Kinetics of catalyzed and non-catalyzed oxidation of soot from a diesel engine

To comply with the new regulations on particulate matter, car manufacturers more and more commonly use diesel particulate filters (DPF). The working of these systems needs to periodically burn soot that has been accumulated during the loading of the DPF. This paper describes the kinetics of the non-catalytic and catalytic oxidation of real diesel soot with oxygen. From these experiments, mechanisms for catalyzed and non-catalyzed soot oxidation have been proposed.     

Non-invasive Raman identification of crystalline and glassy phases in a 1781 Sèvres Royal Factory soft paste porcelain plate

A Raman study of a Sèvres soft paste (frit) porcelain plate allowed the identification of both the crystalline and amorphous phases. Cristobalite and pseudowollastonite gave main Raman signatures in the body where also tridymite, amorphous alkali silicate glass and lead arsenate apatite were detected. Na_0.4K_0.1Ca_0.5Pb₄(AsO₄)₃ lacunar apatite is identified as opacifier in blue and green overglaze enamel. Pb-Sb-reach pyrochlore (Naples Yellow) pigment was found in yellow and green overglaze enamels. The orange hue is obtained by superposing a hematite bearing red paint stroke over the yellow. These results are compared to those previously obtained by detailed OM, SEM, XRD and XRF analyses. Some of the phases identified by XRD (quartz, tridymite) are hardly detected by Raman and vice versa cristobalite was not found by XRD, most probably due to its low amount.     

A comparison analysis of prefiltering methods in space-time trellis-based reduced-state turbo-detection

In this paper, we investigate two different prefiltering strategies, i.e., multiple input multiple output (MIMO) channel shortening and MIMO whitened matched filtering, to decode iteratively a space time bit interleaved coded modulation transmitted over MIMO block fading intersymbol interference channels using a trellis-based post-detector. Indeed, resorting to such front-ends allows significant complexity gain when compared to the optimal maximum a posteriori-based turbo-receiver. While those two approaches have been exhaustively visited in the past, their fair comparison in terms of trade-off between complexity and performance has – to our knowledge – never been tackled before. This paper aims at giving some valuable insights about the respective benefits of these two prefiltering methods with respect to the channel characteristics and overall receiver complexity.     

Décodage par le treillis de codes polynomiaux: un écueil à éviter

We give a simple proof of a well known property of the maximum likelihood decoding of polynomial block codes: the systematic version of the code results in fewer decoding errors than the non systematic version. As a practical result, it is interesting to decode the systematic version of the code on the treillis of the non systematic version, because the non systematic version of the code exhibits a more regular trellis, and both version generate the same codewords.     

A new tangible user interface for machine learning document review

This paper describes a tool for assisting lawyers and paralegal teams during document review in eDiscovery. The tool combines a machine learning technology (CategoriX) and advanced multi-touch interface capable of not only addressing the usual cost, time and accuracy issues in document review, but also of facilitating the work of the review teams by capitalizing on the intelligence of the reviewers and enabling collaborative work.     

Dependence of the phase separation process on the relative onset of network formation in simultaneous interpenetrating polymer networks

Morphology development during the synthesis at room temperature of an interpenetrating polyurethane/poly(methyl methacrylate) network was investigated by small-angle X-ray scattering in relation with their relative kinetics of formation, determined by Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy. When the time lag between the onset of the two reactions is short, macroscopic phase separation occurs as the polyurethane network is incompletely formed. However, when the time lag increases, the poly(methyl methacrylate) forms into a more continuous network which limits the growth of phase separation to a close environment.     

A transmission line model for arrays of rectangular microstrip antennas

A very efficient transmission line model for the analysis of arrays of rectangular microstrip antennas is presented. The structure of the model is discussed, and its validity is proved. This is done for the isolated microstrip antenna as well as for the coupling between antennas. Then follows a discussion of the numerical efficiency. And finally a numerical example shows the effect of mutual coupling on the impedance and radiation pattern of a 21 element Chebyshev array at different scanangles.     

Forecasting solar radiation – Preliminary evaluation of an approach based upon the national forecast database

Our objective is to develop, and undertake a preliminary evaluation of a simple solar radiation forecast model using sky cover predictions from the National Digital Forecast Database as an input. This report describes the model and presents a limited evaluation of its performance against ground-measured and satellite-derived irradiances in Albany, New York.     

Confocal Scanning Laser Microscopic Study of the RDX Defect Structure in Deformed Polymer‐Bonded Explosives

The influence of an explosion‐driven deformation on the defect structure in RDX crystals embedded in a polymer‐bonded explosive was investigated by means of confocal scanning laser microscopy. The images were compared to the defect structure in the as‐received RDX grades, embedded in an epoxy resin. In this way it is possible to qualitatively analyze the changes in defect structure of the RDX crystals that were induced by the explosion‐driven deformation. For the first time, these data therefore provide experimental confirmation of how shock waves mechanically interact with energetic crystals – a topic that, up to now, was only explored by means of simulations.