Using Similarity Analyses to Scale Out Research Findings Across Andean Watershed Basins

Abstract

Strategic research in agriculture and natural resources carried out by international research centers is deemed a public good and should, sooner or later, be put into the hands of development, governmental and non-governmental organizations. However, this research is usually done at specific pilot sites; there is a greater need to know how representative those sites are in relation to the diversity of contexts in other locations. Such is the case with the Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF), a global initiative in water research promoted by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR), which is developing and implementing strategic research in nine basins located in the tropics of Africa, Asia and South America. Given that resources are not available to collect data from the whole of the region, pilot sites are needed. It is hoped that research outputs obtained in the selected pilot sites can be the basis for scaling out solutions to similar situations in neighbouring or adjacent areas in same or different basins.

In order to contribute to the scaling-out process, different classification methodologies were applied to determine how specific watershed basins are representative of larger areas. The Andean eco-region served as a case study but the methods can easily be applied in other regions. The spatial diversity of biophysical and social conditions across the Andes requires careful site selection. Two methods, a combination of Weight of Evidence (WofE) and Logistic Regression (LR) methods and Fast Cluster analysis, were used to determine the similarity of selected sites with those excluded. A 1-km study resolution covering most of the Andes eco-region included annual rainfall, elevation, length of growing period, land cover, roads and population density as the key variables. Results showed complementarities between the two methods in presenting a probability surface of similarity across the Andes and a clustering of similar sites inside and outside the pilot basins. The output information forms a strong basis for devising plans to scale out research findings from the pilot basins to the whole region.     

AH-64D main transmission accessory drive spur gear installation fault detections

The US Army has launched an aggressive program to implement condition based maintenance on its rotary wing assets. Condition Based Maintenance takes advantage of technology developments in the areas of machinery monitoring, signal processing and fault modeling to reduce the cost of ownership through improved maintenance procedures. Documenting the reduction in maintenance burden, cost savings and increased safety through early detection of helicopter faults is an important step in justifying the program. This paper describes a novel technique used to detect a serious fault in the accessory section of the AH-64D Apache main transmission. The technique determines if the primary or secondary clutch system is driving the aircraft accessories through a tachometer speed ratio. The method has identified three aircraft operating on the secondary system allowing Army maintenance crews to replace the affected transmissions and quickly restore the aircraft to operational status.     

Density dependence of the elastic constants of hcp hydrogen and deuterium

The elastic constants of hcp H₂ and D₂ are calculated for densities up to 10 cm³/mole (20 kbar at T = 4.2 K). An Isotropic pair potential is utilized in the computations and cubic anharmonic corrections are incorporated into the lattice dynamics. The results are compared with sound velocity, specific heat, and Brillouin and neutron scattering measurements.     

Elastic–plastic response of structural foams subjected to localized static loads

Structural foams are increasingly used in engineering applications where high strength and low weight are important. They are used also as energy absorbers. Sandwich structures are a typical area for application of structural foams (as core materials). In a sandwich structure, the core transfers the transverse forces as shear stresses and supports the face sheets against buckling and wrinkling. The structural foams are notoriously sensitive to failure by the application of localized surface loads. Thus, the proper design requires an understanding of the mechanical response of the foam materials to localized external loads.In this paper, the elastic–plastic behavior of closed-cell cellular foams subjected to point and line loads is investigated both experimentally and numerically. Two types of Divinicell foam (H60 and H100) are studied. A finite element modeling procedure is developed using the ABAQUS package. Both plane and axisymmetric formulations for local indentations by rigid bodies are considered. The plastic behavior is described using the *CRUSHABLE FOAM HARDENING material model. This model is calibrated using experimental curves from uniaxial compression tests. Geometrical non-linearity is also taken into account. Both indentation and unloading phases are modeled. Static indentation tests of foam panels and beams are performed using spherical and cylindrical indentors, respectively. A comparison of indentation response obtained from the numerical analysis and from the tests is carried out. A good agreement between the modeling and the experimental data is achieved. In perspective view, the present investigation can contribute towards the development of a damage tolerance methodology for rigid foams.     

Two‐phase thermo‐mechanical and macrosegregation modelling of binary alloys solidification with emphasis on the secondary cooling stage of steel slab continuous casting processes

As an approach towards a better modelling of solidification problems, we introduce a thermo‐mechanical and macrosegregation model that considers a solidifying alloy as a binary mixture made of a liquid and a solid phase. Macroscopic conservation laws for mass, momentum and solute are obtained by spatial averaging of the respective microscopic conservation equations. Assuming local thermal equilibrium, a single equation for the conservation of the mixture energy is then written. A single equation can be obtained for the solute as well by invoking a proper microsegregation rule. The numerical implementation in a two‐dimensional finite element code is then detailed. Lastly, some examples of simulations of academic tests as well as industrial applications for continuous casting of steel slabs are discussed. They particularly enlighten the ability of the formulation to describe the formation of central macrosegregation during the secondary cooling of slab continuous casting processes. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Overview of a Modal-Based Condition Assessment Procedure

Condition assessment is a term that is used to describe the process of characterizing the physical condition of constructed systems. This paper summarizes a condition assessment (CA) procedure based on a complete system of field-testing, finite element (FE) modeling, and load rating. Experimental techniques, including both modal testing and truckload testing, are used to collect measurements of the constructed systems. The basic mechanism and procedure of the FE modeling and calibration are presented. Different physical parameters of FE models are adjusted during the calibration process using both static and dynamic responses as criteria to achieve convergence between experimental measurements and analytical results using carefully developed objective functions. Finally, a bridge load rating is completed on the basis of the calibrated model. These developments are described and illustrated using a representative bridge as an example.     

Performance Comparison of Four Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Deck Panels

In an effort to assess the constructability and performance of bridges with fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite decks, the short-term and long-term responses of a 207 m, five-span bridge retrofitted with four different FRP panel systems were monitored. The overall aspects of the panel systems, connection details, and construction techniques are presented prior to presentation of the observed and measured responses. Key design parameters (impact factors, girder distribution factors, and level of composite action) for FRP and reinforced concrete decks are evaluated. This paper demonstrates that FRP replacement decks are a viable alternative to reinforced concrete decks and identifies the differences in performances of various FRP deck systems. Two of the FRP panel systems were found to perform considerably better than the other deck systems. Issues that may reduce the service life of FRP deck systems are presented and discussed.     

Analysis of Test Specimens for Cohesive Near-Bond Failure of Fiber-Reinforced Polymer-Plated Concrete

The failure mechanisms of reinforced concrete (RC) members change due to the application of externally bonded fiber-reinforced polymer reinforcement. Although an extensive literature is available describing the failure mechanisms of poststrengthened flexural systems, brittle failure modes caused by bond failure, such as midspan debonding and end peeling, need to be further investigated in order to identify and quantify the fracture processes that result in bond failure. Simplified experimental tests have been designed to idealize the bond between the laminate and the RC member. However, it is unclear how the simplified test results can be related to the actual flexural debonding failures. This paper investigates and compares two bond failure tests: a simplified test (or simple shear test) and a recently proposed shear/normal test. After discussing the characteristics of both tests and how they relate to the midspan debonding and end peeling failures, the shear/normal test is studied in more detail using a nonlinear finite-element fracture mechanics program. The program accounts for cohesive localized and distributed concrete crack damage and is capable of describing the geometrical discontinuities that induce different brittle failure mechanisms. The numerical results compare well with available experimental data and help explain the crack formation and propagation pattern up to specimen failure. Parametric studies are presented to elucidate the influence of different material parameters on the failure mechanisms.     

Use of the surface harmonics method forcalculation of 2D C5G7 MOX benchmark

The C5G7 MOX benchmark specifying a sixteen-assembly core with asurrounding water reflector was proposed as a basis to measure current transport code abilities in the treatment of reactor core problems without spatial homogenization. Seven-group cross sections for all materials were used as initial information. Just that fact allows to test an accuracy of solving the neutron transport equation excluding additional errors connected with preparing the group cross sections. In this paper, Surface Harmonics Method (SHM) is applied to calculation of the two-dimensional configuration of this benchmark. Different approximations of SHM were applied, both with and without spatial homogenization. Additionally, this fact allowed evaluating the effect of spatial homogenization of cells. Comparisons were carried out for k_eff and pin powers both with the reference results and between the results calculated by different SHM approximations.     

Constraint Lingo: towards high‐level constraint programming

Logic programming requires that the programmer convert a problem into a set of constraints based on predicates. Choosing the predicates and introducing appropriate constraints can be intricate and error prone. If the problem domain is structured enough, we can let the programmer express the problem in terms of more abstract, higher‐level constraints. A compiler can then convert the higher‐level program into a logic‐programming formalism. The compiler writer can experiment with alternative low‐level representations of the higher‐level constraints in order to achieve a high‐quality translation. The programmer can then take advantage of both a reduction in complexity and an improvement in runtime speed for all problems within the domain. We apply this analysis to the domain of tabular constraint‐satisfaction problems. Examples of such problems include logic puzzles solvable on a hatch grid and combinatorial problems such as graph coloring and independent sets. The proper abstractions for these problems are rows, columns, entries, and their interactions. We present a higher‐level language, Constraint Lingo, dedicated to problems in this domain. We also describe how we translate programs from Constraint Lingo into lower‐level logic formalisms such as the logic of propositional schemata. These translations require that we choose among competing lower‐level representations in order to produce efficient results. The overall effectiveness of our approach depends on the appropriateness of Constraint Lingo, our ability to translate Constraint Lingo programs into high‐quality representations in logic formalisms, and the efficiency with which logic engines can compute answer sets. We comment on our computational experience with these tools in solving both graph problems and logic puzzles. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.