Study of the sensitivity and resonant frequency of the torsional modes of an AFM cantilever with a sidewall probe based on a nonlocal elasticity theory

A relationship based on a nonlocal elasticity theory is developed to investigate the torsional sensitivity and resonant frequency of an atomic force microscope (AFM) with assembled cantilever probe (ACP). This ACP comprises a horizontal cantilever and a vertical extension, and a tip located at the free end of the extension, which makes the AFM capable of topography at sidewalls of microstructures. First, the governing differential equations of motion and boundary conditions for dynamic analysis are obtained by a combination of the basic equations of nonlocal elasticity theory and Hamilton's principle. Afterward, a closed‐form expression for the sensitivity of vibration modes has been obtained using the relationship between the resonant frequency and contact stiffness of cantilever and sample. These analysis accounts for a better representation of the torsional behavior of an AFM with sidewall probe where the small‐scale effect are significant. The results of the proposed model are compared with those of classical beam theory. The results show that the sensitivities and resonant frequencies of ACP predicted by the nonlocal elasticity theory are smaller than those obtained by the classical beam theory. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:408–415, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Current Sheath Dynamics and its Evolution Studies in Sahand Filippov Type Plasma Focus

One of the most important factors for optimizing the plasma focus device operation is the dynamics of the plasma. In this paper, we investigated the profile and dynamics of the current sheath by measuring the velocity and distribution of current sheath in Sahand as a Filippov type plasma focus device. For this purpose, the discharge is produced in pure neon gas with capacitor bank stored energies in the range of 14–50 kJ. The current sheath is monitored using two sets of magnetic probes, one with four and other with three equi-distant probe coils. These probes, installed in both radial and axial directions near the edge of the interior electrode (anode), are used for monitoring the distributions and dynamics of the current sheath. The maximum current sheath velocities at radial and axial phase are 4 ± 0.13 and 3.51 ± 0.22 (cm/μs) respectively for 0.25 Torr. The decreasing of CS velocities in going move away from anode surface is one of the our results in this paper. In this paper we conclude that the current sheath velocity at radial phase in Sahand is greater than axial phase. The effect of the neon working gas pressure and working voltage on the current sheath dynamics and its spatial evolution is investigated and presented.     

Activation cross sections of the Yb(p,xn)Lu reaction for indirect production of the therapeutic radionuclide Yb

Activation cross sections of the ^natYb(p,xn)¹⁶⁹Lu reaction have been measured for the first time up to 70 MeV to investigate the production possibility of the radionuclide ¹⁶⁹Yb through decay of its parent ¹⁶⁹Lu. The cross sections were measured using the stacked foil irradiation technique and gamma spectrometry. The experimental data were compared with the results of the ALICE-IPPE theoretical model code. Different production routes were compared for the internal radiotherapy related radioisotope ¹⁶⁹Yb. Above 30 MeV proton energy the integral yield of the ^natYb(p,xn)¹⁶⁹Lu reaction is higher than that of the earlier investigated ¹⁶⁹Tm(p,n)¹⁶⁹Yb, ¹⁶⁹Tm(d,2n)¹⁶⁹Yb, ^natEr(α,xn)¹⁶⁹Yb, ^natYb(α,x)¹⁶⁹Lu and ^natHf(p,x)¹⁶⁹Lu reactions at the equivalent particle energies.     

An experimental study of the synergistic effects of BMIM-BF_4,BMIM-DCA and TEACI aqueous solutions on methane hydrate formation

In this work, the effects of three ionic liquids(ILs), namely, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium dicyanamide and tetraethyl-ammonium chloride, on methane hydrate formation and dissociation kinetic parameters were studied. The kinetic parameters including the initial rate of hydrate formation, hydrate stability at atmospheric pressure and hydrate storage capacity were evaluated. The experimental measurements were performed in an initial pressure range of 3.5-7.1 MPa. It was found that both of ILs with imidazolium-based cation increase the initial methane hydrate formation rate while the IL with ammonium-based cation leads to a decrease in the initial methane hydrate formation rate. It was also interpreted from the results that all of the three studied ILs decrease methane hydrate stability at atmospheric pressure and increase methane hydrate storage capacity. Finally, both of ILs with imidazolium-based cations were found to have higher impacts on decreasing hydrate stability at atmospheric pressure and increasing the methane hydrate storage capacity than the applied IL with ammonium-based cation.     

A novel way to production yttrium glass microspheres for medical applications

In this paper a novel method of producing yttrium aluminum silicate microspheres is reported. Yttrium aluminum silicate microspheres around 20–50 μm in size were obtained when an aqueous solution of Y(NO₃)₃ and Al(NO₃)₃ was added to tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and pumped into stirred silicone oil. The particles produced by this method are regularly shaped and very close to spherical. The amorphous structure, Y-O-Si bonds, spherical shapes, composition, and element distribution were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), carbon/sulfur analysis, and SEM/EDS mapping analysis. The results obtained demonstrate that the silicone oil spheroidization method is suitable for the production of yttrium aluminum silicate microspheres. This study also reveals that a high temperature is not required for the production of yttrium aluminum silicate microspheres.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of low velocity impact behavior of high-performance fiber-reinforced cement based composite

Fiber-reinforced concrete (FRC) has been used in structural applications in order to enhance the structural performance under dynamic loading and reduce cracking and spalling phenomena by increasing toughness, ductility, and tensile strength of the concrete. High-performance fiber-reinforced cement based composite (HPFRC) is a high-strength FRC with enhanced high-performance characteristics. Recent studies have shown that HPFRC has higher impact resistance than other types of concrete. Therefore, it has been widely considered as a promising material for the construction of important and strategic structures. HPFRC panels are tested by drop projectiles up to an impact at which failure occurs. Mechanical properties of HPFRC are obtained to define material parameters in the MAT_SOIL_CONCRETE model in LS-DYNA, which is used to simulate the behavior of HPFRC panel under impact loading and perform parametric studies. Predicted crack and failure patterns on both sides of the HPFRC panel based on finite element simulation are in good agreement with their corresponding experimental results.     

Accurate analysis of spectral regrowth of nonlinear power amplifier driven by cyclostationary modulated signals

In this paper we present an exact analytical expression to calculate the spectral regrowth at the output of a nonlinear power amplifier (PA) using the higher order cumulants and Poisson summation formula. This PA is driven by the filtered digitally modulated signals. To improve the accuracy of the calculations, the cyclosationarity of the input signal is considered. Moreover, closed-form expressions for the 1-dB compression and saturation points are extracted as a function of the PA model parameters, higher order statistics of the input signal, and the transfer function of the pulse shaping filter. In addition, an analytical expression for the adjacent channel power (ACP) and a closed-form expression of the ACP ratio are derived. This is followed by investigation of the effect of the PA nonlinearity on the performance of receiver. Simulation studies are carried out to verify the accuracy of the derived expressions. Excellent agreement between the analytical and simulation results is achieved.     

Techno-economic review on storage of petroleum products in abandoned underground salt mines: A case study on underground salt mines of Sardareh region,Garmsar, Iran

During the past few decades, along with creation of new needs, large spaces of underground mines (especially abandoned mines) have found new applications, e.g., storage of petroleum products. Utilization of empty spaces of these mines as hydrocarbons storage facilities decreases the costs of construction of underground spaces, which can be very expensive and costly. On the other hand, crude oil and other hydrocarbons nowadays are one of the most important factors affecting political and a major part of the domestic economy is achieved through them. Thus, in this paper, a feasibility study has been performed on the application of underground salt mines near the city of Garmsar on the southern edge of Alborz mountains and on the north of the central desert of Iran. Through studies of documentaries, field observations and considering technical, geometrical and defensive criterion, the most suitable abandoned underground mine for reutilization as a storage facility is selected and presented.     

Stability of Dye Dispersions in the Presence of Some Eco-Friendly Dispersing Agents

The stability of dye dispersions in the presence of ethoxylated sorbitan lauryl and oleyl esters were reported and compared with dye dispersions containing a conventional dispersing agent, i.e. naphthalene sulfonic acid methylene-bis sodium salt (NSAB). The optimum operating conditions obtained using a central composite design and stability of dye dispersions were evaluated by a turbidimetry method. Results showed that the dose of surfactants and the temperature of operation were important factors in preparing stable dye dispersions. Also, the best conditions for preparing dye dispersions were as follows: dose of surfactant 0.05 g, temperature 25 °C and time 5 min. In addition to, findings indicated that both of the used surfactants had better performance in dispersing the dyes in water. However, ethoxylated sorbitan oleate had better efficiency relative to other used dispersing agents. The performance of both sorbitan esters were compared with NSAB. The results indicated that they can create stable dye dispersions in aqueous media and have approximately the same effectiveness with NSAB. In this series, although oleate ester had a better performance than the laurate, the difference in performance of using dispersing agents was not significant. This finding was confirmed by the results of the particle size analysis of dye dispersions.     

Integrating lotsizing, loading, and scheduling decisions in flexible flow shops

Presenting an integrated lotsizing, loading, and scheduling model for the capacitated flexible flow shops with sequence-dependent setups is the main contribution of this paper. An exact formulation of the problem is provided as a mixed integer program. To solve this problem, mixed integer programming-based heuristics based on iterative procedures are provided. To test the accuracy of heuristics, two lower bounds are developed and compared against the optimal solution. The trade-offs between solution quality and computational time of heuristics are also provided.