Theoretical Investigation of the Viscous Damping Coefficient of Hydraulic Actuators

The viscous damping coefficient(VDC) of hydraulic actuators is crucial for system modeling,control and dynamic characteristic analysis.Currently,the researches on hydraulic actuators focus on behavior assessment,promotion of control performance and efficiency.However,the estimation of the VDC is difficult due to a lack of study.Firstly,using two types of hydraulic cylinders,behaviors of the VDC are experimentally examined with velocities and pressure variations.For the tested plunger type hydraulic cylinder,the exponential model B=αυ~(-β),(α0,β0)or B=α_1e~(-β_1υ)+α_2e~(-β_2υ)(α_1,α_20,β_1,β_20),fits the relation between the VDC and velocities for a given pressure of chamber with high precision.The magnitude of the VDC decreases almost linearly under certain velocities when increasing the chamber pressure from 0.6 MPa to 6.0 MPa.Furthermore,the effects of the chamber pressures on the VDC of piston and plunge type hydraulic cylinders are different due to different sealing types.In order to investigate the VDC of a plunger type hydraulic actuator drastically,a steady-state numerical model has been developed to describe the mechanism incorporating tandem seal lubrication,back-up ring related friction behaviors and shear stress of fluid.It is shown that the simulated results of VDC agree with the measured results with a good accuracy.The proposed method provides an instruction to predict the VDC in system modeling and analysis.     

„Leben machen,sterben lassen“: Palliative Care und Biomacht

Definition of the problem This article takes a critical look at the current theory and practice of palliative care (PC), how it deals with death and dying, and the underlying guiding principle of a good death. Thereby, Foucault’s concept of biopower is utilized. Argument Because PC aims to facilitate a good death, manifold criteria and measures have been developed that help plan interventions and determine their success. In light of the concept of biopower, certain problematic aspects of this development become manifest that usually remain hidden in the bioethical discourse. Conclusion A goal of PC is to improve the quality of life of the dying and therefore not only treats physical symptoms but also psychological, social, and spiritual suffering; thus, it commits itself to maximizing life in a way that can become overdemanding for the individual and possibly does not satisfy the patient’s real needs.     

Self-Diffusion of Iron in Molten Fe-C Alloys

Self-diffusion coefficients of iron in molten Fe-C alloys have been measured by using the capillary method. In addition, the samples have been autoradiographed and sectioned to insure that no significant convection has occurred during the diffusion. The results can be represented by the equation D = 4.3×10^?3 exp (—12.200/RT) for carbon = 4.6 pct and T = 1513° to 1633°K; and D = 1.0×10^?2 exp (—15,700/RT) for carbon = 2.5 pct and T = 1613° to 1673°K. The D values are higher and the heat of activation for diffusion lower in alloys containing more carbon. Calculation based on the Einstein-Stokes equation indicates that the diffusing species is iron ion.     

Oxidation behavior of 2.25Cr-1Mo steel with prior tempering at different temperatures

The oxidation behavior of a normalized 2.25Cr-1Mo steel tempered previously for 10 hr at different temperatures between 873 and 1023 K has been studied up to a maximum duration of 1000 hr in air at 773–973 K. The oxidation resistance of the steel was found to decrease significantly with the temperature of tempering. Tempering of this steel is reported to cause microstructural changes involving precipitation of Cr as carbides and a decrease in the effective (free) Cr contents, that could influence the oxidation resistance of the Cr-containing alloys. Relative compositions across the thickness of the oxide scales, as analyzed by SEM/EDX and SIMS, suggest that a less Cr-rich (and less protective) and thicker scale on the steel formed because previous tempering caused extensive depletion of free Cr.     

A computational fluid dynamic analysis of gas and particle flow in flame spraying

The flame spraying process, which is a common industrial thermal spraying application, has been analyzed by means of three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The process used at the Volvo Aero Corporation for the coating of fan and compressor housings has been modeled. The process uses the Metco 6P torch (Metco, Westbury, NY), which ejects a mixture of acetylene and oxygen at high speed through a ring of 16 orifices to form the flame. A stream of argon gas flowing through an orifice in the center of the ring carries a powder of nickel-covered bentonite through the flame to the spray substrate. The torch is cooled by a flow of air through an outer ring of 9 orifices. The simulation emulated reality closely by including the individual inlets for fuel, cooling air, and injected particles. The gas combustion was simulated as a turbulent, multicomponent chemically reacting flow. The standard, two-equation k-ε turbulence model was used. The chemical reaction rates appeared as source terms in the species transport equations. They were computed from the contributions of the Arrhenius rate expressions and the Magnussen and Hjertager eddy dissipation model. The first simulations included several intermediate chemical substances whose predicted concentration agreed favorably with measurements. Later, more simplified simulations incorporated only the global chemical reaction involving the initial and the final products, with corrections to the thermal properties being made to account for the missing intermediaries. The gas velocity and temperature fields predicted by the later simulations compared satisfactorily to those predicted by the earlier, more elaborate, ones. Therefore, the final simulations, which incorporated injected particles, were conducted employing the simplified model with only the global reaction. An in-house finite difference code was developed to calculate particle properties. Allowance was made for elliptical shapes, phase changes, and internal heat transfer with regard to the composite material. The particle velocities and temperatures predicted by the final simulations compared fairly well with experimental results obtained with the optical DPV2000 system.     

The influence of heating element temperature on productivity

A study to determine the most optimal heating element for any given processing configuration yields a surprisingly simple log-linear dependence of the productivity on the heating-element temperature. Aluminum, iron, and aluminum-oxide processing efficiencies are studied for conditions that span heat treating to melting. The authors note that, in general, the highest element temperature that may effectively be used for a given heating process is the high-productivity solution.     

Investigation of the grain coarsening behavior of some Aluminum alloys

Grain coarsening tests were carried out on Al-4.5 pct Cu and Al-4.5 pct Si alloys. The effects of three variables, melt composition, pour temperature, and mold temperature, were determined. It was found that the macrostructure generally coarsened with increased pour and mold temperatures. Coarsening was extreme in the unrefined alloys but was retarded by the active grain refiners like titanium and columbium. The effect of boron was spectacular in suppressing coarsening tendencies. The results of the investigation support the carbide theory of nucleation as opposed to the peritectic theory.     

Chromium distribution between liquid iron and molten basic slags

An equilibrium study was made of the distribution of chromium and oxygen between liquid iron, containing less than 1 pct Cr, and simple slags of the CaO(MgO)-SiO₂-FeO-Cr₂O₃ type in the temperature range 1526° to 1734°C The effects of slag oxidation, temperature, and basicity were observed.