Geometric features of the flame propagation process for an SI engine having dual‐ignition system

Flame front surface area and enflamed volume (the volume enclosed with flame front) is theoretically analysed for a spark‐ignition engine, having cylindrical disc‐shaped combustion chamber with two spark plugs located axisymmetrically on cylinder head, between cylinder axis and cylinder wall. Spherical flame front assumption is used. A computer code is developed based on purely geometric consideration of the flame development process in combustion chamber, and is used to investigate the effects of variations of spark plugs' locations on geometric features of the flame front. A comparison has also been made with a spark‐ignition engine having one spark plug at the same location. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Microstructure-related fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth behaviour in toughened, anhydride-cured epoxy resins

Fracture toughness and fatigue crack propagation (FCP) of plain and modified anhydride-cured epoxy resin (EP) were studied at ambient temperature. Liquid carboxyl-terminated acrylonitrile-butadiene (CTBN) and silicon (SI) rubber dispersions were used as tougheners for the EP. The morphology of the modified EP was characterized by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The fracture toughness, K_c, of the compositions decreased with increasing deformation rate. K_c of the EP was slightly improved by CTBN addition and practically unaffected by incorporation of the SI dispersion when tests were performed at low cross-head speed, v. Both modifiers improved K_c at high v, and also the resistance to FCP, by shifting the curves to higher stress intensity factor ranges, ΔK, by comparison with the plain EP. It was established that both fracture and fatigue performance rely on the compliance, J_R, at the rubbery plateau, and thus on the apparent molecular mass between crosslinks, M_c. The failure mechanisms were less dependent upon the loading mode (fracture, fatigue), but differed basically for the various modifiers. Rubber-induced cavitation and shear yielding of the EP were dominant for CTBN, whereas crack bifurcation and branching controlled the cracking in SI-modified EP. The simultaneous use of both modifiers resulted in a synergistic effect for both the fracture toughness at high deformation rate and the FCP behavior.     

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.     

Application of the blind source separation method to feature extraction of machine sound signals

As the result of vibration emission in air, a machine sound signal carries important information about the working condition of machinery. But in practice, the sound signal is typically received with a very low signal-to-noise ratio. To obtain features of the original sound signal, uncorrelated sound signals must be removed and the wavelet coefficients related to fault condition must be retrieved. In this paper, the blind source separation technique is used to recover the wavelet coefficients of a monitored source from complex observed signals. Since in the proposed blind source separation (BSS) algorithms it is generally assumed that the number of sources is known, the Gerschgorin disk estimator method is introduced to determine the number of sound sources before applying the BSS method. This method can estimate the number of sound sources under non-Gaussian and non-white noise conditions. Then, the partial singular value analysis method is used to select these significant observations for BSS analysis. This method ensures that signals are separated with the smallest distortion. Afterwards, the time-frequency separation algorithm, converted to a suitable BSS algorithm for the separation of a non-stationary signal, is introduced. The transfer channel between observations and sources and the wavelet coefficients of the source signals can be blindly identified via this algorithm. The reconstructed wavelet coefficients can be used for diagnosis. Finally, the separation results obtained from the observed signals recorded in a semi-anechoic chamber demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented methods .     

Some experimental findings in compression-after-impact (CAI) tests of CF/PEEK (APC-2) and conventional CF/epoxy flat plates

Compression-after-impact (CAI) tests have been conducted for quasi-isotropic thick plates with 48 plies by using the NASA method and on plates with 32 plies by using the SACMA method. Specimens are made of CF/PEEK (APC-2) and conventional CF/epoxy for the NASA plates and CF/epoxy for the SACMA plates. In the NASA CAI tests, the sequence of delamination buckling and its propagation is clearly revealed through various experimental techniques. One major technique is moiré topography, and the other is thermo-mechanical stress analysis with a high-accuracy infrared sensor. The arrest of delamination propagation just before catastrophic failure due to high fracture toughness is clearly captured by the moiré camera. This behavior provides good CAI values of CF/PEEK. The initial buckling properties of the delaminated region by the impact are then extensively discussed. Numerical predictions of initial buckling stress have been obtained by modelled geometry of the delaminated region simplified from its precise structure clarified by ultrasonic C-scanning. They agree fairly well with the experimental results. The in-plane stress distribution in the delaminated region before initial buckling is measured by an infrared stress graphic system. This compared favorably with finite element predictions. Two types of symmetric buckling modes with respect to the central plate surface, twin and single peak ones, are experimentally captured.     

Ignition and Combustion of Dust-Gas Suspensions

The ignition and combustion of dust-gas suspensions are considered. It is shown that the ability of these systems to accumulate heat is determined not only by their kinetic and thermal properties but also by the relation between their reaction surface and the heat-removal surface (f). Experimental information on flame temperatures, ignition delays, and flame propagation over gas suspensions is processed using the parameter f, and the postulate on the stimulating role of the developed reaction surface in activating these processes is validated. It is shown that during overall burning, diffusion combustion of particles occurs only for rather small values of f. The ambiguous effect of the parameter f on the ignition and combustion processes leads to the necessity of optimizing the fuel size distribution and concentration for the effective operation of the power devices. The role of the macroparameters of two-phase flames of refractory metals in the synthesis of combustion nanoproducts is analyzed. __________ Translated from Fizika Goreniya i Vzryva, Vol. 41, No. 6, pp. 3–14, November–December, 2005.     

Propagation of the Chain Explosive‐Decomposition Reaction in Silver Azide Crystals

The velocity of the chain explosivedecomposition reaction in silver azide whiskes has been measured (1500 m/sec). The measured velocity is identified as the propagation velocity of the diffusion front of holes generated in the course of explosive decomposition.     

《中德四季晨昏杂咏》（之八）的译文鉴赏

在诗歌翻译中,译文会因为译者的不同在风格上表现出差异.然而,译文的质量不外乎经受形美、音美和意美的考量.译者应从本国读者的文化背景上结合时代的脉搏来进行“再创造”,做到形式、音律和意蕴的完美统一.歌德的诗歌《中德四季晨昏杂咏》（之八）的四种中文译本各有特色,均在不同程度上实现了“三美”的融合.     

Computing Green's function of the initial-boundary value problem for the wave equation in a layered cylinder

A new analytical method for the approximate computation of the time-dependent Green's function for the initial-boundary value problem of the three-dimensional wave equation on multi-layered bounded cylinder is suggested in this paper. The method is based on the derivation of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions for an ordinary differential equation with piecewise constant coefficients, and an approximate computation of Green's function in the form of the Fourier series with a finite number of terms relative to the orthogonal set of the derived eigenfunctions. The computational experiment confirms the robustness of the method.     

Effect of physical activity and air velocity on the thermal insulation of clothing

Abstract

Intrinsic thermal clothing insulation and surface air insulation were measured on human subjects by the use of indirect calorimetry. Four male clothing ensembles (0-1-1 -8 clo) and three female clothing ensembles (0-2-1-2 clo) were investigated. Using the standing position as a reference, the influence of sitting, bicycling (40r.p.m., 20 W), walking (3-75 km hour^?1) and of light packing work on the thermal insulation was studied. The influence of an air velocity of 11ms^?1 on thermal insulation during the standing and walking conditions was investigated. The results showed that: (i) intrinsic clothing insulation was maximal in the standing position. It was reduced by 8-18% in the seated position and by 30-50% during bicycling and walking. An air velocity of 11ms^?1 did not influence the intrinsic clothing insulation during walking, but decreased it by 18% in the standing position; (ii) surface air insulation varied with activity and air velocity, but not with clothing. It was increased by up to 25% in the seated position, reduced by 7-26% during bicycling and by 30-50% during walking. An air velocity of 11 ms-1 reduced the surface air insulation by 50% in the standing position and 30% during walking.