Warranty Policies For Non-Repairable Items Under Risk Aversion

An approach is presented for analyzing full replacement and linear prorated warranty policies for items receiving renewable warranties when failure occurs during the warranty interval. The model corrects a model of Thomas and then extends the methodology by describing how sellers' risk aversity influences the policy. For constant failure intensities, linear replacement policies are more attractive to risk averse sellers than shorter term full replacement policies that result in the same average cost.     

Parameter Estimation for a Specific Software Reliability Model

The problem of maximum likelihood estimation in the Jelinski-Moranda software reliability model is studied. The distribution of the stochastic variable that completely determines the maximum likelihood estimate is obtained. s-Confidence intervals for the parameter of interest can then be constructed by using the same stochastic variable. An example is given using real data.     

Loopus opens a new dimension in satellite communications

Without any doubt the geostationary orbit is for many applications the most suitable orbit because of the apparent standstill of its satellites. Unfortunately geostationary satellites cannot illuminate the polar regions and furthermore the number of orbit positions is limited. With satellites on certain, dependent on the system, circular or elliptical orbits inclined against the equatorial plane, it is possible to form, off the geostationary orbit, loop-shaped quasi-positions—referred to as Loopus positions—which are served by satellites of alternate identity. The basic idea is to employ in shift several satellites along the same apparent track which, in the alternate play with the earth's rotation, form small loops at the celestial sphere. Change-over takes place at the loop intersection point where a collision of the two satellites is just avoided. Thus a system with for example three satellites, which serve two Loopus positions, allows uninterrupted (quasi-)stationary communication via earth-stations in two coverage zones.     

Analysis of Loess Slope Stability Considering Cracking and Shear Failures

The cracks caused by tension are commonly observed on the upper border of loess slope. Most researchers assume that shear failure is the main reason for slope instability. The existing cracks and their development are not fully considered. The finite element method is applied widely in the numerical simulations of slope stability, but it converges and time problems must be considered when a crack occurs. The extended finite element method provides a new way to solve discontinuous media problems. In this paper, a composite model of cracking and shear failure is introduced. The extended finite element method was used to simulate the cracking in loess slope. The model used here had a unified enrichment function and the enriched freedom had a clear physical meaning. Numerical analyses were performed and the simulation results showed that the stress field redistributes. The crack propagated almost vertically at the beginning. The slope stability safety factor was less than that obtained without considering tension failure. Furthermore, the critical sliding surface was determined. This model can be used for analyzing the stability of loess slope and provides a reference for slope safety analyses.     

Co-based soft magnetic bulk glassy alloys optimized for glass-forming ability and plasticity

Co-based bulk glassy alloys (BGAs) have become more and more important because of their nearly zero magnetostriction and high giant magneto-impedance effect. Here, we report the improvement of glass-forming ability (GFA), soft-magnetic properties and plasticity by a small addition of Mo atoms in CoFeBSiNbMo BGAs. (Co_0.6Fe_0.4)₆₉ B _20.8Si_5.2Nb_5?x Mo _x ferromagnetic BGA cylindrical glassy rods were fabricated successfully with a diameter of 5 mm by conventional copper mould casting method. It reveals that the substitution of a small amount of Mo for Nb makes the composition to approach a eutectic point and effectively enhances the GFA of alloy. In addition to high GFA and superhigh strength, the compressive test shows that the Mo addition can improve the plasticity for the obtained BGAs. The combination of high GFA, excellent soft-magnetic properties and good plasticity demonstrated in our alloys is promising for the future applications as functional materials.     

Comparative review of theoretical and experimental equations of state of orthorhombic boron γ-B<Subscript>28</Subscript>

Various theoretical and experimental 300 K equations of state of γ-B₂₈, a new ultrahard high pressure orthorhombic phase of boron, have been reviewed. Throughout analyses and critical comparisons, it has been shown that DFT-GGA is capable of describing the EOS of γ-B₂₈ very accurately and that the suggestion, in the literature, of an isostructural phase transformation in γ-B₂₈ at about 40 GPa is inconclusive.     

Lipid-protein interactions during dough development

Radionuclide-labelled glycerol triolein has been used to follow the fate of triglyceride lipids during the mixing of wheat flour doughs. After removal of residual free lipid by petrol extraction, initial fractionation of freeze-dried dough identified the acetic acid-soluble protein as being the only component involved significantly in work-induced lipid binding during dough development under nitrogen, and also in lipid release on admission of air. Very little labelled lipid was found in either the water-soluble proteins or the starch residue. Sub-fractionation of the acetic acid-soluble protein by ammonium sulphate precipitation from acetic acid-urea-cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (AUC) solvent showed bound lipid to be distributed almost entirely between high-molecular-weight glutenin and protein which remained soluble in the AUC supernatant even in the presence of 20% ammonium sulphate. Precipitated gliadins contained very little labelled lipid. However, significant levels were found in classical ethanol-extracted gliadin, and were traced predominantly to the same supernatant-protein owing to its solubility in aqueous ethanol. Examination of this AUC-supernatant fraction showed it to contain a hitherto unreported protein which had a molecular weight of about 9000, was strongly complexed with tri-glyceride lipid on a 1:1 molar basis and showed a tendency to aggregate in solution. Its amino acid frequency was found to differ significantly from both glutenin and purothionin, the latter containing in particular very much more cysteine than the supernatant-protein. Representing 10% or more of the total gluten, this small, highly interactive protein is responsible for a significant, if not the major, part of lipid binding activity in dough and may well have a fundamental role in the formation of an insoluble glutenin structure through both —SH and hydrophobic interaction. Accordingly, the name ‘Ligolin’ is proposed, from the Latin ligare: to bind, to tie.     

<Superscript>59</Superscript>Co NMR at Pulsed High Magnetic Fields

We report the ⁵⁹Co-NMR observation by spin-echo method at pulsed high magnetic fields up to 48 T. The 22 mm bore-resistive coil magnet with an inductance of 7.59 mH has a total time duration of 50 ms. After discharging the capacitor bank, NMR signals were observed near the maximum field. By repeatedly pulsing the RF sequence around the maximum field, spin echoes at different fields were recorded to give the NMR spectrum.     

An efficient reduced simulation of residual stresses in composite forming processes

An efficient simulation of thermal and mechanical models involved in thermosetting composites forming needs to overcome some numerical difficulties related to: (i) the multi-scale behaviour; (ii) the complex geometries involved needing too many degrees of freedom; (iii) the large time intervals where the solution has to be computed; (iv) the non-linearity of the involved evolution equations; (v) the numerous couplings… In this work, an efficient strategy based on a separated representation is proposed. This method enables to avoid the use of an incremental strategy and can lead to impressive computing time savings especially when the model involves fine meshes and very small time steps. The local non-linear chemical kinetics and its coupling with the global heat balance equation are naturally introduced in the separated representation algorithm. Moreover, the dependence of the thermal conductivity and the specific heat on the temperature and on the reaction advancement degree are also taken into account. Knowing the history of the temperature field, the separated representation is again used to solve the thermo-mechanical problem in order to determine the residual stresses.     

Measurement of Local Si‐Nanowire Growth Kinetics Using In situ Transmission Electron Microscopy of Heated Cantilevers

A technique to study nanowire growth processes on locally heated microcantilevers in situ in a transmission electron microscope has been developed. The in situ observations allow the characterization of the nucleation process of silicon wires, as well as the measurement of growth rates of individual nanowires and the ability to observe the formation of nanowire bridges between separate cantilevers to form a complete nanowire device. How well the nanowires can be nucleated controllably on typical cantilever sidewalls is examined, and the measurements of nanowire growth rates are used to calibrate the cantilever‐heater parameters used in finite‐element models of cantilever heating profiles, useful for optimization of the design of devices requiring local growth.