Modeling Temperature in Coupled Electrical and Thermal Simulations of the Electroconsolidation® Process

Electroconsolidation® is a process for densifying complex-shaped parts by using electrically conductive particulate solids as a pressure-transmitting medium. The part is immersed in a bed of the particulate medium contained in a die chamber. Sintering temperature is achieved by resistive heating of the medium while applying compaction pressure. The process is capable of ultrahigh temperatures and short cycle times and offers the potential for low processing costs.

Control of the process and selection of process conditions require knowledge of the temperatures within the die. Temperature gradients exist because of the high heating rate and because of variations of density and electrical resistivity of the medium due to the presence of the part. Direct measurement of temperature with thermocouples or other conventional means is impractical because of the high temperatures, high currents, and high pressures that are involved. Therefore, a computer model was developed to predict temperature as a function of time and applied voltage for any location in the die. The computer model is composed of three parts: a geometrical model to approximate the density and resistivity variations in the medium, a finite-element model to calculate the rate of resistive heating within each element, and a finite-difference model to calculate the temperature distribution based on solution of the heat-transfer equations. Predicted temperatures have been shown to be in excellent agreement with measurements, and numerical simulation provided encouraging consistency and reasonably accurate predictions of temperature profiles within the die. The model demonstrated the feasibility of a new process to achieve simultaneous application of pressure and heat to powder densification in Electroconsolidation.     

Influence of a Jump in the Power of Laser Radiation on Its Measurement

Simulation and investigation of the effect of an isolated jump on realization of the unit of power of laser radiation and dissemination of the size of the unit are considered. Results are obtained by means of a newly developed algorithm that characterizes the behavior of the mean value of a signal and the standard deviation of a system as functions of the parameters of a jump in the power of laser radiation and the length and amplitude of the jump. If information concerning the time when a jump occurs is available, the proposed algorithm makes it possible to take into account how a jump affects the ultimate result of a measurement.     

The rate of corrosion of concrete reinforcement and possibilities of its mathematical modelling

The paper describes a method for the mathematical modelling of steel reinforcement corrosion rate. This method is based exclusively on experimental results and expression of the influence of significant corrosion factors in the form of functional relations. The method takes into account the reality of the effects of corrosion factors, their contigency and complexity, and various circumstances occurring in practice. It represents one way towards the development of methods for the prediction of service life of reinforced concrete and structures.     

Oxygen Tracer Diffusion in Vitreous Silica

Oxygen diffusion in vitreous silica glass is studied using the gas exchange technique. The tracer concentration profiles are consistent with a model based on two mechanisms, one network and the other interstitial. These processes are coupled through limited network–interstitial exchange. Nuclear reaction analysis and secondary ion mass spectrometry techniques are performed and compared. These results are compared to experiments on transport in thin silica films grown on single-crystal silicon.     

基于混合遗传算法的树状注水管网拓扑优化

以投资最小为目标函数,以井间隶属关系的惟一性、连接注水井数量等限制为约束条件,建立了树状注水管网拓扑优化数学模型.根据模型特点,将优化问题分为分配层和几何层,分别采用遗传算法和非线性优化方法进行求解.并对遗传算法的操作过程进行了改进,调整了适应函数,采用随机多父辈适应函数值加权交叉和多种变异操作,结合了模拟退火算法,并给出了初温的确定方法,改进了选择复制操作,从而形成了混合遗传算法.该算法能够有效地提高收敛速度,避免早熟收敛.利用算例说明了该方法的有效性.     

Spectral estimation of video signals

Spectrum analyzers are ubiquitous in laboratory work concerning one dimensional signals. This is because linear operators are best examined in the frequency domain. Linear operators, such as linear filters, DCT coders, line shufflers, etc., dominate also the video systems scenario. Their frequency domain study is as appropriate and informative as it is in the case of their one-dimensional counterparts. This paper considers the problems associated with the introduction of two well-known spectral estimation techniques, the periodogram and AR estimates, to the context of television signals. The potential for application of spectral estimation to video problems is exemplified by a number of applications related to the fields of enhanced quality television and HDTV. Special attention is paid to the computational aspects, whose effective solution conditions the practical applicability of the proposed spectral estimation techniques.R. Rinaldo is currently at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of California, Berkeley.     

A Method of Measuring Current–Voltage Characteristics Based on the Hammerstein–Chebyshev Model

A method of measuring the current–voltage characteristics of nonlinear components is proposed, which involves applying a sinusoidal voltage to the object being measured, finding the Fourier spectrum to read out the output current, and a calculation using the spectrum of the coefficients of the expansion of the measured characteristic in Chebyshev polynomials. The properties of the Hammerstein–Chebyshev model are considered, a block diagram of a measuring instrument is presented, and recommendations are made for minimizing the systematic errors due to approximating their characteristics by Chebyshev polynomials.     

Modeling the continuous melt transesterification of bisphenol-A and diphenyl carbonate in a continuous stirred tank reactor

A model of continuous melt transesterification of bisphenol-A and diphenyl carbonate in a continuous stirred tank reactor is developed using phase equilibria assumption and the method of molecular weight moments. The model equations can be simplified into a polynomial system that has 17 equations and 17 unknowns. Solution of the polynomial system gives out almost every aspects of the continuous transesterification process. Molecular weight and polydispersity index, end group ratio of hydroxyl to phenyl carbonate, contents of molecular species, and lost diphenyl carbonate fractions are studied in different operation parameters.     

A new approach for sequential experimental design for model discrimination

Model discrimination procedures are useful tools for selection of the best mathematical models to be used to represent a specific chemical process. The present paper presents and discusses a new sequential discrimination procedure, which makes use of model probabilities and concentrates the efforts on models with higher probabilities. Model probabilities are determined based on simple statistical arguments. Four numerical examples illustrate the application of the proposed discrimination procedure. The obtained results indicate that the new procedure is able to discriminate kinetic models with fewer experiments when compared to other procedures and also indicates when model discrimination is not possible and, thus, when the sequential design must be halted. Furthermore, the speed of the proposed discrimination procedure can be controlled by tuning a design parameter which reflects the analyst's mood (confidence) towards the discrimination problem and allows for increase or decrease of the number of experiments required for model discrimination during the sequential procedure.