Characterization of the Fouled Ballast Layer in the Substructure of a 19th Century Railway Track Under Renewal

The purpose of these field and lab studies undertaken during rehabilitation work being done on an ancient railway line was to characterize a layer of ballast fouled with soil found in the track substructure. The field studies included the characterization of the thickness, grain size distribution and void ratio of the fouled ballast layer, as well as a large number of plate load tests, both on the fouled ballast layer and on the subgrade. The resilient behaviour of the fouled ballast was evaluated in the lab by cyclic triaxial tests on large size reconstituted specimens with distinct fouling indexes (different grain size distribution) and distinct humidity states (dry or wet). The results obtained were used as support for the decision to maintain the fouled ballast layer under the new sub-ballast in a number of stretches of the renewed line.     

Large area double p–i–n heterostructure for signal multiplexing and demultiplexing in the visible range

Results on the use of a double a-SiC:H p–i–n heterostructure for signal multiplexing and demultiplexing applications in the visible range, are presented.Modulated monochromatic beams together (multiplexing mode), or a single polychromatic beam (demultiplexing mode) impinge in the device and are absorbed, accordingly to their wavelength, giving rise to a time and wavelength dependent electrical field modulation.Red, green and blue pulsed input channels are transmitted together, each one with a specific transmission rate. The combined optical signal is analyzed by reading out, under different applied voltages, the generated photocurrent. Results show that in the multiplexing mode the output signal is balanced by the wavelength and transmission rate of each input channel, keeping the memory of the incoming optical carriers. In the demultiplexing mode the photocurrent is controlled by the applied voltage allowing regaining the transmitted information. An electrical model gives insight into the device operation.     

Migration of phenolic compounds from different cork stoppers to wine model solutions: antioxidant and biological relevance

Considering the enological interest of cork, this study aimed to identify and quantify the phenolic compounds able to migrate from different classes (natural cork stoppers “Flor” and “Third” quality and microagglomerate cork stopper) of cork stoppers into bottled wine model solutions. Another aim was to evaluate some antioxidant and biological features of cork phenolics that migrated into the wine model solutions. The main phenolic acids and aldehydes detected were as follows: gallic and protocatechuic acid detected both around 3.5 mg/L and vanillin and protocatechuic aldehyde detected around 2.5 and 1.5 mg/L after 27 months of bottling, respectively. Trace amounts of more complex polyphenols, namely hydrolysable tannins (castalagin/vescalagin and mongolicain A/B), were also detected. Two antioxidant features of the wine model solutions bottled with different wine cork stoppers were studied, namely the antiradical capacity and the reducing capacity, being the natural cork stoppers the ones with the higher activities. The intestinal absorption of the compounds in each wine model solution after 27 months in bottled was evaluated. The simpler phenolic compounds were able to cross Caco-2 cell model. The antiproliferative activity of the same wine model solutions was also evaluated against gastric and breast cancer cells. All samples were active against the two cell lines, which highlight the possible health outcomes of wine sealed with cork stoppers.     

ITER CODAC interface for the visible and infra-red wide angle viewing cameras

The amount of data generated by the infra-red and visible cameras at ITER is expected to be considerably larger than most diagnostics. ITER will have 12 infra-red cameras plus 12 visible cameras in four different equatorial port plugs. Each of the ports will have a Plant System Host (PSH) that will provide a standard image of the plant system to the ITER's Control and Data Access and Communication (CODAC) system.The two key functions of these cameras will be the scientific exploitation with the detection of interesting physics events and the operational protection of the machine, namely the first wall. Already assuming high bandwidth requirements for both audio and video, ITER will provide a separate network for this kind of communication, which will be used to transmit both the experimental and informational data provided by the cameras.This paper presents the current camera plant system design and its interaction with ITER CODAC system and networks. Starting from the camera specifications several alternatives for data collection and compression are discussed. The required inputs from CODAC and a first specification for the internal finite state machine are also presented. Finally, a possible hardware straw man design solution for the plant system hardware is proposed.     

Analysis of phenolic compounds in cork from Quercus suber L. by HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS

The aim of the present work was to identify the extractable phenolic compounds present in cork from Quercus suber L. The structures of thirty three compounds were tentatively identified by liquid chromatography coupled to electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry (HPLC–DAD/ESI–MS). The majority of those compounds were gallic acid derivatives, in the form of either galloyl esters of glucose (gallotannins), combinations of galloyl and hexahydroxydiphenoyl esters of glucose (ellagitannins), dehydrated tergallic-C-glucosides or ellagic acid derivatives. Others were found to correspond to low molecular weight phenolic compounds, like acids and aldehydes. Mongolicain, a flavanoellagitannin in which hydrolysable tannin and flavan-3-ol moieties are connected through a carbon–carbon linkage, was also detected in cork from Q. suber L. The results illustrate the rich array of phenolic compounds present in cork.     

铌和钛微合金化超级马氏体不锈钢在海水中点蚀机制的研究(英文)

超级马氏体不锈钢(SMSS)在较高温度下具有良好的力学性能,并具有高的应力腐蚀断裂抗力和良好的可焊性,因此其在苛刻环境下的应用正日趋广泛。用于石油勘探的材料要求其具有优良的综合性能,双相不锈钢和超级双相不锈钢尽管价格昂贵,但仍在该领域得到了广泛应用,而具有技术和经济优势的SMSS能取代上述两种钢在石油勘探领域获得应用。通常,SMSS在许多加工行业也有望得到应用。本文研究了添加与未添加Nb或Ti的SMSS的点蚀机制和形貌。添加Nb和Ti是为了使敏化的影响减至最小,促进晶粒细化,并研究其对钢在海水中点蚀的影响,重点在于点蚀的形貌和腐蚀电位。添加与未添加Nb和Ti的钢具有相近的显微硬度和类似的回火马氏体组织。阳极极化曲线表明,用Nb微合金化的钢的腐蚀电位高于其他钢。对不同电位下点蚀的形成和扩展进行了重复试验,并采用光学显微镜进行观察。在工业用钢中,添加Ti的钢显示出了最佳的耐蚀性能——具有最高的腐蚀电位和较低的点蚀电位。添加Nb的钢尽管腐蚀电位较高,但其点蚀电位比未添加Nb的钢低。     

Linux real-time framework for fusion devices

A new framework for the development and execution of real-time codes is currently being developed and commissioned at JET. The foundations of the system are Linux, the Real Time Application Interface (RTAI) and a wise exploitation of the new i386 multi-core processors technology.The driving motivation was the need to find a real-time operating system for the i386 platform able to satisfy JET Vertical Stabilisation Enhancement project requirements: 50 μs cycle time. Even if the initial choice was the VxWorks operating system, it was decided to explore an open source alternative, mostly because of the costs involved in the commercial product.The work started with the definition of a precise set of requirements and milestones to achieve: Linux distribution and kernel versions to be used for the real-time operating system; complete characterization of the Linux/RTAI real-time capabilities; exploitation of the multi-core technology; implementation of all the required and missing features; commissioning of the system.Latency and jitter measurements were compared for Linux and RTAI in both user and kernel-space. The best results were attained using the RTAI kernel solution where the time to reschedule a real-time task after an external interrupt is of 2.35 ± 0.35 μs. In order to run the real-time codes in the kernel-space, a solution to provide user-space functionalities to the kernel modules had to be designed. This novel work provided the most common functions from the standard C library and transparent interaction with files and sockets to the kernel real-time modules. Kernel C++ support was also tested, further developed and integrated in the framework.The work has produced very convincing results so far: complete isolation of the processors assigned to real-time from the Linux non real-time activities, high level of stability over several days of benchmarking operations and values well below 3 μs for task rescheduling after external interrupt. From being the alternative option, RTAI has been finally chosen as the platform for the project. A first stable version of the framework has been integrated on the JET system and is already being commissioned. It will be soon be used on the Vertical Stabilisation Enhancement for the Plasma Control Upgrade (PCU) project at JET.     

Voltage unbalance numerical evaluation and minimization

Among a series of parameters, power quality studies are concerned with voltage unbalances, which represent the voltage magnitude and phase deviation from nominal values. In order to determine the influence of the network's parameters on voltage unbalances, and to provide exact solutions to reduce or even eliminate them, the present study develops and presents two methods. First, a sensitivity analysis is used to determine the influence of each parameter, and then analytical solutions are developed in order to provide the changes needed for correction. The quantification index considered is the symmetrical components method.     

Biodiesel production from waste coconut oil by esterification with ethanol: The effect of water removal by adsorption

The production of biodiesel by esterification with ethanol using waste oil generated in the refining of coconut oil was investigated in this study. The reaction was performed with and without adsorption of water in order to verify the effect of removing water on the reaction conversion. Methanol was also evaluated as an esterification agent. For both ethanol and methanol, conversions over 99% mol were observed. Simultaneous water adsorption allowed the use of lower alcohol/oil molar ratios thus enabling better economics to a possible industrial process.