Simple method of calibration of conventional sodar antenna system

The accurate estimation of sodar antenna parameters, back-scattering cross-section and a knowledge of acoustic absorption in the atmospheric air are needed in case structure parameters are to be computed. In the paper a simple method using a theoretical antenna directivity pattern, together with measurements of transduction characteristics of the acoustic transducer has been suggested. The method has been used for two sodars belonging to the Russian Academy (Sodar Latan-I) and the National Physical Laboratory, New Delhi, The theoretically and experimentally determined directivities of the Sodar Transducer Systems have been compared and it has been found that they coincide rather satisfactorily within the angles at which the paraboloids of sodars are seen from their respective foci. Computed thermal structure parameter values using Sodar Latan-I based on the above approach have been found to be comparable with the values computed from microthermal data collected simulaneously at the same place     

An investigation of the performance portability of OpenCL

This paper reports on the development of an MPI/OpenCL implementation of LU, an application-level benchmark from the NAS Parallel Benchmark Suite. An account of the design decisions addressed during the development of this code is presented, demonstrating the importance of memory arrangement and work-item/work-group distribution strategies when applications are deployed on different device types. The resulting platform-agnostic, single source application is benchmarked on a number of different architectures, and is shown to be 1.3–1.5× slower than native FORTRAN 77 or CUDA implementations on a single node and 1.3–3.1× slower on multiple nodes. We also explore the potential performance gains of OpenCL’s device fissioning capability, demonstrating up to a 3× speed-up over our original OpenCL implementation.     

Euro PM2007 congress and exhibition

Abstract

Threatened with bureaucratic over-regulation under the EU's newly enacted REACH legislation, and other competitive challenges, the large tonnage section of the European PM industry did not seem to be facing a rosy future as it met in the Ville Rose city of Toulouse. Nevertheless, the EPMA was seen as having a key role in moving the industry forward and resisting the pressures from the large end users, low cost (Asian) producers, and competing technologies. Europe still leads the world in the manufacture of hard materials, but China is expected to overtake Europe in tungsten carbide and diamond tools production within the next 3–5 years. European sales of metal injection moulded parts continue to grow strongly, doubling in value to E140 million between 1997 and 2003. PM research in Europe is very active, with 40 universities and institutes and over 500 researchers involved. These provided the large majority of the European presentations at PM2007.     

A correlation-free on-line optimal control method of heat rejection pressures in CO2 transcritical systems

This paper proposes a novel correlation-free on-line optimal control method for CO₂ transcritical refrigeration systems. It uses the on-line correction formula to track the optimal pressure set point. As a critical advantage against the existing empirical correlations of the heat rejection pressure, it is independent of the cycle, the system specifications, and the operating conditions. Dynamic numerical simulation demonstrates how to apply the new method to a basic CO₂ transcritical refrigeration system. The results show that the proposed method can well track the optimal pressures and is robust to resist the sampling noise.     

Investigation of structural and optoelectronic properties of BaThO3

Structural and optoelectronic properties of BaThO₃ cubic perovskite are calculated using all electrons full potential linearized augmented plane wave (FP-LAPW) method. Wide and direct band gap, 5.7 eV, of the compound predicts that it can be effectively used in UV based optoelectronic devices. Different characteristic peaks in the wide UV range emerges mainly due to the transition of electrons between valance band state O-p and conduction band states Ba-d, Ba-f, Th-f and Th-d.     

Microstructural and thermal processing effects on adding 1 and 3 w/o Ti to a powder metallurgy processed quaternary Ni-Cr-Fe-Al alloy

The effect of the addition of 1 and 3 w/o Ti to a quaternary (Ni-Cr-Fe-Al) alloy on the phase transformations that might occur in the material on sintering were simulated using a thermodynamic modelling tool. These predictions were subsequently compared with experimental results obtained by X-ray diffraction and metallography. As well, the onset of melting and the transformation temperature of the Ti modified alloys were corroborated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). From SEM and point count analyses, the microstructure, including the % porosity and volume fraction of gamma prime precipitates, remained relatively unchanged from the quaternary without Ti. This may have been due to the presence of sub-micron precipitates not detected in the Ti-containing samples. However, an increase in lattice parameters on adding both 1 and 3 w/o Ti to the quaternary was determined from X-ray diffraction measurements. Finally, the software modelling provided a reasonable prediction for both microstructure and thermal processing thereby offering a means to simulate both design and characterisation of the experimental material, both during sintering and on cooling.     

Quantitative measurement of cementite dissociation in drawn pearlitic steel

Fractional dissociation of cementite was quantified as a function of strain by measuring the volume change of cementite in the pearlitic steel. The amount of carbon dissolved into the ferrite was estimated from the decrease of cementite volume, to correlate with the hardness in different strain level. The hardness showed linear relationship with the carbon dissolved into the ferrite matrix, which is believed to contribute in strengthening the drawn wire. Defects introduced from the deformation were believed to lower the energy barrier of cementite break-ups and to enhance the dissolution of carbon into ferrite.     

Structure inhibited pit initiation in a Ni-Nb metallic glass

A model metallic glass Ni₅₀Nb₅₀, which would undergo a polymorphous transformation during devitrification, was selected to clarify the correlation of amorphous structure with corrosion. The electrochemical polarization behaviour, film breakdown and composition of surface film have been studied in detail by comparing the amorphous alloy with its crystalline counterparts. Interestingly, it was found that the pit initiation is inhibited greatly on amorphous sample relative to the crystallized one. The origin is thought to be related to the defective interface beneath passive film that inhibits the formation of pitting precursors in corrosion.     

The effect of roll-processing orientation on stress corrosion cracking of warm-rolled 304L stainless steel in oxygenated and deoxygenated high temperature pure water

Stress corrosion crack growth rates of 304L stainless steel after one-directionally warm-rolled along the longitudinal (L) direction were measured in oxygenated and deoxygenated pure water at 288 °C. The fracture mode is mainly intergranular in the Transverse-longitudinal (T-L) orientation specimen, while it is occasionally intergranular in the Longitudinal-transverse (L-T) orientation specimen. The crack growth rates in the T-L orientation are higher than those in the L-T orientation in both oxygenated and deoxygenated environments, which is related to the effective cracking growth path as the result of microstructural anisotropy and applied loading direction.