A study of the negotiated-settlement practice in regulation: Some evidence from Florida

Negotiated settlements have become a frequently used alternative to contested proceedings when setting prices charged by public utilities under the US rate-of-return regulatory model. The behavior of the representatives of consumer advocates and the firms during settlement negotiations determine customer prices. This paper examines this behavior by using data from the Florida Public Service Commission to estimate the payoff functions of both parties. The estimation suggests that the advocate and the firm weight the present rate change more than the consumer's future average price and the firm's future operating revenue in their settlement decisions. It also indicates that the time saved by settlements is not a primary reason for their popularity.     

Wind field simulation and wind‐induced responses of large wind turbine tower‐blade coupled structure

Herein, by a case study on a 5‐MW wind turbine system developed by Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the wind field simulation and wind‐induced vibration characteristics of wind turbine tower‐blade coupled systems is analyzed. First, the blade‐nacelle‐tower‐basis integrated finite element model with centrifugal forces induced by rotational blades is established. Then, based on a harmony superposition method and the modified blade element‐momentum theory, the fluctuating wind field of tower‐blade coupled systems is simulated, which considers wind shear effect, tower shadow effect, rotational effect, blade‐tower dynamic and model interaction effects. Finally, the wind‐induced dynamic responses and wind vibration coefficients of the wind turbine tower‐blade coupled structure are discussed through the ‘consistent coupled method’ previously proposed by us. The results indicate that the wind‐induced responses of a large wind turbine tower‐blade coupled structure present complicated modal responses and multimode coupling effect. Additionally, the rotational effect would amplify aerodynamic loads on blades with high frequency, wind‐induced dynamic responses and wind vibration coefficients of wind turbine tower. The centrifugal force effect could also amplify natural vibration frequency of the tower‐blade coupled system and reduce the wind‐induced dynamic responses and wind vibration coefficients of wind turbine tower. The research could contribute to wind‐resistant design of structure for a large‐scale wind turbine tower‐blade system. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于加权平均法修正BQ法的巷道围岩稳定性分级应用研究

岩土工程界广泛应用BQ法进行围岩稳定性分级,在分级过程中考虑地应力、结构面和地下水因素3个修正指标进行修正,而地下水影响因素修正系数和结构面影响的修正系数这2个指标在确定过程中存在分歧,提出采用加权平均法进行修正确定,给出修正模型和方法,利用修正后的[BQ]′值进行巷道围岩稳定性分级,为巷道经济合理支护提供依据。分级结果与现场实际情况一致,证明修正方法合适,能提高BQ法围岩稳定性分级的准确性。     

某自重湿陷性黄土场地试坑浸水试验研究

该文依托西安市洪庆河洪积扇某自重湿陷性黄土场地现场试坑浸水试验成果,对洪庆河洪积扇的黄土场地湿陷性变形特征及各主要地层的修正系数β0进行了分析,认为在有条件的情况下,不同沉积年代的黄土地层中应根据地区土质差异而采用不同的修正系数,而不是规范规定的统一的修正系数,才能更符合黄土自重湿陷变形的实际情况。     

改良 aEEG、NCIS、SNAPPE-Ⅱ评分对高危儿脑损伤早期诊断价值比较

目的：探讨改良振幅整合脑电图（aEEG）评分、新生儿危重病例评分（NCIS）和新生儿急性生理学评分围产期补充-Ⅱ（SNAPPE-Ⅱ）在高危儿脑损伤早期诊断中的应用价值。方法回顾性分析119例具有脑损伤高危因素的足月儿临床资料,并于生后12 h 内进行相应评分。比较无脑损伤组与脑损伤组之间各评分分值的差异,并描绘受试者工作特征曲线（ROC）,得出3种评分预测高危儿脑损伤的最佳值。结果119例高危儿中,65例（54．6％）发生脑损伤。脑损伤组的改良 aEEG 评分和 NCIS 评分均明显低于无脑损伤组（均 P ＜0．001）,而 SNAPPE-Ⅱ评分明显高于无脑损伤组（P ＜0．001）。改良 aEEG 评分、NCIS 和 SNAPPE-Ⅱ评分对脑损伤的最佳预测值分别为9、95和22。结论3种评分系统均可作为围产期高危儿脑功能监测的工具,对高危儿脑损伤的早期诊断具有重要意义。     

生活废旧塑料改性沥青的性能研究

采用Ⅰ型废旧塑料改性剂(造粒工艺制作)和Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性剂(加热和加稳定剂处理工艺制作)分别制备了Ⅰ型和Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青.对比分析了Ⅰ,Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青的存储稳定性、软化点及低温性能;对比分析了Ⅰ,Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青混合料的马歇尔稳定度及高温稳定性;研究了Ⅰ,Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性剂的分子结构差异,探讨了废旧塑料改性剂改性沥青的机理;进行了Ⅱ-B(聚丙烯类)废旧塑料改性沥青的试验路应用.结果表明:Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青的软化点可达60℃以上,试样上、下部软化点差值小于2.5℃;Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青混合料的马歇尔稳定度总体上大于Ⅰ型废旧塑料改性沥青混合料;与Ⅰ型废旧塑料改性剂相比,Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性剂分子链长度缩短,支链增多,双键结构增加,且分子中含有—OH基团;Ⅰ,Ⅱ型废旧塑料改性沥青中没有新物质结构生成,废旧塑料改性沥青属于物理改性;在试验路应用中,Ⅱ-B废旧塑料改性沥青施工工艺与SBS改性沥青相同,混合料路面使用状况良好,可用于路面表面层或下面层.     

改性复合稻草砖的综合性能分析与应用

由于普通稻草砖防腐、防潮、防火等性能较差,并没有被广泛的应用,为了克服普通稻草砖的这些缺点,研发出改性复合稻草砖,即在普通稻草砖中加入由数种适量的无机重金属离子配伍,辅助以分散剂、稳定剂等无机成分,研制开发出高科技新型低碳建筑材料———改性复合稻草砖,替代传统的墙体材料———实心黏土砖。该材料轻质、保温、隔热、隔声、防火、耐酸碱、节能、节土、环保,可有效地防止普通稻草砖的腐、潮、火、鼠、虫害的发生,性能优异,发展前景广阔。     

氟代聚丙烯酸酯改性聚氨酯复合乳液的制备及其疏水性

为了提高聚氨酯-丙烯酸酯复合乳液的耐水性和耐溶剂性,将聚氨酯溶液作为反应介质,以丙烯酸十二氟庚酯(FA)和丙烯酸羟丙酯为单体,偶氮二异丁腈为引发剂,在溶液中进行聚丙烯酸酯自由基聚合,然后用N-甲基二乙醇胺进行亲水基扩链,通过溶液聚合相转化法制得新型阳离子氟代聚丙烯酸酯改性聚氨酯复合乳液。通过红外光谱、透射电镜、光电子能谱仪和接触角测定仪分别对复合乳液的结构、乳胶粒形态、膜表面的化学元素组成及疏水性进行了研究。结果表明,含氟链段成功接入了大分子链中,乳液形成稳定的核-壳结构,在膜材料表面形成了主要由含氟丙烯酸酯链段组成的界面,FA的引入可使复合乳液胶膜与水的接触角(PUA膜与水的接触角)由65°提高至98°。     

塑料基体直接电镀的前处理工艺

塑料基体直接电镀的工艺为:用含Pd2+离子的CrO3和H2SO4混合液进行粗化,使其表面获得均匀的粗糙度和改善后续活化工艺中钯的吸附效果。在还原工序中添加了一种特殊的表面活性剂,来增加钯的吸附。经过铜置换工序,Cu2+及其络合物在塑料表面移除了Sn2+,使得表面形成钯铜的导电膜,可以直接镀酸性铜。新型塑料电镀工艺不仅无需使用化学镀,而且操作更加容易,稳定性提高,废水处理简单,大大缩短了生产时间,生产中途无需更换挂具,生产率大大提高。     

Warpage of a large‐sized orthogonal stiffened plate produced by injection molding and injection compression molding

Rectangular plates of the size of 1800 × 600 × 12 mm³ and 1200 × 600 × 12 mm³ were selected for injection molding and injection compression molding, respectively, in order to investigate warpage characteristics of the large‐sized polymer plates with orthogonal stiffener. To determine the mold system and to reduce warpage of the specimen, numerical analyses for injection molding and injection compression molding were performed by using a commercial simulation code. Experiments were performed to verify the suggested mold system and warpage of the specimen. Relatively large warpage of the injection molded product was observed and small warpage of the injection compression molded product was generated. Compression force of the injection compression molding was only 6% of the clamp force of the injection molding. Warpage of the product was reduced significantly by using the injection compression molding. The injection compression molding will be used to substitute expensive and disused wood forms with inexpensive and recyclable polymer plates for concrete casting. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010