Buried Target Imaging: A Comparative Study

A wide variety of qualitative methods have been proposed for microwave imaging. It is difficult to select only one of these methods based on a priori information and measurement equipment to achieve a reliable reconstruction. Various arrangements for antennas to be used in, for instance, have been proposed which have direct impacts on the complexity of inverse methods as well as the quality of output images. In this study, four qualitative methods of the linear sampling method (LSM), time reversal (TR), diffraction tomography (DT), and back-projection (BP) have been reviewed in a 2D scenario; the performance of the methods is compared within the same framework of a multi-static configuration. The goal is to compare their resolutions and determine their advantages and drawbacks. It is shown that LSM provides the best azimuth resolution but the worst range resolution. It is almost invariant to dielectric contrast and is appropriate for a wide range of dielectric contrasts and relatively large objects. It is also shown that at relatively low dielectric contrasts, TR images are most similar to the true object, show fewer artifacts, and offer high immunity to noise. While suffering from more artifacts due to the presence of some ghost images, DT offers the best range resolution. The results also show that BP has the worst azimuth resolution when reconstructing deeply-buried targets, although its implementation is straightforward and not computationally complex.     

Double-command fuzzy control of a nonlinear CSTR

In this research, double-command control of a nonlinear chemical system is addressed. The system is a stirred tank reactor; two flows of liquid with different concentrations enter the system through two valves and another flow exits the tank with a concentration between the two input concentrations. Fuzzy logic was employed to design a model-free double-command controller for this system in the simulation environment. In order to avoid output chattering and frequent change of control command (leading to frequent closing-opening of control valves, in practice) a damper rule is added to the fuzzy control system. A feedforward (steady state) control law is also derived from the nonlinear mathematical model of the system to be added to feedback (fuzzy) controller generating transient control command. The hybrid control system leads to a very smooth change of control input, which suits real applications. The proposed control system offers much lower error integral, control command change and processing time in comparison with neuro-predictive controllers.     

A novel online affine model identification of multivariable processes using adaptive neuro-fuzzy networks

This paper presents a novel systematic identification methodology for online affine modeling of multivariable processes using adaptive neuro-fuzzy networks. The proposed approach introduces an integrated procedure to simultaneously estimate a number of adaptive neuro-fuzzy networks with simple and compact dynamic structures to realize a multivariable affine model identification in real-time. A new fuzzy rule significance concept, based on a generic time-weighted rule activation record (WRAR), together with a measure of time-weighted root mean square (WRMS) error are incorporated to maintain efficient structural and parametric mechanisms for proper adaptation of the resulting neuro-fuzzy networks. An extended Kalman filter (EKF) algorithm is developed to adaptively adjust the neuro-fuzzy free parameters corresponding to the nearest created fuzzy rules. Extensive simulation test studies will be conducted to explore the capabilities of the proposed identification approach to adaptively develop online multivariable affine dynamic models for a highly nonlinear and time-varying continues stirred tank reactor (CSTR) and a highly nonlinear binary distillation column as two challenging benchmark problems.     

Evaluation of Microstructure and Mechanical Properties in Dissimilar Austenitic/Super Duplex Stainless Steel Joint

To study the effect of chemical composition on microstructural features and mechanical properties of dissimilar joints between super duplex and austenitic stainless steels, welding was attempted by gas tungsten arc welding process with a super duplex (ER2594) and an austenitic (ER309LMo) stainless steel filler metal. While the austenitic weld metal had vermicular delta ferrite within austenitic matrix, super duplex stainless steel was mainly comprised of allotriomorphic grain boundary and Widmanstätten side plate austenite morphologies in the ferrite matrix. Also the heat-affected zone of austenitic base metal comprised of large austenite grains with little amounts of ferrite, whereas a coarse-grained ferritic region was observed in the heat-affected zone of super duplex base metal. Although both welded joints showed acceptable mechanical properties, the hardness and impact strength of the weld metal produced using super duplex filler metal were found to be better than that obtained by austenitic filler metal.     

Void Formation and Plastic Deformation Mechanism of a Cold-Rolled Dual-Phase Steel During Tension

The void formation and plastic deformation micromechanisms of a cold-rolled DP600 steel during tensile loading were studied by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and electron backscatter diffraction(EBSD).The SEM observations revealed that the main void nucleation mechanism in the DP600 steel is decohesion at the ferrite-martensite interfaces.The voids were mostly observed between the closely spaced martensite islands situated at the boundaries of relatively finer ferrite grains.The EBSD results indicated a strain gradient developed from the ferrite-martensite and ferrite-ferrite interfaces into the interior of ferrite grains during the tensile deformation,which led to a stress concentration at these interfaces.Moreover,it was demonstrated that local misorientation inside the finer ferrite grains surrounded by martensite islands was higher than that for the coarser ferrite grains,which made the former more prone to void initiation.     

The Role of Welding Parameters on Achieving a Combination of High Strength and Ductility in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Cu–7Al–3Fe Aluminum Bronze

The weldability of aluminum bronze alloys lends it to fabrication of items such as pipes and pressure vessels. Thus, obtaining high strength along with good ductility is necessary. Gas tungsten arc welding of Cu–7Al–3Fe aluminum bronze alloy was performed by variation of some parameters such as shielding gas flow rate, preheat and post weld heat treatment. Optical and scanning electron microscopy along with EDX analysis was applied for different samples. Microhardness measurements and tensile tests were performed to see the effect of these parameters on ultimate tensile strength and ductility of samples.     

A study on the cure characteristics of epoxy/diaminodiphenylmethane system prepared at room temperature

The curing behavior and kinetics of epoxy resin with diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as the curing agent was studied by many researchers, however all of them prepared the system at a high‐temperature condition (i.e., T ≥ 80°C). In this study, a mixture of epoxy/DDM was prepared at ambient temperature and its curing characteristics were studied by using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The autocatalytic model was used to calculate the kinetic factors in the dynamic experiments. The kinetics of the curing reaction was also evaluated by two different isoconversional models; namely Friedman method and the Advanced Isoconversional method proposed by Vyazovkin to investigate the activation energy behavior during the curing reaction. The activation energy of the curing reaction was found to be in the range of 48 ± 2 kJ/mol and might be considered to be constant during the curing. In fact, our findings were different from the result reported by other researchers for the system which was prepared at elevated temperature. Therefore, it seems that the preparation temperature of the samples influenced considerably on the curing behavior of epoxy with DDM. Finally, a time–temperature–transformation (TTT) diagram was established to determine the cure process and glass transition properties of the system. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010     

Coke deposition mechanism on the pores of a commercial Pt-Re/γ-Al2O3 naphtha reforming catalyst

Coke deposition mechanism on a commercial Pt-Re/γ-Al₂O₃ naphtha reforming catalyst was studied. A used catalyst that was in industrial reforming operation for 28 months, as well as the fresh catalyst of the unit were characterized using XRD, XRF, and nitrogen adsorption/desorption analyses. Carbon and sulfur contents of the fresh and the used catalysts were determined using Leco combustion analyzer. The pore size distributions (PSD) of the fresh and the used reforming catalysts were determined using BJH and Comparison Plot methods. The Comparison Plot method produced the most reasonable PSDs for the catalysts. Through comparison of the PSDs of the fresh and the used catalysts, it was revealed that coke deposited on both micropores and mesopores of the catalyst at a constant thickness of 1.0 nm. The constant coke thickness on the catalyst pore walls in the naphtha reforming process (temp. ∼ 500 °C) implies that coke deposition reaction is the slow controlling step in comparison to the fast mass transfer rate of coke ingredients into the pores. The bulk density of the deposited coke on the used catalyst was calculated as 0.966 g/cm³.     

Effect of bank slope on the flow patterns in river intakes

In this work, we studied the dimensions of stream tube in the vertical as well as inclined bank conditions. Data were collected from both a physical model and a 3-D numerical model（SSIIM 2）. Equations for predicting stream tube dimensions were presented and compared with existing formulae. In comparison with vertical bank, it is found that inclining bank causes the bottom stream tube width to be greater than at the surface. The strength of secondary current formed at the entrance of branch channel is reduced. These changes in flow pattern can reduce the amount of sediment delivery into the intake.     

Microparticle Transport and Deposition in the Human Oral Airway: Toward the Smart Spacer

A key issue in pulmonary drug delivery is improving the medical delivery device for effective and targeted treatment. Spacers are clear plastic containers attached to inhalers aimed at delivering more drug particles to the respiratory tract. The spacer's one-way valve plays an important role in controlling and initializing the particles into the oral cavity. This article studied particle inhalation and deposition in an idealized oral airway geometry to better optimize the spacer one-way valve shape and design. Three steady flow rates were used 15, 30, and 60 l/min and a Lagrangian, one-way coupling particle tracking model with near-wall turbulence fluctuation correction was used to determine the deposition rates. For all three breathing rates, the velocity field in the midsagittal plane showed similar gross fluid dynamics characteristics, such as the separation and recirculation regions that occur after the larynx. The particle deposition rates compared reasonably well with available experiments. Most particles deposited at the larynx, where the airway has a decreasing cross-sectional area. For different particles sizes, most particles introduced at the lower region of the mouth show higher possibility to pass through upper airway and enter the trachea and lung airways. The particle deposition patterns in the airway were traced back to their initial inlet position at the oral inlet; and this information provides the background for a conceptual and optimized design of the spacer one-way valve.

Copyright 2015 American Association for Aerosol Research