A test method for evaluating the thermal environment of underground coal mine refuge alternatives

Since 2009, the Mine Safety and Health Administration(MSHA) has required mines to install refuge alternatives(RAs) in underground coal mines. One of the biggest concerns with occupied RAs is the possible severity of the resulting thermal environment. In 30 CFR 7.504, the maximum allowable apparent temperature(AT) for an occupied RA is specified as 35 °C(95 °F). Manufacturers must conduct heat/humidity tests to demonstrate that their RAs meet the 35 °C(95 °F) AT limit. For these tests, heat input devices are used to input the metabolic heat of actual miners. A wide variety of test methods, sensors, and heat input devices could be used when conducting such tests. Since 2012, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health(NIOSH) has conducted over thirty 96-hour heat/humidity tests on four different RAs. This paper discusses the test equipment and procedures used during these investigations. This information is useful for RA manufacturers conducting RA heat/humidity tests, for other researchers investigating RA heat/humidity buildup, and for those who need to assess the thermal environment of any confined space where people may be trapped or are seeking refuge.     

Entwicklung und Validierung eines Kühlmittelsensors zur Bewertung der Korrosionsschutzwirkung

A sophisticated thermal management is one of the main subsystems that enables combustion engines with high power density. In this context the demands on coolants are also increasing. There has to be a certain level of corrosion protection to ensure the functionality of the cooling system. Hereafter the result of an electrochemical sensor development is presented. With the knowledge of analytical and electrochemical results a quick test for characterizing coolants corrosion protection has been developed and validated.     

Maximum dry density test to quantify pumice content in natural soils

Crushable volcanic soils are well-known for their distinctive texture, vesicular nature and grain fragility. These features of volcanic soils lead to difficulty in interpreting the results of laboratory and field testing because of the occurrence of particle crushing. Sands containing pumice particles are commonly found in the Hamilton Basin in the North Island of New Zealand. The pumice particles originated from a series of volcanic eruptions centered in the Taupo and Rotorua regions. As a result of flooding and erosion along the Waikato River, the pumice particles have become mixed with other materials and have been distributed over the Hamilton Basin; these mixtures are referred to herein as natural pumiceous (NP) sands. This paper initially investigates an appropriate technique for measuring the maximum dry density (MDD) of NP sands; then a modified MDD test is proposed for estimating the pumice contents of these sands. In order to examine the applicability of different standard methods for determining MDD, New Zealand and Japanese standards are employed. The results using the Japanese standard show consistent MDD values when repeating the tests due to negligible particle crushing. On the other hand, the results of MDD tests according to the New Zealand standard indicate that a significant amount of particle crushing occurs after each repeated test and, consequently, it is not possible to get the same result when the test is repeated. NP sands reach their ultimate potential breakage during the modified MDD tests (at least, for the level of loading applied) and they experience different levels of particle crushing which may be a function of their pumice content. As a way forward, the relative breakages of the materials tested are used to estimate the pumice contents of the NP sands.     

Consumer context-specific sensory acceptance tests: Effects of a cognitive warm-up on affective product discrimination

For simple hedonic ratings, product range effects often limit the reliability and accuracy of consumer affective discriminations among multiple products. In the present study, a cognitive warm-up (CWU) procedure was applied to consumer acceptance tests in order to stabilize consumers’ evaluative criteria by evoking their personal evaluation context. The effects of such procedure on the robustness of the affective product discriminations were investigated using two sets of comparison experiments, each using a related samples design. Consumers with equivalent sensory preference profile for skin lotions were screened and divided into High Reflection Thinkers (HRT) and Low Reflection Thinkers (LRT) using the Cognitive Reflection Test. They were then randomly, but evenly assigned to either a treatment (Group I) or a control (Group II) group, in which hedonic rating was performed either with or without the preceding CWU procedure, thus forming four sub-groups (treatment group-HRT, treatment group-LRT, control group-HRT, and control group-LRT subjects). For each sub-group, discriminability between the two chosen products in terms of d′ value was compared across the two experimental conditions consisting of different product ranges. The results indicated that only in the control group-LRT subjects, the two conditions displayed different product discrimination. It suggests that for LRT subjects who are assumed to be more intuitive and thus might be more vulnerable to such product range effects, the CWU had a stabilizing effect on the evaluative criteria, resulting in more robust product discrimination.     

Energy dissipation capacity of fibre reinforced concrete under biaxial tension–compression load. Part I: Test equipment and work of fracture

The objective of this research was to analyse the differences in the dissipated energy under uniaxial tension and biaxial tension–compression load of fibre reinforced concretes using the Wedge Splitting Test. Under biaxial load the specimens were subjected to compressive stress ratios from 10% to 50% of the concrete compressive strength perpendicular to the direction of the tensile load.Under biaxial tension–compression load the energy dissipation capacity of the specimens decreases compared to the uniaxial tension load case on average 20–30%. It is believed that the decrease is a result of the damage mechanism of the concrete matrix and deterioration of the fibre–matrix and/or aggregate–cement paste interfaces in case the section is additionally loaded with compression stresses. This indicates that dimensioning of concrete elements under biaxial stress states using material parameters obtained from tests conducted on specimens under uniaxial tensile load is unsafe and could potentially lead to a non-conservative design.In the second part of this paper the extent of the fracture process zone under uniaxial tension and biaxial tension–compression load will be examined with the Acoustic Emission technique and the reasons for decrease of the energy dissipation capacity under biaxial load will be further discussed.     

A methodology for predicting and comparing the full‐scale fire performance of similar materials based on small‐scale testing

Reconstructive fire testing is an important tool used by fire investigators to determine the cause, origin, and progression of a particular fire. Accurate reconstruction of the fire requires the laboratory structure to be outfitted with materials that, in terms of contribution to fire growth, perform similarly to the original materials found at the fire scene. Therefore, a procedure was developed to enable fire investigators to select these replacement materials on the basis of a quantitative assessment of their relative fire performance. This procedure consists of gram‐scale and/or milligram‐scale standard testing accompanied by inverse numerical modeling of these tests, which is used to obtain relevant material properties. A numerical model composed of a detailed pyrolysis submodel and empirical flame heat feedback submodels, which were developed in this study, is subsequently employed to simulate the early stages of the Room Corner Test, which was selected to represent full‐scale material performance. The results of these simulations demonstrate that this procedure can successfully differentiate between fire growth propensities of several commercially available medium density fiberboards.     

基于Moldflow和UG的手机前盖模具设计

根据手机前盖的结构特点和质量要求,运用Moldflow软件对产品浇注系统、冷却系统进行优化设计。通过正交试验,分析了注射工艺参数对产品体积收缩率和翘曲变形的影响规律,得到优化注射工艺方案。根据Moldflow分析结果,利用UG软件完成产品的模具设计。     

Evaluation of electrochemical properties of antibacterial ZnO layers deposited to 316LVM steel using atomic layer deposition

The presence of a biofilm can lead to the disappearance of the surrounding bone tissue and, as a result, disturb the osseointegration process. Unfortunately, both in the case of instability of the implant and long-term bacterial infections, there is often a need for reoperation as well as replacement of the implant, which in turn is associated with huge costs, but most of all discomfort for the patient associated with long-term hospitalization. In order to limit this unfavorable process, the physicochemical properties of the surface layer of implants are indicated. Therefore, the paper proposes applying a layer with antibacterial effect on the surface of 316LVM steel used in bone surgery. As part of the work, the ZnO layer was applied using the atomic layer deposition method with different parameters of the application process (different number of cycles at constant temperature). In the first stage, pitting corrosion resistance tests were carried out using the potentiodynamic method and studies using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The surface morphology tests using a scanning electron microscope were also complemented. Obtained results may form the basis for the development of more detailed criteria for the assessment of the final quality of medical devices used in the skeletal system.     

25%小偏置碰撞策略及测试评估研究

随着汽车事故的增加,且小重叠碰撞事故死亡率居高不下,小偏置碰撞试验逐渐成为焦点。基于IIHS公布的最新车辆碰撞试验结果,统计超过100余款不同类型的25%小偏置碰撞车辆,建立碰撞转角与碰撞区域的数学模型,将25%小偏置碰撞归结为三种不同的碰撞策略,分别是吸能策略、掠过策略和掠过与吸能策略;并进行试验验证,对三种策略的优缺点进行分析。结果表明,小偏置碰撞试验可运用合理的碰撞策略达到法规要求,对25%小偏置碰撞试验具有一定的参考价值。