Soil hydraulic parameters estimated from satellite information through data assimilation

Leaf area index (LAI) and actual evapotranspiration (ET_a) from satellite observations were used to estimate simultaneously the soil hydraulic parameters of four soil layers down to 60 cm depth using the combined soil water atmosphere plant and genetic algorithm (SWAP–GA) model. This inverse model assimilates the remotely sensed LAI and/or ET_a by searching for the most appropriate sets of soil hydraulic parameters that could minimize the difference between the observed and simulated LAI (LAI_sim) or simulated ET_a (ET_asim). The simulated soil moisture estimates derived from soil hydraulic parameters were validated using values obtained from soil moisture sensors installed in the field. Results showed that the soil hydraulic parameters derived from LAI alone yielded good estimations of soil moisture at 3 cm depth; LAI and ET_a in combination at 12 cm depth, and ET_a alone at 28 cm depth. There appeared to be no match with measurement at 60 cm depth. Additional information would therefore be needed to better estimate soil hydraulic parameters at greater depths. Despite this inability of satellite data alone to provide reliable estimates of soil moisture at the lowest depth, derivation of soil hydraulic parameters using remote sensing methods remains a promising area for research with significant application potential. This is especially the case in areas of water management for agriculture and in forecasting of floods or drought on the regional scale.     

高精度光学薄膜的制造

论述了DWDM、GFF、CWDM等薄膜的制造,特别给出了100GHzDWDM的设计和误差分析.     

Effects of fiber orientation angles of fiber-reinforced plastic on sand solid particle erosion behaviors

Solid particle erosion in industrial applications has been a serious problem in many engineering fields. Earlier studies on fiber-reinforced plastic (FRP) composites were mainly focusing on the erosive wear behavior at several different impact angles. However, the effect of fiber orientation on FRP composites has not been thoroughly investigated. Since fiber orientation is one of the important factors in which causing erosive wear damages to FRP composites, in order to understand the virtue of this problem, it is important to investigate the effect of fiber orientation at different impact angles. In this research, the effect of fiber orientation of unidirectional fiber-reinforced plastic composites on erosive wear behavior was studied. Sandblasting-type erosion tests were conducted on the FRP composites with fiber orientation ranging at three impact angles to clarify the relation between fiber orientation and erosive wear behavior. The Dyneema fiber (ductile material) and the carbon fiber (brittle material) were used for the reinforcement fiber in FRP. From the result, it is confirmed that CFRP composites with higher fiber orientation angle erode faster than the composites with lower fiber orientation angle. But the erosion characteristic of DFRP was almost the same regardless of the fiber orientation angle. The damaged surfaces of the FRP composites were then analyzed using scanning electron microscopy and the possible erosion wear mechanisms were investigated.     

Effect of transition elements on the properties of MC carbides in IN-100 nickel-based superalloy

The effect of nine transition elements on the morphology, distribution and composition of MC carbides (MCs) in a nickel-base superalloy, IN-100, was investigated by differential thermal analysis (DTA), microstructural observation and X-ray microanalysis. The doping with tantalum, tungsten and molybdenum caused a significant change in the morphology and distribution of MCs as well as the profile of DTA curve of IN-100. The compositions of the MC in IN-100 were TiC and (Ti_0.80Mo_0.17V_0.03) C, and the doping with niobium, tantalum and tungsten changed significantly the composition of MC. On the other hand, the doping with chromium, vanadium, hafnium and zirconium scarcely changed the composition. In addition to TiC and (Ti, Mo, V) C, zirconium- and hafnium-rich MCs were found in the zirconium- and hafnium-doped alloys, respectively. The effect of the dopants on the composition of MCs could be explained by a relationship between the metallic radius and the free energy of formation for the MC.     

Structural analysis of Ti-Fe thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Titanium iron oxide (Ti-Fe-O) thin films have been successfully deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Experiments were carried out by using some targets. One was a Ti-50 at.% Fe-sintered target, while the others were Ti and Fe plates with various surface area ratio [S_R=S_Fe/(S_Fe+S_Ti)] from 30 to 70%. The thin films were analyzed by X-ray diffractometry, Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy (RBS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). From XRD analysis, the main phase in the thin films deposited at S_R=30 and 50% was β-Ti (Fe). By increasing S_R to 70%, the main phase of the thin film changed to TiFe. By phase diagram, composition of TiFe must be between Ti-47.5-50.3 at.% Fe at a temperature of 1085 °C. However, the composition of the thin film deposited at S_R=70% was found to be Ti_0.15Fe_0.62O_0.23. Thus, the composition of Fe in the thin film was much greater than the solubility limit. This fact suggests two possibilities. One is that the thin films, which we have deposited, were in a metastable state. The other is that metal oxides of amorphous state could be contained in the thin film.     

Stochastic finite element method for slope stability analysis

This paper describes a stochastic finite element method using the first-order approximation at a failure point of a set of random variables. The method is extended to equivalent normal represtation of non-normal distributions and offers two advantages: (1) It gives a consistent measure of failure probability for the limit-states defined in terms of different but equivalent performance function formulations, (2). It can be applied to reliability analysis for non-normal variants. Results using this method are compared favorably with that of Monte Carlo simulation in a simple example. Furthermore, this method will be applied to earth slope stability analysis to give probability levels for local and global failures on a potential failure surface.     

Anti‐Sway Crane Control Considering Wind Disturbance and Container Mass

A method for estimating the sway angle using an observer has already been proposed. The state observer estimates the sway angle accurately and must use the detected sway angle value. However, the estimated sway angle has an error owing to rope length error, friction force, and wind. Moreover, the container mass cannot be determined, and therefore the observer parameter is not suitable. We already proposed robust antisway control for overcoming rope length error without adding a new sensor. Further, we designed a friction disturbance observer to cancel out the influence of the friction force. In this paper, we first propose a container mass estimation method when a crane system performs rolling up control. The observer parameter can be selected using the estimated mass value. Second, in crane parallel shift control, we propose a robust antisway control even when there is a wind disturbance. We design a wind disturbance observer and propose a wind disturbance estimator to separate the friction observer output from the wind disturbance observer output. We confirm through experiments that the proposed method can reduce vibration.     

Some properties of mullite powders prepared by chemical vapour deposition

The sinterability of mullite (3Al₂O₃·2SiO₂) powder prepared by chemical vapour deposition was examined to improve the conditions for fabricating dense mullite ceramics. The starting powder contained not only mullite, but also a small amount of -Al₂O₃ (Al-Si spinel) and amorphous material. Although the compressed powder was fired at a temperature between 1550 and 1700 °C for 1, 3 and 5 h, the relative densities of the sintered compacts were limited to 90%: (i) due to the creation of pores/microcracks during the solid state reaction (1100–1350 °C), and (ii) due to restriction on the rearrangement of grains because the amount of liquid phase (1550–1700 °C) was insufficient. Calcination of the starting powder was effective for preparation of easily sinterable powder with homogeneous composition. When the compact formed by compressing the calcined powder at 1400 °C for 1 h was fired at 1650 °C for 3 h, the relative density was raised up to 97.2%; moreover, mullite was the only phase detected from the sintered compact. The sintered compact was composed of polyhedral grains with sizes of 1–2 m and elongated grains with long axes of 6 m.     

Environmentally friendly coloured materials: cellulose/titanium dioxide/inorganic pigment composite spherical microbeads prepared by viscose phase-separation method

In order to develop environmentally friendly coloured materials, cellulose composite spherical microbeads hybridised with titanium dioxide (TiO₂) particles and inorganic pigment were prepared by a phase-separation method using viscose and an aqueous solution containing sodium polyacrylate. Findings regarding the relationships between cellulose xanthate and the electronic characteristics of TiO₂ particles used in the cellulose/inorganic material composite sphering process are also reported. These findings suggest that the location of TiO₂ particles in cellulose microbeads is related to electrical repulsion between the xanthate (CSS⁻) group and TiO₂. The use of TiO₂ powder as colour pigment is limited, as its colour is white. The cellulose composite spherical microbeads covered with TiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ particles were developed by addition of iron oxide (Fe₂O₃). Their surfaces were viewed by laser microscope and using SEM images. These composite microbeads retained the photocatalytic property of TiO₂. Cellulose/TiO₂/Fe₂O₃ composite spherical microbeads with both colour function and photocatalytic properties were successfully prepared.     

Preparation of new redox-active polyionenes with porphyrin units in the main chain

Quaternization of trans-dipyridylporphyrin with 1,4-butaneditrifluoromethane-sulfonate affords new polyionenes containing porphyrin units in the main chain. The polymers exhibit chemical and electrochemical reversible redox activities. Weitz-type two-step redox processes similar to those of viologens account for the redox properties of the polymers. Received: 26 November 1996/Revised: 24 January 1997/Accepted: 10 February 1997