Perspective channel-type reactor with enhanced safety

Following the search for new design solutions to develop within the framework of channel trends the reactor with enhanced safety the Research and Development Institute of Power Engineering has developed the design of the multiloop boiling water reactor (MKER). The MKER enhanced safety is attained when involving the inherent safety features, passive safety systems as well as the accident consequences confinement devices. The design realizes several advantages which are typical of the channel-type reactors, namely: the design desintegration simplifying the manufacture, control, equipment delivery and decreasing, versus the pressure vessel reactors, the accident effect if it proceeds in an explosive manner; small operating reactivity margin and fuel burnup increased due to continuous refuelling; fuel cycle flexibility allowing comparatively easily to adopt the reactor to the conjuncture of the country fuel balance; multiloop circuit of the main coolant which reduces the degree and effect of the accidents connected with the equipment and pipings rupture; monitoring of the channels and fuel assemblies leak-tightness.     

Measurement of interfacial area concentration in subcooled liquid-vapour flow

In two-fluid modelling, accurate prediction of the interfacial transport of mass, momentum and energy is required. Experiments were carried out to obtain a database for the development of interfacial transport models, or correlations, for subcooled water-steam flow in vertical conduits. The experimental data of interest included the interfacial area concentration, interfacial condensation heat transfer and bubble relative velocity. This paper focuses on the interfacial area concentration. The interfacial area concentration was obtained by measuring the distributions of bubble volume and surface area as well as the area-averaged void fraction at various axial locations in subcooled water-steam condensing vertical upward flow under low flow rate and low pressure conditions. The bubble size and surface area were determined using high-speed photography and digital image processing techniques. The area-averaged void fraction was measured by a single-beam gamma densitometer. The results were compared with existing correlations, which were developed on the basis of data obtained for air-water adiabatic flows. Poor agreement between the present data and the existing correlations was obtained. Accordingly, new correlations suitable for subcooled liquid-vapour bubbly flow are proposed.     

Synthesis and characterization of tungsten disulphide films grown by pulsed-laser deposition

The synthesis and characterization of tungsten disulphide (WS₂) films grown on 440C stainless steel substrates using the 248 nm line from a KrF excimer laser are reported. Film properties could be adjusted by controlling substrate temperature and by laser or thermal anneals. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, glancing angle XRD, Raman spectroscopy and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy were used to evaluate film chemistry, crystallinity and morphology. Films grown at room temperature were amorphous, near stoichiometric, and had a multiplicity of chemical states. Local order and bonding were improved most dramatically through post-deposition laser anneals. Crystallite size could be increased by raising the substrate temperature during deposition and, to a lesser degree, by post-deposition thermal anneals. Local disorder was observed within the larger crystallites compared to those that were laser annealed. Crystallinity was induced in amorphous films by mechanical rubbing at room temperature under conditions where frictional heating was negligible. The degree of control over film properties provided by PLD demonstrates its value for growing/designing tribological coatings.     

Characterization of the flow behaviour of sausage emulsions with a simple tube viscometer

A specially designed tube viscometer was used to measure apparent viscosity during flow of Bologna type sausage emulsions moving through a pipe. Emulsions varied in fat content (from 21.8 to 44.3%) and in moisture/protein ratio (from 3.7 to 5.6), and the effects of added sodium chloride, sodium diphosphate, starch and blood plasma were investigated in a 36% fat, 3.7 moisture/protein emulsion.
The shear stresses determined as a function of shear rate were fitted by a power law. Yield stress of the emulsions was negligible relative to the applied stress. However, inspection of the flow profiles indicated that considerable slip of the sausage emulsion occurred at the pipe wall. Both emulsion flow and slip contribute to overall flow behaviour, so a kind of effective viscosity is determined. Intrinsic rheological properties and wall slip will both be affected by the composition of the sausage emulsion.     

Method of selecting the regularisation parameter for microwaveimaging

The Tikhonov regularisation technique is widely used in the solution of inverse scattering problems. One of the difficulties in applying this technique is the proper selection of the associated regularisation parameter. Based on a stochastic model of the reconstruction process, a simple method is presented for selecting this parameter for an efficient implementation of various microwave imaging methods     

EFFECT OF MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING ON COLOR STABILITY AND ON MICROBIOLOGY OF TURKEY BREAST MEAT

The effects of several modified atmospheres (100% O₂, 100% N₂, 100% CO₂+ O₂ scavenger, and 25% CO₂ 9% N₂ 66% O₂) and vacuum on the color stability of turkey were studied. Microbiological examinations were performed at days 0, 7, 14 and 21. pH and pigment content measurements were performed at days l and 2, respectively. Color coordinates were determined at intervals of 2, 5, 7, 11, 14 and 21 days storage in the CIELAB system (1976). Meat kept under vacuum and 100% CO₂+ O₂ scavenger treatment showed the highest a* values color stability (p < 0.05) and the lowest rate of myoglobin oxidation (p < 0.05). The level of microbiological contamination of turkey breast meat stored with 100% CO₂+ O₂ scavenger was the lowest. Conditioning breast turkey meat with 100% CO₂+ O₂ scavenger or under vacuum would improve the color stability during storage.     

Controlling for stimulus dominance in dichotic listening tests: A modification of !l.

Dichotic listening procedures have been used to assess cerebral lateralization in normal Ss. One particularly useful technique is the use of stimuli that fuse into a single percept. Although this procedure has many advantages over other dichotic listening methods, it is particularly susceptible to stimulus dominance, which acts as noise in a S's response data, thus reducing the power of any statistical test of the ear advantage. It is proposed that the solution to this problem is a log-linear analysis of the response data to yield a λ-type index (λ*) that is a measure of ear dominance independent of stimulus dominance. Details of the analysis are provided, as well as a sample analysis of data collected from 104 right-handed and 30 left-handed Ss. Comparisons are drawn between the log-linear analysis and other methods that have been proposed to control for stimulus dominance in this single-response dichotic fusion procedure. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Extremely wide-range speed measurement using a double-bufferedmethod

An electric motor double-buffered speed measurement method for PC/AT computer application is based on 14.31818 MHz reference clock. The extremely wide frequency range of 4·10⁹ (1.67 mHz to 7 MHz) is independent of sampling time, which can be chosen from 100 μs to 4.6 ms. Appropriate software provides real-time graphics presentation of measured speed versus time and storage for further analysis. The enclosed test diagrams cover DC motor speed reversal and an induction motor acceleration