FEATURE SOLID MODELING TOOL SYSTEM:FSMTS

In conformity with the principle of Design for Manufacture,feature-based design strate-(?)es have been developed.As the“feature”is relevant to the“macro process plan”and“macro NCprograms”,obviously,“feature”is beyond the power of conventional solid modellers.Neverthe-less,substantial breakthrough has not been made in the solid modeling field,except“feature at-taching”or“feature recognizing”methods have been taken on.In this paper,the theory,concepts,system architecture,and algorithm principles of solid modeling tool system have beenrepresented.The practice of Feature Solid Modeling Tool System (FSMTS) developed atHuazhong University has proved that the tool may be a new foundation of Feature-Based Design.     

Formal methods: The next generation of system design tools

Because of the growing demand for increasingly complex computer-based systems there is now an urgent need to provide tools to assist during the design of such systems. Formal specifications and formal methods provide such assistance but their widespread adoption has been hindered by the so-called ‘math fear’ and the perception that the tools are too difficult, too time consuming and too costly to use in a commercial environment. The aim of this article is to dispel the mystery surrounding the topic and to explain what formal methods are, how and why they are used, the benefits that accrue and why the technology should be accepted on a broader front. The application of formal methods to the design of computer-based systems will be discussed without resorting to jargon or mathematics. The discussion will concentrate more on the software content of systems but the arguments apply equally well to hardware. Some of the available tools will also be introduced.     

The design of experiments when there are errors in all the variables

The Error-in-Variables Model (EVM) applies to a large class of problems in parameter estimation in which there is error in all the variables. This property makes it of more general applicability than the widely used technique of ordinary Least Squares. While there is a voluminous literature on EVM there is nothing on a general method for designing experiments when EVM applies. In this paper we present an extension of the concept of D-optimality to provide such a general method. It is illustrated by applying it to the estimation of copolymer reactivity ratios and to fitting an ellipse.     

Sky blue,but what blue? A new evaluation of the colors of the sky for artists and designers

This study describes a process of relating the perceptual analysis of the colors of the terrestrial atmosphere to currently available pigments used in artists' painting systems. This process sought to discover how the colors of the sky could be defined and simulated by these pigments. The author also describes how confusion over the bewildering choice of suitable pigments on offer in the market place can be clarified. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 32, 249–255, 2007     

Design for a high power-density Astron reactor

A liquid lithium blanket surrounding the plasma volume is described. The liquid lithium flows along magnetic flux tubes at a high speed. There is no vacuum wall between the blanket and the plasma. The E-layer of relativistic particles within which the plasma is confined serves as a vacuum wall protecting the plasma from the lithium vapor, which is continuously produced at the surface of the blanket, by ionizing the lithium atoms and ejecting the same along open magnetic lines. The heat load at the surface of the blanket generated by 14 MeV neutrons can be several hundred MW per square meter.Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission.Deceased September 24, 1972.     

Combined shape and sizing optimization of truss structures

 In this paper, an evolutionary optimization method is presented for weight minimum problem of a 3-dimensional truss structure in terms of nodal coordinates and element cross-sectional areas. The structure is subject to stress, local buckling and displacement constraints. Two types of design variables with different natures are optimized separately: (1) a fully stressed design (FSD) and scaling techniques are applied to sizing variables and (2) the evolutionary node shift method is applied to shape variables. Alternating procedure is utilized to couple the two types of variables and to combine the results. The optimum solution is achieved gradually from the initial configuration design. Two typical truss structures are examined to illustrate the validity of the method. Received: 22 October 2001 / Accepted: 04 June 2002 This research work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under the guarantees no. 10072050 and 10172072, respectively.     

堤身的数据采集及断面设计的几点建议

针对堤防设计的基础资料采集和设计优化，提出了一些合理性建议。     

Influence of load and speed on wear characteristics of grey cast iron in dry sliding — selection for minimum wear

The wear of grey cast iron in dry sliding conditions has been studied with the aims of (1) finding the influence of working conditions on the wear rate, and (2) determining the region of speed and load where low wear is accomplished. Grey cast iron with flake and nodular graphite was submitted to investigation using a pin-on-disc machine. The results indicate that the flake graphite cast iron is more suitable for applications at speeds greater than 4 m s⁻¹ and lower loads, while nodular cast iron has greater wear resistance at lower speeds in the range of loads investigated - from 50 N cm⁻² to 200 N cm⁻²     

Energy Saving in Industrial Wood Drying Addressed by a Multiscale Computational Model: Board, Stack, and Kiln

This article proposes a multiscale computational model able to calculate energy consumption in a batch lumber kiln. A dual-scale computational model of wood drying deals with the boards/stack interaction and serves as a basis for the present work. A new module was added here that calculates heat losses through kiln walls (convection, condensation) and the energy used by each kiln component (fans, heating elements, humidifier, vacuum pump, etc.). The corresponding mathematical formulation is presented and then theoretical results are compared to those collected in an industrial vacuum kiln. As application example, the effect of air reversal, air velocity, and kiln insulation are exhibited, which depicts the great potential and prospects of this new tool for energy savings in relation to the product quality.