On the modal curve of nonlinear normal modes

In a nonlinear holonomic conservative system having two-degree-of-freedom, the modal curves of normal mode vibrations are investigated investimgated by the harmonic balance method. The general procedure to compute the modal curve is suggested. Even if the linearized frequencies of the system are satisfied with the commensurability condition under which the approaches using the perturbation method have the problem of small divisor, the modal curve can be obtained by this method, provided that the fundamental harmonics are dominant when the normal modes are expanded in Fourier series in time domain. As an example, in a system with cubic nonlinearity the modal curves are computed analytically and numerically to compare both results.     

FVF LDO regulator with dual dynamic-load composite gain stage

A low-voltage output-capacitorless low-dropout regulator using dual dynamic-load composite gain stage for flipped voltage follower topology is presented. It also incorporates a delay discharge circuit which aims to reduce the long discharge time arising from the large capacitive load, thus achieving the overshoot time reduction and sustaining fast transient characteristic when driving low-power digital system with internal heavy capacitive load requirement. The regulator can support a minimum of 0.75 V input voltage with 0.5 V output voltage. It consumes 49.4 µA whilst maintaining the stability for a capacitance load range from 470 pF to 10 nF. For a current load transient from 0 to 10 mA with 200 ps edge time, the settling time is 0.38 µs for the load capacitance of 3 nF. The obtained transient figure-of-merit is 0.42 mV. This transient metric outperforms the representative prior-art reported works.     

FixMyStreet Brussels: Socio-Demographic Inequality in Crowdsourced Civic Participation

FixMyStreet (FMS) is a web-based civic participation platform that allows inhabitants to report environmental defects like potholes and damaged pavements to the government. In this paper, we examine the use of FMS in Brussels, the capital city of Belgium. Analyzing a total of 30,041 reports since its inception in 2013, we demonstrate how civic participation on FMS varies between the ethnically diverse districts in Brussels. We compare FMS use to a range of sociodemographic indicators derived from official city statistics as well as geotagged social media data from Twitter. Our statistical analysis revealed several significant differences between the districts that suggested that crowdsourced civic participation platforms tend to marginalize low-income and ethnically diverse communities. In this respect, our findings provide timely evidence to inform the design of more inclusive crowdsourced, civic participation platforms in the future.     

Asymmetric Dynamic Green’s Functions in a Two-Layered Transversely Isotropic Half-Space

By virtue of a complete representation using two displacement potentials, an analytical derivation of the elastodynamic Green’s functions for a transversely isotropic layer underlain by a transversely isotropic half-space is presented. Three-dimensional point-load and patch-load Green’s functions for stresses and displacements are given in the complex-plane line-integral representations. The formulation includes a complete set of transformed stress-potential and displacement-potential relations in the framework of Fourier expansions and Hankel integral transforms, that is useful in a variety of elastodynamic as well as elastostatic problems. For the numerical computation of the integrals, a robust and effective methodology is laid out. Comparisons with the existing numerical solutions for a two-layered transversely isotropic half-space under static surface load, and a homogeneous transversely isotropic half-space subjected to buried time-harmonic load are made to confirm the accuracy of the present solutions. Selected numerical results for displacement and stress Green’s functions are presented to portray the dependence of the response of the two-layered half-space on the frequency of excitation and the role of the upper layer.     

Manganese loss during the oxygen refining of high-carbon ferromanganese melts

Decarburization tests of high-carbon ferromanganese melts by oxygen refining were successfully carried out in a model converter with 2-ton production capacity. During the oxygen refining, the manganese loss was inherently accompanied by oxidation and evaporation. The oxidation loss of manganese into slag was affected by slag composition, melt temperature and slag weight. The oxidation loss of manganese into slag was minimum at a slag basicity of about 1.5 and it increased with temperature and slag weight. The amount of manganese evaporation loss was comparable to that of oxidation loss. An empirical equation for the evaporation loss of manganese was derived as a function of process variables. The apparent vaporization coefficient, β, was significantly affected by the oxygen mixing ratio in bottom blowing gas and the fraction of top blown oxygen.     

Construction and power generation characteristics of H2O turbine power generation system utilizing waste heat from factories

A new gas turbine power generation system has been proposed, in which the steam (H₂O) produced by utilizing waste heat from factories is used as the working fluid of gas turbine. A simulation model has been constructed to estimate power generation characteristics of the proposed system by adopting C++ language. It has been shown from simulation results that the proposed system has high exergetic efficiency, that is, the total exergetic efficiency is 46.3% and fuel‐based efficiency is 56.3% for a case where steam with a temperature of 275 °C produced from a garbage incineration plant is used. Sensitivity analysis has also been carried out when usable steam temperature and pressure is changed, together with the case when condenser outlet pressure is changed. Characteristics of a dual fluid gas turbine cycle power generation system (DFGT) have also been estimated in this study. It has been shown that the proposed system has 16.9% higher exergetic efficiency and 41.8% higher fuel‐base exergetic efficiency compared with DFGT. © 1999 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 130(1): 38–47, 2000     

Acid-base interactions on interfacial adhesion and mechanical responses for glass-fiber-reinforced low-density polyethylene

The relationship between interfacial adhesion and mechanical response in discontinuous glass-fiber-reinforced thermoplastics (GFTP) was investigated using low-density polyethylene (LDPE) as a matrix. It was found that the presence of acid groups in the matrix enhances the mechanical strength as well as the interfacial adhesion, to a great extent, especially with the glass fibers (GF) treated with basic coupling agents. However, some degradation in mechanical properties of the GFTP resulted when excessive interfacial adhesion was achieved with large amounts of the acid groups. The results of diverse characterization suggest the existence of an interphase of bound polymers at the GF surface, whose physical entanglement with the matrix plays a critical role in the mechanical response of the GFTP. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 65: 143–154, 1997     

EXERGETIC EVALUATION OF GAS TURBINE COGENERATION SYSTEMS FOR DISTRICT HEATING AND COOLING

A cogeneration system (CGS) generating both power and heat for district heating and cooling is required to be able to cope efficiently with its heat demand change. In this paper, two types of gas turbine CGSs were investigated: (1) a CGS using a dual fluid cycle; and (2) a CGS using a combined cycle. Exergy flows at various points of each CGS have been evaluated when its heat demand is changed. The following have been shown through simulation studies: (a) the higher the heat supply ratio, the higher the exergetic efficiency of the dual fluid cycle CGS; (b) the lower the heat supply ratio, the higher the exergetic efficiency of the combined cycle CGS; and (c) the highest exergetic efficiency of the dual fluid cycle CGS at the maximum heat supply operation is higher than that of the combined cycle CGS; and the exergetic efficiency of the combined cycle CGS at the minimum heat supply operation is higher than that of the dual fluid cycle CGS. A simple criterion has also been derived for determining which type of CGS has higher average exergetic efficiency for a specific district when its heat demand characteristics are known. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.