Modeling heat transfer and air circulation by convection in bottom-heated agricultural greenhouses

In agricultural greenhouses, effective heating systems are essential for maintaining proper temperature control and air circulation during the winter. This study delves into the analysis of heat exchange through natural convection within heated greenhouses, with a particular emphasis on the impact of bottom heating. Two distinct types: mono-chapel and bi-chapel, each featuring triangular or spherical roofs are examined. To capture the variable roof shapes, we employ a change-of-variable method, and the numerical solutions are obtained using the finite volume method. The results show that heat transfer is enhanced by increasing the Rayleigh number. This improvement differs according to the shape of the roof. Heat transfer decreases by about 5% for the spherical mono-chapel case compared to the triangular case for Ra = 10³. For Ra = 10⁵, the monospherical case favors heat transfer, with an increase of 0.35% compared to the triangular case. In the case of bi-chapel roof, heat transfer is greater with a triangular roof for Ra = 10³, showing an increase of 6.4% compared to the spherical case. This study not only sheds light on the fundamental aspects of heat transfer in greenhouses but also provides valuable insights for optimizing greenhouse design based on specific roof configurations and heating conditions.     

Spatial coherence in strongly scattering media

We study the spatial coherence of an optical beam in a strongly scattering medium confined in a slab geometry. Using the radiative transfer equation, we study numerically the behavior of the transverse spatial coherence length in the different transport regimes. Transitions from the ballistic to the diffusive regimes are clearly identified.     

Effect of surface roughness and complex indices of refraction on polarized thermal emission

We present a series of measurements characterizing the dependence of polarized thermal emission on surface roughness. In particular, we measure the spectrally resolved degree of linear polarization (DOLP) for a series of roughened borosilicate (Pyrex) glass substrates as a function of the roughness parameter Ra, the root-mean-square slope distribution, and observation angle theta. Also measured are a series of smooth glass substrates coated with two particular polymers of interest, i.e., a common commercially available Krylon paint and a chemical-agent-resistant coating paint. The DOLP is measured over a 4-13 microm wave band by using a modified Fourier transform IR spectrometer in which a wire-grid polarizer and a quarter-wave Fresnel rhomb are used in conjunction to measure all four Stokes parameters. In addition, we show an enhanced DOLP due to anomalous dispersion exhibited by the surface material.     

Restoration of polarization in ferroelectric thin films studied with the model of trapping of carriers at interfacial states

A model based on trapping and releasing of free carriers in band gap states located at the interfaces between electrodes and the ferroelectric film is used to explain the restoration of polarization which is sometimes observed. Experimental data on two kinds of polarization restoration in metal/ferroelectric/metal thin film structures are reported. The increase of polarization, which may be observed at the early stage of fatigue test, is attributed to the release of carriers which are trapped in interfacial states at the virgin state, before fatigue test. On the other hand, the previously reported “self recovery effect” is attributed to a competition between the strength of a trapped carrier-ferroelectric dipole interaction and the applied voltage which acts on the dipole orientation.     

A low-power high-performance SiGe BiCMOS 802.11a/b/g transceiver IC for cellular and bluetooth Co-existence applications

This paper describes a high-performance WLAN 802.11a/b/g radio transceiver, optimized for low-power in mobile applications, and for co-existence with cellular and Bluetooth systems in the same terminal. The direct-conversion transceiver architecture is optimized in each mode for low-power operation without compromising the challenging RF performance targets. A key transceiver requirement is a sensitivity of -77 dBm (at the LNA input) in 54 Mb/s OFDM mode while in the presence of a GSM1900 transmitter interferer. The receiver chain achieves an overall noise figure of 2.8/3.2 dB, consuming 168/185 mW at 2.8 V for the 2.4/5GHz bands, respectively. Signal loopback and transmit power detection techniques are used in conjunction with the baseband modem processor to calibrate the transmitter LO leakage and the transceiver I/Q imbalances. Fabricated in a 70 GHz f/sub T/ 0.25-/spl mu/m SiGe BiCMOS technology for system-in-package (SiP) use, the dual-band, tri-mode transceiver occupies only 4.6 mm/sup 2/.     

A First Principles Density Functional Study of Crystalline FOX‐7 Chemical Decomposition Process under External Pressure

We report on a first principles analysis of chemical decomposition reaction in a crystalline FOX‐7 (1,1‐diamino‐2,2‐dinitroethylene) molecule, which is a good candidate for insensitive energetic materials. Our calculations are based on variable‐cell shape methods under pressure, density functional theory with localized numerical orbital and pseudopotential, together with ab initio biasing molecular dynamics. The calculated crystal structure and equation of state (pressure vs. volume) up to 8 GPa agrees well with the corresponding experimental data. A chemical decomposition by intermolecular hydrogen transfer is found at higher pressure. This decomposition appears to be driven by a weakening in the chemical hardness. This suggests that the molecular HOMO and LUMO orbital energy difference is decreased when intermolecular hydrogen transfers occur, and for the FOX‐7 crystal the band gap is narrowed with increasing external pressure.     

Tabu search for a parallel-machine scheduling problem with periodic maintenance,job rejection and weighted sum of completion times

Journal of Scheduling - We consider in this work a bicriteria scheduling problem on two different parallel machines with a periodic preventive maintenance policy. The two objectives considered...     

Mechanical Properties Analysis of 4340 Steel Specimen Heat Treated in Oven and Quenching in Three Different Fluids

This paper proposes a statistical approach to analyze the mechanical properties of a standard test specimen, of cylindrical geometry and in steel 4340, with a diameter of 6 mm, heat-treated and quenched in three different fluids. Samples were evaluated in standard tensile test to access their characteristic quantities: hardness, modulus of elasticity, yield strength, tensile strength and ultimate deformation. The proposed approach is gradually being built (a) by a presentation of the experimental device, (b) a presentation of the experimental plan and the results of the mechanical tests, (c) anova analysis of variance and a representation of the output responses using the RSM response surface method, and (d) an analysis of the results and discussion. The feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed approach leads to a precise and reliable model capable of predicting the variation of mechanical properties, depending on the tempering temperature, the tempering time and the cooling capacity of the quenching medium.