AGING BEHAVIOUR OF PARTICULATE REINFORCED ALUMINUM ALLOY MATRIX COMPOSITES

The process of aging precipitation in SiC_p/6061 and Al_2O_3/6061 composites were investigated. Hardness testing, differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and transmission electron microscopy were employed. Results showed that the precipitation phase form directly along dislocation lines in the composites because the particles produce high densities of dislocations which makes vacancy densities in the composites decrease, and the main precipitation phase at peak hardness was β′ phase.     

INFLUENCE OF MARTENSITE MORPHOLOGY AND CRYSTAL STRUCTURE ON THE PSEUDOELASTICITY IN A Cu-Al-Zn-Mn-Ni ALLOY

本文研究了Cu-Al-Zn-Mn-Ni合金的伪弹性变形行为,并用金相和X射线衍射法观察分析了变形及时效前后马氏体组织结构的变化。结果表明,合金在母相状态时的伪弹性与其原始马氏体组织结构密切相关;通过改善原始马氏体组织结构的自协作性和适当的时效处理可以显著提高合金的伪弹性。     

Model checking response times in Networked Automation Systems using jitter bounds

Response time (RT) of Networked Automation Systems (NAS) is affected by timing imperfections induced due to the network, computing and hardware components. Guaranteeing RT in the presence of such timing imperfections is essential for building dependable NAS, and to avoid costly upgrades after deployment in industries.This investigation proposes a methodology and work-flow that combines modelling, simulation, verification, experiments, and software tools to verify the RT of the NAS during the design, rather than after deployment. The RT evaluation work-flow has three phases: model building, modelling and verification. During the model building phase component reaction times are specified and their timing performance is measured by combining experiments with simulation. During the modelling phase, component based mathematical models that capture the network architecture and inter-connection are proposed. Composition of the component models gives the NAS model required for studying the RT performance on system level. Finally, in the verification step, the NAS formal models are abstracted as UPPAAL timed automata with their timing interfaces. To model timing interfaces, the action patterns, and their timing wrapper are proposed. The formal model of high level of abstraction is used to verify the total response time of the NAS where the reactions to be verified are specified using a subset of timed computation tree logic (TCTL) in UPPAAL model checker. The proposed approach is illustrated on an industrial steam boiler deployment.     

Development of a gap searching program for automotive body assemblies based on a decomposition model representation

Automobiles, aircraft, and ships require tremendously many parts to be assembled. For developing such large assemblies, most companies accelerate the design process by having many design engineers in different functional or sectional design groups working concurrently. However, interferences and gaps can be found when the parts and sub-assemblies of different design groups are to be assembled. These error cause design changes and additional repair processes, resulting in an unexpected increase in costs and time delays. While the interference problem has been resolved by digital mockup and concurrent engineering methodology, many cases of the gap problem in the automotive industry have been covered by temporary treatments when the gaps are small enough to be filled with sealants. This kind of fast fix can cause leakage into the engine chamber and passenger cabin when the gap size is too big for filling or when the sealant gets old, which can turn fatal. With this research, we have developed a program to automatically find gaps between the parts of an assembly so that design engineers can correct their designs before the manufacturing stage begins. By using the method of decomposition model representation, the program can visualize gaps between complex car body parts as well as estimate their volumetric information. It can also automatically define the boundary between a gap and the exterior space. Although we have reviewed the benefits of the program by applying it to car development, it can also be applied to aircraft and ship designs comprising several parts.     

Mooring system diagnosis and structural reliability control for position moored vessels

Early diagnosis and fault-tolerant control are essential for safe operation of floating platforms where mooring systems maintain vessel position and must withstand environmental loads. This paper considers two critical faults, line breakage and loss of a buoyancy element and employs vector statistical change detection for timely diagnosis of faults. Diagnosis design is scrutinised and a procedure is proposed based on specified false alarm probability and estimation of the distribution of the test statistics on which change detection is based. A structural reliability index is applied for monitoring the safety level of each mooring line and a set-point chasing algorithm accommodates the effects of line failure, as an integral part of the reliability-based set-point chasing control algorithm. The feasibility of the diagnosis and of the fault-tolerant control strategy is verified in model basin tests.     

Experimental investigation of stochastic parafoil guidance using a graphics processing unit

Control of autonomous systems subject to stochastic uncertainty is a challenging task. In guided airdrop applications, random wind disturbances play a crucial role in determining landing accuracy and terrain avoidance. This paper describes a stochastic parafoil guidance system which couples uncertainty propagation with optimal control to protect against wind and parameter uncertainty in the presence of impact area obstacles. The algorithm uses real-time Monte Carlo simulation performed on a graphics processing unit (GPU) to evaluate robustness of candidate trajectories in terms of delivery accuracy, obstacle avoidance, and other considerations. Building upon prior theoretical developments, this paper explores performance of the stochastic guidance law compared to standard deterministic guidance schemes, particularly with respect to obstacle avoidance. Flight test results are presented comparing the proposed stochastic guidance algorithm with a standard deterministic one. Through a comprehensive set of simulation results, key implementation aspects of the stochastic algorithm are explored including tradeoffs between the number of candidate trajectories considered, algorithm runtime, and overall guidance performance. Overall, simulation and flight test results demonstrate that the stochastic guidance scheme provides a more robust approach to obstacle avoidance while largely maintaining delivery accuracy.     

Influence of groove type on welding-induced residual stress,deformation and width of sensitization region in a SUS304 steel butt welded joint

To join a medium or thick plate weldment with a full penetration, a groove is usually prepared in the space between two sections of metal. Because weld metal needs to be deposited within the groove to form the joint, it is expected that different groove type will require different heat input, which may consequently have influence on welding residual stress and deformation. Generally, different groove corresponds to different bead layout, so it can be foreseen that the groove type has a significant effect on temperature history, shape and size of heat affected zone, and region of sensitization in certain alloys such as austenitic stainless steel. The influences of groove type on residual stress, angular distortion and width of sensitization region in a SUS304 butt-welded joint were investigated by means of numerical simulation and experiment. Based on ABAQUS code, a computational approach with considering thermo-mechanical coupling behaviors, moving heat source, strain hardening and annealing effect was developed to simulate temperature profile, stress field and deformation in multi-pass joint. Welding temperature cycles, residual stress distributions and deformations in V, K and X groove joints were calculated through using the proposed computational procedure. Meanwhile, experiments were carried out to obtain residual stress distributions and angular distortions. Through comparing the numerical results and the measured data, the effectiveness and accuracy of the developed computational approach were verified. The simulation results show that groove type has a significant influence on welding residual stress distribution, angular distortion and width of sensitization region.     

Predictive control of an activated sludge process: An application to the Viikinmäki wastewater treatment plant

In this work, we discuss the application of multivariable predictive control for the activated sludge process in a full-scale municipal wastewater treatment plant. Emphasis is given to the selection of a control configuration that contributes to minimising the economic costs while improving the removal efficiency of the nitrogen compounds. For this task, a simple dynamic matrix control algorithm is favoured for controlling the nitrogen concentrations at the end of the biological process. The behaviour of the activated sludge process is reproduced in a commercial simulator that acts as a real-time testing platform and that is also used for identifying the multivariable input–output models for the predictive controller. For demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed approach, different control configurations are considered and compared against the aeration control strategies currently used at the plant. Based on the simulation results, this work shows the potentiality of the dynamic matrix control which is able to decrease the energy consumption costs and, at the same time, reduce the ammonia peaks and nitrate concentration in the effluent.