Overview of Physical and Chemical,Operational Properties of Nitrous Oxide Used as a Propellant for Low-thrust Rocket Engines

The results of a system analysis of the efficiency of nitrous oxide(N_2O) as a propellant component for small space vehicles(SSV) were presented. A criterion for mass efficiency of the SSV propulsion system(PS) is determined. The current global state-of-the-art of SSV PSs is shown. The application field of nitrous oxide in SSV PSs is calculated and mass efficiency of N_2O application is quantitatively determined. An overview of physical and chemical as well as operational properties of nitrous oxide as a promising, non-toxic component of rocket propellant is provided. Main physical and chemical constants of gaseous and liquid nitrous oxide; chemical properties of N_2O, thermal stability of N_2O, catalytic decomposition of N_2O, a mechanism of decomposition of N_2O, catalysts for decomposition of N_2O, ballast additives to N_2O, application of nitrous oxide, nitrous oxide as a rocket propellant, production of nitrous oxide, toxicity of nitrous oxide, fire hazard of N_2O, requirements to equipment when handling N_2O; storage and transportation of N_2O are considered. It is demonstrated that nitrous oxide is a chemical compound meeting the requirements to rocket propellants, including those related to the environmental friendliness of propellants. With 75 references.     

Context-Based Path Prediction for Targets with Switching Dynamics

International Journal of Computer Vision - Anticipating future situations from streaming sensor data is a key perception challenge for mobile robotics and automated vehicles. We address the problem...     

Analysis and optimization of noises of an analog circuit via PSO algorithms

Microsystem Technologies - The strategy for analysis of noise generated in the analog circuit is presented here. Further, methodology for optimization of noise to improve the performance of the...     

Assessing students' conceptual understanding using an online three‐tier diagnostic test

When solving a mathematical problem, students who do not have sufficient conceptual understanding may perform poorly and exhibit misconceptions. This study was aimed to examine students' conceptual understanding and significant misconceptions when solving number sense‐related problems. An online three‐tier diagnostic test was administered to 125 fifth‐grade students with varied socio‐economic backgrounds in Hong Kong. Only 14.40% of the students exhibited high performance with high confidence, indicating that these students had a profound conceptual understanding of number sense. In addition, the majority of the students (66.40%) did not demonstrate number sense; these students exhibited several significant misconceptions and could solve the questions only by using a rule‐based method or guessing. Accordingly, most students performed unsatisfactorily on number sense‐related problems. This study is imperative in identifying early predictors and provides information for further compatible interventions in the teaching and learning of number sense in Hong Kong in particular and worldwide in general.     

Protection of an Object on a Movable Base Using Anticipating Control under the Worst Disturbances

Journal of Computer and Systems Sciences International - The problem of constructing a guaranteeing anticipating control for a shock isolator that protects an object on a movable base from impacts...     

Decorative near-infrared transmission filters featuring high-efficiency and angular-insensitivity employing 1D photonic crystals

We present a new scheme for visibly-opaque but near-infrared-transmitting filters involving 7 layers based on one-dimensional ternary photonic crystals, with capabilities in reaching nearly 100% transmission efficiency in the near-infrared region. Different decorative reflection colors can be created by adding additional three layers while maintaining the near-infrared transmission performance. In addition, our proposed structural colors show great angular insensitivity up to ±60° for both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarizations, which are highly desired in various fields. The facile strategy described here involves a simple deposition method for the fabrication, thereby having great potential in diverse applications such as image sensors, anti-counterfeit tag, and optical measurement systems.

     

Separation of hematite from banded hematite jasper (BHJ) by magnetic coating

The separation of iron oxide from banded hematite jasper(BHJ) assaying 47.8% Fe, 25.6% Si O2 and 2.30%Al2O3 using selective magnetic coating was studied. Characterization studies of the low grade ore indicate that besides hematite and goethite,jasper, a microcrystalline form of quartzite, is the major impurity associated with this ore. Beneficiation by conventional magnetic separation technique could yield a magnetic concentrate containing 60.8% Fe with 51% Fe recovery. In order to enhance the recovery of the iron oxide minerals, fine magnetite, colloidal magnetite and oleate colloidal magnetite were used as the coating material. When subjected to magnetic separation, the coated ore produces an iron concentrate containing 60.2% Fe with an enhanced recovery of56%. The AFM studies indicate that the coagulation of hematite particles with the oleate colloidal magnetite facilitates the higher recovery of iron particles from the low grade BHJ iron ore under appropriate conditions.