Springback analysis of thin rectangular bars of non-linear work-hardening materials under torsional loading

A theoretical analysis of the springback of narrow rectangular strips of non-linear work-hardening material under torsional loading has been carried out. This theoretical analysis is supported by experimental results for rectangular mild steel strips of different thicknesses and lengths. Finally an analytical generalized expression relating angle of twist to twisting moment and residual angle of twist per unit length for rectangular strips under plastic torsion is obtained in non-dimensionalized form. A comparison between the results obtained for bars of non- linear and linear work-hardening materials loaded under torsion is also made.     

Opposed jet flames of lean or rich premixed propane-air reactants versus hot products

Several opposed jet flames, produced by a lean H₂-air jet opposing a rich or lean C₃H₈-air jet, are investigated. Spontaneous Raman spectroscopy is used for major species concentration and temperature measurements along the opposed jet centerline. The hot products of the H₂-air flame simulate the burnt gases of strong-burning near-stoichiometric reactants as they impinge upon a weak-burning lean or rich hydrocarbon-fueled reactant mix, a situation encountered in stratified charge operation of direct injection spark ignition engines. In addition the H₂-air flame hot products facilitate experimental data interpretation through the absence of carbon-bearing species. Good agreement between numerical and experimental data are obtained for a rich (equivalence ratio, φ = 1.25) C₃H₈-air jet versus a lean (φ = 0.4) H₂-air jet. Two lean C₃H₈-air jets (φ = 0.64 or 0.60), versus the φ = 0.4 H₂-air jet, are also investigated. For both of these flames, the amount of CO₂ production strongly depends upon φ, with the φ = 0.64 flame having a peak CO₂ mole fraction an order of magnitude higher than for the φ = 0.60 flame, and the C₃H₈ flames burning either as a normal flame (high CO₂) or as a “negative flame speed” flame producing little CO₂ and then only through diffusion of C₃H₈ into the hot products jet. The numerically predicted and experimental CO₂ profiles agree well for the positive flame speed flame, but the large discrepancy between predicted and measured peak CO₂ in the negative flame speed flame suggests modeling improvements are needed for this type of flame.     

Using bald eagles to indicate the health of the Great Lakes' environment

The bald eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) is one of the most studied birds of North America, and a great amount of natural life‐history information, including the response of various stressors on the eagles' ability to reproduce, are well known. In Michigan, the eagle has been chosen to track the trends of bioaccumulative compounds of concern across watersheds in the state. The state has been divided into major watersheds, and 20% of these are surveyed each year. A control area in northern Minnesota, Voyageurs National Park, is also sampled annually. We report here on the methods used, the preliminary results of the 1999 field season, and how differences in mercury concentrations varied over a 10‐year period. Mercury in feathers of nestling eagles declined over time only in Lakes Michigan and Huron, but have not decreased among other subpopulations in Michigan. Concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and 4,4′‐DDE in blood plasma from nestling eagles have declined over time for most subpopulations; however, they remain greater for breeding areas associated with the Great Lakes' food web. Sea eagles of the genus Haliaeetus are a good sentinel species to track trends in bioaccumulative compounds in aquatic systems.     

Properties of Carbopol Solutions as Models for Yield-Stress Fluids

ABSTRACT: The effect of pH on the non-Newtonian viscosity (η)of aqueous Carbopol 940 solutions is presented with high resolution (pH increments about 0.4) between pH = 2.8 and 12.7. Aqueous NaOH was used to adjust pH of 1.48 wt % Carbopol solutions. A Contraves viscometer was used to measure steady-flow shear stress at known shear rate (γ) over the range γ= 8 to 195 s⁻¹. Yield stresses and shear-thinning η(γ) were observed. Data were fitted with a Herschel-Bulkley model, whose parameters (including yield stress) were expressed as functions of pH. Comparisons were made of η(γ) to the dynamic viscometric properties η'(ω) and η*(ω) for comparable ranges of γ and frequency (ω): A fairly close match was found between η and η* but η«η'. pH dependence included previously unreported extrema of h(pH) in the range of pH = 6.2 to 6.6. Because of sensitive control of rheological properties with pH, Carbopol solutions can be used to mimic a great range of shear-thinning and yield-stress behavior that should make them useful for model studies directed toward process and equipment design and evaluation.     

Performance and modeling of advanced Ti:LiNbO3 digitaloptical switches

High-performance Y-branch digital optical switches realized in Ti:LiNbO₃ are presented. Their switching response functions have been optimized in terms of switch voltage and crosstalk ratio. The optimization is based on analyzing different types of waveguide shaping and switching arrangements using coupled mode theory and computer simulations. Excellent switching characteristics are achieved with devices exploiting a specially shaped waveguide branch in a dilated switch arrangement. Demonstrated performances include switching voltage as low as 9 V with crosstalk suppression better than 45 dB and fiber-to-fiber losses as low as 4 dB. Polarization independence with crosstalk suppression better than 40 dB over a 1520- to 1570-nm wavelength range is achieved for any applied switch voltage greater than 18 V. These optimized digital optical switches have further demonstrated the capability to reshape electrical input signals at switching rates of several hundred megahertz     

Data-dependent k/sub n/-NN and kernel estimators consistent for arbitrary processes

Let X/sub 1/, X/sub 2/,... be an arbitrary random process taking values in a totally bounded subset of a separable metric space. Associated with X/sub i/ we observe Y/sub i/ drawn from an unknown conditional distribution F(y|X/sub i/=x) with continuous regression function m(x)=E[Y|X=x]. The problem of interest is to estimate Y/sub n/ based on X/sub n/ and the data {(X/sub i/, Y/sub i/)}/sub i=1//sup n-1/. We construct appropriate data-dependent nearest neighbor and kernel estimators and show, with a very elementary proof, that these are consistent for every process X/sub 1/, X/sub 2/,.     

Portable system for data acquisition and transmission based on handheld PC technology

A portable system is developed to monitor physical activity by acquiring and storing data from body-mounted sensors; a handheld PC is used for managing data acquisition and storage, including radio-transmission to a remote host. An application related to the use of a gyro-accelerometric sensor for determining walking distance is discussed.     

Vestigial sideband filtering at 10 Gbit/s using 12.5 GHzchannel-spacing demux

A 32-channel 12.5 GHz-spaced free-space demux with low crosstalk and low polarisation dependent loss has been constructed. Using this demux, vestigial sideband filtering at 10 Gbit/s has been studied. It is shown that this demux can achieve very high spectral efficiency without polarisation division multiplexing     

Intermetallic compounds formed at the interface between liquid indium and copper substrates

The interfacial reactions between liquid In and Cu substrates at temperatures ranging from 175°C to 400°C are investigated for the applications in bonding recycled sputtering targets to their backing plates. Experimental results show that a scallop-shaped Cu₁₆In₉ intermetallic compound is found at the Cu/In interface after solder reactions at temperatures above 300°C. A double-layer structure of intermetallic compounds containing scallop-shaped Cu₁₁In₉ and continuous CuIn is observed after the Cu/In interfacial reaction at temperatures below 300°C. The growth of all these intermetallic compounds follows the parabolic law, which implies that the growth is diffusion-controlled. The activation energies for the growth of Cu₁₆In₉, Cu₁₁In₉, and CuIn intermetallic compounds calculated from the Arrhenius plot of growth reaction constants are 59.5, 16.9, and 23.5 kJ/mole, respectively.