Absolute Stability of Nonlinear Systems with Two Additive Time-varying Delay Components

In this paper, we present a new sufficient condition for absolute stability of Lure system with two additive time-varying delay components. This criterion is expressed as a set of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), which can be readily tested by using standard numerical software. We use this new criterion to stabilize a class of nonlinear time-delay systems. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the applicability of the results using standard numerical software.     

Integrating customer's preferences in the QFD planning process using a combined benchmarking and imprecise goal programming model

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-oriented design tool for developing new or improved products to achieve higher customer satisfaction by integrating various functions of an organization. The engineering characteristics (ECs) affecting the product performances are designed to match the customer attributes (CAs). However, from the viewpoint of the QFD team, product design processes are performed in imprecise environments, and more than one factor must be taken into account in determining the target levels of ECs, especially the limited resources and increased market competition. This paper presents an imprecise goal programming (GP) approach to determine the optimum target levels of ECs in QFD for maximizing customer satisfaction under resource limitation and considerations of market competition. Based on benchmarking data of CAs, the concept of satisfaction functions is utilized to formulate explicitly the customer's preferences and to integrate the competitive analysis of target market into the modelling and solution process. In addition, the relationships linking CAs and ECs and the ECs to each other are integrated by functional relationships. The proposed approach will be illustrated through a car door design example.     

Hop chains: Secure routing and the establishment of distinct identities

We present a secure routing protocol that is immune to Sybil attacks and that can tolerate collusion of Byzantine routers. It can tolerate either initial collusion of Byzantine routers or runtime collusion of non-adjacent Byzantine routers, both in the absence of runtime collusion between adjacent routers. For these settings, the calculated distance from a destination to a node is not smaller than the actual shortest distance from the destination to the node. The protocol can also simultaneously tolerate initial collusion of Byzantine routers and runtime collusion of adjacent Byzantine routers but in the absence of runtime collusion between non-adjacent routers. For this setting, it guarantees a bound on the difference between the calculated distance and the actual shortest distance. The bound depends on the number of Byzantine routers on a path. The protocol makes very weak timing assumptions and requires synchronization only between neighbors or second neighbors. We propose to use this protocol for secure localization of routers using hop-count distances, which can be then used as a proof of identity of nodes.     

Experimental analysis and numerical modelling of the forming process of polypropylene replicas of micro-cavities using hot embossing

Numerical modelling of the deformation of a polymer using the finite elements method in axisymetrical mode was performed using the LsDyna^® software to describe the filling of micro-cavities during the forming process of the material using the hot embossing. These simulations firstly allow verifying whether the chosen forming process conditions promote or not an optimized filling of the superficial cavities in order to achieve precise replicas which best reproduce the superficial topography of the mould. The simulations were carried out to evaluate the filling of the cavities taking into account the mechanical behaviour of the selected polymer into the model. Moreover, these models were developed to verify the effect of the distribution of the mould cavities on their filling. The influence of the mobility of non deformable rigid plates on the filling of the cavities represents an auxiliary variable. In the approach presented, the compression plates are assumed to be parallel and non deformable, whereas the polymer disk follows a rubbery behaviour around a temperature equal to 140°C. Globally the modelling results are satisfactory for they are rather close to the experimental observations conducted. In summary, the effect of the normal stress as also the distribution of micro-cavities at the mould surface seem to prevail in the case of the forming process by hot embossing.     

Constructing malware normalizers using term rewriting

A malware mutation engine is able to transform a malicious program to create a different version of the program. Such mutation engines are used at distribution sites or in self-propagating malware in order to create variation in the distributed programs. Program normalization is a way to remove variety introduced by mutation engines, and can thus simplify the problem of detecting variant strains. This paper introduces the “normalizer construction problem” (NCP), and formalizes a restricted form of the problem called “NCP=”, which assumes a model of the engine is already known in the form of a term rewriting system. It is shown that even this restricted version of the problem is undecidable. A procedure is provided that can, in certain cases, automatically solve NCP= from the model of the engine. This procedure is analyzed in conjunction with term rewriting theory to create a list of distinct classes of normalizer construction problems. These classes yield a list of possible attack vectors. Three strategies are defined for approximate solutions of NCP=, and an analysis is provided of the risks they entail. A case study using the virus suggests the approximations may be effective in practice for countering mutated malware. R. Mathur is presently at McAfee AVERT Labs.     

The use of an electrothermal plasma gun to simulate the extremely high heat flux conditions of a tokamak disruption

Disruption damage conditions for future large tokamaks like ITER are nearly impossible to simulate on current tokamaks. The electrothermal plasma source SIRENS has been designed, constructed, and operated to produce high density (> 10²⁵/m³), low temperature (1–3 eV) plasma formed by the ablation of the insulator with currents of up to 100 kA (100 s pulse length) and energies up to 15 kJ. The source heat fluence (variable from 0.2 to 7 MJ/m²) is adequate for simulation of the thermal quench phase of plasma disruption in future fusion tokamaks. Different materials have been exposed to the high heat flux in SIRENS, where comparative erosion behavior was obtained. Vapor shield phenomena has been characterized for different materials, and the energy transmission factor through the shielding layer is obtained. The device is also equipped with a magnet capable of producing a parallel magnetic field (up to 16 T) over a 8 msec pulse length. The magnetic field is produced to decrease the turbulent energy transport through the vapor shield, which provides further reduction of surface erosion (magnetic vapor shield effect).     

THE DYNAMIC BEHAVIOR AND CHAOS FOR TWO PARALLEL REACTIONS IN A CONTINUOUS STIRRED TANK REACTOR

The dynamical behavior for two parallel reactions in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) is considered. The global maximum number of steady states is five. Stability conditions are obtained. When the steady state is unique and unstable, a circulating attractor is proven to exist. The orbit structure is numerically found to consist of periodic orbits and chaotic behavior.     

ASCE Journal of Management in Engineering: Review of the years 1985–2002

This study considers the content of the papers published by ASCE’s Journal of Management in Engineering, which has witnessed a growth in number of papers and breadth of participation, particularly of international origin, during the 1985–2002 period. The content is analyzed in two main dimensions: the type of subject and its composing topics, and the type of contributors to the journal. The analysis shows the evolution of the engineering management discipline as represented in the journal. Over the years the discipline has been enriched by an increasing number of contributions on corporate strategies and programs, organizational change, and cultures issues, as well as a growing interest in project management topics, such as quality planning and evaluation of alternative project delivery systems. The number of papers by practitioners, initially the largest contributing group to the journal, has declined significantly over the years.     

Finding an optimization of the plate element of Egyptian research reactor using genetic algorithm

The second Egyptian research reactor ET-RR-2 went critical on the 27th of November 1997. The National Center of Nuclear Safety and Radiation Control （NCNSRC） has the responsibility of the evaluation and assessment of the safety of this reactor. The purpose of this paper is to present an approach to optimization of the fuel element plate. For an efficient search through the solution space we use a multi objective genetic algorithm which allows us to identify a set of Pareto optimal solutions providing the decision maker with the complete spectrum of optimal solutions with respect to the various targets. The aim of this paper is to propose a new approach for optimizing the fuel element plate in the reactor. The fuel element plate is designed with a view to improve reliability and lifetime and it is one of the most important elements during the shut down. In this present paper, we present a conceptual design approach for fuel element plate, in conjunction with a genetic algorithm to obtain a fuel plate that maximizes a fitness value to optimize the safety design of the fuel plate.