The Manufacture and Characterisation of Reinforced Magnesium Foams

In the project introduced here, the manufacture of light‐metal foams based on magnesium are investigated and enhanced. Such foams possess an excellent mass‐volume ratio and are therefore perfectly suited as light and effective reinforcing elements. Apart from other functional properties, their suitability as energy absorbing crash elements is to be particularly emphasised and is the focus of the investigations here. In the case of impact loading, the energy is largely transformed into the work of plastic deformation during a reduction in volume. Although metallic foams themselves possess only low absolute strengths, it is expedient to employ them in the form of material combinations like sandwich structures or composites by integrating additional internal reinforcing elements. The latter approach is pursued in the present project. Both the initial results of the feasibility study and also the metallographic and mechanical investigations for characterising reinforced magnesium foams are presented.     

Application of fuzzy numerical techniques for product performance analysis in the conceptual and preliminary design stage

Uncertainty and variability modelling tools greatly enhance the value of virtual prototypes at the different design stages of a CAE process. The fuzzy analysis technique is suited to deal with models containing subjective non-deterministic parameters. This technique is finding its way to different disciplines of mechanical engineering. The objective of this paper is to increase the value of this technique in early stages of mechanical design procedures. For this purpose, new numerical procedures are proposed. First, the degree of influence is introduced. This new concept measures the relative effect of highly uncertain design properties on the performance of a design. Next, this paper proposes a new reduced optimisation scheme in order to improve the computational efficiency of the interval analysis, which is at the core of the implementation of the fuzzy technique. The practical applicability of the newly developed procedures is demonstrated on two numerical applications from the automotive industry. The analysed models represent the design at the conceptual stage, and contain parameters with a high and subjective level of uncertainty. The parametrised models are used to demonstrate the value and efficiency of the developed numerical procedures: significant parameters are identified using the degree of influence analysis, the optimal configuration is identified through an interval analysis based on the reduced optimisation scheme, and finally the fuzzy technique is applied as design space exploration tool.     

Affective priming of naming responses does not depend on stimulus repetition.

The finding that naming responses can be affectively primed suggests (a) that stimulus evaluation does not depend on participants having an explicit evaluative processing goal, and (b) that the perception of an affectively polarized stimulus can result in the preactivation of memory representations of affectively related stimuli. However, in all published studies that demonstrated significant affective priming of naming responses, both the primes and the targets were repeatedly presented. Hence, one cannot rule out the possibility that stimulus repetition is a prerequisite for obtaining affective priming of naming responses. We examined (a) whether affective priming of naming responses can be obtained in the absence of stimulus repetition, and (b) whether affective priming in the naming task is affected by the number of stimulus presentations. Results show that affective priming of naming responses does not depend on stimulus repetition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Immediate and delayed primacy and recency effects in performance evaluation.

Serial position of a single poor or good performance was manipulated in a series of average performances to examine its effect on performance ratings. In Study 1, 333 undergraduate Ss viewed four videotaped lectures in one session. Overall performance ratings showed a recency effect when good performance occurred last. In Study 2, 208 Ss made observations over 4 days. The recency effect was significant when poor performance occurred last. Interpretation of results was based on (a) the attention decrement hypothesis, which suggests that recency effects result when Ss maintain attention, and (b) the finding of greater weighting of negative information in the selection interview (N. Schmitt, see PA, Vol 60:02009; see also E. C. Webster, 1982). Ratings of the single inconsistent performance indicated an assimilation effect. A recent poor or good inconsistent performance was rated more similarly to preceding average performance. A schema appears to bias inconsistent extreme performance toward the stable impression already established. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The ITER EC H&CD upper launcher: Design,analysis and testing of a bolted joint for the Blanket Shield Module

The final design of the structural system for the ITER EC H&CD upper launcher is in progress. Many design features of the preliminary design are under revision with the aim to achieve the built-to-print-status. This paper deals with design and analysis of a bolted joint for the Blanket Shield Module with special perspective on Remote Handling capability. The BSM of the ECH Launcher is attached to the Launcher Main Frame by a bolted joint conceived so that in the Hot Cell Facility, RH maintenance can be performed on internal components. The joint must be capable to resist very high Electro-Magnetic loads from disruptions, while it has to sustain substantial thermal cycling during operation. Thus the need for a rigid and reliable design is essential. Beside the set of pre-stressed bolts the flanges were therefore equipped with additional shear keys to divert radial moments away from the bolts. Main focus of the work performed was the mechanical design of the joint and the assessment of the structural integrity with respect to the loads applied and its capability for maintenance by RH procedures. To fulfill a major aspect of the RH requirements, the bolts were designed as “captive” in order to avoid their accidental removal from the joint. The captive bolt design is based on a concept that uses a dedicated spring ring, a standard spiral spring and a tensioning screw with two threads to secure the bolts in a form-locking stop. The final approval phase of the RH compatibility foresees simulations in Virtual Reality and physical tests on prototypes.     

Common comparison standards: An approach to improving agreement between self and supervisory performance ratings.

This study examined differential comparison standards (i.e., comparative bases for performance evaluation) and their effects on agreement between supervisory raters and self raters within the context of a performance appraisal system. The purpose of the research was to examine differential comparison standards as an underlying mechanism in the traditionally poor correlation between self and supervisor performance ratings. Supervisor and subordinate rater dyads (N ?=?106 dyads) evaluated job performance across 3 dimensions, using 5 different comparison standards (ambiguous, internal, absolute, relative, and multiple). Results support the hypotheses, indicating that more explicit and objective comparison standards produced higher levels of interrater agreement. The implications of these findings in terms of comparison standards being adopted in current research and future performance appraisal systems are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Recent Development in Slag Treatment and Dust Recycling

Slags from metallurgical processes are widely used in different fields of application, e.g. in the building industry and as fertilisers. Nevertheless, also these by‐products have to be improved to ensure their sustainable use. The treatment of liquid slags, e.g. by changing their composition outside of the steel production process, will lead to interesting new properties of the newly formed products and thus guarantee their use in the future. Moreover, dust and sludges from off‐gas cleaning of metallurgical processes are becoming promising resource for coating and alloying elements. The very important element Zn for surface coating is enriched in the dusts, due to the recycling of Zn coated scrap. On the other hand, Zn might run short in the future, so that recovering of Zn from dusts and sludges may become necessary. To improve the efficiency of Zn recovery a dust re‐cycling process has been developed for EAF steelmaking by FEhS‐Institute. Some interesting side effects are supported by the dust recycling. It has been proved that the slag foaming can be enhanced by dust recycling, even for stainless steelmaking processes. Finally it can be shown that recovery of valuable elements from residues of iron and steelmaking is becoming more and more important. New developed processes are ready to be implemented into the daily steelmaking practise.     

Do not prime hawks with doves: The interplay of construct activation and consistency of social value orientation on cooperative behavior.

Low and high consistent pro-socials and pro-selfs were primed with neutral, morality, or might concepts in mixed-motive situations. The authors expected participants' social value orientation to influence cooperative behavior among (a) high consistent individuals in all prime conditions and (b) low consistent individuals in the neutral prime condition only. The authors also expected the primes to influence cooperative behavior more among low than high consistent individuals. Four experiments using supraliminal (Experiments 1, 2, and 4) or subliminal (Experiment 3) priming and 2-person (Experiments 1-3) or N-person (Experiment 4) social dilemmas partially supported these initial predictions. One intriguing exception was that morality primes reduced cooperation among high consistent pro-selfs. Experiments 2-4 allowed testing for the potential role of expectations in shaping participants' cooperative behavior. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The training of a perceptual skill by either rewarding or aversive feedback compared on efficiency, transfer, and stress.

Trained 40 male United States Air Force Academy students on a range-estimation task. Ss were randomly assigned to either Group RFB, those given feedback by their actual range plus a verbal reinforcer if they were within a given range, or Group SFB, those given feedback by their actual range plus a 60-V electric shock if they were outside the given range. Learning curves show no differences in the groups during training. After training to asymptote, there were no significant differences on the transfer variable, but Group SFB's performance was superior under stress (p