The Radiation-Monitoring Complex of the СПРУТ-VI System

The radiation-monitoring complex of the -VI system was installed on board the Mir orbital station and used to study the fine structure of the Earth's inner radiation belt in low and near-equatorial latitudes. The complex comprised a system of gas-discharge counters, as well as electron and proton spectrometers. The range of measured energies was 0.1–2.0 MeV for electrons and 0.1–10.0 MeV for protons. The possibility of changing the work program of the complex under spaceflight conditions was provided for.     

The Magnetometric System of the СПРУТ-VI Instrument Package

The magnetometric system of the -VI instrument package installed on board the Mir orbital station in 1999 is described. The system was a fluxgate magnetometer that enabled high-precwasion vector measurements (with a resolution of 0.1 nT for each component) of the magnetic field over a range of ±65000 nT. The operating temperature range of the sensing device was –170 to +80°C and the temperature range of the system electronics was –55 to +60°C. The system was used for studying fluctuations of the Earth's magnetic field and characteristics of various particle formations in near-equatorial and low latitudes as well as calculating the pitch-angle distribution of fluxes of charged particles and determining the exact spatial coordinates of isolated malfunctions in microcircuits.     

The Wave Complex of the СПРУТ-VI Instrument Package

The wave complex of the -VI instrument package was designed for monitoring the electromagnetic state around orbital stations. The method of combined wave probes enables simultaneous vector measurements of magnetic field fluctuations (in a frequency range from 0.1 Hz to 40 kHz) and the electric current density in plasma (in a range of 10^–6–10^–13 cm^–2), as well as determination of the station surface potential (in a range of 10^–3–20 V). The complex was used onboard the Mir station for investigating the fine structure of distributions of ionospheric charged particles at low and near-equatorial latitudes.     

The Materials Science Complex of the СПРУТ-VI Instrument Package

The materials science complex of the -VI instrument package developed for the Mir space station was designed for studying the effect of factors of outer space and space flight conditions on various construction components. The complex was used to expose materials in both passive and active modes (to obtain current–voltage characteristics of various photoelectric converters of solar batteries) and to assess the isolated-error rate in integrated circuits (IC) under space-flight conditions with the simultaneous monitoring of the radiation environment. The verification of various engineering solutions was also included in the materials science program.     

The СПРУТ-VI Instrument Complex for the Mir Orbital Station

The basic elements of the instrument package program for orbital stations are presented. The characteristics of the -VI equipment developed for the Mir orbital station within the framework of this program are described. This equipment allows the simultaneous recording of the characteristics of near-earth space (electron, proton, and nucleus fluxes, magnetic fields, and low-frequency electromagnetic waves) and their effect on the elements of spaceborne equipment and systems. The mass of the equipment is 16 kg; the power consumption is no more than 20 W.     

The Control and Data-Acquisition System of the СПРУТ-VI Instrument Package

The control and data-acquisition system of the -VI instrument package mounted on board the Mir space station in 1999 is described. The system was based on two onboard microcomputers installed both inside and outside a pressurized compartment. The system unified the operation of various sets of equipment (radiation monitoring, radiometric, wave, materials science, and magnetic) and allowed the transfer of large data arrays from detectors located on the outer surface of the station. It was possible to reprogram the entire system under space flight conditions. An off-line data-recording unit, which was later brought back to Earth, was used.     

Seismoacoustic Hydrophysical Complex for Monitoring the Atmosphere–Hydrosphere–Lithosphere System

The seismoacoustic hydrophysical complex intended for investigation of the interaction of geospheres wave fields in a frequency range from 1 Hz to 1 Hz is described. The complex consists of a shore-based system of laser strain meters, laser nanobarograph, bottom station with a hydrophone and a temperature-sensitive element, weather station, and seismoacoustic radiator. The use of modern laser-interferometry methods provided a deformation sensitivity of 10^–10 and an atmospheric-pressure sensitivity of 10 mPa.     

Estimation of the Reliability of the Gear–Motor System Using a Markov Model

Journal of Machinery Manufacture and Reliability - In this article, the reliability of a gear–motor system is analyzed on the condition that the failure of the gear leads under certain...     

Measurement of the Background Level in the Spectra of Internal-Conversion Electrons Using the МАС-1 Microscope Complex

A method for measuring the spectral lines in an -50 photoemulsion plate with a varying background level is described. The -ray spectrograph of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research's Laboratory of Nuclear Problems, was used to record the spectra. The plate was exposed to internal-conversion electrons produced by the decay of erbium isotopes (erbium fraction). The spectral measurements were performed using the -1 microscope complex. The distribution of the background level over the plate surface was measured. Using the L-structure of the -ray line of ¹⁶¹Ho with an energy of 175.5 keV as an example, it was shown that the accuracy of the intensity measurements was 10% or better. The accuracy in measuring the background level governed the accuracy in identifying the multipolarity of nuclear transitions. A precision TV system for data readout based on a 768 × 576 pixel CCD matrix provided a measurement accuracy of 0.5 m for both coordinates.     

Influence of the Machine Tool’s Dynamic System on the Product Quality

The trajectory of a fixed point of the spindle at high speeds corresponding to the required machining precision and maximum productivity is determined. The influence of dynamic processes in the machine tool’s elastic system on the undulation and surface roughness of the part is assessed.     

Study of the Wheel–Rail System of Open-Pit Locomotives in Traction Mode

As a result of theoretical and experimental surveys, it is established that the value of the limiting gradient of industrial railways affects the temperature change in the contact area of the wheel–rail system of the locomotives and is characterized by the temperature coefficient of the gradient (k_gradient).     

Effect of Hydrostatic Pressure on the Optical Parameters of Fiber-Optic Cables for the Calibration System of the НТ-200 Neutrino Telescope

The effect of hydrostatic pressure and its gradient on the optical parameters of fiber-optic cables for the calibration system of the -200 Baikal neutrino telescope was investigated. The mean delay time of the light signal in the fiber-optic cables of the system is shown to be virtually constant at absolute pressures varying from 0 to 150 atm; incidentally, the average signal amplitude decreases by 5%. When the pressure difference changes from 0 to 7 atm, the average signal delay time increases by 0.5 ns, and the average signal amplitude decreases by 17%.     

The Effect of the Technological Heredity of the Stress–Strain State on the Accuracy of Nonrigid Parts

Journal of Machinery Manufacture and Reliability - The effect of the technological heredity of the stress–strain state on the accuracy and dimensional stability of nonrigid parts such as...     

Coordinating the Operation of a Robot’s Manipulator and Vision System

Russian Engineering Research - The effectiveness of autonomous service robots may be improved by coordinating the operation of the manipulators and the robot’s built-in vision system in the...     

The Development Mechanism and the Technical Characteristics of the Modern Cutting Technology

Introduction Since 1980s cuttingtechnology has developedrapidly inthe developed countries .Uptothe end of 20 centuryor the beginningof 21 centurythe cuttingtechnology has en- teredthe development phase of modern cuttingtechnology featuringthe highcuttingspeed and high performance ma- chining.Looking back to the history of cutting technolo- gy,one century has passedsincethe metal cutting became one of the machiningtechnologiesfromthe very beginning of 20 century. Since then,cutting technology h…     

The Effect of “Hot-Spot” Temperatures on the Unlubricated Wear of Steel

Experiments are described in which pins of low-alloy, medium-carbon steel are worn against disks of the same material under unlubricated sliding conditions. The friction and wear characteristics of this system are measured as functions of load and speed. The choice of loads and speeds was made in such a way as to obtain the entire range of “hot-spot” temperatures possible for the system. The results are then compared with those to be expected from a model of the wear process in which the wear at the contacting regions between the pin and the disk is closely associated with the oxidation of the metal in these regions. The temperature of oxidation is assumed to be the calculated “hot-spot” temperature. In order to make the results compatible with the proposed model, it is necessary to introduce a new parameter (having the dimensions of length) which is shown to increase steeply with increasing “hot-spot” temperature up to about 700 C. It then levels off, at about 10^?6 cm, for all hot-spot temperatures in excess of about 700 C. In this way, the hot-spot temperature is shown to be a very important variable in the wear of steel.     

The rôle of particle properties in the erosion of brittle materials

The erosion of a range of brittle materials (soda-lime glass, borosilicate glass, fused silica, boron carbide, partially stabilized zirconia, alumina and silicon carbide) with number of different erodent particle types (silicon, silica, alumina and silicon carbide) has been examined. The mechanisms of erosion depend upon the ratio of particle to target hardness. As this ratio falls towards unity, less damaging mechanisms of erosion dominate. Indentation-induced fracture models for erosion of brittle materials are not valid when this mechanism ceases to operate. The erosion rates decrease rapidly, and the velocity exponents of erosion rate increase, as the ratio of particle to target hardness decreases towards unity. The consequences of this in accelerated erosion testing are addressed.     

Study on the Effect of Track Curve Radius on Friction-Induced Oscillation of a Wheelset–Track System

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to investigate the correlation between the friction-induced oscillation of a wheelset–track system and curve radius and to explain a general phenomenon of rail corrugation based on the viewpoint of friction-induced oscillation. The typical phenomenon of rail corrugation in metros is that corrugation generally arises when the curve radius is quite small, whereas it rarely occurs when the curve radius is larger or on a straight track. Different multibody models of the vehicle–track system and finite-element models of the multiple-wheelset–track system with different curve radii are established, respectively. According to the creep force analyses and unstable vibration analyses, the correlation between the creep force and friction-induced oscillation can be identified. Then the effect of the track curve radius on the friction-induced oscillation of the wheelset–track system can be summarized, which provides an explanation of the typical phenomenon of corrugation.