Performance analysis of an inventory–production system with shipment consolidation in the production facility

We consider an inventory–production system consisting of a warehouse and a production facility. The warehouse is used to store products to satisfy customer demands, and its inventory is controlled by an (r,Q)$(r,Q)$ policy. Products ordered by the warehouse are processed in the production facility on a one-by-one basis, and finished products are consolidated into batches to be shipped from the production facility to the warehouse. Using the matrix-analytic methods, explicit solutions are obtained and computational methods are developed for analyzing system performance measures.     

Development of a novel system to quantify the spatial–temporal parameters for crutch-assisted quadrupedal gait

Abstract

Patients with gait disorders often use bilateral crutches along with their own two legs. It is a kind of quadrupedalism. Crutch-assisted gait is usually described and evaluated qualitatively. In this study, we developed a system to quantify the spatial and temporal parameters for crutch-assisted quadrupedalism. Our system consists of walkway hardware and our originally developed software. We specifically extended the measurable area to 1200 mm × 4800 mm, large enough to measure crutch gait. Using our system, we could describe crutch gait precisely. Our system has a capability to evaluate differences between patients and changes within a patient.     

More on the phase-plane analysis of a relay control system†

The transcendental equation relating the parameters of a closed trajectory of a relay system containing a symmetrical two-position element, a dead element and a rational part of the second order has two solutions. It will be shown that only one of these solutions supplies the self-oscillation of the system.

The phase-plane method is developed for systems containing a relay element with hysteresis. The effect of varying any parameter of the system on the period and amplitude of the self-oscillation can be predicted from the transcendental equation.     

Performance analysis and simulation of TH-PPM UWB system in image transmission

TH-PPM-UWB system of image transmission is presented in this paper. And then the performance analysis over an ideal AWGN （Additive White Gaussian Noise） channel is given. The studies indicate that the selection of parameters has a great influence on BER （Bit Error Rate） of the system, especially the number of pulses per information bit. The simulation results of image transmission demonstrate that a larger number of pulses per information bit will lead to better BER performance.     

Precise and full extraction of the coupling-of-mode parameters with periodic Green''''s function

Due to the more and more stringent requirements on surface acoustic wave (SAW) filters performances, recently considerable attention has been focused on the investigation of low-loss SAW filters in the last decade. Most low-loss filters, such as single phase unidirectional transducers (SPUDT), employ the electrodes multi-reflection effects to realize low insertion loss. In the design of low-loss filters, the phenomenological coupling-of-mode (COM) model[1] method is frequently used. Its …     

Overall availability and risk analysis of a general robot–safety device system

We analyse the availability of a general robot–safety device system characterised by the feature of cold standby and by an admissible risky state. In contrast to the previous literature, we allow a general failure-free time distribution for the robot and, as an example, we present computational results for Coxian failure and repair time distributions. In order to decide whether the risky state is admissible, we introduce a risk criterion based on the notion of rare events. The criterion is always satisfied in the case of fast repair.     

Time-series analysis of NDVI from AVHRR data over the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region for the period 1982–2006

The Hindu Kush–Himalayan (HKH) region with its surrounding mountains in central Asia is a region that has been warming at an alarming rate and is sensitive to climate change due to its heterogeneous terrain and high altitude. In a region where research is limited due to the paucity of field-based biophysical observations, analysis of remotely sensed data such as the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) can provide invaluable information on spatio-temporal patterns in linkages among land use, climate and vegetative phenological cycles, and trends in vegetative cover. In this study, NDVI data with 8 km spatial resolution for each 15 day composite period from 1982 to 2006 were analysed using a seasonal trend analysis technique, where the first step determines the annual mean and seasonal NDVI patterns across the HKH region. The second step analyses the non-parametric trends in magnitude and timing of the annual mean and seasonal NDVI cycle. The seasonal vegetation cycles were compared for the first and last ten years of the time series and were also analysed across areas undergoing significant change. Results indicated an overall greening trend in NDVI magnitude in most areas, particularly over open shrubland, grassland and cropland. Trends in the annual seasonal timing of NDVI indicated an earlier green-up for most parts of this region. Results also confirmed deforestation trends observed in a few states in northeastern India and Myanmar (Shan state) within the HKH region.     

Refinement of the thermodynamic modeling of the Nb–Ni system

The Nb–Ni system is reassessed on the basis of a critical literature review involving recent experimental data. These newly published experimental data include the phase relation associated with the NbNi₈ phase, phase transition temperatures resulting from selected alloys, all invariant reaction temperatures, and enthalpies of mixing of liquid, as well as the crystallographic data on the μ$\mu$ (Nb₇Ni₆) phase. A consistent thermodynamic data set for the Nb–Ni system is obtained by optimization of the selected experimental values. The calculated phase diagram, crystallographic properties and thermodynamic properties agree reasonably with the experimental data. Noticeable improvements have been made, compared with the previous thermodynamic optimizations.     

Numerical analysis on electroosmotic flows in a microchannel with rectangle-waved surface roughness using the Poisson–Nernst–Planck model

The present study has numerically investigated two-dimensional electroosmotic flows in a microchannel with dielectric walls of rectangle-waved surface roughness to understand the roughness effect. For the study, numerical simulations are performed by employing the Nernst–Planck equation for the ionic species and the Poisson equation for the electric potential, together with the traditional Navier–Stokes equation. Results show that the steady electroosmotic flow and ionic-species transport in a microscale channel are well predicted by the Poisson–Nernst–Planck model and depend significantly on the shape of surface roughness such as the amplitude and periodic length of wall wave. It is found that the fluid flows along the surface of waved wall without involving any flow separation because of the very strong normal component of EDL (electric double layer) electric field. The flow rate decreases exponentially with the amplitude of wall wave, whereas it increases linearly with the periodic length. It is mainly due to the fact that the external electric-potential distribution plays a crucial role in driving the electroosmotic flow through a microscale channel with surface roughness. Finally, the present results using the Poisson–Nernst–Planck model are compared with those using the traditional Poisson–Boltzmann model which may be valid in these scales.     

Dynamics of quantum correlation for a qubit–qutrit system in the presence of the dephasing environments

We analytically study the dynamic behaviors of quantum correlation measured by three kinds of measures including quantum discord (QD), geometric quantum discord (GQD) and one-norm GQD for a qubit–qutrit system under the influence of dephasing environments with Ohmic-like spectral densities at nonzero temperature. It is shown that the similar evolution behaviors may be obtained for sub-Ohmic and Ohmic reservoirs. By properly choosing the system’s initial states and reservoir temperature, quantum correlation can take on some interesting results, such as the frozen and double sudden transition as well as the “revival” phenomenon, etc. Meanwhile, the remarkable similarities and differences among these correlation measures are also analyzed in detail and some significant results are presented. Our results provide some important information for the application of quantum correlation in hybrid qubit–qutrit systems in quantum information.     

Thermodynamic modeling of the Co–Fe–O system

As a part of the research project aimed at developing a thermodynamic database of the La–Sr–Co–Fe–O system for applications in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs), the Co–Fe–O subsystem was thermodynamically re-modeled in the present work using the CALPHAD methodology. The solid phases were described using the Compound Energy Formalism (CEF) and the ionized liquid was modeled with the ionic two-sublattice model based on CEF. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters was obtained eventually. Calculated phase diagrams and thermodynamic properties are presented and compared with experimental data. The modeling covers a temperature range from 298 K to 3000 K and oxygen partial pressure from 10⁻¹⁶ to 10² bar. A good agreement with the experimental data was shown. Improvements were made as compared to previous modeling results.     

Thermodynamic assessment of the Al–Cu–Er system

The Cu–Er binary system had been thermodynamically assessed with the CALPHAD approach. The solution phases including Liquid, Fcc and Hcp were treated as substitutional solution phases, of which the excess Gibbs energies were formulated with the Redlich–Kister polynomial function. All the binary intermetallic compounds were treated as stoichiometric phases. Combining with the thermodynamic parameters of the Al–Cu and Al–Er binary systems cited from the literature, the Al–Cu–Er ternary system was thermodynamically assessed. The calculated phase equilibria were in good agreement with the experimental data.     

Thermodynamic description of the Al–Fe–Zr system

The Fe–Zr and Al–Fe–Zr systems were critically assessed by means of the CALPHAD technique. The solution phases, liquid, face-centered cubic, body-centered cubic and hexagonal close-packed, were described by the substitutional solution model. The compounds with homogeneity ranges, hex.- Fe₂Zr, Fe₂Zr, FeZr₂ and FeZr₃ in the Fe–Zr system, were described by the two-sublattice model in formulas such as hex.- Fe₂(Fe,Zr), (Fe,Zr)₂(Fe,Zr), (Fe,Zr)Zr₂ and (Fe,Zr)(Fe,Zr)₃ respectively. The compounds Al_mZr_n except Al₂Zr in the Al–Zr system were treated as line compounds (Al,Fe)_mZr_n in the Al–Fe–Zr system. The compounds FeZr₂ and FeZr₃ in the Fe–Zr system were treated as (Al,Fe,Zr)Zr₂ and (Al,Fe,Zr)(Fe,Zr)₃ in the Al–Fe–Zr system, respectively. All compounds in the Al–Fe system and hex.- Fe₂Zr in the Fe–Zr system have no solubilities of the third components Zr or Al, respectively, in the Al–Fe–Zr system. The ternary compounds _λ1${\lambda }_1$ with C14 structure and _λ2${\lambda }_2$ with C15 structure in the Al–Fe–Zr system were treated as _λ1${\lambda }_1$- (Al,Fe,Zr)₂(Fe,Zr) with Al₂Zr in the Al–Zr system and _λ2${\lambda }_2$- (Al,Fe,Zr)₂(Fe,Zr) with Fe₂Zr in the Fe–Zr system, respectively. And the ternary compounds _τ1${\tau }_1$, _τ2${\tau }_2$ and _τ3${\tau }_3$ in the Al–Fe–Zr system were treated as (Al,Fe)₁₂Zr, Fe(Al,Zr)₂Zr₆ and Fe₇Al₆₇Zr₂₆, respectively. A set of self-consistent thermodynamic parameters of the Al–Fe–Zr system was obtained.     

Thermodynamic description of the Cr–Ge system

The Cr–Ge binary system was thermodynamically optimized using the CALPHAD method. The liquid phase was described by means of an associate solution model. The BCC terminal solid solution was described by the substitutional solution model. The two-sublattice model was used to describe the non-stoichiometric compounds Cr₃Ge, αCr₅Ge₃ and βCr₅Ge₃. The Cr₁₁Ge₈, CrGe and Cr₁₁Ge₁₉ phases were modeled as stoichiometric compounds. A set of thermodynamic parameters for the Cr–Ge system was obtained via thermodynamic optimization using assessed experimental data. The calculated phase diagram and thermodynamic properties agree well with most of the experimental data.     

Thermodynamic remodeling of the Co–Ga system

The thermodynamic properties and phase relations of the Co–Ga binary system are remodeled based on the CALPHAD approach. In this work, CoGa(β$\beta$) is considered to be non-stoichiometric and CoGa₃ to be stoichiometric. The β$\beta$ phase is thermodynamically described by a two-sublattice model (Co,Ga)_0.5 (Co,V a)_0.5. The stability of the β$\beta$ phase is restricted in the low-temperature regions by giving necessary driving force constraints. The lattice parameters and enthalpy of formation of the β$\beta$ and CoGa₃ phases have been compared with first-principles calculations based on density functional theory. The calculated Co–Ga phase diagram is compared to previously calculated ones.