Different glazing systems and their impact on human thermal comfort—Indian scenario

In the present communication, fifteen different glazing systems ranging from 3 mm single glazed clear glass to double glazed with low-e and solar control coating, have been analysed in terms of their human thermal comfort impact. Thermal comfort is measured in term of PMV (predicted mean vote) and PPD (predicted percentage of dissatisfied). Study encompasses all the six climatic zones of India. By using OPTICS 5.0 and WINDOW 5.0, U-values, solar heat gain coefficient, inside glazing surface temperatures and inside solar radiation have been computed. Depending upon different climatic zones, six sets of different design conditions, in terms of ambient temperatures, solar radiation and wind velocity, have been chosen. Typical values of metabolic rate and clothing insulation taken are 1.2 met and 0.5 clo for summer and 1.0 met and 1.0 clo for winter, respectively. Inside room air velocity is taken as 0.15 m s⁻¹ round the year. Room temperature is taken as 20 °C in winter and 25 °C in summer. It is found that for cold station (e.g. Leh) all glazings except solar control glazings, ensure thermal comfort and total PPD is less than 10% (|PMV|?0.5). For warm and hot climates, solar control glazings are thermally suitable. Results for winter night of Delhi shows that all the 15 glazings are inadequate for thermal comfort and PPD, due to cold feeling, varies between 27% and 33% approximately.     

Studies of cryotreatment on the performance of integral diaphragm pressure transducers for space application

The integral diaphragm pressure transducers machined out of precipitation hardened martensite stainless steel (APX4) are widely used for propellant pressure measurements in space applications. These transducers are expected to exhibit dimensional stability and linearity for their entire useful life. These vital factors are very critical for the reliable performance and dependability of the pressure transducers. However, these transducers invariably develop internal stresses during various stages of machining. These stresses have an adverse effect on the performance of the transducers causing deviation from linearity. In order to eliminate these possibilities, it was planned to cryotreat the machined transducers to improve both the long-term linearity and dimensional stability. To study these effects, an experimental cryotreatment unit was designed and developed based on the concept of indirect cooling using the concept of cold nitrogen gas forced closed loop convection currents. The system has the capability of cryotreating large number of samples for varied rates of cooling, soaking and warm-up. After obtaining the initial levels of residual stress and retained austenite using X-ray diffraction techniques, the pressure transducers were cryotreated at 98 K for 36 h. Immediately after cryotreatment, the transducers were tempered at 510 °C for 3 h in vacuum furnace. Results after cryo treatment clearly indicated significant reduction in residual stress levels and conversion of retained austenite to martensite. These changes have brought in improvements in long term zero drift and dimensional stability. The cryotreated pressure transducers have been incorporated for actual space applications.     

Hydrogen evolution reaction: The role of arsenene nanosheet and dopant

The state-of-the-art density functional theory (DFT) is employed to study the catalytic activity of arsenene for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER). We have included dispersion correction to get accurate adsorption energy on the individual catalytic surface (top site). Using binding energy calculation, arsenene is shown to be a potential candidate for HER. Here we investigate the stability and electronic properties of the honeycomb structure of the arsenene system using first-principles calculation to find the effect of different dopants on the fundamental band gap, which is one of the primary parameters in the photocatalytic water splitting. Further, we sieved the dopant for better HER catalytic activity by substituting one of the arsenene (As) atoms by B, N, O, Ge, Ga and Se atoms to make arsenene a better candidate for HER. Our studies depict that HER activity is increased by 82% for O-doped arsenene and OER activity by 87% for B-doped arsenene as compared to pristine arsenene.     

Investigation on germanium oxide-based glasses for infrared optical fibre development

We demonstrate the suitability of GeO₂ for fibre engineering by compositional modifications of core and cladding glasses using the rod-in-tube technique, which have been matched for fibre drawing. The methods adopted for identifying the core–clad combination (56GeO₂–31PbO–9Na₂O–4Ga₂O₃ and 55GeO₂–30PbO–11Na₂O–4Ga₂O₃) are explained, based on the thermal, viscosity, and optical properties. We specially point out to the relatively high transformation temperature range (T_g > 380 °C) of the glass, which is suitable for chemical sensing and metrological applications in the 150–200 °C. The total intrinsic loss is compared with the measured loss in multi- and single-mode fibres from 0.532 to 2.02 μm, with loss less than 2.5 dB m⁻¹ in the 1000–1600 nm range. The origin of larger loss outside this region is explained.     

Hydrogen-Induced Cracking (HIC) of Hardened and Tempered Steel Fastener Used in Space Application

Cadmium-plated 0.35C–3.5Ni–1.5Cr–0.5Mo steel threaded fasteners of 1230 MPa properties class are used for aerospace applications. These fasteners were torqued to 13 N·m. Few fasteners parted into two pieces while in use under sustained assembly load for a period of 50 days. The fracture surface of the failed fasteners had two distinct regions when viewed under microscope at higher magnification. Fractography revealed that the larger region consisted of predominantly intergranular features, whereas the smaller region had features of microvoid coalescence. From the metallography evidences it was concluded that the fastener failure was due to hydrogen embrittlement. Electro-deposit of cadmium was identified to be the main source for hydrogen entrapment, which could not be compelled completely by post-plating baking treatment.     

Electric Fields Obviate Constrained Sintering

The phenomenon of constrained sintering, where large rigid inclusions of alumina have been shown to significantly reduce the rate of sintering of titania [Bordia and Raj (1988) J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 71, 302–310], is shown to subside nearly completely during flash sintering carried out under modest electrical fields. The result is explained by a different mechanism for volumetric and shear deformation under electric fields. It is proposed that vacancy and interstitials generated within the grains migrate to grain boundaries and pores to produce both volumetric and shear strain at equal rates, since, in this way, the diffusion distance for both modes of deformation becomes the same. In conventional sintering, where transport occurs from one interface to another, the diffusion distance for shear is twice as far as for densification, which retards sintering should it become controlled by shear deformation, as seen in constrained sintering.     

Linked Simulation-Optimization based Dedicated Monitoring Network Design for Unknown Pollutant Source Identification using Dynamic Time Warping Distance

Implementation of monitoring strategy for increasing the efficiency of groundwater pollutant source characterization is often necessary, especially when only inadequate and arbitrary concentration measurement data are initially available. Two main parameters that need to be estimated for efficient and accurate characterization of groundwater pollution sources are: location of the source and the time when the source became active. Complexities involved with the explicit estimation of the time of start and source activity have not been addressed so far in previous studies. The main complexity arises due to the fact that the spatial location and time of activity are inter-related. Therefore, specifying one and solving for the other simplifies the source characterization problem. Hence, in this study, both the source location and time of initiation are treated as unknowns. The developed methodology uses dynamic time warping distance in the linked simulation-optimization model to address some complex issues in designing a monitoring network to efficiently estimate source characteristics including the time of first activity of unknown groundwater source. Performance of the developed methodology is evaluated on illustrative contaminated aquifer. These evaluation results demonstrate the potential use of the developed methodology.     

Dynamic Embrittlement in Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti Alloy: Evidence of Intergranular Segregation of Sulphur

In the present investigation, Cu-0.6Cr-0.005Zr-0.0045Ti alloy was subjected to different heat treatment and thermomechanical treatment (TMT) to simulate the conditions experienced during brazing and forming, respectively. Grain coarsening was observed in the samples subjected to heat treatment, and grain refinement was observed in the samples subjected to TMT. Tensile tests conducted with these samples at room temperature and 600 °C have shown that Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti alloy was susceptible to dynamic embrittlement (DE). However, the observation was limited to coarse-grained samples (280-350 μm) at 600 °C. On the other hand, the fine-grained samples (20-40 μm) showed good ductility. Electron microscopy studies conducted on the tensile-tested specimens prone to DE indicated the presence of sulfur on the fractured surface and intergranular segregation of sulfur. Therefore, it can be inferred from the results that DE due to sulfur can occur in Cu-Cr-Zr-Ti alloy at elevated temperature for coarse-grained samples.     

High strain rate deformation and cracking of AA 2219 aluminium alloy welded propellant tank

Aluminium alloy AA 2219 (Al–6.6Cu–1Mn) is the candidate material for the fabrication of propellant storage tank of launch vehicle. Cold rolled sheets of 6.5 mm thickness are used to make the cylindrical shell, while sheets of 4.5 mm thickness are used for the construction of dome through petal forming technique. Petals, formed through cone rolling, treated to T87 temper condition are welded together by TIG welding to configure the dome. Such domes are joined to the cylindrical shell through a ring by TIG welding.The upper stage consists of two tanks, one oxidizer tank (liq. O₂) and other fuel tank (liq. H₂). After completing various developmental qualification tests, propellant flow rate test of one of the system was carried out. Almost all the liquid oxygen of the tank was removed and only a little quantity remained at the bottom. During one of the subsequent tests; when dry nitrogen gas was purged to evaporate the remaining liquid oxygen, the oxidizer tank dome catastrophically fractured with an audible sound. Fracture of oxidizer tank dome, placed at lower part of the system caused excessive deformation and subsequently it also caused fracture of fuel tank dome placed just over it.Detailed metallurgical investigations were carried out on the failed components and it was found that the tank failed under very high strain rate deformation. This paper brings out the details of the investigation carried out.     

Microstructural evolution during batch annealing of boron containing aluminum-killed steel

Role of boron in low carbon aluminum-killed cold rolled batch annealed steels has been critically examined. It was found that it is not the absolute boron but B/N ratio that controls the forming properties. Pancake shaped grains (high grain shape anisotropy) are highly desirable for improving the desirable {111} texture, normal anisotropy, and draw ability of the steel sheets. Microstructural analysis showed that the extent of pancaking decreases with increase in B/N atomic ratio and reaches ultimately to formation of equiaxed grains. Low B/N ratio (upto 0.3) resulted in improved mean plastic anisotropy ratio (r _m) value and high grain shape anisotropy, which has been characterized through grain aspect ratio. The desirable orientation in steel with low B/N ratio is attributed to sufficient availability of Al and N to precipitate during batch annealing. Optimum amount of boron, aluminum, and nitrogen in steel has resulted in coarse pancake structure, which is ideally suited for improved formability.