A numerical study with FSI mode on the characteristics of pressure fluctuation and discharge valve motion in rotary compressors with single and dual muffler

Rotary compressors in air-conditioners have been considered for the efficiency enhancement and noise reduction. To perceive the characteristics of noise in a rotary compressor, the features of discharge valve motion and pressure fluctuation in compressors have to be examined. This study has been conducted to investigate the characteristics of discharge valve motion and pressure fluctuation in association with refrigerant flow in rotary compressors with single and dual muffler. The current study has been performed with the FSI mode since the discharge valve oscillates in association with periodic compression of refrigerants in the compressors. For the case of dual muffler, it has been observed that the displacement of discharge valve is smaller than that in the case of single muffler since the compressor with dual muffler has larger inner resistance to the refrigerant flow than that in the case of single muffler. Also, the standard deviation and the energy spectrum of the pressure fluctuation with the dual muffler are smaller than those with the single muffler. Therefore, the use of the dual muffler is expected to contribute to the noise reduction. To the contrary, it has been found that the efficiency of the compressor with dual muffler is smaller with the diminution of volume flow rate compared to the case of single muffler. This study may supply a basis for the design of rotary compressors with higher efficiency and lower noise.     

含压电谱单元及其在板结构中Lamb波传播模拟中的应用

结合压电材料本构方程及Lamb波数值模拟中的谱有限元方法,建立了含压电驱动器/传感器板的谱单元,并将其应用于Lamb波的激发、在板结构中的传播和接收的数值模拟中。将模拟结果与其他文献中的数值模拟结果及采用商用有限元软件ANSYS的数值模拟结果进行了对比,验证了所建立单元的正确性,且在计算精度相差不大的情况下,该方法较传统有限元方法更为高效。最后和以前不含压电的模拟过程进行比较,压电效应使得驱动器施加在节点上的力并不那么单一,并且传感器能够将多个自由度复杂的位移信号转换为单一的电信号,这使得考虑压电片与不考虑压电片的模拟结果之间有一定的差别。     

Elastic critical loads of structural systems

Theorems are presented which deal with the behaviour of the minimum positive and maximum negative critical load factors arising from eigenvalue analyses of structures in which deformations have been described in terms of a finite number of generalised displacements. The theorems deal with the manner in which these eigenvalues vary with changes in the stiffness characteristics of the structure and with changes in the loading pattern.     

Streamwise velocity distribution in irregular shaped channels having composite bed roughness

Applications of the proposed model by Maghrebi which is able to predict the isovel contours quantitatively in a section of an open or closed channel both with irregular shapes and roughness, have been presented [Maghrebi MF, Rahimpour M. A simple model for estimation of dimensionless isovel contours in open-channels. Flow Meas Instrum 2005;16(6):347–52]. In the present paper, the model is applied to a flume with a composite roughness as well as to rivers with irregular cross section geometries. The obtained isovel contours in a flume section with nine cases of composite roughnesses are used for discharge estimations. Then, they are compared with measured ones. Model predictions are well correlated with the measured data. The isovel contours obtained by applications of the model to river sections are used to estimate the depth-average and surface velocities. Then they are compared with the measured data at the corresponding sections. The predicted results of water surface velocities are in good agreement with the measured data in a cross section of the River Unon in Japan. The result of the depth-average velocity shows, even better agreement with the measured data as well as the best analytical results for the River Severn in the UK.     

A developmental approach to understanding Fragile X syndrome in females

The psychological phenotype of females with fragile X syndrome (FraX) is discussed, focusing primarily on empirical findings over the past decade and on studies of probands with the full mutation (FM). A developmental approach is used to help characterize specific patterns of cognitive, neuropsychological, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning across the lifespan of females with FraX. Approximately half of females with the syndrome present with cognitive abilities that fall in the borderline to mentally retarded range, and the remaining females with average intellectual functioning may experience relative deficits in math achievement and problems with attention and executive functioning. Reports of socio-emotional functioning are somewhat inconsistent, due in part, perhaps, to methodological differences in study design. To date, much of what we understand about the psychological phenotype of FraX is based on cross-sectional studies of girls and women with the disorder. Symptoms associated with shyness, and social anxiety and avoidance have been reported in some school-age, adolescent, and adult females with FraX. Only recently have efforts begun to identify the developmental trajectory of FraX in infants and toddlers. There is a void of information specific to these developmental periods. Identifying key deficits in cognitive and socio-emotional functioning has important implications for early detection and intervention for girls with FraX. Directions for future research are discussed.     

Torsion of thin-walled beams of open cross-section with influence of shear

An approximate analytical approach to the torsion of thin-walled beams of open cross-section with influence of shear is presented. It is assumed that the normal stresses in the cross-section contour direction are small compared to the normal stresses in the beam longitudinal direction that can be ignored in the stress–strain relations. The stresses and displacements are obtained in the closed analytical form. It is assumed that transverse load can be reduced to moments of torsion only, with respect to the cross-section shear centre. The beam will be subjected to torsion, with respect to the shear centre, i.e. the principal cross-section sectorial coordinate, in the case of cross-sections with two axes of symmetry; to torsion and bending in the case of cross-sections with one axes of symmetry and to torsion, bending and tension in the case of general cross-sections. An illustrative example of beam with one axis of symmetry is given.     

含间隙机构运动副的动力学模型

运动副间隙对某些机械系统的影响已经不容忽视 ,运动副间隙模型是研究含间隙机械系统的关键问题之一。本文综述了机构动力学中的运动副间隙模型的近期研究成果 ,详细地阐述了运动副间隙模型的建模方法及有关数值解法。着重分析比较了常用的几种运动副间隙模型的特点 ,评述了目前用于分析含间隙机构的数值解法 ,并且指出了今后研究所面临的问题     

Continuous-wave Doppler for the noninvasive evaluation of aortic blood velocity and rate of change of velocity: evaluation in dogs

A new continuous-wave Doppler device is described, which has the capability of measuring peak aortic blood velocity and acceleration noninvasively in the ascending aorta of patients. To test the accuracy of the device, blood velocity and acceleration in the ascending aorta were compared with measurements obtained using an electromagnetic flowmeter in 16 open-chest anesthetized dogs. The Doppler probe was hand held directly on the aorta. Aortic flow was measured with a cuff electromagnetic flow transducer placed at the root of the aorta. Isoproterenol and propranolol, sometimes in combination with lidocaine, were administered intravenously to augment or reduce left ventricular contractile performance. Values of peak velocity, measured with the Doppler, corresponded closely to values measured with the electromagnetic flowmeter (r = 0.95). Values of peak acceleration also corresponded closely with the electromagnetic flow measurements (r = 0.96). The results indicate that valid measurements of blood acceleration in the ascending aorta, as well as blood velocity, can be obtained with continuous-wave Doppler.     

基于自顶向下的曲轴后油封推装装置的设计

通过对发动机后油封（带正时齿轮）推装装置的功能进行综合分析,运用自顶向下（Top-Down）的思想,并结合图形进行层次分析,建立骨架模型。在此基础上应用Solidworks软件进行基本零部件的三维结构参数化设计。该设计思路符合工程实际中从概念设计到详细过程的设计思路,显著提高了设计效率,符合现代产品设计周期缩短的客观需求。     

Influence of stimulants on electrodermal studies in Fragile X syndrome

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is seen in the majority of children with Fragile X Syndrome (FraX). Previous work has documented an enhanced sweat response to stimuli in children with FraX compared to controls utilizing electrodermal response (EDR) measures. The present study assesses the EDRs both on and off stimulants in 19 children with ADHD and FraX compared to 17 age- and IQ-matched control patients with ADHD and developmental delays. Although the baseline EDRs were comparable between FraX patients and controls, the patients with FraX had a significant decrease in EDR amplitude and number of peaks when treated with stimulants compared to controls. This suggests that patients with FraX are more responsive to the enhancement of inhibitory systems that occur with stimulant use for ADHD. The use of a quantifiable measure, such as EDR, is recommended in future studies of treatment efficacy.     

Polarization-preserving confocal microscope for optical experiments in a dilution refrigerator with high magnetic field

We present the design and operation of a fiber-based cryogenic confocal microscope. It is designed as a compact cold-finger that fits inside the bore of a superconducting magnet, and which is a modular unit that can be easily swapped between use in a dilution refrigerator and other cryostats. We aimed at application in quantum optical experiments with electron spins in semiconductors and the design has been optimized for driving with and detection of optical fields with well-defined polarizations. This was implemented with optical access via a polarization maintaining fiber together with Voigt geometry at the cold finger, which circumvents Faraday rotations in the optical components in high magnetic fields. Our unit is versatile for use in experiments that measure photoluminescence, reflection, or transmission, as we demonstrate with a quantum optical experiment with an ensemble of donor-bound electrons in a thin GaAs film.     

Composition of nasal airway surface liquid in cystic fibrosis and other airway diseases determined by X-ray microanalysis

The ionic composition of the airway surface liquid (ASL) in healthy individuals and in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) has been debated. Ion transport properties of the upper airway epithelium are similar to those of the lower airways and it is easier to collect nasal ASL from the nose. ASL was collected with ion exchange beads, and the elemental composition of nasal fluid was determined by X-ray microanalysis in healthy subjects, CF patients, CF heterozygotes, patients with rhinitis, and with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD). In healthy subjects, the ionic concentrations were approximately isotonic. In CF patients, CF heterozygotes, rhinitis, and PCD patients, [Na] and [Cl] were significantly higher compared when compared with those in controls. [K] was significantly higher in CF and PCD patients compared with that in controls. Severely affected CF patients had higher ionic concentrations in their nasal ASL than in patients with mild or moderate symptoms. Female CF patients had higher levels of Na, Cl, and K than male patients. As higher salt concentrations in the ASL are also found in other patients with airway diseases involving chronic inflammation, it appears likely that inflammation-induced epithelial damage is important in determining the ionic composition of the ASL.     

Deflections of Timoshenko beam with varying cross-section

Closed form solutions are presented for bending beams with linearly and (in the binomial form) parabolically varying depth and for bending beams with linearly varying width along the beam's length. The solutions are developed taking into account the shear deformation of the beam. The solutions are achieved, in an original way, by transforming the fourth-order differential equations with variable coefficients into fourth-order differential equations with constant coefficients. Though the solutions presented refer to three recurrent variations in the beam cross-section shape, the procedure outlined can be applied to beams with binomial variation (with any exponent) in the depth or width of the cross-section. Moreover, the solutions can be achieved for polynomial, exponential and sinusoidal load conditions. The solutions can be utilized to obtain the stiffness factors and the flexibility coefficients of beams in the analysis of frames. Closed form solutions for longitudinal displacements are also presented. The analytical solutions are applied to four recurrent beams commonly used in civil engineering practice and a comparison with a numerical procedure is made.     

Inaccuracies with the Hall technique due to continuum variation in the analytical microscope

We have identified a source of extraneous (non-sample) continuum in analytical microscopes with high-angle EDS detectors. The extraneous continuum is generated by specimen-scattered electrons but is not associated with a characteristic peak. This peakless continuum varies in magnitude with position across a grid and can cause large errors in quantitation with the Hall technique. The use of a modified specimen holder and an objective lens with a widened exit bore in the lower pole piece reduces the peakless continuum to acceptable levels in our instrument. Peripheral standards attached to the specimen can further reduce the impact of this extraneous continuum. Analytical microscopes with horizontal EDS detectors can also have serious problems with continuum variation across a grid, although the effect is likely due to X-ray absorption by the specimen holder rather than extraneous continuum.     

Noise measurement of a preamplifier with high input impedance using an NMR console

This article describes the noise measurement of a preamplifier with high input impedance designed for experiments with receive coils in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The noise of the preamplifier was determined in two ways. A circuital analysis of the preamplifier provided an equation for the preamplifier noise calculation and the noise voltage was measured with an NMR console and in accordance with known theory the measured analogue noise signal was modified to a discrete noise signal. An objective function with noise parameters of the preamplifier as variables was created. The noise parameters of the preamplifier were calculated with an optimization procedure and the results of the calculation and of the measurement compared. Qualitative and quantitative agreement was good. It was proved that the noise parameters of a preamplifier for NMR experiments can be measured with an NMR console and derived theory.     

Flow cytometric evaluation of DNA digestion with micrococcal nuclease on isolated HeLa nuclei

Flow cytometric assessment of DNA digestion with micrococcal nuclease has been performed on isolated HeLa nuclei by determining the relative reduction in stainability with the DNA-specific fluorochrome, propidium iodide. At the nuclease concentrations used, DNA histograms of digested nuclei showed the typical bimodal pattern, when the enzymatic reaction was performed in a medium maintaining chromatin in its native (i.e. condensed) or partially decondensed form. In contrast, when nuclei were digested in a buffer lacking both the mono- and divalent cations K+ and Mg2+, an extensive decrease in fluorescence intensity, with loss of the histogram shape, was observed. In nuclei with native chromatin, DNA stainability decreased as a function of time and enzyme concentration, to reach a lower limit of about 46%, as compared with undigested control samples. Removal of the histone H1 induced a significant increase (approximately by a factor of 2) in the extent of digestion, although only in nuclei with partially decondensed chromatin. These results suggest that the sensitivity of DNA to digestion with micrococcal nuclease can be quantitatively monitored with flow cytometry when appropriate reaction conditions are chosen.     

Theory and practice of spatial mechanisms with special positions of the axes

Spatial mechanisms are used in practice almost always with special axis positions; and that too only by unifying several joints with 1 degree-of-freedom into units with more degrees-of-freedom. The present work deals only with those special cases that are characterized by parallel or intersecting rotational axes or rotational axes that are parallel to a plane and similar cases. Such are the cases mostly met with in practice. Table 1 of the present work summarizes clearly the influence of these special positions of axes on the degree of motion of the kinematic chain. This table makes it easy for the designer to analyse such special cases. Mechanisms with special axis position that have proved themselves in practice are given.     

铸铁黏聚裂纹的张开位移与应力分布

对于含缺陷材料结构的强度,以裂纹为主要特征的断裂力学是其力学行为分析的有效途径,裂纹扩展过程区能被简化成具有黏聚力的裂纹段。为探讨带切口的铸铁裂纹发展规律及黏聚裂纹张开位移与黏聚应力的本构关系,对8种不同切口尺寸的铸铁梁进行三点弯曲加载实验,通过应变计电测跟踪测试,得到预制裂纹端部的张开位移随载荷变化曲线。由确定黏聚裂纹张开位移与黏聚应力分布的解析方法,计算得到该材料黏聚裂纹张开位移及与应力的本构关系。计算预制裂纹尖端张开位移与应变计测试结果基本符合。     

Size determination of sonicated vesicles by freeze-fracture electron microscopy,using the spray-freezing method

The usefulness of spray-freezing for determining the sizes of sonicated vesicles of egg lecithin with various cholesterol concentrations has been demonstrated. It is found that vesicles of egg lecithin increase in average size with increasing cholesterol concentrations, in agreement with measurements obtained with other techniques.     

Dimensional accuracy and surface roughness of rapid freeze prototyping ice patterns and investment casting metal parts

The dimensional accuracy and surface finish of ice patterns generated by rapid freeze prototyping were first investigated. The dimensional accuracy and surface finish of metal parts made by investment casting with ice patterns were then investigated and compared with those made by conventional investment casting with wax patterns. The selection of binder, ceramic powder, and catalyst material for ceramic slurries in the process of investment casting with ice patterns and the need for an interface agent to separate the ice pattern from the ceramic slurry in the mold making process are discussed. The parts used in the investigation included circular cylinders with vertical and slant walls and a turbine impeller. This revised version was published online in October 2004 with a correction to the issue number.