Plasma electrolytic deposition of α-Al2O3 on TiNb fibres and their mechanical properties

A novel TiNb fibre with an α-Al₂O₃ coating was fabricated by cathodic plasma electrolytic deposition (CPED), which has enormous potential for use in intermetallic matrix composites (IMMCs). This study aims to clarify the microstructural evolution of α-Al₂O₃ coatings on TiNb fibres and to systematically evaluate the mechanical properties of such modified fibres. The results revealed that the CPED process can be divided into three stages as voltage and deposition time increased: gas film formation, spark discharge, and spark fading, where the coating successively underwent local nucleation, uniform deposition, micropore self-sealing, and loose structure formation. The optimum deposition parameters of the deposition voltage of 300–400 V and deposition time of 3–4 min were determined, under which the α-Al₂O₃ coating combined tightly with the TiNb fibre matrix, micropores were completely self-sealed, and the loose structure and detrimental phase transitions in TiNb were effectively avoided. The fracture strength calculated by the Weibull method suggested that the fracture strength of the modified Al₂O₃/TiNb fibre was enhanced by more than 30%; this improved strength maintained high stability, benefiting from the intact α-Al₂O₃ ceramic coating. In particular, the fibre coated at 300 V for 4 min had the highest strength reaching 1620 MPa. The fracture morphology presented marked necking and shear lip characteristics, indicating excellent plasticity.     

自适应SA-PSO优化的威布尔混合分布参数估计方法及应用

针对采用传统参数估计方法得到的模型拟合误差较大的问题，建立多重威布尔混合分布参数估计的非线性最小二乘模型，并提出基于模拟退火（SA）思想的自适应粒子群（PSO）算法进行求解。在PSO算法优化过程中，采用自适应方法调整惯性权重和加速因子，加快其收敛速度；引入模拟退火机制，根据Metropolis准则确定最优粒子的取舍，改善其全局搜索能力。将该方法应用到某型柴油机喷油器失效分布的参数估计中，并与图解法、基于Levenberg-Marquardt的非线性最小二乘法、标准PSO算法、自适应PSO算法求解的结果进行比较，分析所提方法的优化性能及精度。结果表明，该方法能够有效提高多重威布尔混合分布模型参数估计的精度和效率。     

Liquid phase sintering and characterization of SiC ceramics

The present study focuses on the sintering of silicon carbide-based ceramics (SiC) by liquid phase sintering (LPS) followed by characterization of the produced ceramics. AlN/Re₂O₃ mixtures were used as additives in the LPS process. In the first step, the LPS-SiC materials were produced in a graphite resistance furnace in the form of discs at different temperatures. The conditions with the best results regarding real density and relative density were taken as reference for sintering in the form of prismatic bars. In the second step, these samples were evaluated regarding fracture toughness (K_IC), by the Single Edge V Notch Beam – SEVNB – method, and flexural strength. K_IC behavior was evaluated according to the depth and curvature radius of the notches. Reliable K_IC values were presented when the ceramic displayed a small curvature radius at the notch tip. When the radius was large, it did not maintain the square root singularity of the notch tip. Tests were carried out to determine K_IC values in atmospheric air and water. K_IC results were lower in water than air, with a decrease ranging between 2.56% and 11.26%. The observations indicated a direct grain size correlation between K_IC values and fracture strength of the SiC ceramics.     

Strength of pure alumina ceramics above 1 GPa

Up to now, commercially available alumina ceramics were claimed to have strength between 400 and 550 MPa. However, our study shows strength ~ 2 times higher for commercially available alumina than commonly believed. The average and characteristic strength, measured on 31 pure alumina ceramic discs by ball on three balls (B3B) test, were 1205 ± 93 MPa and 1257 MPa, respectively, with a Weibull modulus of m = 11.8. Tested specimens were in form of discs with a diameter of 5 mm and thickness 0.5 mm. The grain size distribution of the alumina is bimodal with an average grain size of ~ 850 nm measured at the surface. The fracture reveals a mixed transgranular / intergranular failure mode. To avoid incorporation of additional flaws, the discs were tested as sintered. The characteristic flexural strength measured in B3B was recalculated according to Weibull theory for standard 4-point bending bars of size 3 × 4 × 45 mm as bend 856 MPa. The measured strength of nearly 900 MPa shows the potential of strength for high purity alumina ceramics.     

Statistics of ceramic strength: Use ordinary Weibull distribution function or Weibull statistical fracture theory?

“Weibull statistics” for strength distribution analysis refers to either the ordinary Weibull distribution function or the Weibull statistical fracture theory. The ordinary Weibull distribution function is an empirical distribution function on an equal footing with other type of classical empirical distributions such as normal and log-normal distributions for fitting the statistical data of various random variables nonexclusive to materials strength. It has no explicit physical meaning and cannot be used for size scaling and prediction of strength. The Weibull statistical fracture theory is a weakest-link statistical fracture model for a solid with the strength distribution of an elemental volume being described by the ordinary Weibull distribution function. It has the capability of size scaling and prediction of strength for specimens with different geometries and different loading modes. The three-parameter Weibull statistical fracture theory in uniaxial flexure of prismatic beams is reformulated and validated by both numerical and real strength experiments of different ceramics.     

Development of novel refractory ceramic continuous fibers of fly ash and comparison of mechanical properties with those of E-glass fibers using the Weibull distribution

This study aimed to develop manufacturing technology for high-strength refractory ceramic fibers (RCFs) using fly ash, which is a highly promising material for the exterior and thermal insulation industry. The technology also contributes to reducing the environmental pollution caused by landfilling fly ash after coal is burned. Fly ash discharged from a thermal power plant, which had aluminosilicate chemical compositions, was used as the main material. As auxiliary materials, basalt, anorthite, feldspar, dolomite, and calcite were used to adjust the melt flowability, and frit, silica sand, and burr stone were used to lower the melting temperature. Moreover, the development of aluminosilicate fly ash fiber has the advantages of lower cost for raw materials and processing. Fly ash and natural rocks are inexpensive, and most of all, unlike the case for glass fiber production, the high cost of B₂O₃ is not a necessary expense. Fly ash is retrieved in powder form, which is advantageous compared to the starting materials for glass; the grinding process of raw materials can be skipped. From the fibrilization index calculation, we showed that the spinnability was influenced by the chemical composition of the salt-forming oxides in the fly ash compounds. We also found a correlation between the winding speed and the fiber diameter. The mechanical properties of a series of fly ash fibers were assessed by the Weibull distribution and then compared with those of the E-glass fibers that were melt-spun under an analogous condition.     

A new semi-empirical wind turbine capacity factor for maximizing annual electricity and hydrogen production

The capacity factor is an important wind turbine parameter which is ratio of average output electrical power to rated electrical power of the wind turbine. Another main factor, the AEP, the annual energy production, can be determined using wind characteristics and wind turbine performance. Lower rated power may lead to higher capacity factor but will reduce the AEP. Therefore, it is important to consider simultaneously both the capacity factor and the AEP in design or selecting a wind turbine. In this work, a new semi-empirical secondary capacity factor is introduced for determining a rated wind speed at which yearly energy and hydrogen production obtain a maximum value. This capacity factor is expressed as ratio of the AEP for wind turbine to yearly wind energy delivered by mean wind speed at the rotor swept area. The methodology is demonstrated using the empirical efficiency curve of Vestas-80 2 MW turbine and the Weibull probability density function. Simultaneous use of the primary and the secondary capacity factors are discussed for maximizing electrical energy and hence hydrogen production for different wind classes and economic feasibility are scrutinized in several wind stations in Kuwait.     

Investigation on slag fiber characteristics: Mechanical property and anti-corrosion performance

Inorganic fiber shows good insulation performance in civil construction and industry insulation. In the present paper, tensile strength of slag fiber produced with molten blast furnace slag was investigated systematically with the Weibull distribution theory in comparison with glass and basalt fibers. It was found that the mean tensile strength reached 2578.60 MPa and the shape parameter m in Weibull distribution is 2.4494, which indicates a lower uniformity. Anti-corrosion performances were also studied by means of the mass and strength loss after acid and alkaline solution treatment. Furthermore, SEM and FTIR were used to analyze the structural characteristics of original and treated fibers. This work has proved that the H⁺ and OH⁻ can both break the Si–O bond and then lead to the movement to high wavenumber for the bands of the symmetric stretching vibrations of [SiO₄]-tetrahedra. The anti-corrosion results indicated that slag fibers could not be used in acid environment, while its anti-alkali performance is relatively excellent compared with glass and basalt fibers.     

Conditional Control Charts for Monitoring the Weibull Shape Parameter under Progressively Type II Censored Data

In this paper, (i) we propose new conditional Shewhart‐type control charts for monitoring the shape parameter of the Weibull distribution under a progressively type II censoring strategy, and (ii) we generalize the control charts proposed by Guo and Wang¹ for the progressively type II censoring case. We provide a comparison between these control charts in terms of the out‐of‐control average run length obtained by simulation for both the known and unknown parameter cases. A real example consisting of data from breaking stress of carbon fibers is also presented for illustration and comparison of the proposed control charts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Context-driven mean residual life estimation of mining machinery

Maintenance is crucial to ensure production/output and customer satisfaction in the mining sector. The cost of maintenance of mechanised and automated mining systems is very high, necessitating efforts to enhance the effectiveness of maintenance systems and organisation. For effective maintenance planning, it is important to have a good understanding of the reliability and availability characteristics of the systems. Determining the Mean Residual Life (MRL) of systems allows organisations to more effectively plan maintenance tasks. In this paper, we use a statistical approach to estimate MRL and consider a Weibull proportional hazard model (PHM) with time-independent covariates to model the hazard function so that the operating environment could be integrated into the reliability analysis. The paper explains our methods for calculating the conditional reliability function and computing the MRL as a function of the current conditions. The model is verified and validated using data from the hydraulic system of LHD equipment in a Swedish mine. The results are useful to estimate the remaining useful life of such systems; the method can be used for maintenance planning, helping to control unplanned stoppages of highly mechanised and automated systems.