamaterial with water droplets using 3D-printing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, Zhaoyang; Yang, Helin; Huang, Xiaojun; Yu, Zetai

2017-11-01

We numerically and experimentally demonstrate a negative refractive index (NRI) behavior in combined water droplets and photosensitive resin materials operating in the microwave regime. The NRI is achieved over a very wide frequency range in 10.27-15 GHz with bandwidth of 4.63 GHz. The simulated results approximately agree with the experimental results. The negative index band can be controlled by water droplet radius. The proposed metamaterial production process is simple and may have potential applications in broadband tunable devices.

Pyroelectric effect in tryglicyne sulphate single crystals - Differential measurement method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trybus, M.

2018-06-01

A simple mathematical model of the pyroelectric phenomenon was used to explain the electric response of the TGS (triglycine sulphate) samples in the linear heating process in ferroelectric and paraelectric phases. Experimental verification of mathematical model was realized. TGS single crystals were grown and four electrode samples were fabricated. Differential measurements of the pyroelectric response of two different regions of the samples were performed and the results were compared with data obtained from the model. Experimental results are in good agreement with model calculations.

Experimental determination of the effective strong coupling constant

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alexandre Deur; Volker Burkert; Jian-Ping Chen

2007-07-01

We extract an effective strong coupling constant from low Q{sup 2} data on the Bjorken sum. Using sum rules, we establish its Q{sup 2}-behavior over the complete Q{sup 2}-range. The result is compared to effective coupling constants extracted from different processes and to calculations based on Schwinger-Dyson equations, hadron spectroscopy or lattice QCD. Although the connection between the experimentally extracted effective coupling constant and the calculations is not clear, the results agree surprisingly well.

Explosive boiling of liquid nitrogen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakoryakov, V. E.; Tsoy, A. N.; Mezentsev, I. V.; Meleshkin, A. V.

2014-12-01

The present paper deals with experimental investigation of processes that occur when injecting a cryogenic fluid into water. The optical recording of the process of injection of a jet of liquid nitrogen into water has revealed the structure and the stages of this process. The results obtained can be used when studying a new method for producing gas hydrates based on the shock-wave method.

Metaphorical Salience in Artistic Text Processing: Evidence From Eye Movement.

PubMed

Novikova, Eleonora G; Janyan, Armina; Tsaregorodtseva, Oksana V

2015-01-01

The study aimed to explore processing difference between a literal phrase and a metaphoric one. Unlike artificially created stimuli in most experimental research, an artistic text with an ambiguous binary metaphoric phrase was used. Eye tracking methodology was applied. Results suggested difference between the two types of phrases in both early and late processing measures. © The Author(s) 2015.

Experimental research on mathematical modelling and unconventional control of clinker kiln in cement plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusu-Anghel, S.

2017-01-01

Analytical modeling of the flow of manufacturing process of the cement is difficult because of their complexity and has not resulted in sufficiently precise mathematical models. In this paper, based on a statistical model of the process and using the knowledge of human experts, was designed a fuzzy system for automatic control of clinkering process.

Elastic solitons in delaminated bars: splitting leads to fission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Samsonov, A. M.; Dreiden, G. V.; Khusnutdinova, K. R.; Semenova, I. V.

2008-06-01

Recent theoretical and successful experimental studies confirmed existence and demonstrated main properties of bulk strain solitary waves in nonlinearly elastic solid wave guides. Our current research is devoted to nonlinear wave processes in layered elastic wave guides with inhomogeneities modelling delamination. We present first theoretical and experimental results showing the influence of delamination on the parameters of the longitudinal strain solitary wave.

[The effect of taboo word on language processing].

PubMed

Huszár, Tamás; Makra, Emese; Hallgató, Emese; Janacsek, Karolina; Németh, Dezsö

2010-01-01

Knowledge about how we process taboo words brings us closer to the and emotional processes, and broadens the interpretative framework in psychiatry and psychotherapy. In this study the lexical decision paradigm was used. Subjects were presented neutral words, taboo words and pseudowords in a random order, and they had to indicate whether the presented word was meaningful (neutral and taboo words) or meaningless (pseudowords). Each target word was preceded by a prime word (either taboo or neutral). SOA differed in the two experimental conditions (it was 250 msec in the experimental group, and 500 msec in the control group). In the experimental group, response latencies increased for target words that were preceded by taboo prime words, as compared to those that were preceded by neutral prime words. In the control group prime had no such differential effects on response latencies. Results indicate that emotional processing of taboo words occur very early and the negative effect of taboo words on the following lexical decision fades away in 500 msec. Our experiment and other empirical data are presented in this paper.

Design and experimental study on desulphurization process of ship exhaust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Mingyang; Hao, Shan; Zhou, Junbo; Gao, Liping

2018-02-01

This desulfurization process involves removing sulfur oxides with seawater or alkaline aqueous solutions and then treating the effluent by aeration and pH adjustment before discharging it into the ocean. In the desulfurization system, the spray tower is the key equipment and the venturi tubes are the pretreatment device. The two stages of plates are designed to fully absorb sulfur oxides in exhaust gases. The spiral nozzles atomize and evenly spray the desulfurizers into the tower. This study experimentally investigated the effectiveness of this desulfurization process and the factors influencing it under laboratory conditions, with a diesel engine exhaust used to represent ship exhaust. The experimental results show that this process can effectively absorb the SO2 in the exhaust. When the exhaust flow rate was 25 m3/h and the desulfurizer flow rate was 4 L/min, the sulfur removal efficiency (SRE) reached 99.7%. The flow rate, alkalinity, and temperature of seawater were found to have significant effects on the SRE. Adjusting seawater flow rate (SWR) and alkalinity within certain ranges can substantially improve the SRE.

Phase Equilibria of ``Cu2O''-``FeO''-CaO-MgO-Al2O3 Slags at PO2 of 10-8.5 atm in Equilibrium with Metallic Copper for a Copper Slag Cleaning Production

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henao, Hector M.; Pizarro, Claudio; Font, Jonkion; Moyano, Alex; Hayes, Peter C.; Jak, Evgueni

2010-12-01

Limited data are available on phase equilibria of the multicomponent slag system at the oxygen partial pressures used in the copper smelting, converting, and slag-cleaning processes. Recently, experimental procedures have been developed and have been applied successfully to characterize several complex industrial slags. The experimental procedures involve high-temperature equilibration on a substrate and quenching followed by electron probe X-ray microanalysis. This technique has been used to construct the liquidus for the “Cu2O”-“FeO”-SiO2-based slags with 2 wt pct of CaO, 0.5 wt pct of MgO, and 4.0 wt pct of Al2O3 at controlled oxygen partial pressures in equilibrium with metallic copper. The selected ranges of compositions and temperatures are directly relevant to the copper slag-cleaning processes. The new experimental equilibrium results are presented in the form of ternary sections and as a liquidus temperature vs Fe/SiO2 weight ratio diagram. The experimental results are compared with the FactSage thermodynamic model calculations.

Phenomenological study of decoherence in solid-state spin qubits due to nuclear spin diffusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biercuk, Michael J.; Bluhm, Hendrik

2011-06-01

We present a study of the prospects for coherence preservation in solid-state spin qubits using dynamical decoupling protocols. Recent experiments have provided the first demonstrations of multipulse dynamical decoupling sequences in this qubit system, but quantitative analyses of potential coherence improvements have been hampered by a lack of concrete knowledge of the relevant noise processes. We present calculations of qubit coherence under the application of arbitrary dynamical decoupling pulse sequences based on an experimentally validated semiclassical model. This phenomenological approach bundles the details of underlying noise processes into a single experimentally relevant noise power spectral density. Our results show that the dominant features of experimental measurements in a two-electron singlet-triplet spin qubit can be replicated using a 1/ω2 noise power spectrum associated with nuclear spin flips in the host material. Beginning with this validation, we address the effects of nuclear programming, high-frequency nuclear spin dynamics, and other high-frequency classical noise sources, with conjectures supported by physical arguments and microscopic calculations where relevant. Our results provide expected performance bounds and identify diagnostic metrics that can be measured experimentally in order to better elucidate the underlying nuclear spin dynamics.

Reaction mechanisms and multifragmentation processes in 64Zn+58Ni at 35A-79A MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wada, R.; Hagel, K.; Cibor, J.; Gonin, M.; Keutgen, Th.; Murray, M.; Natowitz, J. B.; Ono, A.; Steckmeyer, J. C.; Kerambrum, A.; Angélique, J. C.; Auger, A.; Bizard, G.; Brou, R.; Cabot, C.; Crema, E.; Cussol, D.; Durand, D.; El Masri, Y.; Eudes, P.; He, Z. Y.; Jeong, S. C.; Lebrun, C.; Patry, J. P.; Péghaire, A.; Peter, J.; Régimbart, R.; Rosato, E.; Saint-Laurent, F.; Tamain, B.; Vient, E.

2000-09-01

Reaction mechanisms and multifragmentation processes have been studied for 64Zn+58Ni collisions at intermediate energies with the help of antisymmetrized molecular dynamics (AMD-V) model calculations. Experimental energy spectra, angular distributions, charge distributions, and isotope distributions, classified by their associated charged particle multiplicities, are compared with the results of the AMD-V calculations. In general the experimental results are reasonably well reproduced by the calculations. The multifragmentation observed experimentally at all incident energies is also reproduced by the AMD-V calculations. A detailed study of AMD-V events reveals that, in nucleon transport, the reaction shows some transparency, whereas in energy transport the reaction is much less transparent at all incident energies studied here. The transparency in the nucleon transport indicates that, even for central collisions, about 75% of the projectile nucleons appear in the forward direction. In energy transport about 80% of the initial kinetic energy of the projectile in the center- of-mass frame is dissipated. The detailed study of AMD-V events also elucidates the dynamics of the multifragmentation process. The study suggests that, at 35A MeV, the semitransparency and thermal expansion are the dominant mechanisms for the multifragmentation process, whereas at 49A MeV and higher incident energies a nuclear compression occurs at an early stage of the reaction and plays an important role in the multifragmentation process in addition to that of the thermal expansion and the semitransparency.

Study of a Single-Power Two-Circuit ESR Process with Current-Carrying Mold: Mathematical Simulation of the Process and Experimental Verification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Yanwu; Hou, Zhiwen; Jiang, Zhouhua; Cao, Haibo; Feng, Qianlong; Cao, Yulong

2018-02-01

A novel single-power two-circuit ESR process (ESR-STCCM) with current-carrying mold has been investigated via numerical simulation and experimental research in this paper. A 2D quasi-steady-state mathematical model is developed to describe ESR-STCCM. The electromagnetic field, flow field, slag pool temperature distribution, and the shape of a molten steel pool in ESR-STCCM have been investigated by FLUENT software as well as user-defined functions (UDF). The results indicate that ESR-STCCM is different from the conventional ESR process. The maximum electromagnetic force, current density, Joule heat, and slag pool flow velocity are located in the lower part of the conductor in the ESR-STCCM process. The direction of the maximum electromagnetic force inclines upward. There are two distinct vortices in the slag pool. The larger swirl rotates counterclockwise near the conductor, with a value of 0.0263 m s-1 due to the interaction of the electromagnetic force and gravity. The maximum temperature of the slag pool is 2070 K (1797 °C) and is located in the center of the swirl with a filling ratio of 0.6 and a 20 mm electrode immersion depth. The depth of a molten steel pool is shallower, which is conducive to improving solidification quality. In addition, the filling ratio of 0.6 is conducive to controlling steel solidification quality. Some experiments have been done, and the numerical model is confirmed by experimental results.

Investigation on Bond-Slip Behavior of Z-Pin Interfaces in X-Cor® Sandwich Structures Using Z-Pin Pull-Out Test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shan, Hangying; Xiao, Jun; Chu, Qiyi

2018-05-01

The Z-Pin interfacial bond properties play an important role in the structural performance of X-Cor® sandwich structures. This paper presents an experimental investigation on bond-slip behavior of Z-Pin interfaces using Z-Pin pull-out test. Based on the experimental data the whole Z-Pin pull-out process consists of three stages: initial bonding, debonding and frictional sliding. Comparative experimental study on the influence of design parameters on bond-slip behavior of Z-Pin interfaces has also been performed. Numerical analyses were conducted with the ABAQUS finite element (FE) program to simulate the Z-Pins bond-slip response of the pull-out test. The Z-Pins interfacial bond-slip behavior was implemented using nonlinear spring elements characterized with the constitutive relation from experimental results. Numerical results were validated by comparison with experimental data, and reasonably good agreement was achieved between experimental and analytical pull-out force-slip curves.

Validation of design procedure and performance modeling of a heat and fluid transport field experiment in the unsaturated zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nir, A.; Doughty, C.; Tsang, C. F.

Validation methods which developed in the context of deterministic concepts of past generations often cannot be directly applied to environmental problems, which may be characterized by limited reproducibility of results and highly complex models. Instead, validation is interpreted here as a series of activities, including both theoretical and experimental tests, designed to enhance our confidence in the capability of a proposed model to describe some aspect of reality. We examine the validation process applied to a project concerned with heat and fluid transport in porous media, in which mathematical modeling, simulation, and results of field experiments are evaluated in order to determine the feasibility of a system for seasonal thermal energy storage in shallow unsaturated soils. Technical details of the field experiments are not included, but appear in previous publications. Validation activities are divided into three stages. The first stage, carried out prior to the field experiments, is concerned with modeling the relevant physical processes, optimization of the heat-exchanger configuration and the shape of the storage volume, and multi-year simulation. Subjects requiring further theoretical and experimental study are identified at this stage. The second stage encompasses the planning and evaluation of the initial field experiment. Simulations are made to determine the experimental time scale and optimal sensor locations. Soil thermal parameters and temperature boundary conditions are estimated using an inverse method. Then results of the experiment are compared with model predictions using different parameter values and modeling approximations. In the third stage, results of an experiment performed under different boundary conditions are compared to predictions made by the models developed in the second stage. Various aspects of this theoretical and experimental field study are described as examples of the verification and validation procedure. There is no attempt to validate a specific model, but several models of increasing complexity are compared with experimental results. The outcome is interpreted as a demonstration of the paradigm proposed by van der Heijde, 26 that different constituencies have different objectives for the validation process and therefore their acceptance criteria differ also.

The Microgravity Research Experiments (MICREX) Data Base. Volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, C. A.; Jones, J. C.

1996-01-01

An electronic data base identifying over 800 fluids and materials processing experiments performed in a low-gravity environment has been created at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The compilation, called MICREX (MICrogravity Research Experiments), was designed to document all such experimental efforts performed (1) on U.S. manned space vehicles, (2) on payloads deployed from U.S. manned space vehicles, and (3) on all domestic and international sounding rockets (excluding those of China and the former U.S.S.R.). Data available on most experiments include (1) principal and co-investigators (2) low-gravity mission, (3) processing facility, (4) experimental objectives and results, (5) identifying key words, (6) sample materials, (7) applications of the processed materials/research area, (8) experiment descriptive publications, and (9) contacts for more information concerning the experiment. This technical memorandum (1) summarizes the historical interest in reduced-gravity fluid dynamics, (2) describes the experimental facilities employed to examine reduced gravity fluid flow, (3) discusses the importance of a low-gravity fluids and materials processing data base, (4) describes the MICREX data base format and computational World Wide Web access procedures, and (5) documents (in hard-copy form) the descriptions of the first 600 fluids and materials processing experiments entered into MICREX.

The Microgravity Research Experiments (MICREX) Data Base. Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winter, C. A.; Jones, J.C.

1996-01-01

An electronic data base identifying over 800 fluids and materials processing experiments performed in a low-gravity environment has been created at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. The compilation, called MICREX (MICrogravity Research Experiments), was designed to document all such experimental efforts performed (1) on U.S. manned space vehicles, (2) on payloads deployed from U.S. manned space vehicles, and (3) on all domestic and international sounding rockets (excluding those of China and the former U.S.S.R.). Data available on most experiments include (1) principal and co-investigators, (2) low-gravity mission, (3) processing facility, (4) experimental objectives and results, (5) identifying key words, (6) sample materials, (7) applications of the processed materials/research area, (8) experiment descriptive publications, and (9) contacts for more information concerning the experiment. This technical memorandum (1) summarizes the historical interest in reduced-gravity fluid dynamics, (2) describes the experimental facilities employed to examine reduced gravity fluid flow, (3) discusses the importance of a low-gravity fluids and materials processing data base, (4) describes the MICREX data base format and computational World Wide Web access procedures, and (5) documents (in hard-copy form) the descriptions of the first 600 fluids and materials processing experiments entered into MICREX.

Experimental study on the healing process following laser welding of the cornea.

PubMed

Rossi, Francesca; Pini, Roberto; Menabuoni, Luca; Mencucci, Rita; Menchini, Ugo; Ambrosini, Stefano; Vannelli, Gabriella

2005-01-01

An experimental study evaluating the application of laser welding of the cornea and the subsequent healing process is presented. The welding of corneal wounds is achieved after staining the cut walls with a solution of the chromophore indocyanine green, and irradiating them with a diode laser (810 nm) operating at low power (60 to 90 mW). The result is a localized heating of the cut, inducing controlled welding of the stromal collagen. In order to optimize this technique and to study the healing process, experimental tests, simulating cataract surgery and penetrating keratoplasty, were performed on rabbits: conventional and laser-induced suturing of corneal wounds were thus compared. A follow-up study 7 to 90 days after surgery was carried out by means of objective and histological examinations, in order to optimize the welding technique and to investigate the subsequent healing process. The analyses of the laser-welded corneas evidenced a faster and more effective restoration of the architecture of the stroma. No thermal damage of the welded stroma was detected, nor were there foreign body reactions or other inflammatory processes. Copyright 2005 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

Modeling of plasma chemical processes in the artificial ionized layer in the upper atmosphere by the nanosecond corona discharge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vikharev, A. L.; Gorbachev, A. M.; Ivanov, O. A.; Kolisko, A. L.; Litvak, A. G.

1993-08-01

The plasma chemical processes in the corona discharge formed in air by a series of high voltage pulses of nanosecond duration are investigated experimentally. The experimental conditions (reduced electric field, duration and repetition frequency of the pulses, gas pressure in the chamber) modeled the regime of creation of the artificial ionized layer (AIL) in the upper atmosphere by a nanosecond microwave discharge. It was found that in a nanosecond microwave discharge predominantly generation of ozone occurs, and that the production of nitrogen dioxide is not large. The energy expenditures for the generation of one O 3 molecule were about 15 eV. On the basis of the experimental results the prognosis of the efficiency of ozone generation in AIL was made.

Minimizing Segregation During the Controlled Directional Solidification of Dendritic Alloys Publication: Metallurgical and Materials Transactions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grugel, R. N.; Fedoseyev, A. I.; Kim, S.; Curreri, Peter A. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Gravity-driven thermosolutal convection that arises during controlled directional solidification (DS) of dendritic alloys promotes detrimental macro-segregation (e.g. freckles and steepling) in products such as turbine blades. Considerable time and effort has been spent to experimentally and theoretically investigate this phenomena; although our knowledge has advanced to the point where convection can be modeled and accurately compared to experimental results, little has been done to minimize its onset and deleterious effects. The experimental work demonstrates that segregation can be. minimized and microstructural uniformity promoted when a slow axial rotation is applied to the sample crucible during controlled directional solidification processing. Numerical modeling utilizing continuation and bifurcation methods have been employed to develop accurate physical and mathematical models with the intent of identifying and optimizing processing parameters.

A Simple Blueprint for Automatic Boolean Query Processing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salton, G.

1988-01-01

Describes a new Boolean retrieval environment in which an extended soft Boolean logic is used to automatically construct queries from original natural language formulations provided by users. Experimental results that compare the retrieval effectiveness of this method to conventional Boolean and vector processing are discussed. (27 references)…

Depth and Elaboration of Processing in Relation to Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Eileen

1979-01-01

The recall effectiveness of semantic and phonemic cues was compared to uncover the pattern of deep and elaborate processing in relation to age and experimental treatment. It was concluded that aging results in poor elaboration, especially in inefficient integration of word events with the context of presentation. (Author/CP)

Techniques for video compression

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wu, Chwan-Hwa

1995-01-01

In this report, we present our study on multiprocessor implementation of a MPEG2 encoding algorithm. First, we compare two approaches to implementing video standards, VLSI technology and multiprocessor processing, in terms of design complexity, applications, and cost. Then we evaluate the functional modules of MPEG2 encoding process in terms of their computation time. Two crucial modules are identified based on this evaluation. Then we present our experimental study on the multiprocessor implementation of the two crucial modules. Data partitioning is used for job assignment. Experimental results show that high speedup ratio and good scalability can be achieved by using this kind of job assignment strategy.

Self-assembly kinetics of microscale components: A parametric evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carballo, Jose M.

The goal of the present work is to develop, and evaluate a parametric model of a basic microscale Self-Assembly (SA) interaction that provides scaling predictions of process rates as a function of key process variables. At the microscale, assembly by "grasp and release" is generally challenging. Recent research efforts have proposed adapting nanoscale self-assembly (SA) processes to the microscale. SA offers the potential for reduced equipment cost and increased throughput by harnessing attractive forces (most commonly, capillary) to spontaneously assemble components. However, there are challenges for implementing microscale SA as a commercial process. The existing lack of design tools prevents simple process optimization. Previous efforts have characterized a specific aspect of the SA process. However, the existing microscale SA models do not characterize the inter-component interactions. All existing models have simplified the outcome of SA interactions as an experimentally-derived value specific to a particular configuration, instead of evaluating it outcome as a function of component level parameters (such as speed, geometry, bonding energy and direction). The present study parameterizes the outcome of interactions, and evaluates the effect of key parameters. The present work closes the gap between existing microscale SA models to add a key piece towards a complete design tool for general microscale SA process modeling. First, this work proposes a simple model for defining the probability of assembly of basic SA interactions. A basic SA interaction is defined as the event where a single part arrives on an assembly site. The model describes the probability of assembly as a function of kinetic energy, binding energy, orientation and incidence angle for the component and the assembly site. Secondly, an experimental SA system was designed, and implemented to create individual SA interactions while controlling process parameters independently. SA experiments measured the outcome of SA interactions, while studying the independent effects of each parameter. As a first step towards a complete scaling model, experiments were performed to evaluate the effects of part geometry and part travel direction under low kinetic energy conditions. Experimental results show minimal dependence of assembly yield on the incidence angle of the parts, and significant effects induced by changes in part geometry. The results from this work indicate that SA could be modeled as an energy-based process due to the small path dependence effects. Assembly probability is linearly related to the orientation probability. The proportionality constant is based on the area fraction of the sites with an amplification factor. This amplification factor accounts for the ability of capillary forces to align parts with only very small areas of contact when they have a low kinetic energy. Results provide unprecedented insight about SA interactions. The present study is a key step towards completing a basic model of a general SA process. Moreover, the outcome from this work can complement existing SA process models, in order to create a complete design tool for microscale SA systems. In addition to SA experiments, Monte Carlo simulations of experimental part-site interactions were conducted. This study confirmed that a major contributor to experimental variation is the stochastic nature of experimental SA interactions and the limited sample size of the experiments. Furthermore, the simulations serve as a tool for defining an optimum sampling strategy to minimize the uncertainty in future SA experiments.

Prediction of Cutting Force in Turning Process-an Experimental Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thangarasu, S. K.; Shankar, S.; Thomas, A. Tony; Sridhar, G.

2018-02-01

This Paper deals with a prediction of Cutting forces in a turning process. The turning process with advanced cutting tool has a several advantages over grinding such as short cycle time, process flexibility, compatible surface roughness, high material removal rate and less environment problems without the use of cutting fluid. In this a full bridge dynamometer has been used to measure the cutting forces over mild steel work piece and cemented carbide insert tool for different combination of cutting speed, feed rate and depth of cut. The experiments are planned based on taguchi design and measured cutting forces were compared with the predicted forces in order to validate the feasibility of the proposed design. The percentage contribution of each process parameter had been analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). Both the experimental results taken from the lathe tool dynamometer and the designed full bridge dynamometer were analyzed using Taguchi design of experiment and Analysis of Variance.

Experimental study on the impact of temperature on the dissipation process of supersaturated total dissolved gas.

PubMed

Shen, Xia; Liu, Shengyun; Li, Ran; Ou, Yangming

2014-09-01

Water temperature not only affects the solubility of gas in water but can also be an important factor in the dissipation process of supersaturated total dissolved gas (TDG). The quantitative relationship between the dissipation process and temperature has not been previously described. This relationship affects the accurate evaluation of the dissipation process and the subsequent biological effects. This article experimentally investigates the impact of temperature on supersaturated TDG dissipation in static and turbulent conditions. The results show that the supersaturated TDG dissipation coefficient increases with the temperature and turbulence intensity. The quantitative relationship was verified by straight flume experiments. This study enhances our understanding of the dissipation of supersaturated TDG. Furthermore, it provides a scientific foundation for the accurate prediction of the dissipation process of supersaturated TDG in the downstream area and the negative impacts of high dam projects on aquatic ecosystems. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Representations of Complexity: How Nature Appears in Our Theories

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

In science we study processes in the material world. The way these processes operate can be discovered by conducting experiments that activate them, and findings from such experiments can lead to functional complexity theories of how the material processes work. The results of a good functional theory will agree with experimental measurements, but the theory may not incorporate in its algorithmic workings a representation of the material processes themselves. Nevertheless, the algorithmic operation of a good functional theory may be said to make contact with material reality by incorporating the emergent computations the material processes carry out. These points are illustrated in the experimental analysis of behavior by considering an evolutionary theory of behavior dynamics, the algorithmic operation of which does not correspond to material features of the physical world, but the functional output of which agrees quantitatively and qualitatively with findings from a large body of research with live organisms. PMID:28018044

Pre-processing Tasks in Indonesian Twitter Messages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidayatullah, A. F.; Ma'arif, M. R.

2017-01-01

Twitter text messages are very noisy. Moreover, tweet data are unstructured and complicated enough. The focus of this work is to investigate pre-processing technique for Twitter messages in Bahasa Indonesia. The main goal of this experiment is to clean the tweet data for further analysis. Thus, the objectives of this pre-processing task is simply removing all meaningless character and left valuable words. In this research, we divide our proposed pre-processing experiments into two parts. The first part is common pre-processing task. The second part is a specific pre-processing task for tweet data. From the experimental result we can conclude that by employing a specific pre-processing task related to tweet data characteristic we obtained more valuable result. The result obtained is better in terms of less meaningful word occurrence which is not significant in number comparing to the result obtained by just running common pre-processing tasks.

Overview: Experimental studies of crystal nucleation: Metals and colloids.

PubMed

Herlach, Dieter M; Palberg, Thomas; Klassen, Ina; Klein, Stefan; Kobold, Raphael

2016-12-07

Crystallization is one of the most important phase transformations of first order. In the case of metals and alloys, the liquid phase is the parent phase of materials production. The conditions of the crystallization process control the as-solidified material in its chemical and physical properties. Nucleation initiates the crystallization of a liquid. It selects the crystallographic phase, stable or meta-stable. Its detailed knowledge is therefore mandatory for the design of materials. We present techniques of containerless processing for nucleation studies of metals and alloys. Experimental results demonstrate the power of these methods not only for crystal nucleation of stable solids but in particular also for investigations of crystal nucleation of metastable solids at extreme undercooling. This concerns the physical nature of heterogeneous versus homogeneous nucleation and nucleation of phases nucleated under non-equilibrium conditions. The results are analyzed within classical nucleation theory that defines the activation energy of homogeneous nucleation in terms of the interfacial energy and the difference of Gibbs free energies of solid and liquid. The interfacial energy acts as barrier for the nucleation process. Its experimental determination is difficult in the case of metals. In the second part of this work we therefore explore the potential of colloidal suspensions as model systems for the crystallization process. The nucleation process of colloids is observed in situ by optical observation and ultra-small angle X-ray diffraction using high intensity synchrotron radiation. It allows an unambiguous discrimination of homogeneous and heterogeneous nucleation as well as the determination of the interfacial free energy of the solid-liquid interface. Our results are used to construct Turnbull plots of colloids, which are discussed in relation to Turnbull plots of metals and support the hypothesis that colloids are useful model systems to investigate crystal nucleation.

Experimental Verification of the Decomposition of Y2O3 in Fe-Based ODS Alloys During Mechanical Alloying Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byun, Jong Min; Park, Chun Woong; Do Kim, Young

2018-06-01

In this study, we investigated the state of Y2O3, as a major additive element in Fe-based ODS alloys, during mechanical alloying (MA) processes by thermodynamic approaches and experimental verification. For this purpose, we introduced Ti2O3 that formed different reaction products depending on the state of Y2O3 into the Fe-based ODS alloys. In addition, the reaction products of Ti2O3, Y, and Y2O3 powders were predicted approximately based on their formation enthalpy. The experimental results relating to the formation of Y-based complex oxides revealed that YTiO3 and Y2Ti2O7 were formed when Ti2O3 reacted with Y; in contrast, only Y2Ti2O7 was detected during the reaction between Ti2O3 and Y2O3. In the alloy of Fe-Cr-Y2O3 with Ti2O3, YTiO3 (formed by the reaction of Ti2O3 with Y) was detected after the MA and heat treatment processes were complete, even though Y2O3 was present in the system. Using these results, it was proved that Y2O3 decomposed into monoatomic Y and O during the MA process.

Interactions between calcium precipitation and the polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria metabolism.

PubMed

Barat, R; Montoya, T; Borrás, L; Ferrer, J; Seco, A

2008-07-01

A sequencing batch reactor that is operated for biological phosphorus removal has been operated under different influent calcium concentrations to study the precipitation process and the possible effects of phosphorus precipitation in the biological phosphorus removal process. Four experiments were carried out under different influent calcium concentrations ranging from 10 to 90 g Ca m(-3). The experimental results and the equilibrium study, which are based on the saturation index calculation, confirm that the process controlling the calcium behaviour is the calcium phosphate precipitation. This precipitation takes place at two stages: initially, precipitation of the amorphous calcium phosphate, and later crystallization of hydroxyapatite. Also the accumulation of phosphorus precipitated was observed when the influent calcium concentration was increased. In all the experiments, the influent wastewater ratio P/COD was kept constant. It has been observed that, at high calcium concentration, the ratio between phosphate release and acetate uptake (P(rel)/Ac(uptake)) decreases. Changes in the polyphosphate-accumulating organism (PAO) population and in the glycogen-accumulating organism (GAO) population during the experimental period were ruled out by means of fluorescence in situ hybridization. These results could suggest that PAO are able to change their metabolic pathways based on external conditions, such as influent calcium concentration. The accumulation of phosphorus precipitated as calcium phosphate at high influent calcium concentration throughout the experimental period confirmed that phosphate precipitation is a process that can affect the PAO metabolism.

A Macroporous TiO2 Oxygen Sensor Fabricated Using Anodic Aluminium Oxide as an Etching Mask

PubMed Central

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Yong-Sheng; Huang, Jun-Wei; Chang, Chien-Kuo; Wu, Sheng-Po

2010-01-01

An innovative fabrication method to produce a macroporous Si surface by employing an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) nanopore array layer as an etching template is presented. Combining AAO with a reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, a homogeneous and macroporous silicon surface can be effectively configured by modulating AAO process parameters and alumina film thickness, thus hopefully replacing conventional photolithography and electrochemical etch methods. The hybrid process integration is considered fully CMOS compatible thanks to the low-temperature AAO and CMOS processes. The gas-sensing characteristics of 50 nm TiO2 nanofilms deposited on the macroporous surface are compared with those of conventional plain (or non-porous) nanofilms to verify reduced response noise and improved sensitivity as a result of their macroporosity. Our experimental results reveal that macroporous geometry of the TiO2 chemoresistive gas sensor demonstrates 2-fold higher (∼33%) improved sensitivity than a non-porous sensor at different levels of oxygen exposure. In addition, the macroporous device exhibits excellent discrimination capability and significantly lessened response noise at 500 °C. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid process of such miniature and macroporous devices are compatible as well as applicable to integrated next generation bio-chemical sensors. PMID:22315561

A macroporous TiO2 oxygen sensor fabricated using anodic aluminium oxide as an etching mask.

PubMed

Lu, Chih-Cheng; Huang, Yong-Sheng; Huang, Jun-Wei; Chang, Chien-Kuo; Wu, Sheng-Po

2010-01-01

An innovative fabrication method to produce a macroporous Si surface by employing an anodic aluminium oxide (AAO) nanopore array layer as an etching template is presented. Combining AAO with a reactive ion etching (RIE) processes, a homogeneous and macroporous silicon surface can be effectively configured by modulating AAO process parameters and alumina film thickness, thus hopefully replacing conventional photolithography and electrochemical etch methods. The hybrid process integration is considered fully CMOS compatible thanks to the low-temperature AAO and CMOS processes. The gas-sensing characteristics of 50 nm TiO(2) nanofilms deposited on the macroporous surface are compared with those of conventional plain (or non-porous) nanofilms to verify reduced response noise and improved sensitivity as a result of their macroporosity. Our experimental results reveal that macroporous geometry of the TiO(2) chemoresistive gas sensor demonstrates 2-fold higher (∼33%) improved sensitivity than a non-porous sensor at different levels of oxygen exposure. In addition, the macroporous device exhibits excellent discrimination capability and significantly lessened response noise at 500 °C. Experimental results indicate that the hybrid process of such miniature and macroporous devices are compatible as well as applicable to integrated next generation bio-chemical sensors.

Efficient experimental design for uncertainty reduction in gene regulatory networks

PubMed Central

2015-01-01

Background An accurate understanding of interactions among genes plays a major role in developing therapeutic intervention methods. Gene regulatory networks often contain a significant amount of uncertainty. The process of prioritizing biological experiments to reduce the uncertainty of gene regulatory networks is called experimental design. Under such a strategy, the experiments with high priority are suggested to be conducted first. Results The authors have already proposed an optimal experimental design method based upon the objective for modeling gene regulatory networks, such as deriving therapeutic interventions. The experimental design method utilizes the concept of mean objective cost of uncertainty (MOCU). MOCU quantifies the expected increase of cost resulting from uncertainty. The optimal experiment to be conducted first is the one which leads to the minimum expected remaining MOCU subsequent to the experiment. In the process, one must find the optimal intervention for every gene regulatory network compatible with the prior knowledge, which can be prohibitively expensive when the size of the network is large. In this paper, we propose a computationally efficient experimental design method. This method incorporates a network reduction scheme by introducing a novel cost function that takes into account the disruption in the ranking of potential experiments. We then estimate the approximate expected remaining MOCU at a lower computational cost using the reduced networks. Conclusions Simulation results based on synthetic and real gene regulatory networks show that the proposed approximate method has close performance to that of the optimal method but at lower computational cost. The proposed approximate method also outperforms the random selection policy significantly. A MATLAB software implementing the proposed experimental design method is available at http://gsp.tamu.edu/Publications/supplementary/roozbeh15a/. PMID:26423515

An environmental friendly animal waste disposal process with ammonia recovery and energy production: Experimental study and economic analysis.

PubMed

Shen, Ye; Tan, Michelle Ting Ting; Chong, Clive; Xiao, Wende; Wang, Chi-Hwa

2017-10-01

Animal manure waste is considered as an environmental challenge especially in farming areas mainly because of gaseous emission and water pollution. Among all the pollutants emitted from manure waste, ammonia is of greatest concern as it could contribute to formation of aerosols in the air and could hardly be controlled by traditional disposal methods like landfill or composting. On the other hand, manure waste is also a renewable source for energy production. In this work, an environmental friendly animal waste disposal process with combined ammonia recovery and energy production was proposed and investigated both experimentally and economically. Lab-scale feasibility study results showed that 70% of ammonia in the manure waste could be converted to struvite as fertilizer, while solid manure waste was successfully gasified in a 10kW downdraft fixed-bed gasifier producing syngas with the higher heating value of 4.9MJ/(Nm 3 ). Based on experimental results, economic study for the system was carried out using a cost-benefit analysis to investigate the financial feasibility based on a Singapore case study. In addition, for comparison, schemes of gasification without ammonia removal and incineration were also studied for manure waste disposal. The results showed that the proposed gasification-based manure waste treatment process integrated with ammonia recovery was most financially viable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Surface hardening using cw CO2 laser: laser heat treatment, modelation, and experimental work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muniz, German; Alum, Jorge

1996-02-01

In the present work are given the results of the application of laser metal surface hardening techniques using a cw carbon dioxide laser as an energy source on steel 65 G. The laser heat treatment results are presented theoretically and experimentally. Continuous wave carbon dioxide laser of 0.6, 0.3, and 0.4 kW were used. A physical model for the descriptions of the thermophysical laser metal interactions process is given and a numerical algorithm is used to solve this problem by means of the LHT code. The results are compared with the corresponding experimental ones and a very good agreement is observed. The LHT code is able to do predictions of transformation hardening by laser heating. These results will be completed with other ones concerning laser alloying and cladding presented in a second paper.

Finite element simulations and experimental investigations on ductile fracture in cold forging of aluminum alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amiri, Amir; Nikpour, Amin; Saraeian, Payam

2018-05-01

Forging is one of the manufacturing processes of aluminium parts which has two major categories: called hot and cold forging. In the cold forging, the dimensional and geometrical accuracy of final part is high. However, fracture may occur in some aluminium alloys during the process because of less workability. Fracture in cold forging can be in the form of ductile, brittle or combination of both depending on the alloy type. There are several criteria for predicting fracture in cold forging. In this study, cold forging process of 6063 aluminium alloy for three different parts is simulated in order to predict fracture. The results of numerical simulations of Freudenthal criterion is in conformity with experimental tests.

Treatment of hazardous waste landfill leachate using Fenton oxidation process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singa, Pradeep Kumar; Hasnain Isa, Mohamed; Ho, Yeek-Chia; Lim, Jun-Wei

2018-03-01

The efficiency of Fenton's oxidation was assessed in this study for hazardous waste landfill leachate treatment. The two major reagents, which are generally employed in Fenton's process are H2O2 as oxidizing agent and Fe2+ as catalyst. Batch experiments were conducted to determine the effect of experimental conditions viz., reaction time, molar ratio, and Fenton reagent dosages, which are significant parameters that influence the degradation efficiencies of Fenton process were examined. It was found that under the favorable experimental conditions, maximum COD removal was 56.49%. The optimum experimental conditions were pH=3, H2O2/Fe2+ molar ratio = 3 and reaction time = 150 minutes. The optimal amount of hydrogen peroxide and iron were 0.12 mol/L and 0.04 mol/L respectively. High dosages of H2O2 and iron resulted in scavenging effects on OH• radicals and lowered degradation efficiency of organic compounds in the hazardous waste landfill leachate.

Space Weathering in Houston: A Role for the Experimental Impact Laboratory at JSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cintala, M. J.; Keller, L. P.; Christoffersen, R.; Hoerz, F.

2015-01-01

The effective investigation of space weathering demands an interdisciplinary approach that is at least as diversified as any other in planetary science. Because it is a macroscopic process affecting all bodies in the solar system, impact and its resulting shock effects must be given detailed attention in this regard. Direct observation of the effects of impact is most readily done for the Moon, but it still remains difficult for other bodies in the solar system. Analyses of meteorites and precious returned samples provide clues for space weathering on asteroids, but many deductions arising from those studies must still be considered circumstantial. Theoretical work is also indispensable, but it can only go as far as the sometimes meager data allow. Experimentation, however, can permit near real-time study of myriad processes that could contribute to space weathering. This contribution describes some of the capabilities of the Johnson Space Center's Experimental Impact Laboratory (EIL) and how they might help in understanding the space weathering process.

Social learning by orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus) in a simulated food-processing task.

PubMed

Stoinski, Tara S; Whiten, Andrew

2003-09-01

Increasing evidence for behavioral differences between populations of primates has created a resurgence of interest in examining mechanisms of information transfer between individuals. The authors examined the social transmission of information in 15 captive orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus) using a simulated food-processing task. Experimental subjects were shown 1 of 2 methods for removing a suite of defenses on an "artificial fruit." Control subjects were given no prior exposure before interacting with the fruit. Observing a model provided a functional advantage in the task, as significantly more experimental than control subjects opened the fruit. Within the experimental groups, the authors found a trend toward differences in the actual behaviors used to remove 1 of the defenses. Results support observations from the wild implying horizontal transfer of information in orangutans and show that a number of social learning processes are likely to be involved in the transfer of knowledge in this species. Copyright 2003 APA, all rights reserved

Experimental phase synchronization detection in non-phase coherent chaotic systems by using the discrete complex wavelet approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferreira, Maria Teodora; Follmann, Rosangela; Domingues, Margarete O.; Macau, Elbert E. N.; Kiss, István Z.

2017-08-01

Phase synchronization may emerge from mutually interacting non-linear oscillators, even under weak coupling, when phase differences are bounded, while amplitudes remain uncorrelated. However, the detection of this phenomenon can be a challenging problem to tackle. In this work, we apply the Discrete Complex Wavelet Approach (DCWA) for phase assignment, considering signals from coupled chaotic systems and experimental data. The DCWA is based on the Dual-Tree Complex Wavelet Transform (DT-CWT), which is a discrete transformation. Due to its multi-scale properties in the context of phase characterization, it is possible to obtain very good results from scalar time series, even with non-phase-coherent chaotic systems without state space reconstruction or pre-processing. The method correctly predicts the phase synchronization for a chemical experiment with three locally coupled, non-phase-coherent chaotic processes. The impact of different time-scales is demonstrated on the synchronization process that outlines the advantages of DCWA for analysis of experimental data.

James Franck, the ionization potential of helium, and the experimental discovery of metastable states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gearhart, Clayton A.

2017-11-01

In 1920, James Franck together with Fritz Reiche and Paul Knipping found strong experimental evidence that the lowest-lying triplet state in helium is metastable-an atom in this state cannot make a spontaneous transition to the ground state. Even though their evidence was entirely experimental, they tied their results almost inextricably to Alfred Landé's 1919 model of the helium atom, and in the process, misunderstood the new theoretical selection rules of Adalbert Rubinowicz and Niels Bohr. In an additional complication, experiments of the English physicists Frank Horton and Ann Catherine Davies contradicted Franck's. Although Franck's result has held up, the reasons for the discrepancies remain unclear.

Coupling of free space sub-terahertz waves into dielectric slabs using PC waveguides.

PubMed

Ghattan, Z; Hasek, T; Shahabadi, M; Koch, M

2008-04-28

The paper presents theoretical and experimental results on photonic crystal structures which work under the self-collimation condition to couple free space waves into dielectric slabs in the sub-terahertz range. Using a standard machining process, two-dimensional photonic crystal structures consisting of a square array of air holes in the dielectric medium are fabricated. One of the structures has two adjacent parallel line-defects that improve the coupling efficiency. This leads to a combination of self-collimation and directional emission of electromagnetic waves. The experimental results are in good agreement with those of the Finite- Element-Method calculations. Experimentally we achieve a coupling efficiency of 63%.

15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne breakout reaction and impact on X-ray bursts.

PubMed

Tan, W P; Fisker, J L; Görres, J; Couder, M; Wiescher, M

2007-06-15

The breakout reaction 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne, which regulates the flow between the hot CNO cycle and the rp process, is critical for the explanation of the burst amplitude and periodicity of x-ray bursters. We report on the first successful measurement of the critical alpha-decay branching ratios of relevant states in 19Ne populated via 19F(3He,t)19Ne. Based on the experimental results and our previous lifetime measurements of these states, we derive the first experimental rate of 15O(alpha,gamma)19Ne. The impact of our experimental results on the burst pattern and periodicity for a range of accretion rates is analyzed.

Annotating images by mining image search results.

PubMed

Wang, Xin-Jing; Zhang, Lei; Li, Xirong; Ma, Wei-Ying

2008-11-01

Although it has been studied for years by the computer vision and machine learning communities, image annotation is still far from practical. In this paper, we propose a novel attempt at model-free image annotation, which is a data-driven approach that annotates images by mining their search results. Some 2.4 million images with their surrounding text are collected from a few photo forums to support this approach. The entire process is formulated in a divide-and-conquer framework where a query keyword is provided along with the uncaptioned image to improve both the effectiveness and efficiency. This is helpful when the collected data set is not dense everywhere. In this sense, our approach contains three steps: 1) the search process to discover visually and semantically similar search results, 2) the mining process to identify salient terms from textual descriptions of the search results, and 3) the annotation rejection process to filter out noisy terms yielded by Step 2. To ensure real-time annotation, two key techniques are leveraged-one is to map the high-dimensional image visual features into hash codes, the other is to implement it as a distributed system, of which the search and mining processes are provided as Web services. As a typical result, the entire process finishes in less than 1 second. Since no training data set is required, our approach enables annotating with unlimited vocabulary and is highly scalable and robust to outliers. Experimental results on both real Web images and a benchmark image data set show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm. It is also worth noting that, although the entire approach is illustrated within the divide-and conquer framework, a query keyword is not crucial to our current implementation. We provide experimental results to prove this.

Numerical simulation on semi-solid die-casting of magnesium matrix composite based on orthogonal experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huihui; He, Xiongwei; Guo, Peng

2017-04-01

Three factors (pouring temperature, injection speed and mold temperature) were selected to do three levels L9 (33)orthogonal experiment, then simulate processing of semi-solid die-casting of magnesium matrix composite by Flow-3D software. The stress distribution, temperature field and defect distribution of filling process were analyzed to find the optimized processing parameter with the help of orthogonal experiment. The results showed that semi-solid has some advantages of well-proportioned stress and temperature field, less defect concentrated in the surface. The results of simulation were the same as the experimental results.

A novel rotating experimental platform in a superconducting magnet.

PubMed

Chen, Da; Cao, Hui-Ling; Ye, Ya-Jing; Dong, Chen; Liu, Yong-Ming; Shang, Peng; Yin, Da-Chuan

2016-08-01

This paper introduces a novel platform designed to be used in a strong static magnetic field (in a superconducting magnet). The platform is a sample holder that rotates in the strong magnetic field. Any samples placed in the platform will rotate due to the rotation of the sample holder. With this platform, a number of experiments such as material processing, culture of biological systems, chemical reactions, or other processes can be carried out. In this report, we present some preliminary experiments (protein crystallization, cell culture, and seed germination) conducted using this platform. The experimental results showed that the platform can affect the processes, indicating that it provides a novel environment that has not been investigated before and that the effects of such an environment on many different physical, chemical, or biological processes can be potentially useful for applications in many fields.

Experimental Procedure for Warm Spinning of Cast Aluminum Components.

PubMed

Roy, Matthew J; Maijer, Daan M

2017-02-01

High performance, cast aluminum automotive wheels are increasingly being incrementally formed via flow forming/metal spinning at elevated temperatures to improve material properties. With a wide array of processing parameters which can affect both the shape attained and resulting material properties, this type of processing is notoriously difficult to commission. A simplified, light-duty version of the process has been designed and implemented for full-size automotive wheels. The apparatus is intended to assist in understanding the deformation mechanisms and the material response to this type of processing. An experimental protocol has been developed to prepare for, and subsequently perform forming trials and is described for as-cast A356 wheel blanks. The thermal profile attained, along with instrumentation details are provided. Similitude with full-scale forming operations which impart significantly more deformation at faster rates is discussed.

Experimental Procedure for Warm Spinning of Cast Aluminum Components

PubMed Central

Roy, Matthew J.; Maijer, Daan M.

2017-01-01

High performance, cast aluminum automotive wheels are increasingly being incrementally formed via flow forming/metal spinning at elevated temperatures to improve material properties. With a wide array of processing parameters which can affect both the shape attained and resulting material properties, this type of processing is notoriously difficult to commission. A simplified, light-duty version of the process has been designed and implemented for full-size automotive wheels. The apparatus is intended to assist in understanding the deformation mechanisms and the material response to this type of processing. An experimental protocol has been developed to prepare for, and subsequently perform forming trials and is described for as-cast A356 wheel blanks. The thermal profile attained, along with instrumentation details are provided. Similitude with full-scale forming operations which impart significantly more deformation at faster rates is discussed. PMID:28190063

Prediction of Shrinkage Porosity Defect in Sand Casting Process of LM25

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rathod, Hardik; Dhulia, Jay K.; Maniar, Nirav P.

2017-08-01

In the present worldwide and aggressive environment, foundry commercial enterprises need to perform productively with least number of rejections and create casting parts in shortest lead time. It has become extremely difficult for foundry industries to meet demands of defects free casting and meet strict delivery schedules. The process of casting solidification is complex in nature. Prediction of shrinkage defect in metal casting is one of the critical concern in foundries and is one of the potential research areas in casting. Due to increasing pressure to improve quality and to reduce cost, it is very essential to upgrade the level of current methodology used in foundries. In the present research work, prediction methodology of shrinkage porosity defect in sand casting process of LM25 using experimentation and ANSYS is proposed. The objectives successfully achieved are prediction of shrinkage porosity distribution in Al-Si casting and determining effectiveness of investigated function for predicting shrinkage porosity by correlating results of simulating studies to those obtained experimentally. The real-time application of the research reflects from the fact that experimentation is performed on 9 different Y junctions at foundry industry and practical data obtained from experimentation are used for simulation.

The influence of surface-active agents in gas mixture on the intensity of jet condensation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yezhov, YV; Okhotin, VS

2017-11-01

The report presents: the methodology of calculation of contact condensation of steam from the steam-gas mixture into the stream of water, taking into account: the mass flow of steam through the boundary phase, particularly the change in turbulent transport properties near the interface and their connection to the interface perturbations due to the surface tension of the mixture; the method of calculation of the surface tension at the interface water - a mixture of fluorocarbon vapor and water, based on the previously established analytical methods we calculate the surface tension for simple one - component liquid-vapor systems. The obtained analytical relation to calculate the surface tension of the mixture is a function of temperature and volume concentration of the fluorocarbon gas in the mixture and is true for all sizes of gas molecules. On the newly created experimental stand is made verification of experimental studies to determine the surface tension of pure substances: water, steam, C3F8 pair C3F8, produced the first experimental data on surface tension at the water - a mixture of water vapor and fluorocarbon C3F8. The obtained experimental data allow us to refine the values of the two constants used in the calculated model of the surface tension of the mixture. Experimental study of jet condensation was carried out with the flow in the zone of condensation of different gases. The condensation process was monitored by measurement of consumption of water flowing from the nozzle, and the formed condensate. When submitting C3F8, there was a noticeable, intensification condensation process compared with the condensation of pure water vapor. The calculation results are in satisfactory agreement with the experimental data on surface tension of the mixture and steam condensation from steam-gas mixture. Analysis of calculation results shows that the presence of surfactants in the condensation zone affects the partial vapor pressure on the interfacial surface, and the thermal conductivity of the liquid jet. The first circumstance leads to deterioration of the condensation process, the second to the intensification of this process. There is obviously an optimum value of concentration of the additive surfactants to the vapour when the condensation process is maximum. According to the developed design methodology contact condensation can evaluate these optimum conditions, their practical effect in the field study.

An overview of the Software Engineering Laboratory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

This report describes the background and structure of the SEL organization, the SEL process improvement approach, and its experimentation and data collection process. Results of some sample SEL studies are included. It includes a discussion of the overall implication of trends observed over 17 years of process improvement efforts and looks at the return on investment based on a comparison of total investment in process improvement with the measurable improvements seen in the organization's software product.

Geometrical quality evaluation in laser cutting of Inconel-718 sheet by using Taguchi based regression analysis and particle swarm optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrivastava, Prashant Kumar; Pandey, Arun Kumar

2018-03-01

The Inconel-718 is one of the most demanding advanced engineering materials because of its superior quality. The conventional machining techniques are facing many problems to cut intricate profiles on these materials due to its minimum thermal conductivity, minimum elastic property and maximum chemical affinity at magnified temperature. The laser beam cutting is one of the advanced cutting method that may be used to achieve the geometrical accuracy with more precision by the suitable management of input process parameters. In this research work, the experimental investigation during the pulsed Nd:YAG laser cutting of Inconel-718 has been carried out. The experiments have been conducted by using the well planned orthogonal array L27. The experimentally measured values of different quality characteristics have been used for developing the second order regression models of bottom kerf deviation (KD), bottom kerf width (KW) and kerf taper (KT). The developed models of different quality characteristics have been utilized as a quality function for single-objective optimization by using particle swarm optimization (PSO) method. The optimum results obtained by the proposed hybrid methodology have been compared with experimental results. The comparison of optimized results with the experimental results shows that an individual improvement of 75%, 12.67% and 33.70% in bottom kerf deviation, bottom kerf width, and kerf taper has been observed. The parametric effects of different most significant input process parameters on quality characteristics have also been discussed.

Operation, Modeling and Analysis of the Reverse Water Gas Shift Process

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitlow, Jonathan E.

2001-01-01

The Reverse Water Gas Shift process is a candidate technology for water and oxygen production on Mars under the In-Situ Propellant Production project. This report focuses on the operation and analysis of the Reverse Water Gas Shift (RWGS) process, which has been constructed at Kennedy Space Center. A summary of results from the initial operation of the RWGS, process along with an analysis of these results is included in this report. In addition an evaluation of a material balance model developed from the work performed previously under the summer program is included along with recommendations for further experimental work.

The effect of individually-induced processes on image-based overlay and diffraction-based overlay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oh, SeungHwa; Lee, Jeongjin; Lee, Seungyoon; Hwang, Chan; Choi, Gilheyun; Kang, Ho-Kyu; Jung, EunSeung

2014-04-01

In this paper, set of wafers with separated processes was prepared and overlay measurement result was compared in two methods; IBO and DBO. Based on the experimental result, theoretical approach of relationship between overlay mark deformation and overlay variation is presented. Moreover, overlay reading simulation was used in verification and prediction of overlay variation due to deformation of overlay mark caused by induced processes. Through this study, understanding of individual process effects on overlay measurement error is given. Additionally, guideline of selecting proper overlay measurement scheme for specific layer is presented.

Comparison of numerical simulations to experiments for atomization in a jet nebulizer.

PubMed

Lelong, Nicolas; Vecellio, Laurent; Sommer de Gélicourt, Yann; Tanguy, Christian; Diot, Patrice; Junqua-Moullet, Alexandra

2013-01-01

The development of jet nebulizers for medical purposes is an important challenge of aerosol therapy. The performance of a nebulizer is characterized by its output rate of droplets with a diameter under 5 µm. However the optimization of this parameter through experiments has reached a plateau. The purpose of this study is to design a numerical model simulating the nebulization process and to compare it with experimental data. Such a model could provide a better understanding of the atomization process and the parameters influencing the nebulizer output. A model based on the Updraft nebulizer (Hudson) was designed with ANSYS Workbench. Boundary conditions were set with experimental data then transient 3D calculations were run on a 4 µm mesh with ANSYS Fluent. Two air flow rate (2 L/min and 8 L/min, limits of the operating range) were considered to account for different turbulence regimes. Numerical and experimental results were compared according to phenomenology and droplet size. The behavior of the liquid was compared to images acquired through shadowgraphy with a CCD Camera. Three experimental methods, laser diffractometry, phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) and shadowgraphy were used to characterize the droplet size distributions. Camera images showed similar patterns as numerical results. Droplet sizes obtained numerically are overestimated in relation to PDA and diffractometry, which only consider spherical droplets. However, at both flow rates, size distributions extracted from numerical image processing were similar to distributions obtained from shadowgraphy image processing. The simulation then provides a good understanding and prediction of the phenomena involved in the fragmentation of droplets over 10 µm. The laws of dynamics apply to droplets down to 1 µm, so we can assume the continuity of the distribution and extrapolate the results for droplets between 1 and 10 µm. So, this model could help predicting nebulizer output with defined geometrical and physical parameters.

Crack propagation and arrest in CFRP materials with strain softening regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dilligan, Matthew Anthony

Understanding the growth and arrest of cracks in composite materials is critical for their effective utilization in fatigue-sensitive and damage susceptible applications such as primary aircraft structures. Local tailoring of the laminate stack to provide crack arrest capacity intermediate to major structural components has been investigated and demonstrated since some of the earliest efforts in composite aerostructural design, but to date no rigorous model of the crack arrest mechanism has been developed to allow effective sizing of these features. To address this shortcoming, the previous work in the field is reviewed, with particular attention to the analysis methodologies proposed for similar arrest features. The damage and arrest processes active in such features are investigated, and various models of these processes are discussed and evaluated. Governing equations are derived based on a proposed mechanistic model of the crack arrest process. The derived governing equations are implemented in a numerical model, and a series of simulations are performed to ascertain the general characteristics of the proposed model and allow qualitative comparison to existing experimental results. The sensitivity of the model and the arrest process to various parameters is investigated, and preliminary conclusions regarding the optimal feature configuration are developed. To address deficiencies in the available material and experimental data, a series of coupon tests are developed and conducted covering a range of arrest zone configurations. Test results are discussed and analyzed, with a particular focus on identification of the proposed failure and arrest mechanisms. Utilizing the experimentally derived material properties, the tests are reproduced with both the developed numerical tool as well as a FEA-based implementation of the arrest model. Correlation between the simulated and experimental results is analyzed, and future avenues of investigation are identified. Utilizing the developed model, a sensitivity study is conducted to assess the current proposed arrest configuration. Optimum distribution and sizing of the arrest zones is investigated, and general design guidelines are developed.

Comparison of Numerical Simulations to Experiments for Atomization in a Jet Nebulizer

PubMed Central

Lelong, Nicolas; Vecellio, Laurent; Sommer de Gélicourt, Yann; Tanguy, Christian; Diot, Patrice; Junqua-Moullet, Alexandra

2013-01-01

The development of jet nebulizers for medical purposes is an important challenge of aerosol therapy. The performance of a nebulizer is characterized by its output rate of droplets with a diameter under 5 µm. However the optimization of this parameter through experiments has reached a plateau. The purpose of this study is to design a numerical model simulating the nebulization process and to compare it with experimental data. Such a model could provide a better understanding of the atomization process and the parameters influencing the nebulizer output. A model based on the Updraft nebulizer (Hudson) was designed with ANSYS Workbench. Boundary conditions were set with experimental data then transient 3D calculations were run on a 4 µm mesh with ANSYS Fluent. Two air flow rate (2 L/min and 8 L/min, limits of the operating range) were considered to account for different turbulence regimes. Numerical and experimental results were compared according to phenomenology and droplet size. The behavior of the liquid was compared to images acquired through shadowgraphy with a CCD Camera. Three experimental methods, laser diffractometry, phase Doppler anemometry (PDA) and shadowgraphy were used to characterize the droplet size distributions. Camera images showed similar patterns as numerical results. Droplet sizes obtained numerically are overestimated in relation to PDA and diffractometry, which only consider spherical droplets. However, at both flow rates, size distributions extracted from numerical image processing were similar to distributions obtained from shadowgraphy image processing. The simulation then provides a good understanding and prediction of the phenomena involved in the fragmentation of droplets over 10 µm. The laws of dynamics apply to droplets down to 1 µm, so we can assume the continuity of the distribution and extrapolate the results for droplets between 1 and 10 µm. So, this model could help predicting nebulizer output with defined geometrical and physical parameters. PMID:24244334

Deformation in Micro Roll Forming of Bipolar Plate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, P.; Pereira, M.; Rolfe, B.; Daniel, W.; Weiss, M.

2017-09-01

Micro roll forming is a new processing technology to produce bipolar plates for Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFC) from thin stainless steel foil. To gain a better understanding of the deformation of the material in this process, numerical studies are necessary before experimental implementation. In general, solid elements with several layers through the material thickness are required to analyse material thinning in processes where the deformation mode is that of bending combined with tension, but this results in high computational costs. This pure solid element approach is especially time-consuming when analysing roll forming processes which generally involves feeding a long strip through a number of successive roll stands. In an attempt to develop a more efficient modelling approach without sacrificing accuracy, two solutions are numerically analysed with ABAQUS/Explicit in this paper. In the first, a small patch of solid elements over the strip width and in the centre of the “pre-cut” sheet is coupled with shell elements while in the second approach pure shell elements are used to discretize the full sheet. In the first approach, the shell element enables accounting for the effect of material being held in the roll stands on material flow while solid elements can be applied to analyse material thinning in a small discrete area of the sheet. Experimental micro roll forming trials are performed to prove that the coupling of solid and shell elements can give acceptable model accuracy while using shell elements alone is shown to result in major deviations between numerical and experimental results.

An Italian network to improve hybrid rocket performance: Strategy and results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galfetti, L.; Nasuti, F.; Pastrone, D.; Russo, A. M.

2014-03-01

The new international attention to hybrid space propulsion points out the need of a deeper understanding of physico-chemical phenomena controlling combustion process and fluid dynamics inside the motor. This research project has been carried on by a network of four Italian Universities; each of them being responsible for a specific topic. The task of Politecnico di Milano is an experimental activity concerning the study, development, manufacturing and characterization of advanced hybrid solid fuels with a high regression rate. The University of Naples is responsible for experimental activities focused on rocket motor scale characterization of the solid fuels developed and characterized at laboratory scale by Politecnico di Milano. The University of Rome has been studying the combustion chamber and nozzle of the hybrid rocket, defined in the coordinated program by advanced physical-mathematical models and numerical methods. Politecnico di Torino has been working on a multidisciplinary optimization code for optimal design of hybrid rocket motors, strongly related to the mission to be performed. The overall research project aims to increase the scientific knowledge of the combustion processes in hybrid rockets, using a strongly linked experimental-numerical approach. Methods and obtained results will be applied to implement a potential upgrade for the current generation of hybrid rocket motors. This paper presents the overall strategy, the organization, and the first experimental and numerical results of this joined effort to contribute to the development of improved hybrid propulsion systems.

Detailed experimental investigations on flow behaviors and velocity field properties of a supersonic mixing layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, Jianguo; Zhang, Dongdong; Li, Hao; Hou, Juwei

2018-03-01

The flow behaviors and mixing characteristics of a supersonic mixing layer with a convective Mach number of 0.2 have been experimentally investigated utilizing nanoparticle-based planar laser scattering and particle image velocimetry techniques. The full development and evolution process, including the formation of Kelvin-Helmholtz vortices, breakdown of large-scale structures and establishment of self-similar turbulence, is exhibited clearly in the experiments, which can give a qualitative graphically comparing for the DNS and LES results. The shocklets are first captured at this low convective Mach number, and their generation mechanisms are elaborated and analyzed. The convective velocity derived from two images with space-time correlations is well consistent with the theoretical result. The pairing and merging process of large-scale vortices in transition region is clearly revealed in the velocity vector field. The analysis of turbulent statistics indicates that in weakly compressible mixing layers, with the increase of convective Mach number, the peak values of streamwise turbulence intensity and Reynolds shear stress experience a sharp decrease, while the anisotropy ratio seems to keep quasi unchanged. The normalized growth rate of the present experiments shows a well agreement with former experimental and DNS data. The validation of present experimental results is important for that in the future the present work can be a reference for assessing the accuracy of numerical data.

From Fibrils to Toughness: Multi-Scale Mechanics of Fibrillating Interfaces in Stretchable Electronics

PubMed Central

van der Sluis, Olaf; Vossen, Bart; Geers, Marc

2018-01-01

Metal-elastomer interfacial systems, often encountered in stretchable electronics, demonstrate remarkably high interface fracture toughness values. Evidently, a large gap exists between the rather small adhesion energy levels at the microscopic scale (‘intrinsic adhesion’) and the large measured macroscopic work-of-separation. This energy gap is closed here by unravelling the underlying dissipative mechanisms through a systematic numerical/experimental multi-scale approach. This self-containing contribution collects and reviews previously published results and addresses the remaining open questions by providing new and independent results obtained from an alternative experimental set-up. In particular, the experimental studies on Cu-PDMS (Poly(dimethylsiloxane)) samples conclusively reveal the essential role of fibrillation mechanisms at the micro-meter scale during the metal-elastomer delamination process. The micro-scale numerical analyses on single and multiple fibrils show that the dynamic release of the stored elastic energy by multiple fibril fracture, including the interaction with the adjacent deforming bulk PDMS and its highly nonlinear behaviour, provide a mechanistic understanding of the high work-of-separation. An experimentally validated quantitative relation between the macroscopic work-of-separation and peel front height is established from the simulation results. Finally, it is shown that a micro-mechanically motivated shape of the traction-separation law in cohesive zone models is essential to describe the delamination process in fibrillating metal-elastomer systems in a physically meaningful way. PMID:29393908

Prediction of heat capacity of amine solutions using artificial neural network and thermodynamic models for CO2 capture processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Afkhamipour, Morteza; Mofarahi, Masoud; Borhani, Tohid Nejad Ghaffar; Zanganeh, Masoud

2018-03-01

In this study, artificial neural network (ANN) and thermodynamic models were developed for prediction of the heat capacity ( C P ) of amine-based solvents. For ANN model, independent variables such as concentration, temperature, molecular weight and CO2 loading of amine were selected as the inputs of the model. The significance of the input variables of the ANN model on the C P values was investigated statistically by analyzing of correlation matrix. A thermodynamic model based on the Redlich-Kister equation was used to correlate the excess molar heat capacity ({C}_P^E) data as function of temperature. In addition, the effects of temperature and CO2 loading at different concentrations of conventional amines on the C P values were investigated. Both models were validated against experimental data and very good results were obtained between two mentioned models and experimental data of C P collected from various literatures. The AARD between ANN model results and experimental data of C P for 47 systems of amine-based solvents studied was 4.3%. For conventional amines, the AARD for ANN model and thermodynamic model in comparison with experimental data were 0.59% and 0.57%, respectively. The results showed that both ANN and Redlich-Kister models can be used as a practical tool for simulation and designing of CO2 removal processes by using amine solutions.

Dissolution of Oxygen Precipitate Nuclei in n-Type CZ-Si Wafers to Improve Their Material Quality: Experimental Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sopori, Bhushan; Basnyat, Prakash; Devayajanam, Srinivas

2017-01-01

We present experimental results which show that oxygen-related precipitate nuclei (OPN) present in p-doped, n-type, Czochralski wafers can be dissolved using a flash-annealing process, yielding very high quality wafers for high-efficiency solar cells. Flash annealing consists of heating a wafer in an optical furnace to temperature between 1150 and 1250 degrees C for a short time. This process produces a large increase in the minority carrier lifetime (MCLT) and homogenizes each wafer. We have tested wafers from different axial locations of two ingots. All wafers reach nearly the same high value of MCLT. The OPN dissolution is confirmed by oxygenmore » analysis using Fourier transform infrared spectra and injection-level dependence of MCLT.« less

Homogenization of CZ Si wafers by Tabula Rasa annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meduňa, M.; Caha, O.; Kuběna, J.; Kuběna, A.; Buršík, J.

2009-12-01

The precipitation of interstitial oxygen in Czochralski grown silicon has been investigated by infrared absorption spectroscopy, chemical etching, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction after application of homogenization annealing process called Tabula Rasa. The influence of this homogenization step consisting in short time annealing at high temperature has been observed for various temperatures and times. The experimental results involving the interstitial oxygen decay in Si wafers and absorption spectra of SiOx precipitates during precipitation annealing at 1000∘ C were compared with other techniques for various Tabula Rasa temperatures. The differences in oxygen precipitation, precipitate morphology and evolution of point defects in samples with and without Tabula Rasa applied is evident from all used experimental techniques. The results qualitatively correlate with prediction of homogenization annealing process based on classical nucleation theory.

An AK-LDMeans algorithm based on image clustering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Huimin; Li, Xingwei; Zhang, Yongbin; Chen, Nan

2018-03-01

Clustering is an effective analytical technique for handling unmarked data for value mining. Its ultimate goal is to mark unclassified data quickly and correctly. We use the roadmap for the current image processing as the experimental background. In this paper, we propose an AK-LDMeans algorithm to automatically lock the K value by designing the Kcost fold line, and then use the long-distance high-density method to select the clustering centers to further replace the traditional initial clustering center selection method, which further improves the efficiency and accuracy of the traditional K-Means Algorithm. And the experimental results are compared with the current clustering algorithm and the results are obtained. The algorithm can provide effective reference value in the fields of image processing, machine vision and data mining.

Linking Internet strategy to high-quality, cost-effective managed care.

PubMed

Beauregard, T R

2000-01-01

This article describes an experimental pilot project incorporating e-commerce and the Internet into the traditional process of health benefit negotiations through the utilization of an HMO Internet auction. The timeline and process of the auction are described, with the final auction taking place during the last week of negotiations. The results reveal an efficient and effective system to augment the traditional benefit negotiation process.

Textile composite processing science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loos, Alfred C.; Hammond, Vincent H.; Kranbuehl, David E.; Hasko, Gregory H.

1993-01-01

A multi-dimensional model of the Resin Transfer Molding (RTM) process was developed for the prediction of the infiltration behavior of a resin into an anisotropic fiber preform. Frequency dependent electromagnetic sensing (FDEMS) was developed for in-situ monitoring of the RTM process. Flow visualization and mold filling experiments were conducted to verify sensor measurements and model predictions. Test results indicated good agreement between model predictions, sensor readings, and experimental data.

Recovery of yttrium from cathode ray tubes and lamps’ fluorescent powders: experimental results and economic simulation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Innocenzi, V., E-mail: valentina.innocenzi1@univaq.it; De Michelis, I.; Ferella, F.

2013-11-15

Highlights: • Fluorescent powder of lamps. • Fluorescent powder of cathode ray rubes. • Recovery of yttrium from fluorescent powders. • Economic simulation for the processes to recover yttrium from WEEE. - Abstract: In this paper, yttrium recovery from fluorescent powder of lamps and cathode ray tubes (CRTs) is described. The process for treating these materials includes the following: (a) acid leaching, (b) purification of the leach liquors using sodium hydroxide and sodium sulfide, (c) precipitation of yttrium using oxalic acid, and (d) calcinations of oxalates for production of yttrium oxides. Experimental results have shown that process conditions necessary tomore » purify the solutions and recover yttrium strongly depend on composition of the leach liquor, in other words, whether the powder comes from treatment of CRTs or lamp. In the optimal experimental conditions, the recoveries of yttrium oxide are about 95%, 55%, and 65% for CRT, lamps, and CRT/lamp mixture (called MIX) powders, respectively. The lower yields obtained during treatments of MIX and lamp powders are probably due to the co-precipitation of yttrium together with other metals contained in the lamps powder only. Yttrium loss can be reduced to minimum changing the experimental conditions with respect to the case of the CRT process. In any case, the purity of final products from CRT, lamps, and MIX is greater than 95%. Moreover, the possibility to treat simultaneously both CRT and lamp powders is very important and interesting from an industrial point of view since it could be possible to run a single plant treating fluorescent powder coming from two different electronic wastes.« less

Numerical simulation of hot-melt extrusion processes for amorphous solid dispersions using model-based melt viscosity.

PubMed

Bochmann, Esther S; Steffens, Kristina E; Gryczke, Andreas; Wagner, Karl G

2018-03-01

Simulation of HME processes is a valuable tool for increased process understanding and ease of scale-up. However, the experimental determination of all required input parameters is tedious, namely the melt rheology of the amorphous solid dispersion (ASD) in question. Hence, a procedure to simplify the application of hot-melt extrusion (HME) simulation for forming amorphous solid dispersions (ASD) is presented. The commercial 1D simulation software Ludovic ® was used to conduct (i) simulations using a full experimental data set of all input variables including melt rheology and (ii) simulations using model-based melt viscosity data based on the ASDs glass transition and the physical properties of polymeric matrix only. Both types of HME computation were further compared to experimental HME results. Variation in physical properties (e.g. heat capacity, density) and several process characteristics of HME (residence time distribution, energy consumption) among the simulations and experiments were evaluated. The model-based melt viscosity was calculated by using the glass transition temperature (T g ) of the investigated blend and the melt viscosity of the polymeric matrix by means of a T g -viscosity correlation. The results of measured melt viscosity and model-based melt viscosity were similar with only few exceptions, leading to similar HME simulation outcomes. At the end, the experimental effort prior to HME simulation could be minimized and the procedure enables a good starting point for rational development of ASDs by means of HME. As model excipients, Vinylpyrrolidone-vinyl acetate copolymer (COP) in combination with various APIs (carbamazepine, dipyridamole, indomethacin, and ibuprofen) or polyethylene glycol (PEG 1500) as plasticizer were used to form the ASDs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Fractal research of neurite growth in immunofluorescent images].

PubMed

Tang, Min; Wang, Huinan

2008-12-01

Fractal dimension has been widely used in medical images processing and analysis. The neurite growth of cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was detected by fluorescent immunocytochemistry treated with nerve regeneration factor (0.1, 0.5, 2.0 mg/L). A novel method based on triangular prism surface area (TPSA) was introduced and adopted to calculate the fractal dimension of the two-dimensional immunofluorescent images. Experimental results demonstrate that this method is easy to understand and convenient to operate, and the quantititve results are concordant with the observational findings under microscope. This method can be guidelines for analyzing and deciding experimental results.

Modeling and experimental study of resistive switching in vertically aligned carbon nanotubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ageev, O. A.; Blinov, Yu F.; Ilina, M. V.; Ilin, O. I.; Smirnov, V. A.

2016-08-01

Model of the resistive switching in vertically aligned carbon nanotube (VA CNT) taking into account the processes of deformation, polarization and piezoelectric charge accumulation have been developed. Origin of hysteresis in VA CNT-based structure is described. Based on modeling results the VACNTs-based structure has been created. The ration resistance of high-resistance to low-resistance states of the VACNTs-based structure amounts 48. The correlation the modeling results with experimental studies is shown. The results can be used in the development nanoelectronics devices based on VA CNTs, including the nonvolatile resistive random-access memory.

Resonance energy transfer: Dye to metal nanoparticles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wari, M. N.; Pujar, G. H.; Inamdar, S. R., E-mail: him-lax3@yahoo.com

2015-06-24

In the present study, surface energy transfer (SET) from Coumarin 540A (C540 A) to Gold nanoparticle (Au) is demonstrated. The observed results show pronounced effect on the photoluminescence intensity and shortening of the lifetime of Coumarin 540A upon interaction with the spherical gold nanoparticle, also there are measured effects on radiative rate of the dye. Experimental results are analyzed with fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and SET theories. The results obtained from distance-dependent quenching provide experimental evidence that the efficiency curve slope and distance of quenching is best modeled by surface energy transfer process.

Experimental Measurements of Heat Transfer through a Lunar Regolith Simulant in a Vibro-Fluidized Reactor Oven

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayagam, Vedha; Berger, Gordon M.; Sacksteder, Kurt R.; Paz, Aaron

2012-01-01

Extraction of mission consumable resources such as water and oxygen from the planetary environment provides valuable reduction in launch-mass and potentially extends the mission duration. Processing of lunar regolith for resource extraction necessarily involves heating and chemical reaction of solid material with processing gases. Vibrofluidization is known to produce effective mixing and control of flow within granular media. In this study we present experimental results for vibrofluidized heat transfer in lunar regolith simulants (JSC-1 and JSC-1A) heated up to 900 C. The results show that the simulant bed height has a significant influence on the vibration induced flow field and heat transfer rates. A taller bed height leads to a two-cell circulation pattern whereas a single-cell circulation was observed for a shorter height. Lessons learned from these test results should provide insight into efficient design of future robotic missions involving In-Situ Resource Utilization.

SEMICONDUCTOR TECHNOLOGY Texturization of mono-crystalline silicon solar cells in TMAH without the addition of surfactant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiying, Ou; Yao, Zhang; Hailing, Li; Lei, Zhao; Chunlan, Zhou; Hongwei, Diao; Min, Liu; Weiming, Lu; Jun, Zhang; Wenjing, Wang

2010-10-01

Etching was performed on (100) silicon wafers using silicon-dissolved tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) solutions without the addition of surfactant. Experiments were carried out in different TMAH concentrations at different temperatures for different etching times. The surface phenomena, etching rates, surface morphology and surface reflectance were analyzed. Experimental results show that the resulting surface covered with uniform pyramids can be realized with a small change in etching rates during the etching process. The etching mechanism is explained based on the experimental results and the theoretical considerations. It is suggested that all the components in the TMAH solutions play important roles in the etching process. Moreover, TMA+ ions may increase the wettability of the textured surface. A good textured surface can be obtained in conditions where the absorption of OH-/H2O is in equilibrium with that of TMA+/SiO2 (OH)22-.

Large-scale neural circuit mapping data analysis accelerated with the graphical processing unit (GPU).

PubMed

Shi, Yulin; Veidenbaum, Alexander V; Nicolau, Alex; Xu, Xiangmin

2015-01-15

Modern neuroscience research demands computing power. Neural circuit mapping studies such as those using laser scanning photostimulation (LSPS) produce large amounts of data and require intensive computation for post hoc processing and analysis. Here we report on the design and implementation of a cost-effective desktop computer system for accelerated experimental data processing with recent GPU computing technology. A new version of Matlab software with GPU enabled functions is used to develop programs that run on Nvidia GPUs to harness their parallel computing power. We evaluated both the central processing unit (CPU) and GPU-enabled computational performance of our system in benchmark testing and practical applications. The experimental results show that the GPU-CPU co-processing of simulated data and actual LSPS experimental data clearly outperformed the multi-core CPU with up to a 22× speedup, depending on computational tasks. Further, we present a comparison of numerical accuracy between GPU and CPU computation to verify the precision of GPU computation. In addition, we show how GPUs can be effectively adapted to improve the performance of commercial image processing software such as Adobe Photoshop. To our best knowledge, this is the first demonstration of GPU application in neural circuit mapping and electrophysiology-based data processing. Together, GPU enabled computation enhances our ability to process large-scale data sets derived from neural circuit mapping studies, allowing for increased processing speeds while retaining data precision. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study of the Effect of Swelling on Irradiation Assisted Stress Corrosion Cracking

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teysseyre, Sebastien Paul

2016-09-01

This report describes the methodology used to study the effect of swelling on the crack growth rate of an irradiation-assisted stress corrosion crack that is propagating in highly irradiated stainless steel 304 material irradiated to 33 dpa in the Experimental Breeder Reactor-II. The material selection, specimens design, experimental apparatus and processes are described. The results of the current test are presented.

The First Static and Dynamic Analysis of 3-D Printed Sintered Ceramics for Body Armor Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

evaluate sintered alumina tiles produced by 3-D printing methodology. This report examines the static and quasi -static parameters (including density...Figures iv List of Tables iv Acknowledgments v 1. Introduction 1 2. Processing and Experimental Procedures 1 3. Results and Discussion 7 4...6 Fig. 8 Experimental setup for recording fracture .............................................7 Fig. 9 Rod projectile

Synthesis of radiolabelled aryl azides from diazonium salts: experimental and computational results permit the identification of the preferred mechanism.

PubMed

Joshi, Sameer M; de Cózar, Abel; Gómez-Vallejo, Vanessa; Koziorowski, Jacek; Llop, Jordi; Cossío, Fernando P

2015-05-28

Experimental and computational studies on the formation of aryl azides from the corresponding diazonium salts support a stepwise mechanism via acyclic zwitterionic intermediates. The low energy barriers associated with both transition structures are compatible with very fast and efficient processes, thus making this method suitable for the chemical synthesis of radiolabelled aryl azides.

Experimental investigation of inter-core crosstalk tolerance of MIMO-OFDM/OQAM radio over multicore fiber system.

PubMed

He, Jiale; Li, Borui; Deng, Lei; Tang, Ming; Gan, Lin; Fu, Songnian; Shum, Perry Ping; Liu, Deming

2016-06-13

In this paper, the feasibility of space division multiplexing for optical wireless fronthaul systems is experimentally demonstrated by implementing high speed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM radio signals over 20km 7-core fiber and 0.4m wireless link. Moreover, the impact of optical inter-core crosstalk in multicore fibers on the proposed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM radio over fiber system is experimentally evaluated in both SISO and MIMO configurations for comparison. The experimental results show that the inter-core crosstalk tolerance of the proposed radio over fiber system can be relaxed to -10 dB by using the proposed MIMO-OFDM/OQAM processing. These results could guide high density multicore fiber design to support a large number of antenna modules and a higher density of radio-access points for potential applications in 5G cellular system.

Numerical model updating technique for structures using firefly algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sai Kubair, K.; Mohan, S. C.

2018-03-01

Numerical model updating is a technique used for updating the existing experimental models for any structures related to civil, mechanical, automobiles, marine, aerospace engineering, etc. The basic concept behind this technique is updating the numerical models to closely match with experimental data obtained from real or prototype test structures. The present work involves the development of numerical model using MATLAB as a computational tool and with mathematical equations that define the experimental model. Firefly algorithm is used as an optimization tool in this study. In this updating process a response parameter of the structure has to be chosen, which helps to correlate the numerical model developed with the experimental results obtained. The variables for the updating can be either material or geometrical properties of the model or both. In this study, to verify the proposed technique, a cantilever beam is analyzed for its tip deflection and a space frame has been analyzed for its natural frequencies. Both the models are updated with their respective response values obtained from experimental results. The numerical results after updating show that there is a close relationship that can be brought between the experimental and the numerical models.

Experimental studies of two-stage centrifugal dust concentrator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vechkanova, M. V.; Fadin, Yu M.; Ovsyannikov, Yu G.

2018-03-01

The article presents data of experimental results of two-stage centrifugal dust concentrator, describes its design, and shows the development of a method of engineering calculation and laboratory investigations. For the experiments, the authors used quartz, ceramic dust and slag. Experimental dispersion analysis of dust particles was obtained by sedimentation method. To build a mathematical model of the process, dust collection was built using central composite rotatable design of the four factorial experiment. A sequence of experiments was conducted in accordance with the table of random numbers. Conclusion were made.

Note: a simple experimental arrangement to generate optical vortex beams.

PubMed

Kumar, Dhirendra; Das, Abhijit; Boruah, Bosanta R

2013-02-01

In this Note, we present a simple experimental arrangement to generate optical vortex beams. We have demonstrated how by taking print of an interferogram on a transparent sheet, vortex beams with various topological charges can be generated. Experimental results show that the vortex beam indeed carries the topological charge that is used to compute the interferograms. In addition to being simple and inexpensive, one major advantage of the arrangement is that it makes it possible to generate different vortex beams quickly, unlike using the photographic process to create the holograms.

Data acquisition and processing history for the Explorer 33 (AIMP-D) satellite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Karras, T. J.

1972-01-01

The quality control monitoring system, using accounting and quality control data bases, made it possible to perform an in-depth analysis. Results show that the percentage of useable data files for experimenter analysis was 97.7%; only 0.4% of the data sequences supplied to the experimenter exhibited missing data. The 50 percentile probability delay values (referenced to station record data) indicate that the analog tapes arrived within 11 days, the data were digitized within 4.2 weeks, and the experimenter tapes were delivered in 8.95 weeks or less.

Experimental Study of Hydroxy Gas (HHO) Production with Variation in Current, Voltage and Electrolyte Concentration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alam, Noor; Pandey, K. M.

2017-08-01

In this paper, work has been carried out experimentally for the investigation of the effects of variation incurrent, voltage, temperature, chemical concentration and reaction time on the amount of hydroxy gas produced. Further effects on the overall electrolysis efficiency of advance alkaline water is also studied. The hydroxy gas (HHO) has been produced experimentally by the electrolysis of alkaline water with parallel plate electrode of 316L-grade stainless steel. The electrode has been selected on the basis of corrosion resistance and inertness with respect to electrolyte (KOH). The process used for the production of HHO is conventional as compared to the other production processes because of reduced energy consumption, less maintenance and low setup cost. From the experimental results, it has been observed that with increase in voltage, temperature and electrolyte concentration of alkaline solution, the production of hydroxy gas has increased about 30 to 40% with reduction in electrical energy consumption.

The study of human higher mental functions as they relate to neurophysiological processes and personal characteristics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Runnova, Anastasiya; Zhuravlev, Maxim; Kulanin, Roman; Protasov, Pavel; Hramov, Alexander; Koronovskii, Alexey

2018-02-01

In this paper we study the correlation between the neurophysiological processes and personal characteristics arising in the processes of human higher mental functions. We find that the activity of the brain correlates with the results of psychological tests (according to the Cattell test). Experimental studies and math processing are described for operation design with the registration of human multi-channel EEG data in two phases (the processes of passive wakefulness (background) and special psychological testing (active phase)).

A coherent optical feedback system for optical information processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jablonowski, D. P.; Lee, S. H.

1975-01-01

A unique optical feedback system for coherent optical data processing is described. With the introduction of feedback, the well-known transfer function for feedback systems is obtained in two dimensions. Operational details of the optical feedback system are given. Experimental results of system applications in image restoration, contrast control and analog computation are presented.

The Cognitive-Miser Response Model: Testing for Intuitive and Deliberate Reasoning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bockenholt, Ulf

2012-01-01

In a number of psychological studies, answers to reasoning vignettes have been shown to result from both intuitive and deliberate response processes. This paper utilizes a psychometric model to separate these two response tendencies. An experimental application shows that the proposed model facilitates the analysis of dual-process item responses…

Interaction between Task Oriented and Affective Information Processing in Cognitive Robotics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haazebroek, Pascal; van Dantzig, Saskia; Hommel, Bernhard

There is an increasing interest in endowing robots with emotions. Robot control however is still often very task oriented. We present a cognitive architecture that allows the combination of and interaction between task representations and affective information processing. Our model is validated by comparing simulation results with empirical data from experimental psychology.

A Formal Construction of Term Classes. Technical Report No. TR73-18.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Clement T.

The computational complexity of a formal process for the construction of term classes for information retrieval is examined. While the process is proven to be difficult computationally, heuristic methods are applied. Experimental results are obtained to illustrate the maximum possible improvement in system performance of retrieval using the formal…

Supramodality Effects in Visual and Haptic Spatial Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cattaneo, Zaira; Vecchi, Tomaso

2008-01-01

In this article, the authors investigated unimodal and cross-modal processes in spatial working memory. A number of locations had to be memorized within visual or haptic matrices according to different experimental conditions known to be critical in accounting for the effects of perception on imagery. Results reveal that some characteristics of…

Document boundary determination using structural and lexical analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taghva, Kazem; Cartright, Marc-Allen

2009-01-01

The document boundary determination problem is the process of identifying individual documents in a stack of papers. In this paper, we report on a classification system for automation of this process. The system employs features based on document structure and lexical content. We also report on experimental results to support the effectiveness of this system.

Follow Through Classroom Process Measurement and Pupil Growth (1970-71). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soar, Robert S.

This study presents results from the last year of a three-year adjunctive evaluation of classroom process measurement and pupil growth. A total of 289 classrooms involving eight experimental programs, ranging from open classrooms to contingency management classes, along with a comparison sample, were observed. Four observation instruments were…

Meta-analytic moderators of experimental exposure to media portrayals of women on female appearance satisfaction: Social comparisons as automatic processes.

PubMed

Want, Stephen C

2009-09-01

Experimental exposure to idealized media portrayals of women is thought to induce social comparisons in female viewers and thereby to be generally detrimental to female viewers' satisfaction with their own appearance. Through meta-analysis, the present paper examines the impact of moderators of this effect, some identified and updated from a prior meta-analysis and some that have hitherto received little attention. Participants' pre-existing appearance concerns and the processing instructions participants were given when exposed to media portrayals were found to significantly moderate effect sizes. With regard to processing instructions, a novel and counter-intuitive pattern was revealed; effect sizes were smallest when participants were instructed to focus on the appearance of women in media portrayals, and largest when participants processed the portrayals on a distracting, non-appearance dimension. These results are interpreted through a framework that suggests that social comparisons are automatic processes, the effects of which can be modified through conscious processing.

Non-Markovian quantum processes: Complete framework and efficient characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pollock, Felix A.; Rodríguez-Rosario, César; Frauenheim, Thomas; Paternostro, Mauro; Modi, Kavan

2018-01-01

Currently, there is no systematic way to describe a quantum process with memory solely in terms of experimentally accessible quantities. However, recent technological advances mean we have control over systems at scales where memory effects are non-negligible. The lack of such an operational description has hindered advances in understanding physical, chemical, and biological processes, where often unjustified theoretical assumptions are made to render a dynamical description tractable. This has led to theories plagued with unphysical results and no consensus on what a quantum Markov (memoryless) process is. Here, we develop a universal framework to characterize arbitrary non-Markovian quantum processes. We show how a multitime non-Markovian process can be reconstructed experimentally, and that it has a natural representation as a many-body quantum state, where temporal correlations are mapped to spatial ones. Moreover, this state is expected to have an efficient matrix-product-operator form in many cases. Our framework constitutes a systematic tool for the effective description of memory-bearing open-system evolutions.

Experimental investigation of the laser ablation process on wood surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panzner, M.; Wiedemann, G.; Henneberg, K.; Fischer, R.; Wittke, Th.; Dietsch, R.

1998-05-01

Processing of wood by conventional mechanical tools like saws or planes leaves behind a layer of squeezed wood only slightly adhering to the solid wood surface. Laser ablation of this layer could improve the durability of coatings and glued joints. For technical applications, thorough knowledge about the laser ablation process is necessary. Results of ablation experiments by excimer lasers, Nd:YAG lasers, and TEA-CO 2 lasers on surfaces of different wood types and cut orientations are shown. The process of ablation was observed by a high-speed camera system and optical spectroscopy. The influence of the experimental parameters are demonstrated by SEM images and measurement of the ablation rate depending on energy density. Thermal effects like melting and also carbonizing of cellulose were found for IR- and also UV-laser wavelengths. Damage of the wood surface after laser ablation was weaker for excimer lasers and CO 2-TEA lasers. This can be explained by the high absorption of wood in the ultraviolet and middle infrared spectral range. As an additional result, this technique provides an easy way for preparing wood surfaces with excellently conserved cellular structure.

Residual stress evaluation of components produced via direct metal laser sintering

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kemerling, Brandon; Lippold, John C.; Fancher, Christopher M.

Direct metal laser sintering is an additive manufacturing process which is capable of fabricating three-dimensional components using a laser energy source and metal powder particles. Despite the numerous benefits offered by this technology, the process maturity is low with respect to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Relationships between key processing parameters and final part properties are generally lacking and require further development. In this study, residual stresses were evaluated as a function of key process variables. The variables evaluated included laser scan strategy and build plate preheat temperature. Residual stresses were measured experimentally via neutron diffraction and computationally via finite elementmore » analysis. Good agreement was shown between the experimental and computational results. Results showed variations in the residual stress profile as a function of laser scan strategy. Compressive stresses were dominant along the build height (z) direction, and tensile stresses were dominant in the x and y directions. Build plate preheating was shown to be an effective method for alleviating residual stress due to the reduction in thermal gradient.« less

Effect of natural phenolics on the thermal and processing behaviour of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Auriemma, Maria; Piscitelli, Amodio; Pasquino, Rossana; Cerruti, Pierfrancesco; Angelini, Stefania; Scarinzi, Gennaro; Malinconico, Mario; Grizzuti, Nino

2015-12-01

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is a biodegradable polymer, whose applicability is limited by its relatively poor mechanical properties and narrow processing window. In this paper, different natural phenol-based additives, including tannic acid (TA), grape bagasse extract (EP), and a lignocellulosic biomass (LC) were used as thermal and processing stabilizers for PHB. The thermal stability of both neat and doped PHB samples was studied by rheology and calorimetry. The experimental results showed that neat PHB massively degrades and that the addition of phenol additives enhances the thermal stability of PHB, preserving the polymer molecular weight after processing. This finding was in agreement with the slower decay in viscosity observed through rheological tests. Physical and chemical interactions between polymer and additive were considered as key factors to interpret the experimental data. LC affected the melt crystallization kinetics of PHB enhancing crystallization upon cooling. This finding suggests that LC was a heterogeneous nucleating agent, potentially able to control the physical aging of PHB. The described results are of interest for the development of sustainable alternatives to synthetic polymer additives, by increasing the applicability of bio-based materials.

Residual stress evaluation of components produced via direct metal laser sintering

DOE PAGES

Kemerling, Brandon; Lippold, John C.; Fancher, Christopher M.; ...

2018-03-22

Direct metal laser sintering is an additive manufacturing process which is capable of fabricating three-dimensional components using a laser energy source and metal powder particles. Despite the numerous benefits offered by this technology, the process maturity is low with respect to traditional subtractive manufacturing methods. Relationships between key processing parameters and final part properties are generally lacking and require further development. In this study, residual stresses were evaluated as a function of key process variables. The variables evaluated included laser scan strategy and build plate preheat temperature. Residual stresses were measured experimentally via neutron diffraction and computationally via finite elementmore » analysis. Good agreement was shown between the experimental and computational results. Results showed variations in the residual stress profile as a function of laser scan strategy. Compressive stresses were dominant along the build height (z) direction, and tensile stresses were dominant in the x and y directions. Build plate preheating was shown to be an effective method for alleviating residual stress due to the reduction in thermal gradient.« less

Quantitative EEG analysis in minimally conscious state patients during postural changes.

PubMed

Greco, A; Carboncini, M C; Virgillito, A; Lanata, A; Valenza, G; Scilingo, E P

2013-01-01

Mobilization and postural changes of patients with cognitive impairment are standard clinical practices useful for both psychic and physical rehabilitation process. During this process, several physiological signals, such as Electroen-cephalogram (EEG), Electrocardiogram (ECG), Photopletysmography (PPG), Respiration activity (RESP), Electrodermal activity (EDA), are monitored and processed. In this paper we investigated how quantitative EEG (qEEG) changes with postural modifications in minimally conscious state patients. This study is quite novel and no similar experimental data can be found in the current literature, therefore, although results are very encouraging, a quantitative analysis of the cortical area activated in such postural changes still needs to be deeply investigated. More specifically, this paper shows EEG power spectra and brain symmetry index modifications during a verticalization procedure, from 0 to 60 degrees, of three patients in Minimally Consciousness State (MCS) with focused region of impairment. Experimental results show a significant increase of the power in β band (12 - 30 Hz), commonly associated to human alertness process, thus suggesting that mobilization and postural changes can have beneficial effects in MCS patients.

The Influence of Welding Parameters on the Nugget Formation of Resistance Spot Welding of Inconel 625 Sheets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rezaei Ashtiani, Hamid Reza; Zarandooz, Roozbeh

2015-09-01

A 2D axisymmetric electro-thermo-mechanical finite element (FE) model is developed to investigate the effect of current intensity, welding time, and electrode tip diameter on temperature distributions and nugget size in resistance spot welding (RSW) process of Inconel 625 superalloy sheets using ABAQUS commercial software package. The coupled electro-thermal analysis and uncoupled thermal-mechanical analysis are used for modeling process. In order to improve accuracy of simulation, material properties including physical, thermal, and mechanical properties have been considered to be temperature dependent. The thickness and diameter of computed weld nuggets are compared with experimental results and good agreement is observed. So, FE model developed in this paper provides prediction of quality and shape of the weld nuggets and temperature distributions with variation of each process parameter, suitably. Utilizing this FE model assists in adjusting RSW parameters, so that expensive experimental process can be avoided. The results show that increasing welding time and current intensity lead to an increase in the nugget size and electrode indentation, whereas increasing electrode tip diameter decreases nugget size and electrode indentation.

Using experimental human influenza infections to validate a viral dynamic model and the implications for prediction.

PubMed

Chen, S C; You, S H; Liu, C Y; Chio, C P; Liao, C M

2012-09-01

The aim of this work was to use experimental infection data of human influenza to assess a simple viral dynamics model in epithelial cells and better understand the underlying complex factors governing the infection process. The developed study model expands on previous reports of a target cell-limited model with delayed virus production. Data from 10 published experimental infection studies of human influenza was used to validate the model. Our results elucidate, mechanistically, the associations between epithelial cells, human immune responses, and viral titres and were supported by the experimental infection data. We report that the maximum total number of free virions following infection is 10(3)-fold higher than the initial introduced titre. Our results indicated that the infection rates of unprotected epithelial cells probably play an important role in affecting viral dynamics. By simulating an advanced model of viral dynamics and applying it to experimental infection data of human influenza, we obtained important estimates of the infection rate. This work provides epidemiologically meaningful results, meriting further efforts to understand the causes and consequences of influenza A infection.

Simulation and experimental research on trans-media vehicle water-entry motion characteristics at low speed

PubMed Central

Yang, Jian; Feng, Jinfu; Hu, Junhua; Liu, An

2017-01-01

The motion characteristics of trans-media vehicles during the water-entry process were explored in this study in an effort to obtain the optimal water-entry condition of the vehicle for developing a novel, single control strategy integrating underwater non-control and in-air control. A water-entry dynamics model is established by combining the water-entry motion characteristics of the vehicle in uncontrolled conditions at low speed with time-varying parameters (e.g. buoyancy, added mass). A water-entry experiment is designed to confirm the effectiveness of the established model. After that, by comparing the experimental results with the simulated results, the model is further modified to more accurately reflect water-entry motion. The change laws of the vehicle’s attitude and position during the water-entry process are also obtained by analyzing the simulation of the modified model under different velocity, angle, and angle of attack conditions. The results presented here have guiding significance for the future realization of reaching the stable underwater navigation state of the vehicle after water-entry process. PMID:28558012

Fuel alcohol production from agricultural lignocellulosic feedstocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Farina, G.E.; Barrier, J.W.; Forsythe, M.L.

1988-01-01

A two-stage, low-temperature, ambient pressure, acid hydrolysis process that utilizes separate unit operations to convert hemicellulose and cellulose in agricultural residues and crops to fermentable sugars is being developed and tested. Based on the results of the bench-scale tests, an acid hydrolysis experimental plant to demonstrate the concepts of low-temperature acid hydrolysis on a much larger scale was built. Plant tests using corn stover have been conducted for more that a year and conversion efficiences have equaled those achieved in the laboratory. Laboratory tests to determine the potential for low-temperature acid hydrolysis of other feedstocks - including red clover, alfalfa,more » kobe lespedeza, winter rape, and rye grass - are being conducted. Where applicable, process modifications to include extraction before or after hydrolysis also are being studied. This paper describes the experimental plant and process, results obtained in the plant, results of alternative feedstocks testing in the laboratory, and a plan for an integrated system that will produce other fuels, feed, and food from crops grown on marginal land.« less

High speed imaging of dynamic processes with a switched source x-ray CT system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, William M.; Lionheart, William R. B.; Morton, Edward J.; Cunningham, Mike; Luggar, Russell D.

2015-05-01

Conventional x-ray computed tomography (CT) scanners are limited in their scanning speed by the mechanical constraints of their rotating gantries and as such do not provide the necessary temporal resolution for imaging of fast-moving dynamic processes, such as moving fluid flows. The Real Time Tomography (RTT) system is a family of fast cone beam CT scanners which instead use multiple fixed discrete sources and complete rings of detectors in an offset geometry. We demonstrate the potential of this system for use in the imaging of such high speed dynamic processes and give results using simulated and real experimental data. The unusual scanning geometry results in some challenges in image reconstruction, which are overcome using algebraic iterative reconstruction techniques and explicit regularisation. Through the use of a simple temporal regularisation term and by optimising the source firing pattern, we show that temporal resolution of the system may be increased at the expense of spatial resolution, which may be advantageous in some situations. Results are given showing temporal resolution of approximately 500 µs with simulated data and 3 ms with real experimental data.

Simulation and experimental research on trans-media vehicle water-entry motion characteristics at low speed.

PubMed

Yang, Jian; Li, Yongli; Feng, Jinfu; Hu, Junhua; Liu, An

2017-01-01

The motion characteristics of trans-media vehicles during the water-entry process were explored in this study in an effort to obtain the optimal water-entry condition of the vehicle for developing a novel, single control strategy integrating underwater non-control and in-air control. A water-entry dynamics model is established by combining the water-entry motion characteristics of the vehicle in uncontrolled conditions at low speed with time-varying parameters (e.g. buoyancy, added mass). A water-entry experiment is designed to confirm the effectiveness of the established model. After that, by comparing the experimental results with the simulated results, the model is further modified to more accurately reflect water-entry motion. The change laws of the vehicle's attitude and position during the water-entry process are also obtained by analyzing the simulation of the modified model under different velocity, angle, and angle of attack conditions. The results presented here have guiding significance for the future realization of reaching the stable underwater navigation state of the vehicle after water-entry process.

Laser Raman detection for oral cancer based on an adaptive Gaussian process classification method with posterior probabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Zhanwei; Yang, Yongjian; Bai, Yuan; Wang, Lijun; Su, Le; Chen, Yong; Li, Xianchang; Zhou, Xiaodong; Jia, Jun; Shen, Aiguo; Hu, Jiming

2013-03-01

The existing methods for early and differential diagnosis of oral cancer are limited due to the unapparent early symptoms and the imperfect imaging examination methods. In this paper, the classification models of oral adenocarcinoma, carcinoma tissues and a control group with just four features are established by utilizing the hybrid Gaussian process (HGP) classification algorithm, with the introduction of the mechanisms of noise reduction and posterior probability. HGP shows much better performance in the experimental results. During the experimental process, oral tissues were divided into three groups, adenocarcinoma (n = 87), carcinoma (n = 100) and the control group (n = 134). The spectral data for these groups were collected. The prospective application of the proposed HGP classification method improved the diagnostic sensitivity to 56.35% and the specificity to about 70.00%, and resulted in a Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) of 0.36. It is proved that the utilization of HGP in LRS detection analysis for the diagnosis of oral cancer gives accurate results. The prospect of application is also satisfactory.

Probing the effects of surface hydrophobicity and tether orientation on antibody-antigen binding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Derek B.; Knotts, Thomas A.

2017-04-01

Antibody microarrays have the potential to revolutionize molecular detection for many applications, but their current use is limited by poor reliability, and efforts to change this have not yielded fruitful results. One difficulty which limits the rational engineering of next-generation devices is that little is known, at the molecular level, about the antibody-antigen binding process near solid surfaces. Atomic-level structural information is scant because typical experimental techniques (X-ray crystallography and NMR) cannot be used to image proteins bound to surfaces. To overcome this limitation, this study uses molecular simulation and an advanced, experimentally validated, coarse-grain, protein-surface model to compare fab-lysozyme binding in bulk solution and when the fab is tethered to hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces. The results show that the tether site in the fab, as well as the surface hydrophobicity, significantly impacts the binding process and suggests that the optimal design involves tethering fabs upright on a hydrophilic surface. The results offer an unprecedented, molecular-level picture of the binding process and give hope that the rational design of protein-microarrays is possible.

History dependent crystallization of Zr41Ti14Cu12Ni10Be23 melts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schroers, Jan; Johnson, William L.

2000-07-01

The crystallization of Zr41Ti14Cu12Ni10Be23 (Vit 1) melts during constant heating is investigated. (Vit 1) melts are cooled with different rates into the amorphous state and the crystallization temperature upon subsequent heating is studied. In addition, Vit 1 melts are cooled using a constant rate to different temperatures and subsequently heated from this temperature with a constant rate. We investigate the influence of the temperature to which the melt was cooled on the crystallization temperature measured upon heating. In both cases the onset temperature of crystallization shows strong history dependence. This can be explained by an accumulating process during cooling and heating. An attempt is made to consider this process in a simple model by steady state nucleation and subsequent growth of the nuclei which results in different crystallization kinetics during cooling or heating. Calculations show qualitative agreement with the experimental results. However, calculated and experimental results differ quantitatively. This difference can be explained by a decomposition process leading to a nonsteady nucleation rate which continuously increases with decreasing temperature.

Bi-resampled data study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benner, R.; Young, W.

1977-01-01

The results of an experimental study conducted to determine the geometric and radiometric effects of double resampling (bi-resampling) performed on image data in the process of performing map projection transformations are reported.

Experimental and numerical studies of rotating drum grate furnace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Basista, Grzegorz; Szubel, Mateusz; Filipowicz, Mariusz; Tomczyk, Bartosz; Krakowiak, Joanna

Waste material from the meat industry can be taken into account as a biofuel. Studies confirm, that calorific value is higher and ash content is lower comparing to some conventional fuels. EU directives regulate details of thermal disposal of the waste material from the meat industry - especially in range of the process temperature and time of the particle presence in area of the combustion zone. The paper describes design of the rotating drum grate stove, dedicated to thermal disposal of the meat wastes as well as solid biomass (pellet, small bricket, wood chips) combustion. Device has been developed in frames of cooperation between AGH University of Science and Technology (Krakow, Poland) and producer focused on technologies of energy utilization of biomass in distributed generation. Results of measurements of selected operational parameters performed during startup of the furnace have been presented and discussed. Furthermore, numerical model of the combustion process has been developed to complement experimental results in range of the temperature and oxygen distribution in the area of the combustion chamber. ANSYS CFX solver has been applied to perform simulations including rotational domain related with specifics of operation of the device. Results of numerical modelling and experimental studies have been summarized and compared.

Design and Analysis of AN Static Aeroelastic Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Ying-Yu; Yuan, Kai-Hua; Lv, Ji-Nan; Liu, Zi-Qiang

2016-06-01

Static aeroelastic experiments are very common in the United States and Russia. The objective of static aeroelastic experiments is to investigate deformation and loads of elastic structure in flow field. Generally speaking, prerequisite of this experiment is that the stiffness distribution of structure is known. This paper describes a method for designing experimental models, in the case where the stiffness distribution and boundary condition of a real aircraft are both uncertain. The stiffness distribution form of the structure can be calculated via finite element modeling and simulation calculation and F141 steels and rigid foam are used to make elastic model. In this paper, the design and manufacturing process of static aeroelastic models is presented and a set of experiment model was designed to simulate the stiffness of the designed wings, a set of experiments was designed to check the results. The test results show that the experimental method can effectively complete the design work of elastic model. This paper introduces the whole process of the static aeroelastic experiment, and the experimental results are analyzed. This paper developed a static aeroelasticity experiment technique and established an experiment model targeting at the swept wing of a certain kind of large aspect ratio aircraft.

Numerical simulation and experimental investigation of Ti-6Al-4V melted by CW fiber laser at different pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabassum, Aasma; Zhou, Jie; Han, Bing; Ni, Xiao-wu; Sardar, Maryam

2017-07-01

The interaction of continuous wave (CW) fiber laser with Ti-6Al-4V alloy is investigated numerically and experimentally at different laser fluence values and ambient pressures of N2 atmosphere to determine the melting time threshold of Ti-6Al-4V alloy. A 2D-axisymmetric numerical model considering heat transfer and laminar flow is established to describe the melting process. The simulation results indicate that material melts earlier at lower pressure (8.0 Pa) than at higher pressure (8.8×104 Pa) in several milliseconds with the same laser fluence. The experimental results demonstrate that the melting time threshold at high laser fluence (above 1.89×108 W/m2) is shorter for lower pressure (vacuum), which is consistent with the simulation. While the melting time threshold at low laser fluence (below 1.89×108 W/m2) is shorter for higher pressure. The possible aspects which can affect the melting process include the increased heat loss induced by the heat conduction between the metal surface and the ambient gas with the increased pressure, and the absorption variation of the coarse surface resulted from the chemical reaction.

Deterministic analysis of processes at corroding metal surfaces and the study of electrochemical noise in these systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Latanision, R.M.

1990-12-01

Electrochemical corrosion is pervasive in virtually all engineering systems and in virtually all industrial circumstances. Although engineers now understand how to design systems to minimize corrosion in many instances, many fundamental questions remain poorly understood and, therefore, the development of corrosion control strategies is based more on empiricism than on a deep understanding of the processes by which metals corrode in electrolytes. Fluctuations in potential, or current, in electrochemical systems have been observed for many years. To date, all investigations of this phenomenon have utilized non-deterministic analyses. In this work it is proposed to study electrochemical noise from a deterministicmore » viewpoint by comparison of experimental parameters, such as first and second order moments (non-deterministic), with computer simulation of corrosion at metal surfaces. In this way it is proposed to analyze the origins of these fluctuations and to elucidate the relationship between these fluctuations and kinetic parameters associated with metal dissolution and cathodic reduction reactions. This research program addresses in essence two areas of interest: (a) computer modeling of corrosion processes in order to study the electrochemical processes on an atomistic scale, and (b) experimental investigations of fluctuations in electrochemical systems and correlation of experimental results with computer modeling. In effect, the noise generated by mathematical modeling will be analyzed and compared to experimental noise in electrochemical systems. 1 fig.« less

Polypropylene Production Optimization in Fluidized Bed Catalytic Reactor (FBCR): Statistical Modeling and Pilot Scale Experimental Validation

PubMed Central

Khan, Mohammad Jakir Hossain; Hussain, Mohd Azlan; Mujtaba, Iqbal Mohammed

2014-01-01

Propylene is one type of plastic that is widely used in our everyday life. This study focuses on the identification and justification of the optimum process parameters for polypropylene production in a novel pilot plant based fluidized bed reactor. This first-of-its-kind statistical modeling with experimental validation for the process parameters of polypropylene production was conducted by applying ANNOVA (Analysis of variance) method to Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Three important process variables i.e., reaction temperature, system pressure and hydrogen percentage were considered as the important input factors for the polypropylene production in the analysis performed. In order to examine the effect of process parameters and their interactions, the ANOVA method was utilized among a range of other statistical diagnostic tools such as the correlation between actual and predicted values, the residuals and predicted response, outlier t plot, 3D response surface and contour analysis plots. The statistical analysis showed that the proposed quadratic model had a good fit with the experimental results. At optimum conditions with temperature of 75°C, system pressure of 25 bar and hydrogen percentage of 2%, the highest polypropylene production obtained is 5.82% per pass. Hence it is concluded that the developed experimental design and proposed model can be successfully employed with over a 95% confidence level for optimum polypropylene production in a fluidized bed catalytic reactor (FBCR). PMID:28788576

Two-Phase Flow in Packed Columns and Generation of Bubbly Suspensions for Chemical Processing in Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Brian J.; Green, R. D.; Nahra, H. K.; Sridhar, K. R.

2000-01-01

For long-duration space missions, the life support and In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) systems necessary to lower the mass and volume of consumables carried from Earth will require more sophisticated chemical processing technologies involving gas-liquid two-phase flows. This paper discusses some preliminary two-phase flow work in packed columns and generation of bubbly suspensions, two types of flow systems that can exist in a number of chemical processing devices. The experimental hardware for a co-current flow, packed column operated in two ground-based low gravity facilities (two-second drop tower and KC- 135 low-gravity aircraft) is described. The preliminary results of this experimental work are discussed. The flow regimes observed and the conditions under which these flow regimes occur are compared with the available co-current packed column experimental work performed in normal gravity. For bubbly suspensions, the experimental hardware for generation of uniformly sized bubbles in Couette flow in microgravity conditions is described. Experimental work was performed on a number of bubbler designs, and the capillary bubble tube was found to produce the most consistent size bubbles. Low air flow rates and low Couette flow produce consistent 2-3 mm bubbles, the size of interest for the "Behavior of Rapidly Sheared Bubbly Suspension" flight experiment. Finally the mass transfer implications of these two-phase flows is qualitatively discussed.

Interpretation of Mössbauer experiment in a rotating system: A new proof for general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corda, Christian

2015-04-01

A historical experiment by Kündig on the transverse Doppler shift in a rotating system measured with the Mössbauer effect (Mössbauer rotor experiment) has been recently first re-analyzed and then replied by an experimental research group. The results of re-analyzing the experiment have shown that a correct re-processing of Kündig's experimental data gives an interesting deviation of a relative redshift between emission and absorption resonant lines from the standard prediction based on the relativistic dilatation of time. That prediction gives a redshift ∇E/E ≃ -1/2 v2/c2 where v is the tangential velocity of the absorber of resonant radiation, c is the velocity of light in vacuum and the result is given to the accuracy of first-order in v2/c2. Data re-processing gave ∇E/E ≃ - kv2/c2 with k = 0.596 ± 0.006. Subsequent new experimental results by the reply of Kündig experiment have shown a redshift with k = 0.68 ± 0.03 instead. By using Einstein Equivalence Principle, which states the equivalence between the gravitational "force" and the pseudo-force experienced by an observer in a non-inertial frame of reference (included a rotating frame of reference) here we re-analyze the theoretical framework of Mössbauer rotor experiments directly in the rotating frame of reference by using a general relativistic treatment. It will be shown that previous analyses missed an important effect of clock synchronization and that the correct general relativistic prevision in the rotating frame gives k ≃ 2/3 in perfect agreement with the new experimental results. Such an effect of clock synchronization has been missed in various papers in the literature with some subsequent claim of invalidity of relativity theory and/or some attempts to explain the experimental results through "exotic" effects. Our general relativistic interpretation shows, instead, that the new experimental results of the Mössbauer rotor experiment are a new, strong and independent, proof of Einstein general relativity. In the final section of the paper we discuss an analogy with the use of General Relativity in Global Positioning Systems.

Application of Characterization, Modeling, and Analytics Towards Understanding Process Structure Linkages in Metallic 3D Printing (Postprint)

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-01

of metallic additive manufacturing processes and show that combining experimental data with modelling and advanced data processing and analytics...manufacturing processes and show that combining experimental data with modelling and advanced data processing and analytics methods will accelerate that...geometries, we develop a methodology that couples experimental data and modelling to convert the scan paths into spatially resolved local thermal histories

Examining an online microbiology game as an effective tool for teaching the scientific process.

PubMed

Bowling, Kristi G; Klisch, Yvonne; Wang, Shu; Beier, Margaret

2013-01-01

This study investigates the effectiveness of the online Flash game Disease Defenders in producing knowledge gains for concepts related to the scientific process. Disease Defenders was specifically designed to model how the scientific process is central to a variety of disciplines and science careers. An additional question relates to the game's ability to shift attitudes toward science. Middle school classes from grades six to eight were assigned to the experimental group (n = 489) or control group (n = 367) and asked to participate in a three-session intervention. The sessions involved completing a pretest, a game play session, and taking a posttest. Students in the experimental group played Disease Defenders while students in the control group played an alternative science game. Results showed a significant increase in mean science knowledge scores for all grades in the experimental group, with sixth grade and seventh grade students gaining more knowledge than eighth grade students. Additionally, results showed a significant positive change in science attitudes only among sixth graders, who also rated their satisfaction with the game more favorably than students in higher grades. No differences in mean test scores were found between genders for science knowledge or science attitudes, suggesting that the game is equally effective for males and females.

Three-dimensional simulations of nanopowder compaction processes by granular dynamics method.

PubMed

Boltachev, G Sh; Lukyashin, K E; Shitov, V A; Volkov, N B

2013-07-01

In order to describe and to study the processes of cold compaction within the discrete element method a three-dimensional model of nanosized powder is developed. The elastic forces of repulsion, the tangential forces of "friction" (Cattaneo-Mindlin), and the dispersion forces of attraction (van der Waals-Hamaker), as well as the formation and destruction of hard bonds between the individual particles are taken into account. The monosized powders with the size of particles in the range 10-40 nm are simulated. The simulation results are compared to the experimental data of the alumina nanopowders compaction. It is shown that the model allows us to reproduce experimental data reliably and, in particular, describes the size effect in the compaction processes. A number of different external loading conditions is used in order to perform the theoretical and experimental researches. The uniaxial compaction (the closed-die compaction), the biaxial (radial) compaction, and the isotropic compaction (the cold isostatic pressing) are studied. The real and computed results are in a good agreement with each other. They reveal a weak sensitivity of the oxide nanopowders to the loading condition (compaction geometry). The application of the continuum theory of the plastically hardening porous body, which is usually used for the description of powders, is discussed.

Three-dimensional simulations of nanopowder compaction processes by granular dynamics method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boltachev, G. Sh.; Lukyashin, K. E.; Shitov, V. A.; Volkov, N. B.

2013-07-01

In order to describe and to study the processes of cold compaction within the discrete element method a three-dimensional model of nanosized powder is developed. The elastic forces of repulsion, the tangential forces of “friction” (Cattaneo-Mindlin), and the dispersion forces of attraction (van der Waals-Hamaker), as well as the formation and destruction of hard bonds between the individual particles are taken into account. The monosized powders with the size of particles in the range 10-40 nm are simulated. The simulation results are compared to the experimental data of the alumina nanopowders compaction. It is shown that the model allows us to reproduce experimental data reliably and, in particular, describes the size effect in the compaction processes. A number of different external loading conditions is used in order to perform the theoretical and experimental researches. The uniaxial compaction (the closed-die compaction), the biaxial (radial) compaction, and the isotropic compaction (the cold isostatic pressing) are studied. The real and computed results are in a good agreement with each other. They reveal a weak sensitivity of the oxide nanopowders to the loading condition (compaction geometry). The application of the continuum theory of the plastically hardening porous body, which is usually used for the description of powders, is discussed.

MapReduce Algorithms for Inferring Gene Regulatory Networks from Time-Series Microarray Data Using an Information-Theoretic Approach.

PubMed

Abduallah, Yasser; Turki, Turki; Byron, Kevin; Du, Zongxuan; Cervantes-Cervantes, Miguel; Wang, Jason T L

2017-01-01

Gene regulation is a series of processes that control gene expression and its extent. The connections among genes and their regulatory molecules, usually transcription factors, and a descriptive model of such connections are known as gene regulatory networks (GRNs). Elucidating GRNs is crucial to understand the inner workings of the cell and the complexity of gene interactions. To date, numerous algorithms have been developed to infer gene regulatory networks. However, as the number of identified genes increases and the complexity of their interactions is uncovered, networks and their regulatory mechanisms become cumbersome to test. Furthermore, prodding through experimental results requires an enormous amount of computation, resulting in slow data processing. Therefore, new approaches are needed to expeditiously analyze copious amounts of experimental data resulting from cellular GRNs. To meet this need, cloud computing is promising as reported in the literature. Here, we propose new MapReduce algorithms for inferring gene regulatory networks on a Hadoop cluster in a cloud environment. These algorithms employ an information-theoretic approach to infer GRNs using time-series microarray data. Experimental results show that our MapReduce program is much faster than an existing tool while achieving slightly better prediction accuracy than the existing tool.

RF breakdown in "cold" slow wave structures operating at travelling wave mode of TM01

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Yuzhang; Zhang, Jun; Zhong, Huihuang; Zhang, Dian; Bai, Zhen; Zhu, Danni

2018-01-01

RF breakdown experiments and simulations in "cold" slow wave structures (SWSs) are executed. All the SWSs are designed as traveling wave structures, which operate at the π/2 mode of TM01 waves. The experimental results indicate that the input microwave energy is mainly absorbed, not reflected by the RF breakdown process in traveling wave SWSs. Both larger magnitude of Es-max and more numbers of periods of SWSs aggravate the microwave absorption in the breakdown process and bring about a shorter transmission pulse width. We think that the critical surface E-field of the multi-period SWSs is 1 MV/cm. However, little correlation between RF breakdown effects and Bext is observed in the experiments. The simulation conditions are coincident with the experimental setup. Explosive emissions of electrons in the rounded corner of SWSs together with the ionization of the gas layer close to it supply the breakdown plasma. The gas layer consists of water vapor and hydrogen gas and has a pressure of 1 Pa. Different kinds of circumstances of SWSs are simulated. We mainly concern about the characteristic of the plasma and its influence on microwave power. Comprehensive simulation results are obtained. The simulation results match the experimental results basically and are helpful in explaining the RF breakdown phenomenon physically.

Numerical simulation and experimental study on farmland nitrogen loss to surface runoff in a raindrop driven process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiayun; Tong, Juxiu; Xia, Chuanan; Hu, Bill X.; Zhu, Hao; Yang, Rui; Wei, Wenshuo

2017-06-01

It has been widely recognized that surface runoff from agricultural field is an important non-point pollution source, which however, the chemical transfer amount in the process is very difficult to be quantified in field since some variables and natural factors are hard to control, such as rainfall intensity, temperature, wind speeds and soil spatial heterogeneity, which may significantly affect the field experimental results. Therefore, a physically based nitrogen transport model was developed and tested with the so called semi-field experiments (i.e., artificial rainfall was used instead of natural rainfall, but other conditions were natural) in this paper. Our model integrated the raindrop driven process and diffusion effect with the simplified nitrogen chain reactions. In this model, chemicals in the soil surface layer, or the 'exchange layer', were transformed into the surface runoff layer due to raindrop impact. The raindrops also have a significant role on the diffusion process between the exchange layer and the underlying soil. The established mathematical model was solved numerically through the modified Hydrus-1d source code, and the model simulations agreed well with the experimental data. The modeling results indicate that the depth of the exchange layer and raindrop induced water transfer rate are two important parameters for the simulation results. Variation of the water transfer rate, er, can strongly influence the peak values of the NO-3-N and NH+4-N concentration breakthrough curves. The concentration of NO-3-N is more sensitive to the exchange layer depth, de, than NH+4-N. In general, the developed model well describes the nitrogen loss into surface runoff in a raindrop driven process. Since the raindrop splash erosion process may aggravate the loss of chemical fertilizer, choosing an appropriate fertilization time and application method is very important to prevent the pollution.

Advanced Method to Estimate Fuel Slosh Simulation Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlee, Keith; Gangadharan, Sathya; Ristow, James; Sudermann, James; Walker, Charles; Hubert, Carl

2005-01-01

The nutation (wobble) of a spinning spacecraft in the presence of energy dissipation is a well-known problem in dynamics and is of particular concern for space missions. The nutation of a spacecraft spinning about its minor axis typically grows exponentially and the rate of growth is characterized by the Nutation Time Constant (NTC). For launch vehicles using spin-stabilized upper stages, fuel slosh in the spacecraft propellant tanks is usually the primary source of energy dissipation. For analytical prediction of the NTC this fuel slosh is commonly modeled using simple mechanical analogies such as pendulums or rigid rotors coupled to the spacecraft. Identifying model parameter values which adequately represent the sloshing dynamics is the most important step in obtaining an accurate NTC estimate. Analytic determination of the slosh model parameters has met with mixed success and is made even more difficult by the introduction of propellant management devices and elastomeric diaphragms. By subjecting full-sized fuel tanks with actual flight fuel loads to motion similar to that experienced in flight and measuring the forces experienced by the tanks these parameters can be determined experimentally. Currently, the identification of the model parameters is a laborious trial-and-error process in which the equations of motion for the mechanical analog are hand-derived, evaluated, and their results are compared with the experimental results. The proposed research is an effort to automate the process of identifying the parameters of the slosh model using a MATLAB/SimMechanics-based computer simulation of the experimental setup. Different parameter estimation and optimization approaches are evaluated and compared in order to arrive at a reliable and effective parameter identification process. To evaluate each parameter identification approach, a simple one-degree-of-freedom pendulum experiment is constructed and motion is induced using an electric motor. By applying the estimation approach to a simple, accurately modeled system, its effectiveness and accuracy can be evaluated. The same experimental setup can then be used with fluid-filled tanks to further evaluate the effectiveness of the process. Ultimately, the proven process can be applied to the full-sized spinning experimental setup to quickly and accurately determine the slosh model parameters for a particular spacecraft mission. Automating the parameter identification process will save time, allow more changes to be made to proposed designs, and lower the cost in the initial design stages.

Nonlinear ultrasonic pulsed measurements and applications to metal processing and fatigue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yost, William T.; Cantrell, John H.; Na, Jeong K.

2001-04-01

Nonlinear ultrasonics research at NASA-Langley Research Center emphasizes development of experimental techniques and modeling, with applications to metal fatigue and metals processing. This review work includes a summary of results from our recent efforts in technique refinement, modeling of fatigue related microstructure contributions, and measurements on fatigued turbine blades. Also presented are data on 17-4PH and 410-Cb stainless steels. The results are in good agreement with the models.

A BRDF study on the visual appearance properties of titanium in the heating process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yanlei; Yu, Kun; Li, Longfei; Zhao, Yuejin; Liu, Zilong; Liu, Yufang

2018-04-01

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) offers complete description of the spectral and spatial characteristics of opaque materials, i.e. the visual appearance properties of materials. In this letter, the visual appearance properties of titanium in the heating process are investigated by BRDF. The reliability of our results is verified by comparing the experimental data of polytetrafluoroethylene with the reference data. The in-plane spectral BRDF in visible region of heated commercial pure Ti at different incident and reflected zenith angles are measured. The experimental result indicates that the change tendency of BRDF vs. wavelength is not influenced by incident and reflected zenith angle, which implying that the colours of Ti may be pigment colouration rather than the structural colouration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) testing are performed, and no titanium oxides are detected. The testing results imply that the colours may be generated by intermediate products during heated process. The powder samples are prepared, and the same colours as that of flake samples indirectly prove the validity of our conclusion. In addition, the spectral BRDF of optically smooth samples are measured, the results verify the reliability of our conclusion.

Electron Beam Lithography Double Step Exposure Technique for Fabrication of Mushroom-Like Profile in Bilayer Resist System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kornelia, Indykiewicz; Bogdan, Paszkiewicz; Tomasz, Szymański; Regina, Paszkiewicz

2015-01-01

The Hi/Lo bilayer resist system exposure in e-beam lithography (EBL) process, intended for mushroom-like profile fabrication, was studied. Different exposure parameters and theirs influence on the resist layers were simulated in CASINO software and the obtained results were compared with the experimental data. The AFM technique was used for the estimation of the e-beam penetration depth in the resist stack. Performed numerical and experimental results allow us to establish the useful ranges of the exposure parameters.

Experimental constraints from flavour changing processes and physics beyond the Standard Model.

PubMed

Gersabeck, M; Gligorov, V V; Serra, N

Flavour physics has a long tradition of paving the way for direct discoveries of new particles and interactions. Results over the last decade have placed stringent bounds on the parameter space of physics beyond the Standard Model. Early results from the LHC, and its dedicated flavour factory LHCb, have further tightened these constraints and reiterate the ongoing relevance of flavour studies. The experimental status of flavour observables in the charm and beauty sectors is reviewed in measurements of CP violation, neutral meson mixing, and measurements of rare decays.

Experimental demonstration of highly localized pulses (X waves) at microwave frequencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chiotellis, Nikolaos; Mendez, Victor; Rudolph, Scott M.; Grbic, Anthony

2018-02-01

A device that radiates transverse magnetic Bessel beams in the radiative near field is reported. The cone angle of the emitted radiation remains constant over a wide frequency range (18-30 GHz), allowing highly localized pulses (X waves) to be generated under a broadband excitation. The design process, based on ray optics, is discussed. Both frequency and time domain experimental results for a prototype are presented. The measured fields show close agreement with simulation results, and demonstrate the radiator's ability to emit X waves within its nondiffracting range.

Coupled Growth in Hypermonotectics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Andrews, J. Barry; Coriell, Sam R.

2001-01-01

The overall objective of this project is to obtain a fundamental understanding of the physics controlling solidification processes in immiscible alloy systems. The investigation involves both experimentation and the development of a model describing solidification in monotectic systems. The experimental segment was designed to first demonstrate that it is possible to obtain interface stability and steady state coupled growth in hypermonotectic alloys through microgravity processing. Microgravity results obtained to date have verified this possibility. Future flights will permit experimental determination of the limits of interface stability and the influence of alloy composition and growth rate on microstructure. The objectives of the modeling segment of the investigation include prediction of the limits of interface stability, modeling of convective flow due to residual acceleration, and the influence of surface tension driven flows at the solidification interface. The study of solidification processes in immiscible alloy systems is hindered by the inherent convective flow that occurs on Earth and by the possibility of sedimentation of the higher density immiscible liquid phase. It has been shown that processing using a high thermal gradient and a low growth rate can lead to a stable macroscopically planar growth front even in hypermonotectic alloys. Processing under these growth conditions can avoid constitutional supercooling and prevent the formation of the minor immiscible liquid phase in advance of the solidification front. However, the solute depleted boundary layer that forms in advance of the solidification front is almost always less dense than the liquid away from the solidification front. As a result, convective instability is expected. Ground based testing has indicated that convection is a major problem in these alloy systems and leads to gross compositional variations along the sample and difficulties maintaining interface stability. Sustained low gravity processing conditions are necessary in order to minimize these problems and obtain solidification conditions which approach steady state.

Double jeopardy in inferring cognitive processes

PubMed Central

Fific, Mario

2014-01-01

Inferences we make about underlying cognitive processes can be jeopardized in two ways due to problematic forms of aggregation. First, averaging across individuals is typically considered a very useful tool for removing random variability. The threat is that averaging across subjects leads to averaging across different cognitive strategies, thus harming our inferences. The second threat comes from the construction of inadequate research designs possessing a low diagnostic accuracy of cognitive processes. For that reason we introduced the systems factorial technology (SFT), which has primarily been designed to make inferences about underlying processing order (serial, parallel, coactive), stopping rule (terminating, exhaustive), and process dependency. SFT proposes that the minimal research design complexity to learn about n number of cognitive processes should be equal to 2n. In addition, SFT proposes that (a) each cognitive process should be controlled by a separate experimental factor, and (b) The saliency levels of all factors should be combined in a full factorial design. In the current study, the author cross combined the levels of jeopardies in a 2 × 2 analysis, leading to four different analysis conditions. The results indicate a decline in the diagnostic accuracy of inferences made about cognitive processes due to the presence of each jeopardy in isolation and when combined. The results warrant the development of more individual subject analyses and the utilization of full-factorial (SFT) experimental designs. PMID:25374545

A Taguchi approach on optimal process control parameters for HDPE pipe extrusion process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharma, G. V. S. S.; Rao, R. Umamaheswara; Rao, P. Srinivasa

2017-06-01

High-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes find versatile applicability for transportation of water, sewage and slurry from one place to another. Hence, these pipes undergo tremendous pressure by the fluid carried. The present work entails the optimization of the withstanding pressure of the HDPE pipes using Taguchi technique. The traditional heuristic methodology stresses on a trial and error approach and relies heavily upon the accumulated experience of the process engineers for determining the optimal process control parameters. This results in setting up of less-than-optimal values. Hence, there arouse a necessity to determine optimal process control parameters for the pipe extrusion process, which can ensure robust pipe quality and process reliability. In the proposed optimization strategy, the design of experiments (DoE) are conducted wherein different control parameter combinations are analyzed by considering multiple setting levels of each control parameter. The concept of signal-to-noise ratio ( S/ N ratio) is applied and ultimately optimum values of process control parameters are obtained as: pushing zone temperature of 166 °C, Dimmer speed at 08 rpm, and Die head temperature to be 192 °C. Confirmation experimental run is also conducted to verify the analysis and research result and values proved to be in synchronization with the main experimental findings and the withstanding pressure showed a significant improvement from 0.60 to 1.004 Mpa.

Modeling of an integrated fermentation/membrane extraction process for the production of 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenylethylacetate.

PubMed

Adler, Philipp; Hugen, Thorsten; Wiewiora, Marzena; Kunz, Benno

2011-03-07

An unstructured model for an integrated fermentation/membrane extraction process for the production of the aroma compounds 2-phenylethanol and 2-phenylethylacetate by Kluyveromyces marxianus CBS 600 was developed. The extent to which this model, based only on data from the conventional fermentation and separation processes, provided an estimation of the integrated process was evaluated. The effect of product inhibition on specific growth rate and on biomass yield by both aroma compounds was approximated by multivariate regression. Simulations of the respective submodels for fermentation and the separation process matched well with experimental results. With respect to the in situ product removal (ISPR) process, the effect of reduced product inhibition due to product removal on specific growth rate and biomass yield was predicted adequately by the model simulations. Overall product yields were increased considerably in this process (4.0 g/L 2-PE+2-PEA vs. 1.4 g/L in conventional fermentation) and were even higher than predicted by the model. To describe the effect of product concentration on product formation itself, the model was extended using results from the conventional and the ISPR process, thus agreement between model and experimental data improved notably. Therefore, this model can be a useful tool for the development and optimization of an efficient integrated bioprocess. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Histological Study of the Toxic Effects of Solder Fumes on Spermatogenesis in Rats

PubMed Central

Arab, Mohammad Reza; Heidari, Mohammad Hossein; Mashhadi, Rezvaneh; Mirzaei, Ramazan; Jahantigh, Mehdi

2011-01-01

Objective: Toxic fumes generated during the soldering process contain various contaminants released at sufficient rates to cause both short- and long-term health problems. Studies have shown that these fumes change the quality and quantity of semen fluid in exposed workers. The aim of the present study was to determine the potentially toxic effects of solder fumes on spermatogenesis in seminiferous tubules of rats as an experimental model, with conditioned media in an exposed chamber. Materials and Methods: A total number of 48 male Sprague Dawley adult rats were randomly divided into experimental (n=30) and control (n=18) groups. Based on exposure time, each group was further subdivided into two, four and six subgroups. Rats in the experimental groups were exposed to solder fumes in an exposure chamber for one hour/ day. The concentrations of fumes [formaldehyde, stanum (Sn) and lead (Pb)] were measured by a standard method via atomic absorption and spectrophotometry. According to a timetable, under deep anesthesia, the rats of both experimental and control subgroups were killed. After fixation of testes, specimens were weighed and routinely processed. Paraffin sections were stained by hematoxylin and eosin. Spermiogenesis index was calculated and data analyzed by Mann Whitney NPAR test. Results: Analysis of air samples in the exposure chamber showed the following fume concentrations: 0.193 mg/m3 for formaldehyde, 0.35 mg/m3 for Sn and 3 mg/m3 for Pb. Although there was no significant difference in testes weight between control and experimental subgroups, there was only a significant difference in spermiogenesis index between the six week experimental and control subgroups (p<0.02). Conclusion: The results of this study showed that solder fumes can change the spermiogenesis index in experimental groups in a time dependent manner. PMID:23671821

Rydberg phases of Hydrogen and low energy nuclear reactions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olafsson, Sveinn; Holmlid, Leif

2016-03-01

For over the last 26 years the science of cold fusion/LENR has been researched around the world with slow pace of progress. Modest quantity of excess heat and signatures of nuclear transmutation and helium production have been confirmed in experiments and theoretical work has only resulted in a large flora of inadequate theoretical scenarios. Here we review current state of research in Rydberg matter of Hydrogen that is showing strong signature of nuclear processes. In the presentation experimental behavior of Rydberg matter of hydrogen is described. An extensive collaboration effort of surface physics, catalysis, atomic physics, solid state physics, nuclear physics and quantum information is need to tackle the surprising experimental results that have so far been obtained. Rydberg matter of Hydrogen is the only known state of matter that is able to bring huge collection of protons to so short distances and for so long time that tunneling becomes a reasonable process for making low energy nuclear reactions. Nuclear quantum entanglement can also become realistic process at theses conditions.

Biosorption of Pb(II) Ions by Klebsiella sp. 3S1 Isolated from a Wastewater Treatment Plant: Kinetics and Mechanisms Studies

PubMed Central

Muñoz, Antonio Jesús; Espínola, Francisco; Moya, Manuel; Ruiz, Encarnación

2015-01-01

Lead biosorption by Klebsiella sp. 3S1 isolated from a wastewater treatment plant was investigated through a Rotatable Central Composite Experimental Design. The optimisation study indicated the following optimal values of operating variables: 0.4 g/L of biosorbent dosage, pH 5, and 34°C. According to the results of the kinetic studies, the biosorption process can be described by a two-step process, one rapid, almost instantaneous, and one slower, both contributing significantly to the overall biosorption; the model that best fits the experimental results was pseudo-second order. The equilibrium studies showed a maximum lead uptake value of 140.19 mg/g according to the Langmuir model. The mechanism study revealed that lead ions were bioaccumulated into the cytoplasm and adsorbed on the cell surface. The bacterium  Klebsiella sp. 3S1 has a good potential in the bioremoval of lead in an inexpensive and effective process. PMID:26504824

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rodgers, Theron M.; Madison, Jonathan D.; Tikare, Veena

Additive manufacturing (AM) is of tremendous interest given its ability to realize complex, non-traditional geometries in engineered structural materials. But, microstructures generated from AM processes can be equally, if not more, complex than their conventionally processed counterparts. While some microstructural features observed in AM may also occur in more traditional solidification processes, the introduction of spatially and temporally mobile heat sources can result in significant microstructural heterogeneity. While grain size and shape in metal AM structures are understood to be highly dependent on both local and global temperature profiles, the exact form of this relation is not well understood. Wemore » implement an idealized molten zone and temperature-dependent grain boundary mobility in a kinetic Monte Carlo model to predict three-dimensional grain structure in additively manufactured metals. In order to demonstrate the flexibility of the model, synthetic microstructures are generated under conditions mimicking relatively diverse experimental results present in the literature. Simulated microstructures are then qualitatively and quantitatively compared to their experimental complements and are shown to be in good agreement.« less

Electronic holography using binary phase modulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matoba, Osamu

2014-06-01

A 3D display system by using a phase-only distribution is presented. Especially, binary phase distribution is used to reconstruct a 3D object for wide viewing zone angle. To obtain the phase distribution to be displayed on a phase-mode spatial light modulator, both of experimental and numerical processes are available. In this paper, we present a numerical process by using a computer graphics data. A random phase distribution is attached to all polygons of an input 3D object to reconstruct a 3D object well from the binary phase distribution. Numerical and experimental results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed system.

Computational method for multi-modal microscopy based on transport of intensity equation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jiaji; Chen, Qian; Sun, Jiasong; Zhang, Jialin; Zuo, Chao

2017-02-01

In this paper, we develop the requisite theory to describe a hybrid virtual-physical multi-modal imaging system which yields quantitative phase, Zernike phase contrast, differential interference contrast (DIC), and light field moment imaging simultaneously based on transport of intensity equation(TIE). We then give the experimental demonstration of these ideas by time-lapse imaging of live HeLa cell mitosis. Experimental results verify that a tunable lens based TIE system, combined with the appropriate post-processing algorithm, can achieve a variety of promising imaging modalities in parallel with the quantitative phase images for the dynamic study of cellular processes.

Theoretical and experimental investigations of a thermoplastic constitutive law

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zdebel, U.

1984-12-01

A thermoplastic constitutive law allowing combinations of isotropic and kinematic hardening as well as deviations from the normality rule was examined. Since the energy balance for thermomechanical processes is taken into account, the consistent connection to thermodynamic laws is guaranteed. The experimental verification of material parameters is described; it is performed by isothermal tension-torsion tests on thin-walled tubes at different temperatures. The materials functions allow the extension to nonisothermal (adiabatic) processes. The comparison between theoretical and exprimental results is not entirely satisfactory and demonstrates the remaining inconsistencies. Suggestions which could lead to a better description of the behavior of elastoplastic materials are made.

Optimization of Nd: YAG Laser Marking of Alumina Ceramic Using RSM And ANN

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Josephine; Doloi, B.; Bhattacharyya, B.

2011-01-01

The present research papers deals with the artificial neural network (ANN) and the response surface methodology (RSM) based mathematical modeling and also an optimization analysis on marking characteristics on alumina ceramic. The experiments have been planned and carried out based on Design of Experiment (DOE). It also analyses the influence of the major laser marking process parameters and the optimal combination of laser marking process parametric setting has been obtained. The output of the RSM optimal data is validated through experimentation and ANN predictive model. A good agreement is observed between the results based on ANN predictive model and actual experimental observations.

Skeletal metastasis: treatments, mouse models, and the Wnt signaling

PubMed Central

Valkenburg, Kenneth C.; Steensma, Matthew R.; Williams, Bart O.; Zhong, Zhendong

2013-01-01

Skeletal metastases result in significant morbidity and mortality. This is particularly true of cancers with a strong predilection for the bone, such as breast, prostate, and lung cancers. There is currently no reliable cure for skeletal metastasis, and palliative therapy options are limited. The Wnt signaling pathway has been found to play an integral role in the process of skeletal metastasis and may be an important clinical target. Several experimental models of skeletal metastasis have been used to find new biomarkers and test new treatments. In this review, we discuss pathologic process of bone metastasis, the roles of the Wnt signaling, and the available experimental models and treatments. PMID:23327798

Ab initio study of H + + H 2 collisions: Elastic/inelastic and charge transfer processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saieswari, A.; Kumar, Sanjay

2007-12-01

An ab initio full configuration interaction study has been undertaken to obtain the global potential energy surfaces for the ground and the first excited electronic state of the H + + H 2 system employing Dunning's cc-pVQZ basis set. Using the ab initio approach the corresponding quasi-diabatic potential energy surfaces and coupling potentials have been obtained. A time-independent quantum mechanical study has been also undertaken for both the inelastic and charge transfer processes at the experimental collision energy Ec.m. = 20.0 eV and the preliminary results show better agreement with the experimental data as compared to the earlier available theoretical studies.

Determination of Kinetic Parameters for the Thermal Decomposition of Parthenium hysterophorus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhaundiyal, Alok; Singh, Suraj B.; Hanon, Muammel M.; Rawat, Rekha

2018-02-01

A kinetic study of pyrolysis process of Parthenium hysterophorous is carried out by using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) equipment. The present study investigates the thermal degradation and determination of the kinetic parameters such as activation E and the frequency factor A using model-free methods given by Flynn Wall and Ozawa (FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sonuse (KAS) and Kissinger, and model-fitting (Coats Redfern). The results derived from thermal decomposition process demarcate decomposition of Parthenium hysterophorous among the three main stages, such as dehydration, active and passive pyrolysis. It is shown through DTG thermograms that the increase in the heating rate caused temperature peaks at maximum weight loss rate to shift towards higher temperature regime. The results are compared with Coats Redfern (Integral method) and experimental results have shown that values of kinetic parameters obtained from model-free methods are in good agreement. Whereas the results obtained through Coats Redfern model at different heating rates are not promising, however, the diffusion models provided the good fitting with the experimental data.

Experimental investigation of the combustion products in an aluminised solid propellant

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhu; Li, Shipeng; Liu, Mengying; Guan, Dian; Sui, Xin; Wang, Ningfei

2017-04-01

Aluminium is widely used as an important additive to improve ballistic and energy performance in solid propellants, but the unburned aluminium does not contribute to the specific impulse and has both thermal and momentum two-phase flow losses. So understanding of aluminium combustion behaviour during solid propellant burning is significant when improving internal ballistic performance. Recent developments and experimental results reported on such combustion behaviour are presented in this paper. A variety of experimental techniques ranging from quenching and dynamic measurement, to high-speed CCD video recording, were used to study aluminium combustion behaviour and the size distribution of the initial agglomerates. This experimental investigation also provides the size distribution of the condensed phase products. Results suggest that the addition of an organic fluoride compound to solid propellant will generate smaller diameter condensed phase products due to sublimation of AlF3. Lastly, a physico-chemical picture of the agglomeration process was also developed based on the results of high-speed CCD video analysis.

Electromagnetic Vortex-Based Radar Imaging Using a Single Receiving Antenna: Theory and Experimental Results

PubMed Central

Yuan, Tiezhu; Wang, Hongqiang; Cheng, Yongqiang; Qin, Yuliang

2017-01-01

Radar imaging based on electromagnetic vortex can achieve azimuth resolution without relative motion. The present paper investigates this imaging technique with the use of a single receiving antenna through theoretical analysis and experimental results. Compared with the use of multiple receiving antennas, the echoes from a single receiver cannot be used directly for image reconstruction using Fourier method. The reason is revealed by using the point spread function. An additional phase is compensated for each mode before imaging process based on the array parameters and the elevation of the targets. A proof-of-concept imaging system based on a circular phased array is created, and imaging experiments of corner-reflector targets are performed in an anechoic chamber. The azimuthal image is reconstructed by the use of Fourier transform and spectral estimation methods. The azimuth resolution of the two methods is analyzed and compared through experimental data. The experimental results verify the principle of azimuth resolution and the proposed phase compensation method. PMID:28335487

Mathematical models of the fate of lymphoma B cells after antigen receptor ligation with specific antibodies.

PubMed

Alarcón, Tomás; Marches, Radu; Page, Karen M

2006-05-07

We formulate models of the mechanism(s) by which B cell lymphoma cells stimulated with an antibody specific to the B cell receptor (IgM) become quiescent or apoptotic. In particular, we aim to reproduce experimental results by Marches et al. according to which the fate of the targeted cells (Daudi) depends on the levels of expression of p21(Waf1) (p21) cell-cycle inhibitor. A simple model is formulated in which the basic ingredients are p21 and caspase activity, and their mutual inhibition. We show that this model does not reproduce the experimental results and that further refinement is needed. A second model successfully reproduces the experimental observations, for a given set of parameter values, indicating a critical role for Myc in the fate decision process. We use bifurcation analysis and objective sensitivity analysis to assess the robustness of our results. Importantly, this analysis yields experimentally testable predictions on the role of Myc, which could have therapeutic implications.

Process-induced defects in terrestrial solar cells

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindholm, F. A.; Li, S. S.; Sah, C. T.

1975-01-01

Experimental and theoretical work on low resistivity, high efficiency solar cells indicates the dominant role that defects take in determining performance. High doping mechanisms produce gap shrinkage by band tailing, impurity band widening and impurity misfit; altered interband transmission rates result from Auger impact, SRH processes, or from electronic tunneling via defects. Characterizations of cell materials for their defects and their relations to the chosen fabrication processes are proposed.

Real-time processing of interferograms for monitoring protein crystal growth on the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choudry, A.; Dupuis, N.

1988-01-01

The possibility of using microscopic interferometric techniques to monitor the growth of protein crystals on the Space Station is studied. Digital image processing techniques are used to develop a system for the real-time analysis of microscopic interferograms of nucleation sites during protein crystal growth. Features of the optical setup and the image processing system are discussed and experimental results are presented.

Where and How Does Grammatically Geared Processing Take Place--And Why Is Broca's Area Often Involved. A Coordinated fMRI/ERBP Study of Language Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogil, Grzegorz; Frese, Inga; Haider, Hubert; Rohm, Dietmar; Wokurek, Wolfgang

2004-01-01

We address the possibility of combining the results from hemodynamic and electrophysiological methods for the study of cognitive processing of language. The hemodynamic method we use is Event-Related fMRI, and the electrophysiological method measures Event-Related Band Power (ERBP) of the EEG signal. The experimental technique allows us to…

Interfacial and capillary phenomena in solidification processing of metal-matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Asthana, R.; Tewari, S. N.

1993-01-01

Chemical and hydrodynamic aspects of wetting and interfacial phenomena during the solidification processing of metal-matrix composites are reviewed. Significant experimental results on fiber-matrix interactions and wetting under equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions in composites of engineering interest have been compiled, based on a survey of the recent literature. Finally, certain aspects of wetting relevant to stir-casting and infiltration processing of composites are discussed.

Three Dimensional Forming Simulation of the Shielded Slot Plate for the MCFC Using a Ductile Fracture Criterion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, C. H.; Yang, D. Y.; Lee, S. R.; Chang, I. G.; Lee, T. W.

2011-08-01

The shielded slot plate, which has a sheared corrugated trapezoidal pattern, is a component of the metallic bipolar plate for the molten carbonate fuel cell (MCFC). In order to increase the efficiency of the fuel cell, the unit cell of the shielded slot plate should have a relatively large upper area. Additionally, defects from the forming process should be minimized. In order to simulate the slitting process, whereby sheared corrugated patterns are formed, ductile fracture criteria based on the histories of stress and strain are employed. The user material subroutine VUMAT is employed for implementation of the material and ductile fracture criteria in the commercial FEM software ABAQUS. The variables of the ductile fracture criteria were determined by comparing the simulation results and the experimental results of the tension test and the shearing test. Parametric studies were conducted to determine the critical value of the ductile fracture criterion. Employing these ductile fracture criteria, the three dimensional forming process of the shielded slot plate was numerically simulated. The effects of the slitting process in the forming process of the shielded slot plate were analyzed through a FEM simulation and experimental studies. Finally, experiments involving microscopic and macroscopic observations were conducted to verify the numerical simulations of the 3-step forming process.

Regarding to the Variance Analysis of Regression Equation of the Surface Roughness obtained by End Milling process of 7136 Aluminium Alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

POP, A. B.; ȚÎȚU, M. A.

2016-11-01

In the metal cutting process, surface quality is intrinsically related to the cutting parameters and to the cutting tool geometry. At the same time, metal cutting processes are closely related to the machining costs. The purpose of this paper is to reduce manufacturing costs and processing time. A study was made, based on the mathematical modelling of the average of the absolute value deviation (Ra) resulting from the end milling process on 7136 aluminium alloy, depending on cutting process parameters. The novel element brought by this paper is the 7136 aluminium alloy type, chosen to conduct the experiments, which is a material developed and patented by Universal Alloy Corporation. This aluminium alloy is used in the aircraft industry to make parts from extruded profiles, and it has not been studied for the proposed research direction. Based on this research, a mathematical model of surface roughness Ra was established according to the cutting parameters studied in a set experimental field. A regression analysis was performed, which identified the quantitative relationships between cutting parameters and the surface roughness. Using the variance analysis ANOVA, the degree of confidence for the achieved results by the regression equation was determined, and the suitability of this equation at every point of the experimental field.

Prediction of Tensile Strength of Friction Stir Weld Joints with Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) and Neural Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dewan, Mohammad W.; Huggett, Daniel J.; Liao, T. Warren; Wahab, Muhammad A.; Okeil, Ayman M.

2015-01-01

Friction-stir-welding (FSW) is a solid-state joining process where joint properties are dependent on welding process parameters. In the current study three critical process parameters including spindle speed (??), plunge force (????), and welding speed (??) are considered key factors in the determination of ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of welded aluminum alloy joints. A total of 73 weld schedules were welded and tensile properties were subsequently obtained experimentally. It is observed that all three process parameters have direct influence on UTS of the welded joints. Utilizing experimental data, an optimized adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) model has been developed to predict UTS of FSW joints. A total of 1200 models were developed by varying the number of membership functions (MFs), type of MFs, and combination of four input variables (??,??,????,??????) utilizing a MATLAB platform. Note EFI denotes an empirical force index derived from the three process parameters. For comparison, optimized artificial neural network (ANN) models were also developed to predict UTS from FSW process parameters. By comparing ANFIS and ANN predicted results, it was found that optimized ANFIS models provide better results than ANN. This newly developed best ANFIS model could be utilized for prediction of UTS of FSW joints.

Optimization of bio-ethanol autothermal reforming and carbon monoxide removal processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Markova, D.; Bazbauers, G.; Valters, K.; Alhucema Arias, R.; Weuffen, C.; Rochlitz, L.

Experimental investigation of bio-ethanol autothermal reforming (ATR) and water-gas shift (WGS) processes for hydrogen production and regression analysis of the data is performed in the study. The main goal was to obtain regression relations between the most critical dependent variables such as hydrogen, carbon monoxide and methane content in the reformate gas and independent factors such as air-to-fuel ratio (λ), steam-to-carbon ratio (S/C), inlet temperature of reactants into reforming process (T ATRin), pressure (p) and temperature (T ATR) in the ATR reactor from the experimental data. Purpose of the regression models is to provide optimum values of the process factors that give the maximum amount of hydrogen. The experimental ATR system consisted of an evaporator, an ATR reactor and a one-stage WGS reactor. Empirical relations between hydrogen, carbon monoxide, methane content and the controlling parameters downstream of the ATR reactor are shown in the work. The optimization results show that within the considered range of the process factors the maximum hydrogen concentration of 42 dry vol. % and yield of 3.8 mol mol -1 of ethanol downstream of the ATR reactor can be achieved at S/C = 2.5, λ = 0.20-0.23, p = 0.4 bar, T ATRin = 230 °C, T ATR = 640 °C.

Integration of experimental and computational methods for identifying geometric, thermal and diffusive properties of biomaterials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weres, Jerzy; Kujawa, Sebastian; Olek, Wiesław; Czajkowski, Łukasz

2016-04-01

Knowledge of physical properties of biomaterials is important in understanding and designing agri-food and wood processing industries. In the study presented in this paper computational methods were developed and combined with experiments to enhance identification of agri-food and forest product properties, and to predict heat and water transport in such products. They were based on the finite element model of heat and water transport and supplemented with experimental data. Algorithms were proposed for image processing, geometry meshing, and inverse/direct finite element modelling. The resulting software system was composed of integrated subsystems for 3D geometry data acquisition and mesh generation, for 3D geometry modelling and visualization, and for inverse/direct problem computations for the heat and water transport processes. Auxiliary packages were developed to assess performance, accuracy and unification of data access. The software was validated by identifying selected properties and using the estimated values to predict the examined processes, and then comparing predictions to experimental data. The geometry, thermal conductivity, specific heat, coefficient of water diffusion, equilibrium water content and convective heat and water transfer coefficients in the boundary layer were analysed. The estimated values, used as an input for simulation of the examined processes, enabled reduction in the uncertainty associated with predictions.

Modelling and simulation of a moving interface problem: freeze drying of black tea extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aydin, Ebubekir Sıddık; Yucel, Ozgun; Sadikoglu, Hasan

2017-06-01

The moving interface separates the material that is subjected to the freeze drying process as dried and frozen. Therefore, the accurate modeling the moving interface reduces the process time and energy consumption by improving the heat and mass transfer predictions during the process. To describe the dynamic behavior of the drying stages of the freeze-drying, a case study of brewed black tea extract in storage trays including moving interface was modeled that the heat and mass transfer equations were solved using orthogonal collocation method based on Jacobian polynomial approximation. Transport parameters and physical properties describing the freeze drying of black tea extract were evaluated by fitting the experimental data using Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm. Experimental results showed good agreement with the theoretical predictions.

Operational stability prediction in milling based on impact tests

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiss, Adam K.; Hajdu, David; Bachrathy, Daniel; Stepan, Gabor

2018-03-01

Chatter detection is usually based on the analysis of measured signals captured during cutting processes. These techniques, however, often give ambiguous results close to the stability boundaries, which is a major limitation in industrial applications. In this paper, an experimental chatter detection method is proposed based on the system's response for perturbations during the machining process, and no system parameter identification is required. The proposed method identifies the dominant characteristic multiplier of the periodic dynamical system that models the milling process. The variation of the modulus of the largest characteristic multiplier can also be monitored, the stability boundary can precisely be extrapolated, while the manufacturing parameters are still kept in the chatter-free region. The method is derived in details, and also verified experimentally in laboratory environment.

Experimental process investigation of a latent heat energy storage system with a staggered heat exchanger with different phase change materials for solar thermal energy storage applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsolakoglou, Nikolas P.; Koukou, Maria K.; Vrachopoulos, Michalis Gr.; Tachos, Nikolaos; Lymberis, Kostas; Stathopoulos, Vassilis

2017-11-01

This work investigates melting and solidification processes of four different Phase Change Materials (PCM) used as latent heat thermal storage system. The experimental rig was consisted of an insulated tank, filled with the under investigation PCM, a staggered heat exchanger to supply or extract heat from the PCM cavity and a water pump to circulate Heat Transfer Fluid (HTF). Both charging (melting) and discharging (solidification) processes were conducted for two different HTF flow rates. The main scope of this work was to develop a first approach and to investigate the behaviour of PCM under various load conditions (different HTF flow rates). Results show that different HTF flow rates affect melting and solidification time periods; in both processes time was reduced while HTF flow rate was increased but in differentways due to the transition from conduction to convection heat transfer mechanisms.

Elucidating unconscious processing with instrumental hypnosis

PubMed Central

Landry, Mathieu; Appourchaux, Krystèle; Raz, Amir

2014-01-01

Most researchers leverage bottom-up suppression to unlock the underlying mechanisms of unconscious processing. However, a top-down approach – for example via hypnotic suggestion – paves the road to experimental innovation and complementary data that afford new scientific insights concerning attention and the unconscious. Drawing from a reliable taxonomy that differentiates subliminal and preconscious processing, we outline how an experimental trajectory that champions top-down suppression techniques, such as those practiced in hypnosis, is uniquely poised to further contextualize and refine our scientific understanding of unconscious processing. Examining subliminal and preconscious methods, we demonstrate how instrumental hypnosis provides a reliable adjunct that supplements contemporary approaches. Specifically, we provide an integrative synthesis of the advantages and shortcomings that accompany a top-down approach to probe the unconscious mind. Our account provides a larger framework for complementing the results from core studies involving prevailing subliminal and preconscious techniques. PMID:25120504

Failure Analysis of a Sheet Metal Blanking Process Based on Damage Coupling Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Y.; Chen, Z. H.; Zang, Y.

2013-11-01

In this paper, a blanking process of sheet metal is studied by the methods of numerical simulation and experimental observation. The effects of varying technological parameters related to the quality of products are investigated. An elastoplastic constitutive equation accounting for isotropic ductile damage is implemented into the finite element code ABAQUS with a user-defined material subroutine UMAT. The simulations of the damage evolution and ductile fracture in a sheet metal blanking process have been carried out by the FEM. In order to guarantee computation accuracy and avoid numerical divergence during large plastic deformation, a specified remeshing technique is successively applied when severe element distortion occurs. In the simulation, the evolutions of damage at different stage of the blanking process have been evaluated and the distributions of damage obtained from simulation are in proper agreement with the experimental results.

Experimental Replication of an Aeroengine Combustion Instability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cohen, J. M.; Hibshman, J. R.; Proscia, W.; Rosfjord, T. J.; Wake, B. E.; McVey, J. B.; Lovett, J.; Ondas, M.; DeLaat, J.; Breisacher, K.

2000-01-01

Combustion instabilities in gas turbine engines are most frequently encountered during the late phases of engine development, at which point they are difficult and expensive to fix. The ability to replicate an engine-traceable combustion instability in a laboratory-scale experiment offers the opportunity to economically diagnose the problem (to determine the root cause), and to investigate solutions to the problem, such as active control. The development and validation of active combustion instability control requires that the causal dynamic processes be reproduced in experimental test facilities which can be used as a test bed for control system evaluation. This paper discusses the process through which a laboratory-scale experiment was designed to replicate an instability observed in a developmental engine. The scaling process used physically-based analyses to preserve the relevant geometric, acoustic and thermo-fluid features. The process increases the probability that results achieved in the single-nozzle experiment will be scalable to the engine.

Residual Gases in Crystal Growth Systems: Their Origin, Magnitude, and Dependence on the Processing Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palosz, W.

2003-01-01

Residual gases present in closed ampoules may affect different crystal growth processes. Their presence may affect techniques requiring low pressures and affect the crystal quality in different ways. For that reason a good understanding and control of formation of residual gases may be important for an optimum design and meaningful interpretation of crystal growth experiments. Our extensive experimental and theoretical study includes degassing of silica glass and generation of gases from various source materials. Different materials processing conditions, like outgassing under vacuum, annealing in hydrogen, resublimation, different material preparation procedures, multiple annealings, different processing times, and others were applied and their effect on the amount and composition of gas were analyzed. The experimental results were interpreted based on theoretical calculations on diffusion in silica glass and source materials and thermochemistry of the system. Procedures for a reduction of the amount of gas are also discussed.

A Comparison of Crater-Size Scaling and Ejection-Speed Scaling During Experimental Impacts in Sand

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, J. L. B.; Cintala, M. J.; Johnson, M. K.

2014-01-01

Non-dimensional scaling relationships are used to understand various cratering processes including final crater sizes and the excavation of material from a growing crater. The principal assumption behind these scaling relationships is that these processes depend on a combination of the projectile's characteristics, namely its diameter, density, and impact speed. This simplifies the impact event into a single point-source. So long as the process of interest is beyond a few projectile radii from the impact point, the point-source assumption holds. These assumptions can be tested through laboratory experiments in which the initial conditions of the impact are controlled and resulting processes measured directly. In this contribution, we continue our exploration of the congruence between crater-size scaling and ejection-speed scaling relationships. In particular, we examine a series of experimental suites in which the projectile diameter and average grain size of the target are varied.

Mechanism study and numerical simulation of Uranium nitriding induced by high energy laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Yuan; Xu, Jingjing; Qi, Yanwen; Li, Shengpeng; Zhao, Hui

2018-06-01

The gradients of interfacial tension induced by local heating led to Marangoni convection, which had a significant effect on surface formation and the process of mass transport in the laser nitriding of uranium. An experimental observation of the underlying processes was very difficult. In present study, the Marangoni convection was considered and the computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis technique of FLUENT program was performed to determine the physical processes such as heat transfer and mass transport. The progress of gas-liquid falling film desorption was presented by combining phase-change model with fluid volume function (VOF) model. The time-dependent distribution of the temperature had been derived. Moreover, the concentration and distribution of nitrogen across the laser spot are calculated. The simulation results matched with the experimental data. The numerical resolution method provided a better approach to know the physical processes and dependencies of the coating formation.

Quantum System Identification via L1-norm Minimization

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-30

number of entangled states for varying levels of amplitude damping γ. tude damping γ. In photonic systems γ is the probability of a photon loss. In...quantum process is a photonic entangling gate. A measurement configuration is defined as some combination of state preparation and an observable...first experimental demonstration of QPT via CS on a photonic system at the University of Queensland. The latter experimental results showed the

Experimental study of nuclear fusion reactions in muonic molecular systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bogdanova, L. N., E-mail: ludmila@itep.ru

2013-03-15

Since the pioneering discovery of the muon catalysis by Alvarez [L. W. Alvarez, K. Brander, F. S. Crawford, et al., Phys. Rev. 105, 1127 (1957)], considerable efforts were aimed at observation of various fusion processes. Results of these studies facilitated understanding the properties of lightest nuclei and dynamics of low-energy fusion reactions. There still remain unsolved theoretical and experimental problems, especially in case of pt fusion.

Dynamics-based damage inspection of an aircraft wing panel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pai, P. F.; Kim, Byeong-Seok; Chung, Jaycee H.

2003-08-01

This paper presents the dynamic characteristics and damage detection of an aircraft wing panel using a scanning laser vibrometer. The panel has an irregular shape with side lengths 16.44" x 14.82" x 11.10" x 5.38" x 14.22", different values of thickness (0.059" to 0.110"), and seven ribs on its backside. An in-house finite element code GESA is used to model the panel using 528 DKT plate elements and to obtain mode shapes and natural frequencies, and Operational Deflection Shapes (ODS) are measured using a scanning laser vibrometer. Results show that numerical dynamic characteristics agree well with the experimental ones. Six defects are created in the panel, including four small nuts glued on the backside and two small slots cut by electron discharge machining. Detection of the six defects is performed using the distributions of RMS velocities under high-frequency broadband periodic chirp excitations provided by a PZT patch and damage locating curves obtained by processing experimental ODSs using a newly developed BOudnary Effect Evaluation (BEE) method. The BEE method is non-destructive and model-independent; it processes experimental ODSs to reveal local boundary effects caused by defects. Experimental results show that the six small defects in the panel can be pinpointed using the approach.

Experimental investigation of heat transfer of R134a in pool boiling on stainless steel and aluminum tubes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wengler, C.; Addy, J.; Luke, A.

2018-03-01

Due to high energy demand required for chemical processes, refrigeration and process industries the increase of efficiency and performance of thermal systems especially evaporators is indispensable. One of the possibilities to meet this purpose are investigations in enhancement of the heat transfer in nucleate boiling where high heat fluxes at low superheat are transferred. In the present work, the heat transfer in pool boiling is investigated with pure R134a over wide ranges of reduced pressures and heat fluxes. The heating materials of the test tubes are aluminum and stainless steel. The influence of the thermal conductivity on the heat transfer coefficients is analysed by the surface roughness of sandblasted surfaces. The heat transfer coefficient increases with increasing thermal conductivity, surface roughness and reduced pressures. The experimental results show a small degradation of the heat transfer coefficients between the two heating materials aluminum and stainless steel. In correlation with the VDI Heat Atlas, the experimental results are matching well with the predictions but do not accurately consider the stainless steel material reference properties.

Boric acid permeation in forward osmosis membrane processes: modeling, experiments, and implications.

PubMed

Jin, Xue; Tang, Chuyang Y; Gu, Yangshuo; She, Qianhong; Qi, Saren

2011-03-15

Forward osmosis (FO) is attracting increasing interest for its potential applications in desalination. In FO, permeation of contaminants from feed solution into draw solution through the semipermeable membrane can take place simultaneously with water diffusion. Understanding the contaminants transport through and rejection by FO membrane has significant technical implications in the way to separate clean water from the diluted draw solution. In this study, a model was developed to predict boron flux in FO operation. A strong agreement between modeling results and experimental data indicates that the model developed in this study can accurately predict the boron transport through FO membranes. Furthermore, the model can guide the fabrication of improved FO membranes with decreased boron permeability and structural parameter to minimize boron flux. Both theoretical model and experimental results demonstrated that when membrane active layer was facing draw solution, boron flux was substantially greater compared to the other membrane orientation due to more severe internal concentration polarization. In this investigation, for the first time, rejection of contaminants was defined in FO processes. This is critical to compare the membrane performance between different membranes and experimental conditions.

Experimental Evaluation of Processing Time for the Synchronization of XML-Based Business Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ameling, Michael; Wolf, Bernhard; Springer, Thomas; Schill, Alexander

Business objects (BOs) are data containers for complex data structures used in business applications such as Supply Chain Management and Customer Relationship Management. Due to the replication of application logic, multiple copies of BOs are created which have to be synchronized and updated. This is a complex and time consuming task because BOs rigorously vary in their structure according to the distribution, number and size of elements. Since BOs are internally represented as XML documents, the parsing of XML is one major cost factor which has to be considered for minimizing the processing time during synchronization. The prediction of the parsing time for BOs is an significant property for the selection of an efficient synchronization mechanism. In this paper, we present a method to evaluate the influence of the structure of BOs on their parsing time. The results of our experimental evaluation incorporating four different XML parsers examine the dependencies between the distribution of elements and the parsing time. Finally, a general cost model will be validated and simplified according to the results of the experimental setup.

Experimental modelling of fragmentation applied to volcanic explosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haug, Øystein Thordén; Galland, Olivier; Gisler, Galen R.

2013-12-01

Explosions during volcanic eruptions cause fragmentation of magma and host rock, resulting in fragments with sizes ranging from boulders to fine ash. The products can be described by fragment size distributions (FSD), which commonly follow power laws with exponent D. The processes that lead to power-law distributions and the physical parameters that control D remain unknown. We developed a quantitative experimental procedure to study the physics of the fragmentation process through time. The apparatus consists of a Hele-Shaw cell containing a layer of cohesive silica flour that is fragmented by a rapid injection of pressurized air. The evolving fragmentation of the flour is monitored with a high-speed camera, and the images are analysed to obtain the evolution of the number of fragments (N), their average size (A), and the FSD. Using the results from our image-analysis procedure, we find transient empirical laws for N, A and the exponent D of the power-law FSD as functions of the initial air pressure. We show that our experimental procedure is a promising tool for unravelling the complex physics of fragmentation during phreatomagmatic and phreatic eruptions.

Overview of the Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heeg, Jennifer; Chwalowski, Pawel; Florance, Jennifer P.; Wieseman, Carol D.; Schuster, David M.; Perry, Raleigh B.

2013-01-01

The Aeroelastic Prediction Workshop brought together an international community of computational fluid dynamicists as a step in defining the state of the art in computational aeroelasticity. This workshop's technical focus was prediction of unsteady pressure distributions resulting from forced motion, benchmarking the results first using unforced system data. The most challenging aspects of the physics were identified as capturing oscillatory shock behavior, dynamic shock-induced separated flow and tunnel wall boundary layer influences. The majority of the participants used unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes codes. These codes were exercised at transonic Mach numbers for three configurations and comparisons were made with existing experimental data. Substantial variations were observed among the computational solutions as well as differences relative to the experimental data. Contributing issues to these differences include wall effects and wall modeling, non-standardized convergence criteria, inclusion of static aeroelastic deflection, methodology for oscillatory solutions, post-processing methods. Contributing issues pertaining principally to the experimental data sets include the position of the model relative to the tunnel wall, splitter plate size, wind tunnel expansion slot configuration, spacing and location of pressure instrumentation, and data processing methods.

Capacitive Deionization of High-Salinity Solutions

DOE PAGES

Sharma, Ketki; Gabitto, Jorge; Mayes, Richard T.; ...

2014-12-22

Desalination of high salinity solutions has been studied using a novel experimental technique and a theoretical model. Neutron imaging has been employed to visualize lithium ions in mesoporous carbon materials, which are used as electrodes in capacitive deionization for water desalination. Experiments were conducted with a flow-through capacitive deionization cell designed for neutron imaging and with lithium chloride ( 6LiCl) as the electrolyte. Sequences of neutron images have been obtained at a relatively high concentration of lithium chloride ( 6LiCl) solution to provide information on the transport of ions within the electrodes. A new model that computes the individual ionicmore » concentration profiles inside mesoporous carbon electrodes has been used to simulate the capacitive deionization process. Modifications have also been introduced into the simulation model to calculate results at high electrolyte concentrations. Experimental data and simulation results provide insight into why capacitive deionization is not effective for desalination of high ionic-strength solutions. The combination of experimental information, obtained through neutron imaging, with the theoretical model will help in the design of capacitive deionization devices, which can improve the process for high ionic-strength solutions.« less

Modeling of Powder Bed Manufacturing Defects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mindt, H.-W.; Desmaison, O.; Megahed, M.; Peralta, A.; Neumann, J.

2018-01-01

Powder bed additive manufacturing offers unmatched capabilities. The deposition resolution achieved is extremely high enabling the production of innovative functional products and materials. Achieving the desired final quality is, however, hampered by many potential defects that have to be managed in due course of the manufacturing process. Defects observed in products manufactured via powder bed fusion have been studied experimentally. In this effort we have relied on experiments reported in the literature and—when experimental data were not sufficient—we have performed additional experiments providing an extended foundation for defect analysis. There is large interest in reducing the effort and cost of additive manufacturing process qualification and certification using integrated computational material engineering. A prerequisite is, however, that numerical methods can indeed capture defects. A multiscale multiphysics platform is developed and applied to predict and explain the origin of several defects that have been observed experimentally during laser-based powder bed fusion processes. The models utilized are briefly introduced. The ability of the models to capture the observed defects is verified. The root cause of the defects is explained by analyzing the numerical results thus confirming the ability of numerical methods to provide a foundation for rapid process qualification.