A load dispatch method using fractional programming and semidefinite programming

This paper describes a load dispatch method which minimizes power cost—[fuel cost]/[electric output]—for a power system with thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The proposed method employs fractional programming to convert a minimization problem with fractional objective function to a series of quadratic minimization problems, and semidefinite programming to solve converted problems. The method provides the optimum time‐dependent power output/input and storage level of energy storage facilities as well as time‐dependent power output of thermal plants. The method has been applied to a power system with five thermal plants, two energy storage facilities of various performances, and five load demands. The optimum load scheme of four time mesh points is obtained for the thermal plants and energy storage facilities. The fractional programming successfully converges the optimal scheme through a few iterations. The semidefinite programming deals with a variable matrix of 164 dimensions, and 185 inequality constraints. © 2001 Scripta Technica, Electr Eng Jpn, 138(2): 49–58, 2002     

Rhizobium trifolii capsular polysaccharide: a novel biopolymer with striking physical properties

The physical properties of the capsular polysaccharide of Rhizobium Trifolii (CPS) were investigated. Viscosity measurements provided information about the hydrodynamic volume of single coils, the perturbation of solvent flow and the shear-thinning behaviour of concentrated solutions. Changes in chain geometry and the development of an intermolecular network as a function of temperature were monitored using the techniques of optical rotation and dynamic oscillation. Finally, analysis of calorimetric thermograms elucidated the type of interactions between CPS and the bacterial levan. Overall, the Rhizobium polysaccharide was found to form thermally-reversible gels at an extremely low 'minimum critical gelling concentration' (c_o∼ 0.35gl^-1). At temperatures above the gel melting point (∼ 48°C), however, the compact polymer coils entangled at comparatively high concentrations (about 60 times higher than c_o). In the presence of a highly branched levan, the thermal stability of ordered CPS structures increased as a consequence of thermodynamic incompatibility between the two polymers.     

Effect of crack-growth mechanism on the prediction of fracture load of adhesive joints

This paper presents observations regarding the cracking behavior of tensile-loaded structural adhesive joints. Experiments showed that fracture occurred by the development and propagation of a damage zone, rather than a single, sharp crack, and that the presence of the adhesive spew fillet did not affect the fracture load of the adhesive joints studied. For joints bonded with the mineral-filled epoxy Cybond 4523GB (American Cyanamid), there was approximately 5 mm of subcritical crack propagation prior to final fracture. Fracture-load predictions based on the initial uncracked geometry made in previous papers were unaffected by this small change in geometry. For joints bonded with the rubber-toughened epoxy Permabond ESP 310, approximately 50 mm of subcritical crack propagation was observed. It was again found that predictions made in previous papers on the basis of the initial geometry gave a good estimate of the final fracture load even though this subcritical crack propagation significantly altered the geometry, and thus the applied energy release rates. The effect of shear deformations of the adherends was also investigated, and it was found that shear deformations could be neglected in engineering calculations for joints subject to remote tensile loading.     

Fabrication and characteristics of tapes and test magnets made from Ag-Clad Bi-2223 superconductors

Pb_0.4Bi_1.8Sr₂Ca_2.2Cu₃O_x (Bi-2223) precursor powder was prepared by a solid-state reaction of carbonates and oxides of lead, bismuth, strontium, calcium, and copper, and the powder was then used to fabricate silver-clad tapes by the powder-in-tube technique. Transport critical current density (J_c) values>4×10⁴ A/cm² at 77K and 2×10⁵ A/cm² at 4.2 and 27K have been achieved in short tape samples. Long lengths of tape were tested by winding them into pancake coils. Recently, we fabricated a test magnet by stacking ten pancake coils, each containing three 16m lengths of rolled tape, and tested it at 4.2, 27 and 77K. A maximum generated field of 2.6 T was measured in zero applied field at 4.2K and the test magnet generated significant self-field in background fields up to 20 T. The results are discussed in this paper.     

Dependence of critical current density on microstructure and processing of high-Tc superconductors

Microstructural origins for reduced weak-link behavior in high-J_c melt-processed YBCO, spray pyrolyzed thick films of Tl-1223, metallic precursor Y-124 polycrystalline powder-in-tube (PIT) wires and PIT Bi-2212/2223 are discussed. Since the materials studied are the highest J_c, polycrystalline, high-T_c superconductors fabricated worldwide, the results provide important guidelines for further improvements in superconducting properties, thereby enabling practical applications of these materials. It is found that strongly linked current flow within domains of melt-processed 123 occurs effectively through a single crystal path. In c-axis oriented, polycrystalline Tl-1223 thick films, local in-plane texture has been found to play a crucial role in the reduced weak-link behavior. Formation of “colonies” of grains with a common c-axis and modest in-plane misorientation was observed. Furthermore, a colony boundary in general has a varying misorientation along the boundary. Large regions comprised primarily of low angle boundaries were observed. Percolative transport through a network of such small angle boundaries appears to provide the nonweak-linked current path. Although powder-in-tube BSCCO 2212 and 2223 also appear to have a “colony” microstructure, there are some important differences. Colonies in BSCCO consist of stacks of grains with similar c-axis orientation in contrast to colonies in Tl-1223 films where few grains are stacked on top of one another. Furthermore, most grains within a colony in BSCCO have the same lateral dimensions as that of the colony, resulting largely largely in “twist” boundaries. Further microstructural characterization of high-J_c PIT 2212 and 2223 is currently underway. In the case of Y-124 wires, weak macroscopic in-plane texture is found. Additional measurements are underway to determine if a sharper, local in-plane texture also exists. It is found that in three of the four types of superconductors studied, reduced weak-link behavior can be ascribed to some degree of biaxial alignment between grains, either on a “local” or a “global” scale.     

转向柱管承载能力的试验研究

在分析转向柱管花键部位应力集中情况的基础上,通过对某厂生产的转向柱管扭转破坏的试验研究,得到如下结论:①转向柱管的承载能力与其外花键齿与方向盘中心内花键齿之间的非接触区长度有关,以花键端部过渡圆弧的直径大小为宜;②安装方向盘总成时所施加在安装螺母上的拧紧力矩在70N.m左右时,转向柱管的承载能力最大。     

A New Variable Diffusion Drying Model for the Second Falling Rate Period of Paddy Dried in a Rapid Bin Dryer

The objectives of this article is to propose a new drying model for the second falling rate period known as the variable diffusion controlled period that follows after the first falling rate period and to propose a new method to determine the second critical moisture content that separates these two periods. Experimental work on paddy drying at minimum fluidization velocity was carried out in a rapid bin dryer. The effects of operating temperatures (60-120°C) and bed depths (2-6 cm) on the paddy drying characteristics were investigated. It was found that the normalized drying rate of paddy was proportional to the normalized moisture content in the first falling rate period but in the second falling rate period, the normalized drying rate of the material varies exponentially with the normalized moisture content. The different relationship between the normalized drying rate and the normalized moisture content in the first and second falling rate periods indicate that two different mechanism of moisture transport are at work. The new exponential model of the second falling rate period and the linear model of the first falling rate period were found to fit the experimental data very well. Derivation from variable diffusion equation shows that the linear model is the result of constant diffusion coefficient whereas the new exponential model is the result of linear diffusion coefficient. This also implies that the first falling rate period is a constant diffusion controlled period and the second falling rate period is a variable diffusion controlled period. In addition, drying kinetics data of a drying process that fits the exponential model over a very slow drying period will show that the drying process is under the effect of a linear diffusion coefficient. It was also found that the proposed new method to determine the second critical moisture content that distinguishes between the first and second falling rate periods by using a sudden change in the value of the drying rate gradient to a much lower value at that point is more rigorous and yet simpler than the method of determining the specific location of the receding drying boundary since it is based on the behavior of the actual drying kinetic data.     

Phase equilibria of quasi-binary systems consisting of multicomponent polymers 1 and 2. IV: Poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) systems

To confirm the reliability of the theory of phase equibria of multicomponent polymer 1/multicomponent polymer 2 systems (i.e. quasi-binary systems) and the method of computer experiment based on this theory (Brit. Polym. J., 23 (1990)285; 23 (1990)299; Polym. Int., 29 (1992)219), could point curves (CPC), two-phase volume ratios ( R ) and critical solution points (CSP) have been determined experimentally for the quasi-binary mixtures of poly(ethylene oxide) (M¯_w = 647, M¯_w/M¯_n = 1.15; M¯_w and M¯_n, the weight-average and numberaverage molecular weights, respectively) and poly(propylene oxide) (M¯_w = 2028, M¯_w/M¯_n = 1.08; and M_w = 2987, M_w/M_n = 1.13). The hydroxyl end groups of both polymers were methoxylated in advance by the Cooper & Booth method (Polymer, 18 (1977)164). The thermodynamic interaction parameter between both polymers, χ₁₂, and the concentration dependence parameters for the above quasi-binary systems were determined by the method proposed in a previous paper (Brit. Polym. J., 23 (1990)299). CPC, R and CSP values calculated on the basis of the theory are in good agreement with the values determined experimentally.     

孔型热轧时轧制力的实用计算公式

采用修正系数法,利用板材在带刻槽的冲头进行深冲与平面冲头下深冲时的接触压力的比值确定孔型影响系数,进而推导出孔型热轧时轧制力的实用计算公式.