A macro-meso constitutive law for concrete having imperfect interface and nonlinear matrix

The overall behavior of concrete depends on its meso structures such as aggregate shape, interface status, and mortar matrix property. The two key meso structure characters of concrete, bond status of interface and nonlinear property of matrix, are considered in focus. The variational structure principle is adopted to establish the macro-meso constitutive law of concrete. Specially, a linear reference composite material is selected to make its effective behavior approach the nonlinear overall behavior of concrete. And the overall property of linear reference composite can be estimated by classical estimation method such as self-consistent estimates method and Mori-Tanaka method. This variational structure method involves an optimum problem ultimately. Finally, the macro-meso constitutive law of concrete is established by optimizing the shear modulus of matrix of the linear reference composite. By analyzing the constitutive relation of concrete established, we find that the brittleness of concrete stems from the imperfect interface and the shear dilation property of concrete comes from the micro holes contained in concrete. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 50679022, 90510017, 50539090) and National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2007CB714104)     

Discrimination for ablative control mechanism in solid-propellant rocket nozzle

The ablation in solid-propellant rocket nozzle is a coupling process resulted by chemistry, heat and mass transfer. Based on the heat and mass transfer theory, the aero-thermo-dynamic, and thermo-chemical kinetics, the thermal-chemical ablation model is established. Simulations are completed on the heat flow field and chemical ablation in the nozzle with different concentrations, frequency factors and activation energy of H2. The calculation results show that the concentration and the activation energy of H...     

Assessment of response function in two PET scanners with and without interplane septa

The authors have assessed the response function both experimentally and theoretically for two commercial tomographs: CTI 931/08-12 and CTI 953B with and without interplane septa. Monte Carlo simulations were undertaken using the GEANT package from CERN. Spatial resolution (tomographic and axial) was calculated for line sources at various positions in the field of view. Sensitivity and scatter fraction (SF) were calculated for various source geometries as a function of energy discrimination. A very realistic response function in positron emission tomography (PET) is obtained by Monte Carlo methods, using global parameters to account for unsimulated phenomena such as scintillation light transport inside a detector block and its sharing among the various phototubes. Minor discrepancies remain for sensitivity and SF at high energy thresholds and may probably be explained by introducing the observed dispersion in the energy response for the various crystals within a detector block.     

Noise equivalent count measurements in a neuro-PET scanner with retractable septa

The noise-equivalent count-rate (NEC) performance of a neuro-positron emission tomography (PET) scanner has been determined with and without interplane septa on uniform cylindrical phantoms of differing radii and in human studies to assess the optimum count rate conditions that realize the maximum gain. In the brain, the effective gain in NEC performance for three-dimensions (3-D) ranges from >5 at low count rates to approximately 3.3 at 200 kcps (equivalent to 37 kcps in 2-D). The gains of the 3-D method assessed by this analysis are significant, and are shown to be highly dependent on count rate and object dimensions.     

Reaction mechanism and microstructure evolution of reaction sintered <Emphasis Type="Italic">h</Emphasis>-BN

Hexagonal boron nitride ceramic (h-BN) based on the nitridation of B powders was obtained by reaction sintering method. The effects of sintering temperature on the mechanical properties and microstructure of the resultant products were investigated and the reaction mechanism was discussed. Results showed that the reaction between B and N₂ occurred vigorously at temperatures ranging from 1 000 °C to 1 300 °C, which resulted in the generation of t-BN. When the temperature exceeded 1 450 °C, transformation from t-BN to h-BN began to occur. As the sintering temperature increased, the spherical particles of t-BN gradually transformed into fine sheet particles of h-BN. These particles subsequently displayed a compact arrangement to achieve a more uniform microstructure, thereby increasing the strength.     

Optimization of uncertain acoustic metamaterial with Helmholtz resonators based on interval model

Uncertainties existing in the acoustic metamaterial may strongly affect its unusual properties. Aiming at this actuality, the interval model is introduced to treat with uncertainties existing in the acoustic metamaterial with Helmholtz resonators. Frequency intervals in which the sound intensity transmission coefficients are certainly less than the required value and the effective bulk moduli are certainly negative are defined as conservative approximations. Frequency intervals in which the sound intensity transmission coefficients may be less than the required value and the effective bulk moduli may be negative are defined as unsafe approximations. The proportion of the conservative approximation and the unsafe approximation is defined as an approximate precision. Based on the quantification of uncertainties of the sound intensity transmission coefficients and the negative effective bulk moduli, an optimization model for the interval acoustic metamaterial with Helmholtz resonators is constructed. Numerical results showed that even suffering from effects of interval parameters, unusual properties of the optimized acoustic metamaterial (such as the bandgap of the sound transmission and the negative effective bulk modulus) could be improved.     

Performance evaluation of anti-radiation based on the gamma degradation process

In the environment of space radiation, the high-energy charged particles or high-energy photons acting on a spacecraft can cause either temporary device degradation or permanent failure. The traditional probability model is difficult to obtain reliable estimation of unit radiation resistance performance with small samples. Considering that different products will change differently after high-energy particle radiation, we construct a model based on the gamma degradation process. This model can efficiently describe the law of unit radiation resistance variation with the total radiation dose levels under the effect of the total dose and displacement damage. Finally, the proposed model is used to assess the anti-radiation performance of the N-channel power MOSFET device STRH60N20FSY3 produced by STM to obtain average unit radiation resistance, survival probability, survival function, etc.     

Theoretical Investigation of the Viscous Damping Coefficient of Hydraulic Actuators

The viscous damping coefficient(VDC) of hydraulic actuators is crucial for system modeling,control and dynamic characteristic analysis.Currently,the researches on hydraulic actuators focus on behavior assessment,promotion of control performance and efficiency.However,the estimation of the VDC is difficult due to a lack of study.Firstly,using two types of hydraulic cylinders,behaviors of the VDC are experimentally examined with velocities and pressure variations.For the tested plunger type hydraulic cylinder,the exponential model B=αυ~(-β),(α0,β0)or B=α_1e~(-β_1υ)+α_2e~(-β_2υ)(α_1,α_20,β_1,β_20),fits the relation between the VDC and velocities for a given pressure of chamber with high precision.The magnitude of the VDC decreases almost linearly under certain velocities when increasing the chamber pressure from 0.6 MPa to 6.0 MPa.Furthermore,the effects of the chamber pressures on the VDC of piston and plunge type hydraulic cylinders are different due to different sealing types.In order to investigate the VDC of a plunger type hydraulic actuator drastically,a steady-state numerical model has been developed to describe the mechanism incorporating tandem seal lubrication,back-up ring related friction behaviors and shear stress of fluid.It is shown that the simulated results of VDC agree with the measured results with a good accuracy.The proposed method provides an instruction to predict the VDC in system modeling and analysis.     

„Leben machen,sterben lassen“: Palliative Care und Biomacht

Definition of the problem This article takes a critical look at the current theory and practice of palliative care (PC), how it deals with death and dying, and the underlying guiding principle of a good death. Thereby, Foucault’s concept of biopower is utilized. Argument Because PC aims to facilitate a good death, manifold criteria and measures have been developed that help plan interventions and determine their success. In light of the concept of biopower, certain problematic aspects of this development become manifest that usually remain hidden in the bioethical discourse. Conclusion A goal of PC is to improve the quality of life of the dying and therefore not only treats physical symptoms but also psychological, social, and spiritual suffering; thus, it commits itself to maximizing life in a way that can become overdemanding for the individual and possibly does not satisfy the patient’s real needs.     

Self-Diffusion of Iron in Molten Fe-C Alloys

Self-diffusion coefficients of iron in molten Fe-C alloys have been measured by using the capillary method. In addition, the samples have been autoradiographed and sectioned to insure that no significant convection has occurred during the diffusion. The results can be represented by the equation D = 4.3×10^?3 exp (—12.200/RT) for carbon = 4.6 pct and T = 1513° to 1633°K; and D = 1.0×10^?2 exp (—15,700/RT) for carbon = 2.5 pct and T = 1613° to 1673°K. The D values are higher and the heat of activation for diffusion lower in alloys containing more carbon. Calculation based on the Einstein-Stokes equation indicates that the diffusing species is iron ion.