Quantitative analysis of semiconductor supply chain contracts with order flexibility under demand uncertainty: A case study

The evidence base for the configuration of rolling horizon flexibility (RHF) contracts (a type of quantity flexibility contract) used in the semiconductor industry to coordinate production and demand remains meagre, more art than science. Informed by the characteristics of actual clauses and demand behaviors drawn from a company’s experience, a discrete-event simulation model is developed to represent the company’s supply chain. It comprises of three parties: a customer, a supplier (semiconductor manufacturer), and a capacity provider. Through analysis of customer forecasted demand the paper characterizes forecast demand as being under, over or unbiased. Models of these forecasted demands drives both long and short term planning. In long term planning, which is given twelve months before an order is delivered, capacity at the capacity provider is booked. Short term planning is also driven by this forecast which, within a binding period, is governed by an RHF contract. Results from the model report inventory levels, and delivery compliance, namely Delivery Performance (DP) and Delivery Reliability (DR), measures widely used in this sector. It is concluded from this work that on the balance of performance measures RHF contracts with asymmetrical flexibility bounds are substantially better than those with symmetrical boundaries, and that this conclusion is robust with regard to both over-planning and under-planning behaviors. This robustness is a critical attribute with respect to the endemic medium-term vacillation between both states experienced in practice in this sector.     

Multidimensional and transient modeling of an alkaline water electrolysis cell

A three-dimensional (3-D) transient numerical model of an alkaline water electrolysis (AWE) cell with potassium hydroxide solution is developed by rigorously accounting for the hydrogen and oxygen evolution reactions and resulting species and charge transport through various AWE components. First, the AWE model is experimentally validated against a polarization curve corresponding to a wide range of currents as high as 2.0 A·cm^?2. In general, the simulation results compare well with the measured data and further reveal the operating characteristics of AWE cells, showing key distributions of solid/electrolyte potentials and multidimensional contours of reactant and product concentrations at various current densities. In particular, the contribution of hydroxide ion (OH^?) diffusion to the ohmic losses through porous electrodes and a porous separator are quantitatively examined at low and high electrolyte flow rates. The present full 3-D AWE model provides a basic understanding of the electrochemical and transport phenomena and can be further applied to practical large-scale AWE cell and stack geometries for grid-scale hydrogen production.     

Three-dimensional finite element analysis of geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls with turning corners

The paper presents in-depth three-dimensional finite element analyses investigating geosynthetic-reinforced soil walls with turning corners. Validation of the 3D numerical procedure was first performed via comparisons between the simulated and reported results of a benchmark physical modeling built at the Royal Military College of Canada. GRS walls with corners of 90°, 105°, 120°, 135°, 150°, and 180° were simulated adopting the National Concrete Masonry Association guidelines. The behaviors of the GRS walls with corners, including the lateral facing displacement, maximum reinforcement load, factor of safety, potential failure surface, vertical separation of facing blocks, and types of corners were carefully evaluated. Our comprehensive results show (i) minimum lateral displacement occurs at the corner; (ii) lower strength of reinforcements are required at the corner; (iii) higher corner angles lead to lower stability; (iv) potential failure surface forms earlier at the end walls; (v) deeper potential failure surfaces are found at the corners; (vi) larger numbers of vertical separations are found at walls with smaller corner angles. The paper highlighted the salient influence of the corners on the behaviors of GRS walls and indicated that a 3D analysis could reflect the required reinforcement length and the irregular formation of the potential failure surfaces.     

Quantitative relationship between time margin and human reliability

Operator reliability in complex systems is influenced by various performance shaping factors (PSFs). Time is a particularly important PSF; however, empirical studies of human reliability analysis (HRA) are rarely focused on modeling the effect of time PSF on human error probability (HEP). This study contributes to HRA literature by investigating the empirical relationship between time margin and HEP. Time margin is defined as the difference between the time available to complete a task and the time required to successfully complete the task, divided by the required time. We investigate and compare two models (logistic and linear) to explain HEP based on time margin. The empirical HEP data for model testing were extracted from a microworld simulator (Study 1) and a full-scope simulator (Study 2) in two existing studies relevant to procedural tasks in nuclear power plants. For Study 1, both models exhibited an acceptable, equivalent explanatory power; for Study 2, although both models exhibited an acceptable explanatory ability, the logistic model explained more variance in HEP. Our findings indicate the potential of the logistic model in explaining and predicting HEP based on time margin in time-critical tasks.     

大气次声源定位算法及误差分析

逐步多通道相关方法是定位次声源的主要方法。该方法会忽略阵元的海拔高度差,从而引入误差。文章分析了基于广义互相关的时间延迟估计算法,讨论了基于时延的平面波入射角定位方法。着重研究了逐步多通道相关方法的误差来源,确定了基于时延的定位方法是产生误差的主要原因,明确了大气次声源定位误差来源于忽略了阵元间的海拔高度差。基于最小二乘法推导了在不考虑阵元高度的情况下计算次声波入射角的方法。对存在高度差的4元中心三角阵型进行了误差仿真实验,在忽略阵元海拔高度差的条件下,各方向入射的次声波角度定位误差最大达到4°,特定阵型的阵元最大海拔高度差与入射角度计算误差成线性关系,并探讨了入射角度计算误差对主要参数和后续定位的影响。     

里程计辅助的高精度车载GNSS/INS组合导航系统

针对城市隧道、偏远山区等复杂路况下,卫星导航系统信号被遮挡较严重或无卫星导航系统信号的场景中,车载GNSS/INS组合导航系统精度下降的问题,提出一种里程计辅助的高精度车载GNSS/INS组合导航方法。该方法中的组合滤波模式可根据载车环境变化在GNSS/INS组合模式和DR/INS组合模式间实现自适应切换,该组合导航方法将三维里程计航位推算位置误差作为状态量扩充到常规组合导航滤波器中,里程计的标度因数误差、安装角误差可通过里程计误差标定方法离线精确得到,后续使用只需将里程计误差参数装订到组合导航系统中即可。车载试验表明,7 km的信号遮挡场景下组合导航系统单个方向上的位置误差最大值也不大于8 m,整个跑车过程中位置误差在3 m以内,进一步保证了车载GNSS/INS组合导航系统复杂路况下的高精度定位。     

动圈仪表的温度附加误差及其补偿方法

本文对动圈仪表产生温度附加误差的各种因素作了一定的理论分析,并提出了相应的补偿措施。文章以多幅图、表及实例作了论述。     

尘埃粒子计数器校准结果及其应用探讨

本文对尘埃粒子计数器粒子浓度示值误差校准结果的计算进行了讨论,并以制药行业中尘埃粒子计数器的使用为例对尘埃粒子计数器校准结果的应用进行了探讨。     

Mechanism of mid-spatial-frequency waviness removal by viscoelastic polishing tool

Nanoscale roughness with ultra-precise form control can be readily achieved using compliant finishing methods such as bonnet polishing. However, their weak point lies in the difficulty of removing mid-spatial-frequency (MSF) waviness in the typical range from 0.1 to 5.0 mm wavelength. To overcome this shortcoming, a bonnet tool filled with viscoelastic fluid is developed and a comprehensive model is established to disclose its distinct removal behavior in the MSF range. The model considers tool viscoelasticity, stress distribution and workpiece topography. Experiments show high consistency with theoretical predictions, and show that MSF waviness can be effectively reduced using the proposed method.     

Design of frameworks for self-adaptive service-oriented applications: A systematic analysis

Self-adaptive service-oriented Applications (Self-Apps) must be able to understand themselves or the environment in which they are executed, and propose solutions to meet changing conditions. The development of these applications is not a trivial task, since it encompasses issues from different research areas. Despite the importance of frameworks for Self-Apps, there is a lack of comprehensive analysis of how the design of such applications is performed, and regarding the standardization of concepts and coverage of minimum requirements for Self-Apps. The main contribution of this article is to present this comprehensive analysis, providing the state of the art for this subject. This analysis was built through a Systematic Mapping Study, based on a total of 65 studies, from which we identify the main attributes for Quality of Service (QoS), search strategies, and service management strategies employed in the design of frameworks for Self-Apps. The main aspects of requirements involved in the design of Self-Apps were pointed out to stakeholders. For example, these applications must implement a method for evaluation of QoS based on metrics. We also put forward the S-Frame, a modular solution that brings together the main features for the design of Self-Apps, and describe the main challenges concerning these applications.