Characteristics of elastic waves generated by fatigue crack penetration and growth in an aluminum plate

The characteristics of elastic waves emanated from crack initiation in 6061 aluminum alloy subjected to fatigue loading are investigated through experiments. The objective of the study is to determine the differences in the properties of the signals generated from fatigue test and also to examine if the sources of the waves could be identified from the temporal and spectral characteristics of the acoustic emission (AE) waveforms. The signals are recorded using nonresonant, flat, broadband transducers attached to the surface of the alloy specimens. The time dependence and power spectra of the signals recorded during the tests were examined and classified according to their special features. Six distinct types of signals were observed. The waveforms and their power spectra were found to be dependent on the crack propagation stage and the type of fracture associated with the signals. The potential application of the approach in health monitoring of structural components using a network of surface mounted broadband sensors is discussed.     

System modeling and robust control of an AMB spindle: part I modeling and validation for robust control

This paper discusses details of modeling and robust control of an AMB (active magnetic bearing) spindle, and part I presents a modeling and validation process of the AMB spindle. There are many components in AMB spindle : electromagnetic actuator, sensor, rotor, power amplifier and digital controller. If each component is carefully modeled and evaluated, the components have tight structured uncertainty bounds and achievable performance of the system increases. However, since some unknown dynamics may exist and the augmented plant could show some discrepancy with the real plant, the validation of the augmented plant is needed through measuring overall frequency responses of the actual plant. In addition, it is necessary to combine several components and identify them with a reduced order model. First, all components of the AMB spindle are carefully modeled and identified based on experimental data, which also render valuable information in quantifying structured uncertainties. Since sensors, power amplifiers and discretization dynamics can be considered as time delay components, such dynamics are combined and identified with a reduced order. Then, frequency responses of the open-loop plant are measured through closed-loop experiments to validate the augmented plant. The whole modeling process gives an accurate nominal model of a low order for the robust control design.     

Oxidation characteristics of phthalic and adipic acids by supercritical water

Supercritical water oxidation (SCWO) was carried out in a flow-type reactor for modeling of waste-water containing phthalic or adipic acid. For each acid, the reaction order and rate constant, k, were determined over a wide range of experimental conditions : temperatures from 633.15 to 713.15 K, pressures from 18 to 29 MPa, excess amounts of hydrogen peroxide from zero to 800 percent, and the mean residence time in the reactor from 1.1 to 49.1 seconds. The concentration of both acids in model wastewater was set by 500 ppm. For phthalic acid, we found that the orders of decomposition reaction with respect to the reactant concentrations were 0.56 for phthalic acid, 0.31 for hydrogen peroxide, and 0.53 for water. For adipic acid, the orders of oxidation were 0.78 for adipic acid, 0.53 for hydrogen peroxide, and 0.74 for water. Then measured activation energy for phthalic acid was 33.08 kcal/mol and that for adipic acid was 19.51 kcal/mol, respectively.     

Simulation of pervaporation process for ethanol dehydration by using pilot test results

This paper focuses on providing a pervaporation simulation method for ethanol dehydration from a practical point of view. The simulation procedure is performed by setting up simulation equations which describe the pervaporation process, obtaining the necessary data from pervaporation batch mode pilot tests, verifying the simulation tool through simulations of continuous mode pilot tests, and comparing the simulation results with the real pilot test results. We considered the mass and energy balances that describe separating an ethanol/water mixture by a pervaporation membrane. The simulation equations were mathematically expressed into simultaneous non-linear differential equations based on these balances. The necessary data for simulation consist of the thermophysical properties for the ethanol-water mixture and the characteristic data of a PVA composite membrane. The membrane characteristic data are permeation flux and membrane selectivity, which are functions of feed composition and operating conditions. These data were experimentally determined by a batch mode pilot test. The continuous mode pilot tests were simulated and the simulation results were compared to the real test results. The resulte were fairly good.     

Control of molecular weight distribution in propylene polymerization with Ziegler–Natta/metallocene catalyst mixtures

Propylene polymerization was investigated with a sequential addition of Ziegler–Natta and metallocene catalysts. From the fact that the molecular weights of polypropylene (PP) produced with Ziegler–Natta and with metallocene catalysts differ, it was possible to control the molecular weight distribution (MWD) of PP with a sequential addition of methylaluminoxane and rac-ethylenebis(indenyl)zirconium dichloride followed by triethylaluminum and magnesium dichloride-supported titanium tetrachloride catalyst. The obtained PP exhibited a wide MWD curve with shoulder peak. The position and height of each peak was controlled with the variation of polymerization time for each catalyst as well as the amount of each catalyst. The MWD of PP prepared with sequential addition of catalysts was much wider than that of PP obtained from each catalyst. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 67:2213–2222, 1998     

Application of optimal temperature trajectory to batch PMMA polymerization reactor

A mathematical model is developed for the polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in a batch reactor. The model includes chain transfers to the monomer and solvent and termination by both combination and disproportionation and also takes into account the density change of the reactor contents and the gel effect. The usual pseudo-steady-state assumption is relaxed here. The validity of the proposed model is tested by an isothermal experiment of batch PMMA polymerization. Indeed, the experimental results show that the proposed model can describe the real polymerization system very well in view of both monomer conversion and average molecular weights. The optimal control theory is applied together with Pontryagin's minimum principle to calculate the optimal temperature trajectory for a batch polymerization reactor system which would lead to a polymer product having the desired properties set a priori. The performance index of the control system is composed of three factors—the desired monomer conversion and number- and weight-average molecular weights. The desired values of number- and weight-average molecular weights are obtained at a specified monomer conversion within acceptable error ranges. Control experiments are conducted to track the optimal temperature trajectory obtained from the model and the results are found to be in good agreement with the desired values. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 69: 59–68, 1998     

Rapid prototyping and testing of 3d micro rockets using mechanical micro machining

The trend of miniaturization has been applied to the research of rockets to develop prototypes of micro rockets. In this paper, the development of a web-integrated prototyping system for three-dimensional micro rockets, and the results of combustion tests are discussed. The body of rocket was made of 6061 aluminum cylinder by lathe process. The three-dimensional micro nozzles were fabricated on the same aluminum by using micro endmills with φ100μm~φ500 μm diameter. Two types of micro nozzle were fabricated and compared for performance. The total mass of the rockets was 7.32 g and that of propellant (gun powder) was 0.65 g. The thrust-to-weight ratio was between 1.58 and 1.74, and the flight test with 45 degree launch angle from the ground resulted in 46 m~53 m of horizontal flight distance. In addition, ABS housing for the micro machined rocket was fabricated using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM). A web-based design, fabrication, and test system for micro nozzles was proposed to integrate the distributed hardware resources. Test data was sent to the designer via the same web server for the faster feedback to the rocket designer.     

Modeling and compensation of geometric errors in simultaneous cutting using a multi-spindle machine tool

A volumetric error compensation method for a machining center that has multiple cutting tools operating simultaneously has been developed. Due to axis sharing, the geometric errors of multi-spindle, concurrent cutting processes are characterized by a significant coupling of error components in each cutting tool. As a result, it is not possible to achieve exact volumetric error compensation for all axes. To minimize the overall volumetric error in simultaneous cutting, a method to determine compensation amount using weighted least squares has been proposed. This method also allows tolerance distribution of machining accuracy for different surfaces of a workpiece. A geometric error model has been developed using an arch-type, multi-spindle machine tool, and the error compensation simulation results based on this model are presented. The simulation results demonstrated effectiveness of the proposed error compensation algorithm for use with multi-spindle simultaneous cutting applications.     

Collapse-free thermal bonding technique for large area microchambers in plastic lab-on-a-chip applications

Bonding is an essential step to form microchannels or microchambers in lab-on-a-chip applications. In this paper, we present a novel plastic thermal bonding technique to seal and form large area microchambers (planar characteristic width and length on the order of 1 mm and characteristic thickness on the order of 10–100 μm) without collapse by introducing a holed pressure equalizing plate (HPEP) that includes holes of the same size and shape as the microchambers. To demonstrate the proposed technique, two types of large area microchambers [(1) 20 × 10 mm and 40 μm thick and (2) 12 × 2.5 mm and 120 μm thick] with microchannels were designed and replicated on plastic substrates by means of hot embossing and injection molding processes with prepared two nickel mold inserts. The replicated large area microchambers as well as the microchannels in the plastic lab-on-a-chip were successfully sealed (i.e., no leakage) and formed without any collapse by the proposed thermal bonding technique with the help of the HPEP.     

Use of biosurfactant to remediate phenanthrene-contaminated soil by the combined solubilization-biodegradation process

The applicability of the combined solubilization-biodegradation process was examined using soil-packed column. In the solubilization step, 50 pore volumes of 150 mg/l biosurfactants solution was injected and the percentage removal of phenanthrene (mg) was 17.3% and 9.5% from soil with pH 5 and 7, respectively. The highest solubility was detected at pH 5 and this result confirmed that adjusting the pH of the biosurfactants solution injected could enhance the solubility of phenanthrene. Following this, soil samples were completely transferred to batches and incubated for 10 weeks to monitor phenanthrene degradation. The phenanthrene concentration in the soil samples decreased significantly during the biodegradation step in all soil samples, except for the soil sample that was flushed with biosurfactants solution with pH 4. This indicated that the degradation of contaminants by specific species might not be affected by the residual biosurfactants following application of the solubilization process. Moreover, these results suggested that the biosurfactant-enhanced flushing process could be developed as a useful technology with no negative effects on subsurface environments and could be combined with the biodegradation process to increase the removal efficiency.