Assessment of human–machine interface design for a Chinese nuclear power plant

A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a complex system but requires high reliability. The human–machine interface (HMI) design plays very important role in reactor safety. This paper describes an assessment on HMI design of a Chinese NPP, using a software system named Dynamic Interaction Analysis Support (DIAS). DIAS can give not only quantitative indices for dynamically assessing the HMI design, but also allow modify the values of these indices by taking into account human error probability during specified emergent operation procedures. The operation procedures dealing with postulated accidents and transients recorded from a full-scale plant simulator in the training center of a Chinese NPP were selected as references. According to the results of simulation and analysis, the potential problems in the HMI design and the operation procedures were detected. Suggestions to improve the HMI design and the operation procedures were addressed.     

On-Site Fabrication of Crystalline Cerium Oxide Films and Patterns by Ink-Jet Deposition Method at Moderate Temperatures

Crystalline CeO₂ films and patterns have been successfully fabricated in a "single-step process" at moderate temperature. In this process, the combination of the ink-jet technique and depositing the precursor on a hot substrate (≤300°C) gave crystalline CeO₂ without further heat treatment. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that the phase formed was crystallized ceria with nanosized (<10 nm) crystallites. The film thickness was several hundred nanometers and the pattern width was about 150 μm. Scanning electron microscopy analysis showed that the films and patterns were free of cracks and adhered to the substrate. This is the first report about the direct patterning of crystalline CeO₂ without postfiring or posttreatments like masking, etching, etc.     

Development and application of the Fraunhofer-diffraction method for measurements of plasma density fluctuations using infrared lasers

This paper is concerned with systematic developments of the Fraunhofer-diffraction method for studies of plasma density fluctuations in high-temperature plasmas using infrared lasers, namely (i) development of the general theory of the Fraunhofer-diffraction method, (ii) measurements of fluctuations propagating in an azimuthal direction, (iii) measurements of fluctuation intensities, and (iv) application in measurements on high-temperature plasmas.     

Adsorption of bovine serum albumin to a polymer brush prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization in a porous inorganic membrane

Protein adsorption was performed by a polymer brush prepared by atom-transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to a porous inorganic membrane. The porous inorganic membrane, Shirasu Porous Glass made from silica, was modified with a halogen-containing compound to bind the active species for the polymerization. Glycidyl methacrylate was polymerized from the halogen compound by ATRP for a prescribed time, and subsequently chemically modified. The progression of the chemical modification allowed the membrane to lower the phosphate-buffer flux of the porous membrane due to the attachment of the polymer brush. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a model protein, was adsorbed at 12 mg per gram of the membrane in permeating BSA solution through the polymer-brush-attached porous membrane.     

纳米SiO_2制备方法研究

以溶胶—凝胶法(sol-gel)为基础,乙醇作溶剂,在氨水催化作用下,研究了正硅酸乙酯(TEOS)通过水解聚合反应制备Si O2微球的方法,并探讨n(水)/n(TEOS)(简称H)及反应时间等因素的影响。本实验借助激光散射粒度分布分析仪研究Si O2微球在溶液态的分布情况,同时使用SEM对烘烤干燥后的Si O2微球进行表征,该方法制得的纳米Si O2微球分布集中,平均粒径在90 nm左右。     

Preparation of carbon-based transparent and conductive thin films by pyrolysis of silylated graphite oxides

Thin films of silylated graphite oxide were obtained from a chloroform/cyclohexane dispersion of n-hexadecylamine-intercalated silylated graphite oxide by a casting method at a low temperature. Carbon-based thin films were obtained from the pyrolysis of the resulting films under a reduced pressure at 500 °C or higher temperatures. The resulting samples were well adhered to the substrate because of the presence of silicon containing species as a “glue”. The resistivity decreased with an increase in the film thickness or a decrease in the transparency. Based on the data obtained for the samples prepared from graphite with different particle sizes and graphite oxide with different oxygen contents, the conduction of the electrons within each carbon sheet seemed important for large film thickness and conduction through the boundary seemed important when the film thickness was small. A low sheet resistance of 3.7 kΩ/sq for 80% of transmittance was achieved, when graphite oxide with a lower oxygen content was prepared from graphite with smaller particle sizes and the precursor film was heated at 500 °C. At 900 °C, it further decreased to a value of 700 Ω/sq.     

Effect of BN nanoparticle content in SiC matrix on microstructure and mechanical properties of SiC/SiC composites

BN-nanoparticle-containing SiC-matrix-based composites comprising SiC fibers and lacking a fiber/matrix interface (SiC/BN + SiC composites) were fabricated by spark plasma sintering (SPS) at 1800°C for 10 min under 50 MPa in Ar. The content of added BN nanoparticles was varied from 0 to 50 vol.%. The mechanical properties of the SiC/BN + SiC composites were investigated thoroughly. The SiC/BN + SiC composites with a BN nanoparticle content of 50 vol.%, which had a bulk density of 2.73 g/cm³ and an open porosity of 5.8%, exhibited quasiductile fracture behavior, as indicated by a short nonlinear region and significantly shorter fiber pullouts owing to the relatively high modulus. The composites also exhibited high strength as well as bending, proportional limit stress, and ultimate tensile strength values of 496 ± 13, 251 ± 30, and 301 MPa ± 56 MPa, respectively, under ambient conditions. The SiC fibers with contents of BN nanoparticles above 30 vol.% were not severely damaged during SPS and adhered to the matrix to form a relatively weak fiber/matrix interface.     

Preparation of smooth and dense composite films consisting of MEHPPV and neat C60 by means of electrophoretic deposition

A procedure to prepare flat and dense composite films of a conjugated polymer poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEHPPV) and various amounts of neat C₆₀ by means of electrophoretic deposition from dilute suspensions is reported. It has been observed that deposition from suspensions containing both components results in pinhole-free films, which are applicable to photovoltaic devices, while inhomogeneous films are formed from the suspensions containing only one of the components. The applicability of electrophoretic deposition to obtain polymer-C₆₀ composite films showing photovoltaic effects has been successfully demonstrated.