Magnetic field hysteresis of critical currents in Bi(2223)/Ag tapes and a way to overcome it

Experiments showing hysteresis of critical currents versus the external magnetic field I_c(B_e) were performed with two multifilamentary Bi(2223)/Ag tapes. The I_c(B_e) hysteresis is observable in the transversal as well as in the longitudinal orientation of the long axis of the tape with respect to the magnetic field. Based on the idea that the hysteresis is the effect of trapped flux in a network of well-connected current paths, a way to overcome this effect has been proposed and experimentally verified. The induced frozen-in screening currents are split into several parallel current patterns by cycling the external magnetic field around the adjusted value. Using the proposed method, the ‘neutral’ I_c(B_e) characteristics have been found. Approximate calculations of the penetration depth of the trapped flux show that the network of well-connected current paths could be formed by several disk-shaped grains (≈ Φ8 × 0.4 μ) stacked into more or less axially ordered (quasi cylindrical) colonies of average dimensions estimated to ≈ Φ8 × 4 μm.     

Kinetic Monte-Carlo simulation of network formation

Summary the simulation described in Part I was applied to random step polyaddition of a trifunctional monomer and the results were compared with exact solution for an infinite system. The gel point conversions, the weight-average degree of polymerization before (P _w) and beyond (P _w,sol) the gel point, the sol fraction and the cycle rank were used for comparison. The best way for detection of the gel point conversion is the extrapolation of the gel fraction, w _g, to w _g=0. The largest fluctuations are exhibited by P _w and P _w,sol. To get results closer to the exact ones, one can repeat several experiments with smaller number of units or increase the number of units, the former way being somewhat more economical. Typical orders of magnitude used were 10⁷ monomeric units.     

Stress analysis of pin-loaded woven-glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminate conveying chain components

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of various loading conditions on the stress of a pin-loaded woven-glass fiber reinforced epoxy laminate conveying chain component. A numerical and experimental study was carried out to determine the stress distribution of composite conveying chain components used to convey loads. For the experimental study, an apparatus was developed to simulate chain components in real motion. Two different working conditions of the chain component were investigated. The first condition represents the movement of the chain components without loading. In the second condition, the chain component touches and moves the load. The commercial finite element package ANSYS was used to perform the numerical analysis using a three dimensional eight-noded layered structural solid elements. Chain tensile forces were loaded through pins and chosen as 250, 500, 750, 1000 and 1250 N for the two conditions of chain components. Experimental and numerical studies were compared and discussed for two conditions and five different tensile forces. A good agreement between experimental results and numerical predictions is obtained.     

Potentiometric studies of oxidation–reduction reactions with redox copolymers

Polymeric oxidants in the bead form that were macroporous styrene/divinylbenzene copolymers containing N‐chlorosulfonamide functional groups (in sodium or hydrogen form) or N‐bromosulfonamide groups (in sodium form) were synthesized and investigated to determine their oxidizing powers. The redox potentials of the N‐chlorosulfonamide/sulfonamide and N‐bromosulfonamide/sulfonamide systems were determined by potentiometric studies at different pH values with aqueous solutions of Na₂SO₃, KCN, and KSCN as reducers. The formal redox potentials of the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymers were 0.79, 0.44, and ?0.12 V at pH's of 1.8, 8.45, and 13.6, respectively. The formal redox potential of the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer was about 100 mV higher in comparable conditions and in solutions over pH = 5 (e.g., 0.56 V at pH = 8.56). The comparatively higher oxidizing power of the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer was particularly evident in a strong alkaline medium (in which the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymer was not reactive). In contrast, the N‐chlorosulfonamide copolymer showed strong oxidative properties in acidic media (in which the N‐bromosulfonamide copolymer decomposed itself). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008     

Mapping field density distribution in radiators by microwave noise

In his earlier paper on Active Microwave Radiometry, the author indicated that microwave noise can be used to map field density distribution inside radiators and in antenna systems, without the need for anechoic chambers. The presented paper gives details and results of such experiment. The method is described, details of equipment are given and results are presented with a concluding commentary.     

Supported nickel catalyst from hydroxycarbonate of nickel and aluminium

The hydroxycarbonate of nickel and aluminium (Ni/ Al = 3) with a hydrotalcite-like structure is an outstanding precursor of the active component of supported nickel catalysts. Good mechanical strength and suitable nickel content of these catalysts, which are necessary for practical applications, can be achieved by mechanical mixing of this compound with an additional support. The catalyst prepared from a mixture of 56.5 wt-% of nickel-aluminium hydroxycarbonate and 43.5 wt-% of γ-alumina was proven to have a stable catalytic activity in the methanation reaction at 2 MPa and 800 K.     

Application of substituted N-arylpyrroles in the corrosion protection of aluminium in hydrochloric acid

The inhibiting action of N-arylpyrroles on aluminium in 0.17 mol dm^–3 hydrochloric acid solution, in the temperature range 20–60 °C, was studied using potentiodynamic and electrochemical impedence spectroscopy techniques. The inhibiting efficiency of both investigated compounds 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2,5-dimethylpyrrole (compound A) and 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2,5-dimethylpyrrole-3-carbaldehyde (compound B) slightly increases with increasing temperature of the corrosive solution. Inhibitor adsorption on the elecrode surface decreases the apparent activation energy of the hydrogen evolution reaction. Compound A follows the Temkin adsorption isotherm, while its carbaldehyde derivative follows the Langmuir isotherm. The results of the apparent energy of activation and the standard free energy of adsorption point to stronger chemisorption of the compound A. However, due to additional condensation of molecules with carbaldehyde groups on the electrode surface, the carbaldehyde derivative exhibits even better inhibiting efficiency than compound A. The kinetic corrosion parameters, analysed in terms of the impedance data, show a satisfactory agreement with those obtained by the potentiodynamic method.     

An Efficient Code-Based Voxel-Traversing Algorithm

The paper considers an efficient approach to traversing a uniformly-subdivided space pierced by a line segment. A voxel, as the basic constituent element of the uniformly subdivided space, is restricted to having the form of a cube. The algorithm works in two steps. In the first step, the so-called Bresenham voxels are identified and, by comparing their position codes, their type of connectivity is determined. To achieve the required connectivity between neighbouring voxels, the second step of the algorithm is applied to find the missing voxels. In this way, the algorithm efficiently switches between face-, edge- and vertex-connectivity. Although the algorithm works with oating-point precision, it is extremely computationally efficient, and tests of speed compared with the Müller, Cleary & Wyvill, Amanatides & Woo, and Zemčik algorithms are described.