Textural Transitions in a Rotating Slab of 3He-A

The operation of a torsional oscillator for detection, of flow-driven textural transitions in, ³He-A is described. The detection technique, tracking the shift of the resonant frequency of the torsional oscillator, allows us to observe textural changes and the presence of vortices in zero magnetic field. It relies on. the anisotropic superfluid density of ³He-A and its change due to reorientation of the Î-texture caused by counterflow.     

An integrated system to remote monitor and control anaerobic wastewater treatment plants through the internet.

The TELEMAC project brings new methodologies from the Information and Science Technologies field to the world of water treatment. TELEMAC offers an advanced remote management system which adapts to most of the anaerobic wastewater treatment plants that do not benefit from a local expert in wastewater treatment. The TELEMAC system takes advantage of new sensors to better monitor the process dynamics and to run automatic controllers that stabilise the treatment plant, meet the depollution requirements and provide a biogas quality suitable for cogeneration. If the automatic system detects a failure which cannot be solved automatically or locally by a technician, then an expert from the TELEMAC Control Centre is contacted via the internet and manages the problem.     

Ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of high-strength steel for fastners of power equipment under pressure

The influence of the level of defectiveness of design and service origin (grooves and cracks) of a fastener and an impact specimen on the accuracy of determination of the allowable values of the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature is investigated. An evaluation of the allowable ductile-to-brittle transition temperatures making it possible to impose more soundly based requirements for effectiveness of the material in the stages of design, production, and service in relation to the production condition of the steel, the level of defectiveness of the fastener, and the specified operating life of the threaded joint is proposed.Translated from Problemy Prochnosti, No. 5, pp. 35–37, May, 1991.     

The impact of roasting on the ochratoxin A content of coffee

Roasting coffee led to a drop in the ochratoxin A (OTA) concentration, as measured by the reference method, especially for dark type roasts. The way the beverage was prepared also affected the OTA content, which could paradoxically be higher than that of the initial roasted coffee. Assays on the thermal stability of pure OTA showed that it ought to be found in larger quantities in roasted coffee. This suggested that OTA was masked by reactions with the substrate during roasting. The absence of OTA in green coffee is therefore the best guarantee of safety.     

An Experimental Investigation into the Feed Rate Capacity of Rotary Valve and Blow Tank Feeders

Industry widely uses rotary valves and blow tanks for the pneumatic conveying of products, each having their pros and cons depending on the specific application. This article shows the differing results obtained when low-velocity conveying a product through a common pipeline using both a drop-through rotary valve and a bottom-discharge blow tank feeder. A number of issues arise in the rotary valve system, the main one being rotary valve air leakage. A blow tank system, on the other hand, does not leak, as it is an enclosed system. The experimental results show dramatic differences in product throughput. Further exploration leads to a novel modification being made to the rotary valve system in an attempt to increase its capacity. The result of this modification shows a slight increase in output tonnage, but still significantly less than that obtained from the blow tank.     

Electrophoretic deposition of electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cells

Electrophoretic deposition of electrolyte materials for solid oxide fuel cells, including La_0.8Sr_0.2Ga_0.875Mg_0.125O_3–x , yttria stabilized zirconia and (Ce_0.8Gd_0.2)O_1.9, was studied under various experimental conditions. The use of phosphate ester as a dispersant and poly (vinyl butyral) as a binder enabled high deposition rate and formation of crack-free, adherent deposits. Electrodeposition rates were quantified in experiments performed at constant current and constant voltage modes from suspensions in ethanol, isopropanol and mixed ethanol—isopropanol solvents. The microstructure of as prepared and sintered deposits was studied by electron microscopy. The bath composition was optimized to enable formation of dense deposits.     

Relaxor Behavior of Ge-Doped TlInS2

The dielectric and pyroelectric properties of Ge-doped (0.1 mol %) TlInS₂ crystals are studied. The results demonstrate that TlInS₂ is a ferroelectric relaxor. The experimental data are used to evaluate, using the Vogel–Fulcher relation, the activation energy (0.045 eV), preexponential factor (f ₀ = 2 × 10¹³ Hz), and the dipole-freezing temperature (T _F = 142 K) and to determine the temperature range of the stable relaxor (nanodomain) state and the temperature of the transition to the ferroelectric (macrodomain) state, accompanied by an anomaly in the temperature-dependent pyroelectric coefficient.