Education-driven research in CAD

We argue for a new research category, named education-driven research (EDR), which fills the gap between traditional field-specific research that is not concerned with educational objectives and research in education that focuses on fundamental teaching and learning principles and possibly on their customization to broad areas (such as mathematics or physics), but not to specific disciplines (such as CAD). The objective of EDR is to simplify the formulation of the underlying theoretical foundations and of specific tools and solutions in a specialized domain, so as to make them easy to understand and internalize. As such, EDR is a difficult and genuine research activity, which requires a deep understanding of the specific field and can rarely be carried out by generalists with primary expertise in broad education principles. We illustrate the concept of EDR with three examples in CAD: (1) the Split and Tweak subdivisions of a polygon and its use for generating curves, surfaces, and animations; (2) the construction of a topological partition of a plane induced by an arbitrary arrangement of edges; and (3) a romantic definition of the minimal and Hausdorff distances. These examples demonstrate the value of using analogies, of introducing evocative terminology, and of synthesizing the simplest fundamental building blocks. The intuitive understanding provided by EDR enables the students (and even the instructor) to better appreciate the limitations of a particular solution and to explore alternatives. In particular, in these examples, EDR has allowed the author to: (1) reduce the cost of evaluating a cubic B-spline curve; (2) develop a new subdivision curve that is better approximated by its control polygon than either a cubic B-spline or an interpolating 4-point subdivision curve; (3) discover how a circuit inclusion tree may be used for identifying the faces in an arrangement; and (4) rectify a common misconception about the computation of the Hausdorff error between triangle meshes. We invite the scientific community to encourage the development of EDR by publishing its results as genuine research contributions in peer-reviewed professional journals.     

Design of Polarization-independent Wavelength-interleave Coupler in Fluorinated Polyimide Waveguide

Based on the measurement of dispersion characteristic and birefractive index of the fluorinated polyimide film,a statistical optimum design method is proposed and used to realize the design of 32-and 36-wavelengths optical waveguide wavelength-interleave coupler (i,e.,interleaver) with the optimization of polarization fluctuation and wavelength interval of 0.8nm at 1550nm. The largest cross coupling ratios of the two interleavers are respectively less than 1.8% and 3.5%, while the least through coupling ratios are respectively greater than 98. 2% and 96. 5%. The output differences due to polarization fluctuation are less than 1.7% and 3.2%     

Realization of Tapered Waveguide by Stretching the Rod Waveguide

By stretching the rod waveguide with different velocities in opposite directions, the tapered waveguide can be fabricated. In condition of taking no account of volume expansion caused by heating and under the assumptions of volume conservation,the rod waveguide can be stretched freely in the heated region without being stretched outside of the heated region. A model,which shows the relation of the transition shape and the two factors, that is the ratio of two velocity and the heated region length, is presented for the shape of the taper transition through mathematic deduction. Based on this model, a desired tapered waveguide can be fabricated. The tapered waveguide are widely used for fabricating tapered fiber couplers and sensors. In addition, the conclusion can be used for fabricating fused fiber coupler.     

Different insights for improving part and system reliability obtained from exactly same DFOM “failure numbers”

Techniques for improving the reliability and maintainability of both nonrepairable and repairable items can be suggested by failure data analysis. It is shown that a given set of failure numbers leads to very different improvement strategies when the numbers are the times-between-successive-failures of one or more repairable items, rather than the times-to-failure of nonrepairable items. Since this should have been obvious more than 50 years ago, at the onset of formal reliability engineering activities, several reasons are proffered for the widespread and protracted misinterpretation of even the most basic—and simple!—conceptual and practical differences between nonrepairable and repairable items.     

参数三次B样条曲线的一种整体光顺方法

本文在能量法的基础上，提出了一种新的目标函数，给出了参数三次Ｂ样条曲线的一种新的整体光顺方法。利用这种方法得到的曲线不仅具有较小的应变能，而且曲率变化比较均匀，具有很好的光顺效果。该方法能推广到对曲面的光顺。     

Reaction between the tetragonal tungsten bronze niobate K2Sr4Nb10O30 and the perovskite Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3

The search for dielectric materials with a high dielectric constant and ′_r = ƒ(T) curves with a flat profile fitting the X7R specification is still ongoing. Promising results were obtained by mixing compounds with closely related structures, such as the tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) niobate K₂Sr₄Nb₁₀O₃₀ and the perovskite Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (PMN). The present study, based on three methods of synthesis, explores the origin of the spreading out of the dielectric curves ′_r = ƒ(T). For the composition 10x K_0.2Sr_0.4NbO₃ (KSN) + (1 − x)Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃ (PMN) with x = 0.3–0.6, the three synthesis methods provided similar characteristics and for the highest perovskite ratio (x = 0.3), the ′_r = ƒ(T) curve exhibits a flat profile. When lithium is used as a sintering agent, ′_r = ƒ(T) curves present a linear dependency with the temperature. These materials are also characterized by a structural and a microstructural inhomogeneity. Two phases TTB and perovskite type, different from KSN and PMN, are present after calcination and sintering, but not evenly distributed. The PbO loss during sintering also contributes to the evolution of the properties of the material.     

Si_（1－x）Ge_x／Si定向耦合器的研制

在运用ＳｉＧｅ脊形波导单模条件和有效折射率法分析ＳｉＧｅ／Ｓｉ定向耦合器结构参数的基础上，采用分子束外延和各向异性腐蚀技术制备出Ｓｉ１－ｘＧｅｘ／Ｓｉ（ｘ＝０．０５）单模定向耦合器．在波长为１．３μｍ时，平均串音小于－１８．１ｄＢ，输出功率耦合效率达到９８．１％     

Prediction of the energy dissipation rate in ductile crack propagation

In this paper, energy dissipation rate D vs. Δa curves in ductile fracture are predicted using a ‘conversion’ between loads, load‐point displacements and crack lengths predicted by NLEFM and those found in real ELPL propagation. The NLEFM/ELPL link was recently discovered for the DCB testpiece, and we believe it applies to other cracked geometries. The predictions for D agree with experimental results. The model permits a crack tip toughness R(Δa) which rises from J_c and saturates out when (if) steady state propagation is reached after a transient stage in which all tunnelling, crack tip necking and shear lip formation is established. J_R is always greater than the crack tip R(Δa) and continues to rise even after R(Δa) levels off. The analysis is capable of predicting the usual D vs. Δa curves in the literature which have high initial values and fall monotonically to a plateau at large Δa. It also predicts that D curves for CCT testpieces should be higher than those for SENB/CT, as found in practice. The possibility that D curves at some intermediate Δa may dip to a minimum below the levelled‐off value at large Δa is predicted and confirmed by experiment. Recently reported D curves that have smaller initial D than the D‐values after extensive propagation can also be predicted. The testpiece geometry and crack tip R(Δa) conditions required to produce these different‐shaped D vs. Δa curves are established and confirmed by comparison with experiment. The energy dissipation rate D vs. Δa is not a transferable property as it depends on geometry. The material characteristic R(Δa) may be the ‘transferable property’ for scaling problems in ELPL fracture. How it can be deduced from D vs. Δa curves (and by implication, J_R vs. Δa curves) is established.     

Correlation between quasi-static and dynamic crack resistance curves

The correlation between the crack resistance measured from dynamic and quasi-static J-R tests has been investigated based on test data from instrumented Charpy impact tests and quasi-static single edge notched bend (SENB) J-R tests.The method originally proposed by Aurich et al. [Analyse und Weiterentwicklung Bruchmechanischer versagenskonzepte--Lokales Risswachstum, Ermittlung des Risswiderstandsverhaltens aus der Kerbslagarbeit. BAM Forschungsbericht 192, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-89429-329-2], to develop a correlation coefficient between the net fracture resistance of Charpy V-notch (ISO) and quasi-static compact tension tests, was extended to establish correlations between so-called ductile-brittle transition fracture resistance curves obtained from instrumented Charpy V-notched (ISO) and fatigue precracked impact tests and quasi-static SENB J-R fracture resistance tests.The correlation between the dynamic and quasi-static crack resistance with regard to practical application to fracture assessments appears to be reasonably consistent, bearing in mind the inherent scatter in crack resistance data in general. The findings of the present research project from testing of ship grade NVE 36 and pressure vessel steel to ASTM A516 Gr. 70 as well as two weldments in the NVE 36 steel, are in excellent agreement with the results of the research conducted by Aurich et al. [Analyse und Weiterentwicklung Bruchmechanischer versagenskonzepte--Lokales Risswachstum, Ermittlung des Risswiderstandsverhaltens aus der Kerbslagarbeit. BAM Forschungsbericht 192, Berlin 1993, ISBN 3-89429-329-2] for structural and pressure vessel steels to the German DIN standard steels including St 52-3, StE 355 and StE 460.     

Analysis and design of Hermite subdivision schemes

Published online: 14 May 2002