SCC casting prediction for the realization of prototype VHPC-precambered composite beams

Casting simulations of self-compacting concrete are carried out in order to obtain a value of the minimum fluidity needed to cast a VHPC precambered composite beam. The mix proportioning of the concrete takes into account this minimum value. The numerical predictions are finally compared with the experimental observations during two casting tests and the real casting of the two 13 m beams. Although the simplifying assumptions needed to carry out the simulations are numerous, there is an agreement between the predictions and the real casting.     

Critical Configurations for 1-View in Projections from ℙ<Superscript>k</Superscript> → ℙ<Superscript>2</Superscript>

In this paper we describe, from a theoretical point of view, critical configurations for the projective reconstruction of a set of points, for a single view, i.e. for calibration of a camera, in the case of projections from ℙ^k to ℙ² for k ≥ 4. We give first a general result describing these critical loci in ℙ^k, which, if irreducible, are algebraic varieties of dimension k−2 and degree 3. If k=4 they can be either a smooth ruled surface or a cone and if k = 5 they can be a smooth three dimensional variety, ruled in planes, or a cone. If k≥ 6, the variety is always a cone, the vertex of which has dimension at least k − 6. The reducible cases are studied in Appendix A. These results are then applied to determine explicitly the critical loci for the projections from ℙ^k which arise from the dynamic scenes in ℙ³ considered in [13]. Marina Bertolini is currently Associate Professor of Geometry at the Department of Mathematics at the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy. Her main field of research is Complex Projective Algebraic Geometry, with particular interest for the classification of projective varieties and for the geometry of Grassmann varieties. On these topics M. Bertolini has published more than twenty reviewed papers on national and international journals. She has been for some years now interested also in applications of Algebraic Geometry to Computer Vision problems. Cristina Turrini is Associate Professor of Geometry at the Department of Mathematics of Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy. Her main research interest is Complex Projective Algebraic Geometry: subvarieties of Grassmannians, special varieties, automorphisms, classification. In the last two years she has started to work on applications of Algebraic Geometry to problems of Computer Vision. She is author or co-author of about thirty reviewed papers. She is also involved in popularization of Mathematics, and on this subject she is co-editor of some books.     

Phase equilibria of the ternary Al-Cu-Ni system and interfacial reactions of related systems at 800 °C

A series of Al-Cu-Ni alloys of various compositions were made and annealed at 800 °C. The equilibrium phases were studied by metallography, X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, and electron probe microanalysis. The isothermal section of the ternary Al-Cu-Ni system at 800 °C was then determined based on these experimental results and the available phase relationship knowledge of the three constituent binary systems. No ternary compound was found. All three phases, AlNi₃, AlNi, and Al₃Ni₂, have very high ternary solubility, especially the AlNi phase, which almost reaches the binary Al-Cu side. However, no continuous solid solution was formed between the AlNi phase and any of the binary Al-Cu phases. Interfacial reactions of Al/Ni, Al/Cu, Al-Cu/Ni, and Al-Ni/Cu at 800 °C were investigated by using reaction couple techniques. The results showed that Al₃Ni and Al₃Ni₂ phases were formed in the Al/Ni couples; β-AlCu₄, γ ₁-Al₄Cu₉, and ɛ ₂-Al₂Cu₃ phases were formed in the Al/Cu couples. As for the results in the Al-2 at. pct Ni/Cu, Al-5 at. pct Ni/Cu, and Al-2 at. pct Cu/Ni, Al-4.5 at. pct Cu/Ni, and Al-6 at. pct Cu/Ni were similar to those in the binary Al/Cu and Al/Ni couples, respectively. A different reaction path was found in the Al-7.5 at. pct Cu/Ni couples, and an AlNi solid solution layer was formed instead of the Al₃Ni and Al₃Ni₂ phases.     

Uncooled DBR laser directly Modulated at 3.125 gb/s as athermal transmitter for low-cost WDM systems

An uncooled three-section tunable distributed Bragg reflector laser is demonstrated as an athermal transmitter for low-cost uncooled wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) systems with tight channel spacing. A /spl plusmn/0.02-nm thermal wavelength drift is achieved under continuous-wave operation up to 70/spl deg/C. Dynamic sidemode suppression ratio of greater than 35 dB is consistently obtained under 3.125-Gb/s direct modulation over a 20/spl deg/C-70/spl deg/C temperature range, with wavelength variation of as low as /spl plusmn/0.2 nm. This indicates that more than an order of magnitude reduction in coarse WDM channel spacing is possible using this source.     

The hot blow forming of AZ31 Mg sheet: Formability assessment and application development

The hot blow forming of magnesium sheet offers significant opportunity for forming complex, lightweight parts for automotive applications. This paper characterizes the elevated-temperature formability of AZ31 magnesium sheet materials and the effect of processing conditions on the performance of these materials. In addition, magnesium sheet application development at General Motors Corporation is reviewed.     

Simulation of Strength Distribution in Ground Ceramics by Incorporating Residual Stress Effect

Strength of ground ceramics may be affected by residual stress as well as surface flaws induced by grinding. Strength prediction for ground ceramics is convenient for mechanical design of ceramic components. In this article, a numerical procedure based on fracture mechanics was proposed to estimate strength distribution of ground ceramics by considering grinding-induced residual stress. Bending strength and residual stress of ground ceramics were measured for three grinding-conditions. By comparison of simulated results with experimental ones, it was revealed that strength characteristics in experiments were well simulated by using the proposed procedure.     

Effect of process distillation on mutagenicity and cell-transformation activity of solvent-refined,coal-derived liquids

Blended SRC-II process streams, representing a full boiling range distillate material, were fractionally distilled into non-overlapping 50 °F cuts with boiling points between 300 and 850 °F. Another set of 18 distillate cuts were obtained with boiling points ranging between 138 and 1055 °F. Distillate cuts were assayed for mutagenic activity using the histidine reversion assay with Salmonella typhimurium strains TA98, TA100, TA1535 and TA1537, as well as for mammalian-cell transformation activity in the Syrian hamster embryo test, and DNA damage in the prophage induction assay. Samples were also separated into chemical class fractions by alumina column chromatography and analysed by high resolution gas chromatography so that the chemical composition of the cuts could be related to their relative activity in the different assays. In the mammalian cell transformation and microbial mutagenicity assays, significant activity was found almost exclusively in distillate cuts with components boiling > 700 °F, with the highest activity in the transformation assay observed for cuts > 800 °F. All of the distillate cuts showed increased levels of DNA damage as expressed by lambda prophage induction in Escherichia coli 8177. However, the greatest activity was associated with distillate cuts with boiling points in the 800 °F + range. Chemical analysis of the 50 °F distillate cuts showed a variety of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and amino-PAH compounds to be present in the distillate cuts boiling > 700 °F and essentially absent from cuts boiling < 700 °F. The sample set of non-overlapping (50 °F) cuts were reblended according to the proportions of each cut found in the original blend material. These reblended composites were then assayed to compare their activity with that predicted from the activities of the component distillate cuts. The reblending experiments indicated the microbial mutagenicity response was essentially additive. Mammalian cell transformation activities were non-additive, indicating a compositional effect on the expression of transforming agents in the complex mixture.     

Comparing word fragment completion and cued recall with letter cues.

Cued recall with word stems as cues and fragment completion rely on different types of letter cues and also differ in the explicit–implicit nature of the retrieval orientation. Despite these differences, variables effective in one task may be effective in the other because both rely on letter cues. Two variables known to affect cued recall were manipulated: Lexical set size (number of words that fit the letter cue) and meaning set size (number of associates generated to the studied words). Across four experiments, subjects in each task were less likely to recover targets from larger lexical sets. However, meaning set size affected cued recall but not fragment completion. These results indicate that fragment completion and letter-cued recall are based on lexical search but that cued recall also involves a semantic search component. Furthermore, type of retrieval cue had a greater effect than type of retrieval orientation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

THEORETICAL STUDY OF A NEW MATERIAL FOR FILTERS: AEROGELS

Aerogels are highly porous materials made by removing the liquid phase of a dilute suspension of solids by taking off the vapor under super-critical temperature and pressure conditions. The aerogel structure has a skeleton of nanometer-size elements forming pores that are tens of nanometers in dimension. In some cases the structure of the aerogel arises from clusters having fractal geometry. The collection efficiency and pressure drop for such material is predicted here from models in the literature. A quality factor is used to compare aerogel material with other filter materials. The quality factor relating gas filtration efficiency with pressure drop is predicted to be unusually high for these materials in comparison with other common fibrous filter media, predicting lower flow resistance for aerogels at equivalent particle collection efficiency levels.