Distributed Symbolic Bounded Property Checking

In this paper we describe an algorithm for distributed, BDD-based bounded property checking and its implementation in the verification tool SymC. The distributed algorithm verifies larger models and returns results faster than the sequential version.The core algorithm distributes partitions of the state set to computation nodes after reaching a threshold size. The nodes proceed with image computation on the nodes asynchronously. The main scalability problem of this scheme is the overlap of state set partitions. We present static and dynamic overlap reduction techniques.     

Comparison of Oxygen Transfer Parameters Determined from the Steady State Oxygen Uptake Rate and the Non-Steady-State Changing Power Level Methods

In this study, a laboratory scale Univ. of Cape Town enhanced biological phosphorus removal process was operated under controlled conditions at a solids retention time of 15 days. Results are presented for the process performance and oxygen transfer parameters determined by applying the steady state oxygen uptake rate (OUR) and the changing power level (CPL) techniques, as per ASCE standard guidelines. The testing periods were temporally separated to eliminate interference of the tests. During the application of the CPL method, the sludge volume index gradually increased and higher values of the oxygen transfer rate and alpha were measured, in comparison to the data from the steady state OUR method, under similar process performance. Furthermore, the mass transfer rate decreased as the CPL method of testing continued. In contrast, the oxygen transfer parameters remained uniform during the time when the OUR method was applied. The data indicated that the CPL method resulted in higher and variable oxygen transfer parameters, even though the process performance remained unchanged. Therefore, a more rigorous evaluation of the CPL method is recommended to clarify the validity of the test.     

Evaluation and Predictive Model Development of Oxidative Stability of Biodiesel on Storage

Biodiesel comprises mono-alkyl esters of long-chain fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) derived from a renewable lipid feedstock. A major technical issue with the use of biodiesel is that it is more prone to oxidation during storage, when compared to petroleum fuel, due to the high content of polyunsaturated methyl esters that are easily oxidizable to compounds such as acids, aldehydes, and alcohols. Biodiesel (Jatropha and Pongamia) and antioxidants (Turmeric and butylated hydroxytoulene) were used for this study. We found that the acid value and viscosity for pongamia biodiesel increased significantly by 41.17% and 44.0% and that for jatropha biodiesel increased by 31.5% and 37.0%, respectively, after being stored for 3 months. The impact of antioxidants on the storage stability of biodiesel was examined according to the ASTM D4625 12-week procedure, and best results were found at a concentration level of 2500 ppm. The specific objective of this investigation is to develop models to determine the viscosity of biodiesel at any time “t” during long-term storage based on these experimental trials for upto 12 weeks. In addition, the models were used to predict the level of antioxidants that are to be added to biodiesel in order to minimize the effects of oxidative degradation during storage. The developed model recorded an adjusted R² of 0.86 and a modeling efficiency of 0.88.     

De-Duplication Complexity of Fingerprint Data in Large-Scale Applications

De-duplication using biometrics has gained much attention from research communities as it provides a unique identity for each and every individual among the large population.De-duplication is the process of removing the instances of multiple enrollments by the same person using the person’s biometric data.An important issue in the large-scale de-duplication applications is the speed of matching and the accuracy of the matching because the number of persons to be enrolled runs into millions.This paper presents an efficient method to improve the accuracy of fingerprint de-duplication in de-centralized manner.De-duplication accuracy decreases because of the noise present in the data,which would cause improper slap fingerprint segmentation.In this paper,an attempt is made to remove the noise present in the data by using binarization of slap fingerprint images and region labeling of desired regions with 8-adjacency neighborhood.The distinct feature of this technique is to remove the noise present in the data for an accurate slap fingerprint segmentation and improve the de-duplication accuracy.Experimental results demonstrate that the fingerprint segmentation rate and de-duplication accuracy are improved significantly.     

Study of bimetallic corrosion related to Cu interconnects using micropattern corrosion screening method and Tafel plots

On-chip microscopic corrosion, originating from contact of dissimilar metals, can cause serious reliability issues for integrated circuits and microelectromechanical devices. A new micropattern corrosion screening method combined with Tafel plots were employed to study Cu bimetallic corrosion in acid and base solutions relevant to the chemical–mechanical planarization process. The results demonstrated that Cu corrosion on Ru is much more severe compared to Cu corrosion on Ta substrates. Tafel plots confirm the nobility trend of Ru > Cu > Ta. The micropattern corrosion study shows the Cu bimetallic corrosion depends on specific chemicals and bimetallic contacts. Strong complexing ligands like NH₃ combined with energetically favorable Cu/Ru bimetallic contact promote faster Cu corrosion under alkaline conditions (9 ≤ pH ≤ 11.4). Micropattern corrosion screening was shown to be useful in identifying the metastable surface layer during Cu corrosion and determining the optimal benzotriazole concentration for Cu corrosion inhibition.     

Mechanistic fracture criteria for the failure of human cortical bone

A mechanistic understanding of fracture in human bone is critical to predicting fracture risk associated with age and disease. Despite extensive work, a mechanistic framework for describing how the microstructure affects the failure of bone is lacking. Although micromechanical models incorporating local failure criteria have been developed for metallic and ceramic materials, few such models exist for biological materials. In fact, there is no proof to support the widely held belief that fracture in bone is locally strain-controlled, as for example has been shown for ductile fracture in metallic materials. In the present study, we provide such evidence through a novel series of experiments involving a double-notch-bend geometry, designed to shed light on the nature of the critical failure events in bone. We examine how the propagating crack interacts with the bone microstructure to provide some mechanistic understanding of fracture and to define how properties vary with orientation. It was found that fracture in human cortical bone is consistent with strain-controlled failure, and the influence of microstructure can be described in terms of several toughening mechanisms. We provide estimates of the relative importance of these mechanisms, such as uncracked-ligament bridging.     

Parametric sensitivity study of operating and design variables in wellbore heat exchangers

A numerical study was conducted to evaluate the potential for using Wellbore Heat Exchangers (WBHX) to extract heat for use in electricity generation. Variables studied included operational parameters such as wellbore geometries, working fluid properties, circulation rates, and regional properties including basal heat flux and formation rock type. Energy extraction is strongly affected by fluid residence time, heat transfer contact area, and formation thermal properties. Water appears to be the most appropriate working fluid. The effects of tubing properties and casing lengths are of second-order.On the basis of a sensitivity study, a Best Case model was simulated, and results compared against the geothermal fluid requirements of existing power generation plants that use low-temperature geothermal fluids. Even assuming ideal work conversion to electricity, a WBHX cannot supply sufficient energy to generate 200 kWe at the onset of pseudo-steady-state (PSS) conditions. Using realistic conversion efficiencies it is unlikely that the system would be able to generate 50 kWe at the onset of PSS.     

Characteristic dimensions and the micro-mechanisms of fracture and fatigue in `nano' and `bio' materials

The behavior of small-volume (so-called `nano') structures, where size-scales are comparable with microstructural dimensions, and biological/bio-implantable materials, which invariably display a hierarchy of structural dimensions, is currently much in vogue in materials science. One aspect of this field, which to date has received only limited attention, is the fracture and fatigue properties of these materials. In this paper, we examine two topics in this area, namely the premature fatigue failure of silicon-based micron-scale structures for microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and the fracture properties of mineralized tissue, specifically human bone.     

Closed form solution of resin flow from multiple line gates in liquid composite molding

The resin flow from multiple line injection into a fibrous porous medium is investigated analytically and experimentally. The flow in a rectangular porous medium is created by placing two inlets: a channel along one of the domain edges, and a manifold placed in the center of the domain perpendicular to the first inlet on the top surface of the porous medium. It is demonstrated that two distinct sub‐regions of the porous medium exist: inner sub‐region which is filled by the liquid from the manifold, and outer sub‐region that is filled by fluid from the channel. In the experiments, the following geometric parameters are varied: channel cross‐sectional area, mold width, and thickness to investigate how the processing parameters influence which part of the overall domain is filled by fluid from a specific inlet. Neither fluid nor porous medium are varied throughout the study. For nonconstrained flow, an analytical model is formulated to predict the interface between the two sub‐regions which is called the inner sub‐region thickness. Both, implicit and explicit solutions are found, where the explicit solution is represented as inverse Lambert function. The solution relies on one physical constant which is a function of the pressure gradients and the directional permeabilities of the fibrous preform. Comparisons between experimental and analytical results reveal an excellent agreement for various sets of geometric parameters. This research should prove useful in understanding the flow in composites manufacturing when resin is injected simultaneously from multiple gates and channels. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1434–1441, 2010. © 2009 Society of Plastics Engineers