自适应连续多级分区与初始阈值估计的快速模板匹配方法

归一化互相关测度在光照改变时比采用绝对差之和测度（SAD）要稳定，但是归一化互相关测度的缺陷在于它的计算量非常大。为此，提出了一种结合自适应连续多级分区和初始阈值估计的基于归一化互相关（NCC）的快速模板匹配算法。根据模板图像中不同模块的梯度值，将模板图像进行逐级分区，通过分区顺序将互相关之和分为不同的层，得到各层互相关的上界，运用柯西-施不等式得到上界间的关系，形成自适应连续多级分区淘汰方法。同时，为了加快匹配速度，利用初始阈值估计产生一个较大的边界阈值，以淘汰初始搜索时的大量非匹配点，减少搜索点数目。实验结果表明:所提出的算法具有较好的鲁棒性，且算法的执行速度优于传统算法。     

Requisite Accuracy for Hot Spot Factors in Fast Reactors

In the thermal design of a fast reactor, it should be most effective to reduce hot spot factors to the lowest possible level compatible with safety considerations, in order to minimize the design margin for the temperature prevailing in the core. Hot spot factors account for probabilistic and statistic deviations from nominal value of fuel element temperatures, due to uncertainties in the data adopted for estimating various factors including the physical properties. Such temperature deviations necessitate the provision of correspondingly large design margins for temperatures in order to keep within permissible limits the probability of exceeding the allowable temperatures.

Evaluation of the desired accuracy for hot spot factors is performed by a method of optimization, which permits determination of the degree of accuracy that should minimize the design margins, to give realistic results with consideration given not only to sensitivity coefficients but also to the present-day uncertainty levels in the data adopted in the calculations. A concept of “degree of difficulty” is introduced for the purpose of determining the hot spot factors to be given higher priority for reduction.

Application of this method to the core of a prototype fast reactor leads to the conclusion that the hot spot factors to be given the highest priority are those relevant to the power distribution, the flow distribution, the fuel enrichment, the fuel-cladding gap conductance and the fuel thermal conductivity.     

矩孔夫琅禾费衍射的解析解和数值解

通过对衍射屏透光函数进行二维傅里叶变换和离散型快速傅里叶变换,分别得到矩孔夫琅禾费衍射的光强分布的解析表达式和数值结果。然后借助Matlab软件强大的作图功能实现了两种情况下光强分布的可视化仿真,具体分析了衍射图像随矩形孔径大小的变化情况。最后通过将数值解和解析解直接比较,指出提高数值解图像分辨率保证结果有效可靠的关键性因素是对输入信号进行适当的补零。     

Comprehension and acceptability of on-board traffic information: Beliefs and driving behaviour

Co-Drive on-board traffic information system is a complementary tool providing a dynamic management of transportation infrastructure and traffic as well as the diffusion of accurate real-time information about the road environment and motorists’ driving behaviour. The aim of this study was to examine drivers’ acceptability of Co-Drive by investigating the impact of traffic information provided via on-board display devices on motorists’ beliefs and behaviour.     

Modern breaking of Enigma ciphertexts

“Breaking German Army Ciphers” is the title of a Cryptologia article from 2005, describing the lucky survival of several hundred authentic Enigma messages of World War II, and an account of a ciphertext-only cryptanalysis of a large number of these messages, leaving only a few (mostly short messages) unbroken. After reviewing the work done, and investigating the reasons for both lucky breaks and close misses, the modern ciphertext-only attack on Enigma messages is improved, especially on genuine ones with short lengths and/or many garbles. The difficulties of a proper measure for the candidate’s closeness to a plaintext are clarified. The influence on the decryption process of an empty plugboard and one with only a few correct plugs is examined. The method is extended by a partial exhaustion of the plugboard combined with an optimized hillclimbing strategy. The newly designed software succeeds in breaking formerly unbroken messages.     

Development of a hybrid ECT sensor for JSFR SG double-wall tubes

A new design has been adopted for the steam generator (SG) tubes of the Japan Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (JSFR) using double-wall tubes. This paper estimates and assesses the effectiveness of detecting defects in SG double-wall tubes of the JSFR by using combined high-frequency eddy current testing (ECT) and low-frequency remote field eddy current sensors. We confirm that the proposed hybrid ECT sensor is highly sensitive to small defects, fatigue cracks, and other defects even when located under support plates of tubes. The parameters of the hybrid ECT sensor are designed and optimized to detect small defects using accurate numerical simulations based on the finite element method, using an in-house developed code. The sensitivity and high performance of the hybrid ECT sensor was validated with experimental measurements.     

Fast group explicit algorithms for diffusion problems

In this paper fast algorithms based on the Group Explicit (GE) formula are derived and the implementation procedure described for the diffusion problem. The new algorithms have computational cost which is half that of the classical explicit method. Furthermore they are shown to be as accurate as the earlier methods with reduced stability problems.     

Development of the residual sodium quantification method for a fuel assembly of SFRs

ABSTRACT

In a fuel handling system of sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFRs), it is necessary to remove the sodium remaining on spent fuel assemblies (FAs) before storing them in a spent fuel water pool (SFP). A next-generation SFR in Japan has adopted an advanced dry cleaning process which consists of argon gas blowing to remove the metallic residual sodium on the FA, which increases economic competitiveness and reduces waste products thanks to a waterless process. In this R&D work, performance of the dry cleaning process has been investigated. This paper describes experimental and analytical work focusing on the amount of residual sodium remaining on FA components, for instance the handling head, the wrapper tube, the upper shielding, and the entrance nozzle. The tests, using water and sodium, investigated the amount of residual liquid remaining on laboratory scale specimens representing three fundamental shapes: narrow gaps, horizontal holes, and corners. On the basis of the experimental results, the residual sodium quantification method for FA was constructed. The constructed method enables quantitative estimation of the amount of residual sodium on the entire FA before and after the argon gas blowing with 95% reliability.