Taking Place

While typically accorded form-driven interpretations, Kahn's work may contribute significantly to the emergent discourse on architecture and landscape. Meditations on landscape in Kahn's work and ideas, although present in an unsystematic and sporadic manner, provide a provocative way of thinking about a building's relationship with the landscape. Applying the phenomenological notion of "lived body," a built work is seen not only inscrutably emplaced or intertwined with the landscape but also embodying it, thus making architecture inherently a landscape "event." An analysis of Kahn's work and writings from the vantage point of landscape presents, first, an affirmation of Kahn's particular ideas about land and landscape and, second, a substantiation of the claim that architecture is a landscape phenomenon.     

EXPERIMENTAL AND NEURAL NETWORK PREDICTION OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A SOLAR TUNNEL DRIER FOR DRYING JACKFRUIT BULBS AND LEATHER

This article presents the field performance of a solar tunnel drier for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather. The drier consists of a transparent plastic‐covered flat‐plate collector and a drying tunnel connected in series to supply hot air directly into the drying tunnel using two direct‐current fans operated by a photovoltaic module. The drier has a loading capacity of 120–150 kg of fruits. Sixteen experimental runs were conducted for drying jackfruit bulbs and leather (eight runs each). The use of a solar tunnel drier led to a considerable reduction in drying time and dried products of better quality in comparison to products dried under the sun. A multilayered neural network approach was used to predict the performance of the solar tunnel drier. Using solar drying data of jackfruit bulbs and leather, the model has been trained using backpropagation algorithm. The prediction of the performance of the drier was found to be excellent after it was adequately trained. It can be used to predict the potential of the drier for different locations, and can also be used in a predictive optimal control algorithm.     

Simulation of Tm 3+ -doped silica and Er 3+ -doped fluorozirconate fibre lasers

Computer simulation of the operation of diode-pumped Tm³⁺-doped silica and Er³⁺-doped fluorozirconate fibre lasers that use cladding-pumping models high-power continuous-wave output at wavelengths near 2 and 3 μm. The model has been used to examine the fibre laser performance for a variety of fibre and pump configurations. Good agreement has been found between the model calculations and published experimental measurements. The model has determined the slope effciency and relative performance of the fibre lasers when the pump wavelength was varied over the ³F₄ and ³H₄ absorption bands of Tm³⁺ and the ⁴⁺I_11/2 absorption band of Er³⁺. The calculated maximum slope effciencies were determined to be about 40, about 71 and about 31% respectively, for each absorption band pump scheme. The model was further used to analyse the fibre laser output when the Tm 3+ and Er 3+ dopant concentrations, absorption conditions and diffraction conditions are varied and the consequences on the operation of the fibre laser with these variations are discussed.     

B/H CURVE APPROXIMATION FOR COMPUTER AIDED DESIGNS OF ELECTROMAGNETIC DEVICES

ABSTRACT

Interpolation approximation for an entire B/H curve range can be obtained by a simple spline algorithm. This paper describes a simplified technique to employ a spline algorithm to approximate interpolated values. This technique minimizes time for computer applications, and is suitable for computer aided design of electromagnetic devices where the complete B/H curve is required to be read from a finite number of given points     

碳纤维布粘贴加固BFRP筋-ECC-混凝土组合梁受弯性能研究

工程结构服役期间经常由于使用功能改变或使用荷载增加而需要对结构进行加固改造。为研究经碳纤维布粘贴加固后的玄武岩纤维增强塑料（BFRP）筋-工程用水泥基复合材料（ECC）-混凝土组合梁的受弯性能,对3组共12根不同ECC高度替换率（0、0.29和0.58）的BFRP筋-ECC-混凝土组合梁底分别粘贴1、2和3层碳纤维布的加固构件及未加固构件进行静力受弯性能试验。研究碳纤维布粘贴层数和ECC高度替换率对组合梁受弯承载力和破坏形态的影响。试验结果表明：采用受拉性能优异的ECC替代受拉区部分混凝土形成的ECC-混凝土组合梁不仅可提高构件承载力,还可有效改善构件抵抗开裂和变形的能力;组合梁底粘贴3层碳纤维布,裂缝宽度可降至未加固试件的10%,受弯承载力提高20%,挠度降低50%。借鉴钢筋混凝土理论,基于合理的基本假定和简化的材料本构模型,提出粘贴碳纤维布加固的组合梁受弯承载力计算式,并给出碳纤维布强度折减系数,理论预测值与试验实测值吻合良好。     

Electrical features of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure helium discharge with and without dielectric electrodes

A comparative study of radio-frequency atmospheric pressure glow discharge(rf APGD)generated in helium with and without dielectric electrodes to investigate the effect of electrodes insulation on electrical features of APGD is presented. In the α mode, both the rf APGDs remain volumetric, stable and uniform. In the γ mode, the APGD without dielectric electrodes shrinks into a constricted plasma column whereas APGD with dielectric electrodes remains stable and retains the same volume without plasma constriction even at higher densities of discharge current. A comparison of electrical features of both rf APGDs in normal and abnormal glow discharge regimes is presented. In both APGDs with and without dielectric electrodes,impedance measurements have been performed and compared with equivalent circuit models.The measured impedance data is found to be in good agreement with simulated data.     

The effects of biofilms formed on whey reverse osmosis membranes on the microbial quality of the concentrated product

The study investigated the development of bacterial biofilms on spiral wound reverse osmosis (RO) whey concentration membranes and their influence on the microbial quality and safety of concentrated whey (retentate). Used RO membranes, obtained from a commercial whey processing plant, were evaluated at intervals of 2 months for a total duration of 14 months using standard techniques. Results confirmed the presence of multi‐species bacterial biofilms on whey RO membranes. Considerable variations were noticed in the distribution pattern of biofilms constitutive microflora as the membranes aged. A greater increase in retentate counts as compared to feed suggested the possibilities of cross‐contamination from the membrane biofilms.     

An ethanol spray at veraison enhances colour in red wines

Aqueous ethanol (5% v/v) was sprayed onto bunches of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon 8–9 weeks following full flowering (controls were sprayed with water). Internal ethylene concentration in treated berries increased to a maximum within 6 hours, and berry colour subsequently increased substantially (maximum attained 2–3 weeks after spraying). Berry fresh weight at harvest was unaffected by ethanol treatment, but wine made from treated grapes showed greater colour intensity compared with control grapes.