Electrochemical behaviour of cobalt and nickel complexes with ϵ-caprolactam at dropping mercury electrode

The kinetics of polarographic reduction of Co(II) and Ni(II) has been investigated in the presence of increasing concentration of complex forming agent viz ?-caprolactam at pH 6.2 under constant ionic strength. In both the cases the waves were found to be diffusion controlled and irreversible. The values of the kinetic parameters αn_a and k⁰_{f, h} have been calculated as a function of the ligand concentration. The polarographic wave was precisely proportional to the concentration up to 3.5 mM of the metal ions. Hence the straight line is useful as a calibration curve in quantitative analysis of these two metal ions. The error does not exceed more than ± 0.2% in any case.     

Knowledge-based expert systems in offshore structural design

With the world growing more complex, computers must help not only by doing ordinary computing but also by doing computing that exhibits intelligence. Efforts in the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to intelligent problem solving led to the development of expert systems. An expert system is a useful tool for solving ill defined problems that require a great deal of specialized knowledge that experts in a particular field acquire from long experiences with such tasks. The expert knowledge is contained in what is aptly called a knowledge base.

Offshore structural design is significantly influenced by expert human knowledge. Much of the knowledge is heuristic and attained through experience over the years. The objective of this paper is to highlight the possible use of expert systems in the area of offshore structures. A brief overview of knowledge systems followed by an application example is presented.     

Isothermal transient current studies in cellulose acetate films

Step voltage transient current studies have been made in cellulose acetate films as a function of filed and thickness. A logarithmic plot (Scherr-Montroll plot) of the transient current vs. time gives a knee at a time t_T, which is interpreted as the transit time of the charge carrier. The value of the carrier mobility has been estimated to be 3.9 × 10^?9 cm².V^?1.S^?1 in cellulose acetate film. The carrier mobility in iodine-doped (2% w/w) cellulose acetate film has also been determined from Scher-Montroll plot and is found to be 3.3 × 10^?7 cm².V^?1.S^?1.     

Leukocyte image analysis in the diff3 system

The diff3 System uses image processing and pattern recognition techniques to automatically analyze normal and abnormal white blood cells in a blood smear. The system consists of a spinner which creates a monolayer of cells on a glass slide, a stainer utilizing Wright's stain, the reagents to support the spinner and stainer, and an analyzer for automatic slide handling, analysis and report generation. The analyzer incorporates a wide range of image processing functions, including the generation and storage of gray scale image data, whole-field and partial-field image histogramming, and high-order binary image texture analysis and image transformation using the Golay processor (GLOPR). This paper describes the manner in which these hardware capabilities are used for white cell acquisition, scene segmentation and feature analysis. It concludes with some examples of texture extraction which illustrate the power of the Golay processor as a tool for image analysis.     

The effect of environmental pH on the failure strain of anodic films formed on the aluminum alloy 2024

The ultimate tensile strain of anodic films formed on 2024-T4 aluminum was evaluated as a function of pH in environments of 10⁻³M and 1·0M KNO₃, using resistive and capactive techniques. In the resistive technique, ultimate tensile strain was defined as the strain at which a discontinuous increase in anodic current was observed; in the capacitive technique, film failure was marked by a discontinuity in the slope of the capacitance versus strain curve. The ultimate tensile strain was seen to be significantly greater at the zero-point-of charge of the oxide (pH 8) than at higher or lower pH; in the capacitive measurements the ultimate tensile strain had an average value of 0·97 at pH 8 and 0·87 for measurements made at pH values of 4, 7 and 9. Dielectric behavior of the anodic films was seen to be different only in degree from that of films formed on pure aluminum. Changes in capacitance associated only with exposure were measured and taken into account. Capacitance behavior with strain was modeled by two linear regions; the first was attributed to elastic deformation of the film and the second, after failure, to the growth of regions of metal covered only with a thin, spontaneously-formed oxide.     

Einfluß unterschiedlicher Aufheizgeschwindigkeiten und Haltedauern auf das Rekristallisationsverhalten verschiedener unlegierter Stähle

Untersuchungen über das Rekristallisationsverhalten von Stahldrähten aus den Stahlsorten St 37, C 35, C 70, D 12-2, D 15-2, D 35-2 nach Verformungsgraden von 10 bis 50% bei unterschiedlichen Rekristallisationsbedingungen mit Aufheizgeschwindigkeiten zwischen 6 und 350 °C/s, Glühtemperaturen zwischen 300 und 700 °C und einer Haltedauer zwischen 60 und 1000 s. Beschreibung der Induktiverwärmungsanlage. Ermittlung der Festigkeitskennwerte wie Zugfestigkeit, Streckgrenze, Bruchdehnung, Brucheinschnürung sowie des Gefüges und der Korngröße nach den verschiedenen Glühungen.     

Consideration of primary creep at a stationary crack tip: Implications for the C t parameter

A finite element creep analysis of a center crack specimen has been carried out under small scale to extensive creep conditions. The crack was assumed to be stationary. Several constitutive models were used; these consisted of elastic, power-law creep with and without rate-independent plasticity, as well as one which also included primary creep. The mechanics basis of the C _t parameter, which has been proposed for correlating creep crack growth behavior under conditions ranging from small scale to extensive creep, is explored.For the aforementioned specimen geometry, consideration of primary creep seems to explain the differences between the measured and previously calculated load line deflection rates based on power-law creep only. It is also concluded that in small scale creep, C _t does not characterize the instantaneous crack tip singular stress field, but it accurately characterizes the rate of expansion of the crack tip creep zone regardless of whether primary or secondary creep is occurring. This result provides a rationale for using C _t to correlate creep crack growth rates even in the presence of significant primary creep deformation.

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Résumé On a procédé à une analyse par éléments finis du fluage d'une éprouvette comportant une fissure centrale, sous des conditions allant du fluage à petite échelle jusqu'à un fluage important. On suppose que la fissue est stationaire. Divers modèles ont été utilisés, à savoir la loi de fluage élastique ou parabolique, avec ou sans plasticité indépendante de la vitesse, ainsi qu'une loi incluant également le fluage primaire. On a étudié la base mécanistique du paramètre C _t, proposé pour relier le comportement de la croissance de la fissure de fluage sous des conditions entraînant un fluage depuis une petite échelle jusqu'à une grande échelle.Pour la géométrie citée, les différences entre les vitesses de variation de la courbe de la charge, mesurées et précédemment calculées en se basant sur la seule loi parabolique de fluage, semblent applicables par la prise en considération du fluage primaire. On conclut également que lors de fluage à petite échelle, C _t ne caractérise pas le champ singulier de contraintes instantanées à l'extrémité de la fissure, mais plutôt, et de maniére sûre, la vitesse d'extension de la zone de fluage à l'extrémité de la fissure, qu'il y ait fluage primaire ou fluage secondaire. Ce tésultat fournit une base d'utilisation de C _t pour connaître les vitesses de croissance d'une fissure de fluage, même en présence d'une déformation de fluage primaire significative.

     

An Integrated Controlled-Current PWM Rectifier Chopper Link for Sliding Mode Position Control

Position controllers must handle kinetic energy exchanges during acceleration and deceleration of large inertias. Temporary buffer storage in capacitors is expensive. The system that can manage the power exchange with ease is the integrated controlled-current pulsewidth-modulated (PWM) rectifier/controlled-current PWM chopper link. Bidirectional power is accomplished by bidirectional current flow in the dc link for both modulators. The three-phase currents in the rectifier side are near sinusoidal in waveform at unity power factor. The performance of the system as a position controller in an environment of the sliding mode strategy is studied. The sliding mode strategy offers robust characteristics to the controller.