Overlaps in Requirements Engineering

Although overlap between specifications—that is the incorporation of elements which designate common aspects of the system of concern—is a precondition for specification inconsistency, it has only been a side concern in requirements engineering research. This paper is concerned with overlaps. It defines overlap relations in terms of specification interpretations, identifies properties of these relations which are derived from the proposed definition, shows how overlaps may affect the detection of inconsistency; shows how specifications could be rewritten to reflect overlap relations and still be amenable to consistency checking using theorem proving; analyses various methods that have been proposed for identifying overlaps with respect to the proposed definition; and outlines directions for future research.     

Snow metamorphism as revealed by scanning electron microscopy

Current theories of snow metamorphism indicate that sublimating snow crystals have rounded shapes, while growing crystals have shapes that depend on growth rates. At slow growth rates, crystals are rounded. At moderate rates, they have flat faces with rounded edges. At fast growth rates, crystals have flat faces with sharp edges, and they have hollow faces at very fast growth rates. The main growth/sublimation mechanism is thought to be by the homogeneous nucleation of new layers at or near crystal edges. It was also suggested that the equilibrium shape of snow crystals would be temperature dependent: rounded above -10.5 degrees C, and faceted below. To test these paradigms, we have performed SEM investigations of snow samples having undergone metamorphism under natural conditions, and of snow samples subjected to isothermal metamorphism at -4 degrees and -15 degrees C in the laboratory. In general, current theories predicting crystal shapes as a function of growth rates, and of whether crystals are growing or sublimating, are verified. However, the transition in equilibrium shapes from rounded to faceted at -10.5 degrees C is not observed in our isothermal experiments that reveal a predominance of rounded shapes after more than a month of metamorphism at -4 and -15 degrees C. Some small crystals with flat faces that also have sharp angles at -15 degrees C, are observed in our isothermal experiments. These faces are newly formed, and contradict current theory. Several hypotheses are proposed to explain their occurrence. One is that they are due to sublimation at emerging dislocations.     

Investigations of ductile damage during the process chains of toothed functional components manufactured by sheet-bulk metal forming

Sheet-bulk metal forming processes combine conventional sheet forming processes with bulk forming of sheet semi-finished parts. In these processes the sheets undergo complex forming histories. Due to in- and out-of-plane material flow and large accumulated plastic strains, the conventional failure prediction methods for sheet metal forming such as forming limit curve fall short. As a remedy, damage models can be applied to model damage evolution during those processes. In this study, damage evolution during the production of two different toothed components from DC04 steel is investigated. In both setups, a deep drawn cup is upset to form a circumferential gearing. However, the two final products have different dimensions and forming histories. Due to combined deep drawing and upsetting processes, the material flow on the cup walls is three-dimensional and non-proportional. In this study, the numerical and experimental investigations for those parts are presented and compared. Damage evolution in the process chains is simulated with a Lemaitre damage criterion. Microstructural analysis by scanning electron microscopy is performed in the regions with high mechanical loading. It is observed that the evolution of voids in terms of void volume fraction is strongly dependent on the deformation path. The comparison of simulation results with microstructural data shows that the void volume fraction decreases in the upsetting stage after an initial increase in the drawing stage. Moreover, the concurrent numerical and microstructural analysis provides evidence that the void volume fraction decreases during compression in sheet-bulk metal forming.     

Initial Stages in the Metal-dusting Process on Alloy 800

The initial stages of the metal-dusting process on Alloy 800 at 620 °C were investigated by light optical microscopy, RAMAN spectroscopy, atomic-force microscopy, Auger electron spectroscopy, transmission-electron microscopy and electron back-scatter diffraction. As it turned out the incubation period for metal-dusting is characterized by simultaneous formation of a heterogeneously growing oxide scale and deposition of carbon. The material surface shows different tarnish colors depending on the substrate-grain orientation with different susceptibility to the beginning of metal-dusting attack. “Low-index” grains were not attacked within the times investigated while the other grain orientations showed pitting. Carbon is evidently incorporated into the oxide scale from the very beginning of exposure with different intensities depending on the underlying substrate-grain orientation leading to differences in the tarnish colors. As a consequence carbides are formed even underneath “dense” oxide layers. Evidently metal-dusting attack starts at positions of the oxide scale where “higher carbon concentrations” are present.