Evaluation of TBM performance prediction models and sensitivity analysis of input parameters

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment - In recent years, anumber of models and formulas have been proposed to estimate the penetration rate of hard rock tunnel boring machines (TBMs)....     

The Role of Welding Parameters on Achieving a Combination of High Strength and Ductility in Gas Tungsten Arc Welding of Cu–7Al–3Fe Aluminum Bronze

The weldability of aluminum bronze alloys lends it to fabrication of items such as pipes and pressure vessels. Thus, obtaining high strength along with good ductility is necessary. Gas tungsten arc welding of Cu–7Al–3Fe aluminum bronze alloy was performed by variation of some parameters such as shielding gas flow rate, preheat and post weld heat treatment. Optical and scanning electron microscopy along with EDX analysis was applied for different samples. Microhardness measurements and tensile tests were performed to see the effect of these parameters on ultimate tensile strength and ductility of samples.     

Survey of Irrigation Methods in California in 2001

Reliable information on irrigation methods is important for determining agricultural water demand trends. Therefore, a study was conducted during 2002 to collect information on irrigation methods that were used by growers to irrigate their crops in 2001. The results were compared to earlier surveys to assess trends in cropping and irrigation methods. A one-page questionnaire was developed to collect information on irrigated land by crop and irrigation methods. The questionnaire was mailed to 10,000 growers in California that were randomly selected from a list of 58,000 growers by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, excluding rice, dry-land, and livestock producers. From 1972 to 2002, the area planted has increased from 15 to 31% for orchards and from 6 to 16% for vineyards. The area planted to vegetables has remained relatively static, while that planted to field crops has declined from 67 to 42% of the irrigated area. The land irrigated by low-volume (drip and microsprinkler) irrigation has increased by about 33%, while the amount of land irrigated by surface methods has decreased by about 31%. Sprinkler usage has decreased in orchards and vineyards, but it has increased in vegetable crops.     

Investigation on the resistance spot-welded austenitic/ferritic stainless steel

In this work, the effect of weld current on joining capability of austenitic stainless steel (AISI 304) and ferritic stainless steel (AISI 430) sheets with application of resistance spot welding process was investigated. Macrostructure, microstructure, microhardness, tensile shear strength, and failure mode of welded materials were evaluated for different weld currents. The values of weld current were 2.5, 3.75, and 5 kA. It was found that when the weld current increased, the nugget size and the weld strength were increased. Two distinct failure modes including interfacial and pullout were observed during tensile shear test. Finally, an adequate weld current was obtained.     

Pack Cementation Coatings for High-Temperature Oxidation Resistance of AISI 304 Stainless Steel

Aluminum and titanium are deposited on the surface of steel by the pack cementation method to improve its hot-corrosion and high-temperature oxidation resistance. In this research, coatings of aluminum and titanium and a two-step coating of aluminum and titanium were applied on an AISI 304 stainless steel substrate. The coating layers were examined by carrying out scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD). The SEM results showed that the aluminized coating consisted of two layers with a thickness of 450???m each, the titanized coating consisted of two layers with a thickness of 100???m each, and the two-step coatings of Al and Ti consisted of three layers with a thickness of 200???m each. The XRD investigation of the coatings showed that the aluminized coating consisted of Al₂O₃, AlCr₂, FeAl, and Fe₃Al phases; the titanized layers contained TiO₂, Ni₃Ti, FeNi, and Fe₂TiO₅ phases; and the two-step coating contained AlNi, Ti₃Al, and FeAl phases. The uncoated and coated specimens were subjected to isothermal oxidation at 1050?°C for 100?h. The oxidation results revealed that the application of a coating layer increased the oxidation resistance of the coated AISI 304 samples as opposed to the uncoated ones.     

Al2O3 Colloidal Nanocrystals with Strong UV Emission

A facile sol–gel procedure has been developed for the synthesis of colloidal alumina nanocrystals. For the first time, optical characterization procedures were employed to study the quantum confinement effects in optical properties of the prepared Al₂O₃ sol. Accordingly, the hyperbolic band model was used to determine the optical band gap of colloidal alumina nanocrystals. X‐Ray diffraction pattern was used to study the crystallographic phase of the dried gel. Morphological characterization was performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) emission spectroscopy was used to determination purity of the Al₂O₃ powder. High‐resolution TEM showed that the diameter of colloidal nanocrystals is about 10 nm. Photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrated that quantum yields for colloidal nanocrystals are 68% with 300 nm excitation wavelength. The experimental observations confirm that highly stable alumina sol with strong UV emission was synthesized. The mentioned optical properties have not been reported before.