Long-term testing and applications of high-stress MV EPR cables

High-stress design 35-kV ethylene propylene rubber (EPR)-insulated cables with 1.14-mm (45-mil) wall reduction have been in service for more than ten years. In the mid 1990s, an extensive cable testing program was initiated to demonstrate that high-stress designs up to 4 kV/mm (101.6 V/mil) exhibit a significant electrical and mechanical safety margin to operate on typical utility network systems. Investigations were also undertaken to demonstrate the suitability of accessories for high-stress designs. This paper will present the results of six-year, long-term wet electrical testing conducted to demonstrate that with proper design, the aging performance of standard wall and high-stress design cables provide satisfactory results and suitable performance for the intended application. Additionally, utility field experience is presented on 35- and 15-kV cables operating at high stress. The experience for these 15-kV medium-voltage EPR cable designs employ the highest recommended stress for cables of this class, as well as taking into account the complete system performance.     

The humanist and computer-assisted library research

Conclusion Because of the success of this project as measured by the favorable comments of the participants as well as the increased search activity, the Council on the Humanities awarded an additional $1000 to continue the project in the spring of 1985. As an added feature of the new proposal, a workshop is planned for chairs of the various humanities departments as well as other interested humanists. The aim will be to encourage them and their colleagues to increase their involvement in automated literature searching, as well as to encourage their graduate students to use the service. With continued support, greater awareness of the service, and more extensive coverage of existing and future databases,³ a steady increase in computer-assisted bibliographic searching among humanists is definitely possible.     

A comparison of two correlation schemes

Processes involving the cross-correlation of two noisy data streams are frequently encountered in signal processing. The performances of two commonly used correlators, the simple and complex correlators, are examined. The conventional view is that the complex correlator is superior to the simple correlator by a factor of the square root of two in output signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). However, by modifying the simple correlator to utilize all the available information, its performance is improved. The development of the modified correlator is explained, and a computer simulation shows that this modified correlator is approximately equivalent to the complex correlator in noise performance     

Toward customer-usable all-optical networks

Although all-optical networks were being thought about almost ten years ago, until recently it would have been premature to talk about such networks as being truly usable. Now, ways of removing most of the roadblocks to practicality have come clearly into view. It is generally agreed that time-division packet switching in the form of asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) is likely to constitute the next generation of networking, both local and wide area; but what about the generation after that? While people are evolving SONET/ATM, the present Internet, and such emerging ambitions as the National Information Infrastructure (NII), in order to serve the needs anticipated for the next decade, optical fiber is being steadily installed at a rate of 700 miles per day in the United States alone. Furthermore, this resource is being extended steadily outward from the telco or cable provider backbone into customer premises, so that within the lifetime of the ATM generation, we may expect extremely rich fiber connectivity of a large number of homes and offices     

A neural network control system with parallel adaptive enhancementsapplicable to nonlinear servomechanisms

In this paper, we present a technique for using an additional parallel neural network to provide adaptive enhancements to a basic fixed neural network-based nonlinear control system. This proposed parallel adaptive neural network control system is applicable to nonlinear dynamical systems of the type commonly encountered in many practical position control servomechanisms. Properties of the controller are discussed, and it is shown that if Gaussian radial basis function networks are used for the additional parallel neural network, uniformly stable adaptation is assured and the approximation error converges to zero asymptotically. In the paper, the effectiveness of the proposed parallel adaptive neural network control system is demonstrated in real-time implementation experiments for position control in a servomechanism with asymmetrical loading and changes in the load     

Tabletability of Maltodextrins and Acetaminophen Mixtures

Tabletability of five types of maltodextrin, a filler/binder excipient, was studied by testing their loading potentials with acetaminophen. The formulations consisted of excipient and acetaminophen at five different ratios and magnesium stearate at a 0.5% concentration. These mixtures were compacted employing an Integrated Compaction Research System at a constant punch velocity of 100 mm/sec. under varying applied pressures from 50 to 450 MPa. Compaction data were evaluated using the total work of compaction vs applied pressure plots whilst the post-compaction tests included the measurements of crushing force, disintegration time, and friability of the resulting tablets. Both the energy involved during the compaction of a formulation and the crushing force values of the resulting tablets decreased as the amount of the maltodextrin in a formulation was reduced. Maltodextrins exhibited adequate binding potential at acetaminophen drug loading levels of only up to twenty-five percent. The disintegration times of the tablets containing maltodextrins were generally prolonged and this was found to be due to the formation of a “gel” layer around the tablet which formed on immersion into water. The tabletability of maltodextrins were also compared to that of Fast-Flo lactose, and the compactability of these excipients were found to be similar.     

Evolution of flat-panel displays

The evolution in performance and manufacturability of liquid-crystal displays has created a new reality in the electronic information displays industry. LCD's now outnumber all other flat-panel displays in production volume, by more than two orders of magnitude. LCD's may equal CRT's in market sales by the year 2000. However, LCD's are still an order of magnitude more expensive than comparable performing CRT's. LCD's are enabling new products, such as personal digital assistants, moving map navigators, picture telephones, etc., which could not he readily done with CRTs because of their size and sensitivity to ambient illuminations. The LCD technology in various modes, from passive twisted nematic to active matrix, is being used in all product sizes, from the 0.7-in camcorder viewfinder to the 14-in full-color display with XGA resolution. Full color is very important in future products and any flat-panel display technology without it will be relegated to niche markets     

FDTD simulation of microwave sintering of ceramics in multimodecavities

Microwave sintering of ceramics in multimode cavities, particularly the use of picket-fence arrangements, has recently received considerable attention. Various types of ceramics have been successfully sintered and, in some cases, a desirable and unique “microwave effect” has been observed. At present, various aspects of the sintering profess such as preparation of sample sizes and shapes, types of insulations, and the desirability of including a process stimulus such as SiC rods are considered forms of art and highly dependent on human expertise. The simulation of realistic sintering experiments in a multimode cavity may provide an improved understanding of critical parameters involved and allow for the development of guidelines towards the optimization of the sintering process. In this paper, we utilize the FDTD technique to model various geometrical arrangements and material compatibility aspects in multimode microwave cavities and to simulate realistic sintering experiments. The FDTD procedure starts with the simulation of a field distribution in multimode microwave cavities that resembles a set of measured data using liquid crystal sheets. Also included in the simulation is the waveguide feed as well as a ceramic loading plate placed at the base of the cavity     

Describing collaborative forms: a profile of the team-writingprocess

The paper examines collaborative writing practices students in the Air Force Institute of Technology's Graduate School of Logistics and Acquisition Management use to produce team-authored theses. In analyzing how student writing teams plan, execute, and assess writing activities, the researchers identify and describe some of the forms that collaboration takes, thereby successfully connecting their work within a broader research continuum concerning collaborative writing, particularly when applied in academic settings