Farmers' preferences for adopting on-farm concentration of raw milk: Results from a discrete choice experiment in Germany

Milk concentrates are used in the manufacturing of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese or are processed into milk powder. Processes for the nonthermal separation of water and valuable milk ingredients are becoming increasingly widespread at farm level. The technical barriers to using farm-manufactured milk concentrate in dairies are minimal, hence the suspicion that the practice of on-farm raw milk concentration is still fairly uncommon for economic reasons. This study, therefore, set out to investigate farmers' potential willingness to adopt a raw milk concentration plant. The empirical analysis was based on discrete choice experiments with 75 German dairy farmers to identify preferences and the possible adoption of on-farm raw milk concentration. The results showed that, in particular, farmers who deemed the current milk price to be insufficient viewed on-farm concentration using membrane technology as an option for diversifying their milk sales. We found no indication that adoption would be impeded by a lack of trustworthy information on milk processing technologies or capital.     

基于滚动摩擦作用下玉米颗粒在模拟筒仓卸料中的力链分析（网络首发、推荐阅读）

针对颗粒滚动摩擦作用对筒仓中玉米颗粒的力链空间分布进行研究，通过EDEM离散元软件建立筒仓模型与仿真玉米颗粒模型进行卸粮仿真模拟，并与筒仓卸料实验作流态对比，验证模型与仿真结果的准确性。通过对模拟仓进行切片观察和数据处理，对比分析了不同摩擦情况下力链的细观参数随时间演化规律。模拟结果表明：颗粒间摩擦系数越大，卸粮完成的最终时间越长；颗粒间滚动摩擦系数越小，颗粒由整体流转变为管状流的时间越早。对于有漏斗的筒仓来说，减小颗粒间摩擦会改变整体流和管状流之间的极限，从而增加产生管状流的面积。标准滚动摩擦系数下玉米颗粒在卸料过程中会出现起拱-塌陷效应；减小滚动摩擦，玉米颗粒卸料较稳定，未出现起拱的应力突增、以及拱塌陷的应力衰减；增大颗粒间滚动摩擦不但会增加拱效应，且出现成拱高度距离漏斗口更高。     

Breakage of wet flexible fiber agglomerates impacting a plane

The breakage of an agglomerate of wet flexible fibers impacting a plane is computationally investigated in this work using the discrete element method. In the agglomerate, the fibers stick together due to cohesive liquid bridge forces. Agglomerate breakage with various impact conditions, initial configurations, fiber properties, and liquid bridge properties is systematically investigated. The degree of breakage is governed by the impact energy, the cohesion energy due to liquid bridges, the energy dissipation/absorption through fiber–fiber contacts and fiber deformation, and the efficiency of force transmission within the agglomerate. More specifically, breakage is promoted by increasing impact velocity, decreasing agglomerate size, increasing initial compaction, increasing fiber bending modulus, decreasing liquid surface tension, and decreasing liquid-to-solid volume ratio. Breakage is strongly dependent on the modified Weber number, that is, the ratio of the Weber number to a dimensionless rupture distance, which is a measure of the impact energy relative to the cohesion energy.     

Attitudinal choice models with applications in human decision making

A new family of attitudinal discrete choice models is proposed by considering the attitudinal character and the weight vector, both of which are specific to a decision maker (DM). Given the attribute values of different alternatives, the proposed models give varying choice probabilities, as per the DM's-specific attitudinal character and the weight vector. It is also shown that the conventional discrete choice models are the special cases of the proposed attitudinal models. The proposed choice models are also generalized through an additional parameter to add to their capabilities. An application on real data is included to demonstrate their usefulness in the real world.     

On the numerical solution of Fredholm integral equations utilizing the local radial basis function method

The current investigation describes a computational technique to solve one- and two-dimensional Fredholm integral equations of the second kind. The method estimates the solution using the discrete collocation method by combining locally supported radial basis functions (RBFs) constructed on a small set of nodes instead of all points over the analysed domain. In this work, we employ the Gauss–Legendre integration rule on the influence domains of shape functions to approximate the local integrals appearing in the method. In comparison with the globally supported RBFs for solving integral equations, the proposed method is stable and uses much less computer memory. The scheme does not require any cell structures, so it is meshless. We also obtain the error analysis of the proposed method and demonstrate that the convergence rate of the approach is high. Illustrative examples clearly show the reliability and efficiency of the new method.     

复合固体推进剂中固体填料的安息角测试与仿真

复合固体推进剂含有固体颗粒较多，离散单元法是一种适合固体推进剂生产过程数值仿真的有效方法，颗粒物料的接触参数是保证离散单元法仿真精度的关键。本文以复合固体推进剂的主要组分铝粉和高氯酸铵固体颗粒为研究对象，通过实验测试获得了相关物料的安息角，利用专业离散元软件EDEM仿真模拟了安息角测试实验过程，建立了物料安息角与接触参数之间的联系。研究表明，滚动摩擦系数和滑动摩擦系数越大，安息角越大，物料流动性越差。对比仿真与实验结果，通过逆向反推法确定了物料的滑动摩擦系数和滚动摩擦系数两个关键接触参数。铝粉与高氯酸铵1∶2混合颗粒的滑动摩擦系数为0.2，滚动摩擦系数为0.05。为固体推进剂加工生产过程离散元数值仿真提供了关键基础数据。     

基于DEM的振动筛筛孔形状对潮湿原煤筛分效果影响的研究

随着原煤含水量的增加,引起原煤颗粒间相互粘聚,影响振动筛筛分效率。基于离散元法,运用EDEM软件模拟了潮湿原煤颗粒在圆形筛孔、方形筛孔和矩形筛孔的筛分过程,并且以筛分效率和阻碍粒排出率为衡量指标,对振动筛筛孔形状影响潮湿煤筛分效果进行了研究。结果表明:在筛孔名义尺寸相同的情况下,潮湿煤在矩形筛孔筛面上的筛分效果最好,方形筛孔次之,圆形筛孔最差。     

全封闭带式输送机返料装置返料性能仿真试验研究

为揭示小麦颗粒在全封闭带式输送机返料装置中的运动规律和返料性能,为返料装置的结构优化提供理论指导,开展了全封闭带式输送机返料装置返料性能仿真试验。采用离散元软件EDEM和Hertz-Mindlin颗粒接触模型建立了多球元叠加小麦颗粒模型和返料装置离散元仿真模型,对小麦颗粒群在返料板作用下的运动规律进行研究;以颗粒返回率为评价指标,返料板倾斜角、带速为考察指标进行二因素四水平仿真正交试验。结果表明:颗粒群在返料板的推动作用下呈现4种运动方式;返料板倾斜角是影响评价指标的主要因素,带速是次要因素;返料板倾斜角0°和带速3.5 m/s为最优组合参数,此条件下颗粒返回率为43.76%;较小返料板倾斜角有利于返料板携带走更多的颗粒和减缓改向滚筒底部颗粒堆积;颗粒返回率与带速呈正相关关系,较高带速可以提高颗粒返回率。研究结果揭示了返料装置返料机理以及返料性能的影响规律,可为返料装置的结构优化提供理论指导。     

Discrete‐time sector based hands‐off control for nonlinear system

This article presents a hands‐off control design for discrete‐time nonlinear system with a special type of nonlinear sector termed as “discrete‐time sector.” The design method to define the boundary of a discrete‐time sector is done with control‐Lyapunov function. The generalization of nonlinear system is viewed in the perspective of a comparison function. By means of a proposed sector, a switching control is designed such that no control action is experienced inside the sector thus, saving unnecessary control efforts. However, to study the robustness for discrete‐time system, a hands‐off control is modified to ensure the monotonic decrease in the energy of the system. Finally, the proposed approach is verified with the simulation results.     

基于CFD-DEM方法的净化器流场模拟与结构优化

针对空气净化器能耗高的问题，使用离散元方法(DEM)在吸附滤网中建立随机堆积柱形活性炭模型，采用计算流体力学(CFD)方法对空气净化器内部流场进行数值模拟，在模拟与实验验证的基础上，考察了压降最小、流场最均匀的吸附滤网结构。结果表明，空气净化器压降主要发生在轴向，活性炭吸附滤网中回流、沟流现象严重，流体阻力是其他两种滤网的3倍。边数对多边形填充孔结构吸附滤网内压降与流场均匀性无影响，当孔结构改为圆形时，压降减小约52 Pa，节能18.4%(49 W)；当孔直径由8 mm增至12 mm，压降减小约48 Pa，节能19.4%(45 W)；滤网间距对空气净化器压降无影响，圆形、小孔径的吸附滤网内流场最均匀。