Surface wrinkle defect of carbon steel in the hot bar rolling process

It is well known that surface defect is a common problem encountered in the multi-stage hot bar rolling process of carbon steel. In this study, the phenomenon was investigated by simulating the process by the finite element technique to identify the location where the surface defect might occur and checking the surface qualities obtained from the compression tests at various temperatures and strain rates to clarify the important parameter governing the possible surface defect formation. Also, the surface temperature was measured by employing pyrometer to support the experimental observation. The levels of temperature and specific deformation energy obtained from finite element simulations depending on the roll groove geometry were compared with the experimental observation to better understand the formation of the surface defect in the hot rolled bar. Based on this study, the surface defect might be formed by dissipating the excessive deformation energy accumulated by generating the new surface at the lower level of temperature where recrystallization cannot occur. According to this work, the comparison of the specific deformation energy level for determining the instability of the hot working process might be interesting for further investigation.     

GPS Signal Tracking on a Multi-antenna Mounted Spinning Vehicle by Compensating for the Spin Effects

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - To receive GPS satellite signals continuously on a spinning vehicle, an omnidirectional wraparound antenna or multiple patch antennas are...     

Characterization of the defect found in gold decoration layer of bone China

We investigated the microstructure of the gold decoration layer of bone china to pinpoint the cause of the gold cracking occurring in the process of high quality bone china manufacturing. Through the cross-sectional TEM (transmission electron microscope) analysis it has been observed that SnO₂ crystals from the matting agent that lies underneath the gold have undergone abnormal growth. As the few SnO₂ crystals under the gold grow excessively, the matting oxide bursts through the gold layer resulting in the gold cracking in the bone china tableware. It is also found that the defects in the glossy gold area cause more serious detriment to the quality of the gold layer than do those in the matt gold area. From this study, we conclude that the control of the size distribution of SnO₂ crystals is very important to keep high quality in the gold layer of bone china.     

Preparation and physical properties of polyurethane flame retardant coatings using phosphorus-containing lactone modified polyesters

Two-component polyurethane flame retardant coatings were prepared using phosphorus-containing lactone modified polyesters (PLMPs) and polyisocyanate. PLMPs were synthesized by poly-condensation of dimethyl phenylphosphonate, a flame retardant component with polycaprolactone, adipic acid, and trimethylolpropane. PLMPs were prepared with dimethyl phenylphosphonate content from 10 to 20 wt%. It was found that various physical properties of these new flame retardant coatings were comparable to non-flame retardant coatings. The flammability of coatings depends strongly on the dimethyl phenylphosphonate content in PLMP. Coatings with 20 wt% dimethyl phenylphosphonate content did not burn in the vertical burning test. Dept. of Chem. Eng., Yongin 449-728, Korea. Ansan 425-110, Korea.     

Intelligent multiagent application system in an AI system

This article presents an intelligent multiagent application system in AI. The research trend into multiagents is changing from a centralized computing environment to a distributed computing environment. Also, the research into multiagents can be changed to a mobile environment. Initially, the study of multiagents is from research into human modeling. Therefore, we fi rst present a brief concept of a mobile multiagent, and then we present some application areas for mobile multiagents, especially in elearning, bioinformatics, control, and information retrieval, etc. Finally, we present the research theme of multiagents in AI. This work was presented in part at the 12th International Symposium on Articial Life and Robotics, Oita, January 25–27, 2007     

A new rehabilitation training system for postural balance control using virtual reality technology.

A new rehabilitation training system, designated as a virtual cycling system, was developed to improve postural balance control by combining virtual reality (VR) technology with a bicycle. Several parameters including path deviation, path deviation velocity, cycling time, and head movement were extracted and evaluated to quantify the extent of control. The system was effective as a training device and, in addition, the technology might have a wider applicability to the rehabilitation field.