Methodology for optimization of pouring variables using bottom pour for low masses of SS304 (<300 kg) in investment casting process (case study)

Bottom pour ladles with stopper rod systems are commonly used in the metal casting industry. However, stopper rod bottom-pouring systems have not yet been developed for the lower thermal masses of alloys typically used in the investment casting industry. Large thermal masses used with bottom pour systems are typically limited for ladles larger than 700 kg and to certain alloys with higher fluidity and longer solidification time like cast iron, aluminum alloys etc. In this study, bottom pour ladle designs and low thermal mass refractory systems have been developed and evaluated in production investment foundry trials with 300 kg pouring ladle. The ladles system and pouring practices used will be described along with the results from the pouring trials for SS304 that represents typical alloys used in Investment casting industries. Optimization of the variables used in an experimentation using Genetic algorithm is also explained.     

Electrical Breakdown Properties and Space Charge Formation in High Temperature Region in Ultraviolet Ray Irradiated PVC

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is the most popular insulating material for electric wiring instruments. However, an exothermic reaction above 150 °C may cause deterioration of the insulating properties of PVC. Therefore, it is important to clarify the heat degradation in PVC, not only to investigate the ignition of electrical wiring products but also to use electrical products safely. It is known that ultraviolet (UV) irradiation causes chemical deterioration of PVC and an increase in its conductivity. Generally, it has been thought that the electrical breakdown properties, electrical conduction, and insulating performance are affected by space charge accumulation in an insulating material. A high temperature pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) system usable up to 250 °C has been developed, and the PEA system can measure the space charge distribution and conduction current in the high temperature range simultaneously. In this investigation, the space charge distribution and conduction current were measured up to electrical breakdown in a non‐UV irradiated sample (normal PVC) and in 353 nm and 253 nm UV‐irradiated PVC samples in the range from room temperature to 200 °C in a DC electric field. In the short wavelength UV irradiated PVC sample (253 nm, 300 h), a deterioration of breakdown strength at 90 °C to 150 °C and negative packet‐like charges were observed at 60 °C and 100 °C, a positive charge accumulated in front of both the anode and cathode above 90 °C, and a higher electric field near the cathode side because the positive charge of the cathode side was greater.     

Temperature cycling and its effect on mechanical behaviours of highporosity chalks

Temperature history can have a significant effect on the strength of water-saturated chalk.In this study,hydrostatic stress cycles are applied to understand the mechanical response of chalk samples exposed to temperature cycling between each stress cycle,compared to the samples tested at a constant temperature.The total accumulated strain during a stress cycle and the irreversible strain are reported.Chalk samples from Kansas(USA)and Mons(Belgium),with different degrees of induration(i.e.amount of contact cementation),were used.The samples were saturated with equilibrated water(polar)and nonpolar Isopar H oil to quantify water weakening.All samples tested during 10 stress cycles with varying temperature(i.e.temperature cycled in between each stress cycle)accumulated more strain than those tested at constant temperatures.All the stress cycles were performed at 30℃.The two chalk types behaved similarly when saturated with Isopar H oil,but differently when saturated with water.When saturated with water,the stronger Kansas chalk accumulated more total strain and more irreversible strain within each stress cycle than the weaker Mons chalk.     

Automated classification of simulated wind field patterns from multiphysics ensemble forecasts

In this study, we have proposed an automated classification approach to identify meaningful patterns in wind field data. Utilizing an extensive simulated wind database, we have demonstrated that the proposed approach can identify low‐level jets, near‐uniform profiles, and other patterns in a reliable manner. We have studied the dependence of these wind profile patterns on locations (eg, offshore vs onshore), seasons, and diurnal cycles. Furthermore, we have found that the probability distributions of some of the patterns depend on the underlying planetary boundary layer schemes in a significant way. The future potential of the proposed approach in wind resource assessment and, more generally, in mesoscale model parameterization improvement is touched upon in this paper.     

Effect of in-situ formation of columnar mullite and pore structure refinement on high temperature properties of corundum casatbles

The effects of in-situ synthesis columnar mullite and pore structure on the hot modulus of rupture (HMOR), thermal shock resistance and corrosion resistance of corundum castables have been investigated in this paper. When 2% nano silica was added, the pore diameters of castables could be decreased to 15 nm (at 110 °C), 1 μm (1100 °C) and 6 μm (1500 °C), respectively. The corresponding reducing magnitude of pore size is 98.5%, 83.3% and 33.3%. The HMOR of castables fired at 1500 °C increased by 110% to 3.64 MPa. Furthermore, after three thermal shock cycles, the residual strength ratio of castables increased from 5.2% to 15.3%. A large amount of cross-distributed columnar mullite was formed between nano silica and α-Al₂O₃ by the two-dimensional nucleation mechanism, which remarkably enhanced the high temperature properties. The penetration index reduced from 30.86% to 19.88%, suggesting that smaller pore size and higher viscosity had a great influence to the penetration process.     

Voltage reference architectures for low-supply-voltage low-power applications

This paper presents a voltage reference generator architecture and two different realizations of it that have been fabricated within a standard 0.18 μm CMOS technology. The architecture takes the advantage of utilizing a sampled-data amplifier (SDA) to optimize the power consumption. The circuits achieve output voltages on the order of 190 mV with temperature coefficients of 43 ppm/°C and 52.5 ppm/°C over the temperature range of 0 to 120°C without any trimming with a 0.8 V single supply. The power consumptions of the circuits are less then 500 nW while occupying an area of 0.2 mm² and 0.08 mm², respectively.     

DP980+Z烘烤硬化值与退火温度的关系

摘要：为了研究退火温度对镀锌DP980+Z烘烤硬化值的影响，退火温度控制在760～820℃之间，系统分析退火温度对烘烤硬化值的影响。通过准静态拉伸试验机测量烘烤硬化值及抗拉强度，采用lepara试剂对组织中的马氏体进行着色，利用金相显微镜及图像处理软件测量马氏体的体积分数；采用扫描电镜观察DP980+Z的双相组织特点，并且将组织图片通过CAD转化成有限元图进行网格划分，建立代表性体积单元（RVE），通过有限元分析铁素体、马氏体强度对烘烤硬化值的影响。在同样的变形量情况下，DP980+Z的原始屈服强度越高，烘烤硬化值越高。     

低觉醒脑电识别与唤醒的可穿戴系统研究

为智能化地识别警戒作业人员出现的低觉醒、注意力下降的生理状态，本文介绍了一种基于FPGA和脑电信号处理的低觉醒状态检测与唤醒系统，系统通过传感器从大脑头皮采集脑电信号，转换为数字信号，经傅里叶变换获取了脑电信号的θ相对能量、α相对能量、重心频率、谱熵等4个特征量，由4个特征量表征低觉醒状态并运用支持向量机对低警戒状态进行识别，当识别出低觉醒状态时采用声音报警模块发出声音，唤醒警戒作业人员。设计系统能够较好地识别出低觉醒状态，识别率达90.8%，可为提高警戒作业工作绩效提供一种可穿戴的智能装备。     

低剂量抑制剂Inhibex501存在下的甲烷水合物相平衡研究

含动力学抑制剂的天然气水合物相平衡研究对新型低剂量抑制剂的开发具有指导作用。在283.6 ~ 290.9 K和7.51 MPa ~ 15.97 MPa的温压范围内研究了抑制剂Inhibex501及其溶剂2-乙二醇单丁醚对甲烷水合物相平衡条件的影响。实验结果显示，0.5wt%和2.0wt%浓度的Inhibex501对甲烷水合物形成的热力学条件具有促进作用，能使甲烷水合物形成移向更高的温度或者更低的压力，而2-乙二醇单丁醚在浓度0.2wt% ~ 1.0wt%范围几乎不改变甲烷水合物形成的热力学条件，N-乙烯基己内酰胺与N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮的共聚物对水合物形成热力学条件的改变起主要作用。     

A Constitutive Equation of Thermoelasticity for Solid Materials

A new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity for crystals is presented based on the interatomic potential and solid mechanics at finite temperature. Using the new constitutive equation, the calculations for crystal copper and graphene are carried out under different loading paths at different temperatures. The calculated results are in good agreement with those of the previous thermoelasticity constitutive equation based on quantum mechanics, which clearly indicates that our new constitutive equation of thermoelasticity is correct. A lot of comparisons also show that the present theory is more concise and efficient than the previous thermal stress theory in the practical application.