Machining of reproducible flaws corresponding to fatigue cracks for fracture mechanics tests of components and welded joints

In connection with the analysis and the development of failure concepts in fracture mechanics for quasistatic loaded components and elastic-plastic behaviour of the material, tests are also carried out with welded and/or complex shaped specimens or structures. Thereby the difficulty arises of generating reproducible flaws in the form of fatigue precracks in definite positions in the components, respectively in the welded joint. It is reported exemplarily about experiments on different CT25 and CCT specimens and on a pressure vessel which contained a fatigue pre-crack, a 0.2 mm saw cut or notches with notch root radius ≤ ≥ 0.1 mm as flaws. The comparison of the results with regard to J-integral at initiation of stable crack, J_i, and J_R curves shows that under certain conditions the 0.2 mm saw cut (notch root radius ≤ ≤ 0.02 mm) is a useful alternative, if reproducible generation of a fatigue pre-crack will not be successful or too expensive. The tests were carried out on StE 460 and on a welded joint of this steel at 25 ± 2°C.     

Modeling emergency interregional electric power transfer

This paper describes a combined model of the U.S. power system that is the first to allow for emergency interregional transmission of electricity. The Interregional Transfer Model (INTRAN) is used with the Baughman-Joskow Regionalized Electricity Model (REM) to simulate the transshipment of emergency interregional electric power exchanges. REM-INTRAN is a tool to assist policy makers concerned with the reliability and adequacy of the U.S. bulk power system. It is the only model available that provides regional detail of the electricity sector and emergency interregional power transfer capabilities. REM-INTRAN considers generation plant mix and monthly load characteristics on a regional basis, and the limiting transfer capacities and costs of emergency interregional power transfers.     

Experimental and numerical investigations of stable crack growth of axial surface flaws in a pressure vessel

Stable crack growth of a surface flaw in a pressure vessel has been investigated experimentally and numerically. The results show that a purely J-based concept of ductile fracture is not able to predict the local crack extension of the surface flaw correctly. To explain the canoe shape of the grown crack, the local crack tip constraint has to be taken into account.     

Chromium propionate enhances insulin sensitivity in growing cattle

Thirty-six Angus and Angus×Simmental heifers, averaging 291 kg, were used to determine the effects of dietary Cr, in the form of Cr propionate (Cr Prop), on glucose metabolism and serum insulin concentrations following glucose administration. Heifers were stratified by body weight (BW) within a breed and randomly assigned to treatments. Treatments consisted of 0, 3, 6, or 9 mg of supplemental Cr/d from Cr Prop. Based on dry matter (DM) intakes, the daily doses of Cr were equivalent to 0.47, 0.94, and 1.42 mg of supplemental Cr/kg of DM. Heifers were individually fed a corn silage-based diet at a level of 2% of BW. Each heifer was also fed 0.45 kg of a ground corn supplement daily that served as a carrier for supplemental Cr. Glucose tolerance tests were performed on d 44 of the study. Glucose was infused via jugular catheters at a level of 0.45 g/kg of BW(0.75) over a course of 1 to 2 min. Blood samples were collected at -10, 0, 5, 10, 15, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 min relative to glucose dosing for glucose and insulin determination. Area under the glucose response curve was lower (1,603 vs. 1,964 mg/dL per minute) in heifers supplemented with Cr from 0 to 45 min following glucose challenge. Serum insulin concentrations were lower in Cr-supplemented heifers than in controls following glucose infusion. The molar ratio of insulin to glucose was also lower in Cr-supplemented heifers relative to controls. Serum insulin and serum insulin to glucose ratios did not differ among heifers supplemented with 3, 6, or 9 mg of Cr/d. Results indicate that Cr Prop supplementation increased tissue sensitivity to insulin in growing heifers. Based on insulin sensitivity, Cr requirements (as Cr Prop) of growing heifers can be met by supplementing with 3 mg of Cr/d or 0.47 mg of Cr/kg of DM.     

Ductile crack growth of semi-elliptical surface flaws in pressure vessels

Experiments on ductile crack growth of some axial surface flaws in a pressure vessel have revealed the well-known canoe shape, i.e. a larger crack extension has occurred in the axial direction than in the wall thickness direction. Two tests have been analyzed by finite element calculations to obtain the variation of the J-integral along the crack front, and the stress and strain state in the vicinity of the crack. The local crack resistance depended on the local stress state. To predict ductile crack extension correctly, J_R-curves have to account for the varying triaxiality of the stress state along the crack front.     

Judge and attorney experiences, practices, and concerns regarding expert testimony in federal civil trials.

The results of 3 surveys (1 each of federal judges in 1991 and 1998 and another of attorneys in 1999) indicate that practices and beliefs concerning expert testimony have changed in the wake of the 1993 Supreme Court decision on admissibility in Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Reporting both on their general experience with expert testimony and on their most recent civil trial involving such testimony, judges and attorneys indicated that judges were more likely in 1998 than in 1991 to scrutinize expert testimony before trial and then limit or exclude proffered testimony. The results describe common problems with expert testimony, the characteristics of trials in which expert testimony is introduced, and the types of experts who testify. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Reinstatement of context in a field experiment on eyewitness identification.

Hypothesized that reinstating contextual information would improve eyewitness identification performance for customer-present arrays. 85 store clerks were asked to identify a previously encountered customer from an array of photographs. Context was reinstated by providing physical cues from the customer encounter and by instructing the S to privately recall the events leading up to the customer's purchase. When the customer's photograph was included in the array, context reinstatement significantly increased accurate identifications. The context effect was observed both 2 and 24 hrs after the customer encounter and did not affect the ratio between possible types of error (false identifications and incorrect rejections of the photograph array). When the customer's picture was missing from the array, Ss were quite accurate in rejecting the photographs, and reinstatement of context had no additional influence. For Ss choosing from a lineup, confidence was related to accuracy only under conditions in which context was reinstated. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Der Einfluß des Kerbradius auf die Kollaps- und die Initiierungsgrenztemperatur schweißbarer Baustähle

Kollapsgrenztemperatur T_gy, Initiierungsgrenztemperatur T_i. Einfluß des Kerbradius bei verschiedenen Probengrößen, werkstoffmechanische Zusammenhänge. Einfluß des plastischen Spannungskonzentrationsfaktors, der Spaltbruchfestigkeit und der Streckgrenze auf T_gy. Abschätzung des Einflusses des Kerbradius und der Probengröße auf den plastischen Spannungskonzentrationsfaktor mit Hilfe der Fließlinientheorie und der Spannungen entsprechend dem HRR-Feld. Bedeutung der Ergebnisse für die Sicherheitsanalyse. T_i als Grenztemperatur für die Anwendung elastisch-plastischer Bruchmechanik hinsichtlich Initiierung und Wachstum stabiler Anrisse. Ermittlung von T_i mit gekerbten Proben, insbesondere bei Schweißverbindungen. Einfluß des Kerbradius auf Initiierungskennwerte.     

Effects of supplementing dairy cows with chromium propionate on milk and tissue chromium concentrations

Eight primiparous and 8 multiparous Holstein cows were used to determine the effects of Cr supplementation, in the form of Cr propionate (Cr Prop), on milk and tissue Cr concentrations. Cows were randomly assigned by parity to one of 2 diets: 1) control diet or 2) 2 mg of supplemental Cr/kg of DM. The level of Cr Prop supplemented exceeded by 4-fold the concentration of 0.5 mg of Cr/kg permitted by the FDA. Experimental diets were fed from approximately 30 d prepartum until at least 91 d postpartum, resulting in a minimum of 121 d of exposure to supplemental Cr. The control prepartum and postpartum diets analyzed 0.48 and 0.38 mg of Cr/kg of DM, respectively. Milk samples were obtained from the a.m. milking on d 0 (colostrum), 7, 14, 21, 28, 42, 56, 77, and 90 and on the final day of the study for Cr analysis. Cows were harvested after lactating for a minimum of 91 d and samples of liver, kidney, semitendinosus muscle, and fat were obtained for Cr analysis. Chromium was measured using electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Milk Cr concentration averaged 1.7 ng/mL and was affected by day of lactation but not by Cr or a Cr × day interaction. Supplementation of 2 mg of Cr/kg of DM increased kidney Cr by approximately 3-fold and liver Cr concentrations by approximately 2-fold. Chromium concentrations in muscle and fat were not affected by Cr supplementation. In summary, supplementation of Cr Prop at a level of 2 mg of Cr/kg of DM did not affect Cr concentration in milk, muscle, or fat, the major bovine products consumed by humans.     

Chromium concentrations in ruminant feed ingredients

Chromium (Cr), in the form of Cr propionate, has been permitted for supplementation to cattle diets in the United States at levels up to 0.50 mg of Cr/kg of DM since 2009. Little is known regarding Cr concentrations naturally present in practical feed ingredients. The present study was conducted to determine Cr concentrations in feed ingredients commonly fed to ruminants. Feed ingredients were collected from dairy farms, feed mills, grain bins, and university research farms. Mean Cr concentrations in whole cereal grains ranged from 0.025 mg/kg of DM for oats to 0.041 mg/kg of DM for wheat. Grinding whole samples of corn, soybeans, and wheat through a stainless steel Wiley mill screen greatly increased analyzed Cr concentrations. Harvested forages had greater Cr concentrations than concentrates, and alfalfa hay or haylage had greater Cr concentrations than grass hay or corn silage. Chromium in alfalfa hay or haylage (n = 13) averaged 0.522 mg/kg of DM, with a range of 0.199 to 0.889 mg/kg of DM. Corn silage (n = 21) averaged 0.220 mg of Cr/kg of DM with a range of 0.105 to 0.441 mg of Cr/kg of DM. By-product feeds ranged from 0.040 mg of Cr/kg of DM for cottonseed hulls to 1.222 mg of Cr/kg of DM for beet pulp. Of the feed ingredients analyzed, feed grade phosphate sources had the greatest Cr concentration (135.0 mg/kg). Most ruminant feedstuffs and feed ingredients had less than 0.50 mg of Cr/kg of DM. Much of the analyzed total Cr in feed ingredients appears to be due to Cr contamination from soil or metal contact during harvesting, processing, or both.