Variable-gain up-converter with current reuse for 5-GHz WLAN applications

A variable-gain up-conversion mixer for 5-GHz WLAN applications is presented, whose input stage is based on a novel variable gain transconductor. The proposed topology features reduced power consumption by exploiting dc current reuse for mixer biasing. Moreover, a new low-consumption control circuit is introduced, which achieves a temperature-stable and linear-in-dB characteristic, providing a 40-dB dynamic range within ±1 dB gain error.     

Dynamic Effects in Hopkinson Bar Four-Point Bend Fracture

Hopkinson bar techniques have played an important role in the study of high-rate deformation and fracture behavior of materials. In the current work, a split Hopkinson pressure bar was developed for dynamic four-point bend fracture testing, referred to as a “two-bar (incident and transmitted bars)/four-point” (2-bar/4-pt) bend test. To further understand some fundamental issues regarding stress wave propagation in this 2-bar/4-pt bend testing system, dynamic fracture tests were performed in pulse-shaped and unshaped pulse testing conditions. The effect of the pulse shaper on the incident pulse characteristics (rise time and duration), specimen’s dynamic response (load and loading point displacement), crack initiation time and stress-state equilibrium were investigated experimentally in the current work. The present results show that stress state equilibrium can be achieved prior to fracture initiation in notched and precracked specimens. In the pulse-shaped bending test, the specimen is more likely to attain stress-state equilibrium than in an unshaped incident pulse test. The crack initiation time was extended and the time required for attaining stress equilibrium was reduced by pulse shaping due to the tailored incident pulse having a longer rise time, which ensures that stress equilibrium is achieved prior to crack initiation. This article is based on a presentation made in the symposium entitled “Dynamic Behavior of Materials,” which occurred during the TMS Annual Meeting and Exhibition, February 25–March 1, 2007 in Orlando, Florida, under the auspices of The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society, TMS Structural Materials Division, and TMS/ASM Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee.     

Modeling of Bolt Joint Behavior of Cast Aluminum Alloy (A380-T5) by Coupling Creep and Plasticity in Finite Element Analysis

Aluminum casting alloys exhibit creep behavior when the materials are exposed to high temperature and load. In this article, the stress- and temperature-dependent creep behavior of a die casting A380-T5 aluminum alloy was simulated using a classical constitutive model. The bolt-load retention behavior of the material was analyzed in a head bolt joint in an aluminum engine under thermal cycle condition using the finite element method. In this simulation, transient thermal analysis was performed first to calculate the metal temperature at the head bolt joint as a function of time during engine thermal cycling. This temperature was then input as the thermal loading in the subsequent structural analysis to calculate its effect on the bolt-load retention. The finite element analysis (FEA) model for the bolt-load retention simulation includes not only the plasticity in all metal components but also the creep properties of head bolt threads in the cast aluminum engine block. The FEA model was validated by good correlation between the predicted head bolt-load loss and the experimental measurement during engine thermal cycling. The simulation results also indicated that creep in the head bolt threads of cast aluminum engine block was mainly responsible for the load loss in the head bolt joint. This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium entitled “Simulation of Aluminum Shape Casting Processing: From Design to Mechanical Properties” which occurred March 12–16, 2006 during the TMS Annual Meeting in San Antonio, Texas under the auspices of the Computational Materials Science and Engineering Committee, the Process Modeling, Analysis and Control Committee, the Solidification Committee, the Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee, and the Light Metal Division/Aluminum Committee.     

A Multicriteria Decision Support Methodology for Annual Rehabilitation Programs of Water Networks

Abstract:   This article provides an overview of a multicriteria decision support methodology for annual rehabilitation programs of water networks. A first set of criteria is formulated for the purpose of comparing and ranking rehabilitation projects. Each proposed criterion is a measure of a particular impact of the condition of a pipe. The ELECTRE TRI method is implemented for defining rehabilitation priorities . Two reference profiles are used to define the limits of three categories associated with three increasing priority levels. With these two reference profiles, applying the ELECTRE TRI method to an asset stock ( a set of pipes that are candidates for rehabilitation ) means assigning each pipe to one of six possible priority groups. A second set of criteria, based on the concept of efficiency, is proposed for comparing alternative rehabilitation programs ( subsets of the asset stock ).     

Interpretation of Compositional Patterns Found by Quantitative Energy Dispersive X-ray Analysis for Cement Paste Constituents.

More than 200 individual particles within a portland scement paste were morphologically categorized by backscatter SEM and analyzed systematically by EDXA. Nearly all of the analyses fall either in a dense cluster around a mean C-S-H gel composition or along tie lines connecting this composition to theoretical compositions for calcium hydroxide, monosulfate, ettringite, and ferrite. "Phenograin" C-S-H gel (formed as a direct replacement product within large cement grains) contains small amounts of Al, Fe, and S, but otherwise shows almost negligible compositional variation. In contrast, smaller groundmass particles and shells of gapped phenograins show a slightly differentc S-H gel composition. Some of these, despite being morphologically homogeneous, show compositions falling along tie lines to the other recognized phases. This is attributed to extensive occurrence of intimate mixtures of C-S-H gel with the other components below the scale of SEM observation. Ionic substitutions appear to be minor except for the monosulfate and ettringite components in such mixtures. These show a variable but usually high deficiency in the sulfate content.     

Surface Morphology of Heat-Treated Ceramic Thin Films

The morphology of surfaces of several ceramic materials has been examined using transmission electron microscopy. The approach used was to prepare a sample for examination in the microscope, carefully clean it, and then heat-treat it. In the case of the oxides studied (alumina and spinel) the samples were heated in air; the non-oxides (α-SiC and β -SiC) were annealed under vacuum. The morphology in all but one case was such that the surface faceted parallel to the nearest low-index plane to give well-defined terraces; these were separated by ledges which also tended to facet parallel to the traces of low-index planes. The exception was the {1100} alumina surface, which appears to be unstable in air at temperatures close to 1400°C. A computer program using a multislice approach was used to estimate the height of the steps on the (0001) surface; the step heights appear to be multiples of the c lattice parameter. A reconstruction of this surface as a result of this heat treatment is also proposed.     

Studies on the hypodermosis affecting red deer in central and southern Spain

From November 1992 to February 1993, 455 red deer (Cervus elaphus) were surveyed in order to estimate the prevalence of warble fly (Hypoderma actaeon) larvae under the skin of this ungulate species. Material came from Montes de Toledo, Sierra Morena, Sierra de Alcaraz, and Sierras de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas Natural Park (central and southern Spain). We observed a prevalence of 92%, with a mean +/- SD intensity of 35.7 +/- 41.3 grubs per parasitized host; there was a maximum of 317 larvae per host. No significant differences in prevalence by host sex were found, although significant differences were observed in prevalences among different host age classes. The main location of feeding larvae in deer was in the back tissues.