Magnet Safety Assessment for ITER

The ITER magnet system consists of structurally linked sets of toroidal (TF) and poloidal (PF) field coils, central solenoid (CS), and various support structures. The coils are superconducting, force flow Helium cooled with a Kapton-Glass-Epoxy multilayer insulation system. The stored magnetic energy is about 100GJ in the TF system and 20GJ in the PF-CS. Coils and structure are maintained at 4 K by enclosing them in a vacuum cryostat. The cryostat, comprising an outer envelope to the magnets, forms most of the second radioactivity confinement barrier. The inner primary barrier is formed by the vacuum vessel, its ports and their extensions. To keep the machine size within acceptable bounds, it is essential that the magnets are in close proximity to both of the nuclear confinement barriers. The objective of the magnet design is that, although local damage to one of the barriers may occur in very exceptional circumstances, large scale magnet structural or thermal failure leading to simultaneous breaching of both barriers is not credible. Magnet accidents fall into three categories: thermal (which includes arcing arising from insulation failure and local overheating due to discharge failure in the event of a superconductor quench), structural (which includes component mechanical failure arising from material inadequacies, design errors and exceptional force patterns arising from coil shorts or control failures), and fluid (Helium release due to cooling line failure). After a preliminary survey to select initial faults conceivable within the present design, these faults are systematically analyzed to provide an assessment of the damage potential. The results of this damage assessment together with an assessment of the reliability of the monitoring and protective systems, shows that the magnets can operate with the required safety condition.     

Nonlocal quasi-Newton method for solving convex variational inequalities

Conclusion In the optimization problem [f ₀(x)│h_i(x)<-0,i=1,…,l] relaxation of the functionf ₀(x)+Nh⁺(x) does not produce, as we know [6, 7], α_k=1 in Newton's method with the auxiliary problem (5), (6), whereF(x)=f _0′(x). For this reason, Newton type methods based on relaxation off ₀(x)+Nh⁺(x) are not superlinearly convergent (so-called Maratos effect). The results of this article indicate that if (F(x)=f _0′(x), then replacement of the initial optimization problem with a larger equivalent problem (7) eliminates the Maratos effect in the proposed quasi-Newton method. This result is mainly of theoretical interest, because Newton type optimization methods in the space of the variablesx ∈R ⁿ are less complex. However to the best of our knowledge, the difficulties with nonlocal convergence arising in these methods (choice of parameters, etc.) have not been fully resolved [10, 11]. The discussion of these difficulties and comparison with the proposed method fall outside the scope of the present article, which focuses on solution of variational inequalities (1), (2) for the general caseF′(x)≠F′ ^T(x). Translated from Kibernetika i Sistemnyi Analiz, No. 6, pp. 78–91, November–December, 1994.     

Acetylation of core histones causes the unfolding of 30 nm chromatin fiber: analysis by agarose gel electrophoresis

In the present work it was directly demonstrated that increased acetylation level of histones causes the decompactization of 30 nm chromatin fiber, as revealed by low-percentage agarose gel electrophoresis. In the light of obtained results the possible molecular mechanism of the decompactization of acetylated fiber is discussed.     

The biological effectiveness of the proteins in the specialized product "Ovolact" in the nutrition of patients following reconstructive surgery on jaw bones with congenital deformities]

Postoperative feeding with a special-purpose foodstuff Ovolact proved superior to tube feeding in patients on after treatment following surgical correction of congenital jaw defects. This was evident from assessment of anthropometric and protein metabolism parameters. Nitrogen metabolism underwent positive changes reflecting the product value for maintenance of protein status of the above patients. Therefore, Ovolact can make more effective postoperative rehabilitation in jaw reconstruction.     

Increasing the nominal safety of the no. 5 unit of the Kursk nuclear power plant

The main technical measures for increasing the nominal safety of the No. 5 unit of the Kursk nuclear power plant are presented: optimization of the neutron-physical characteristics of the core, adoption of a comprehensive monitoring, control, and protection system, switching to cluster-type control rods, adoption of a system for limiting radioactive emissions during anticipated accidents with pipeline rupture outside the containment system. __________ Translated from Atomnaya énergiya, Vol. 100, No. 4, pp. 320–327, April, 2006.     

ZrO<Subscript>2</Subscript> coatings on SiC fibers

Zirconia coatings have been produced on Hi-Nicalon fibers via pyrolysis of zirconium oxalates extracted into amine-benzene solutions. X-ray diffraction and electron probe x-ray microanalysis results demonstrate that the pyrolysis of extracts is a viable approach to producing thin zirconia coatings on coreless silicon carbide fibers and that further research is needed to optimize the microstructure of zirconia coatings.     

Evaluation of dynamic fracture toughness parameters of locomotive axle steel by instrumented Charpy impact test

The analysis of the energy of fracture of specimens from steel OSL, which is widely used for the manufacture of railway axles under shock loading, is performed. The nature and quantitative parameters of the typical stages of the processes of plastic and brittle fracture, depending on the test temperature and stiffness of the stress state at the tip of the crack‐like defect, are established. It is shown that impact loading at 20 °C leads to the formation of the local zone of plasticity and ductile–brittle fracture of the material. An increased stiffness of the stress state at the tip of the defect at ?40 °C causes brittle fracture. An approach is developed, which is based on using the size of shear lips as a quantitative parameter of fracture under normal and low temperatures, similar in its physical essence to deformation approaches of nonlinear fracture mechanics. Based on this approach and the quantitative analysis of specimen fracture zones, the physical and mechanical scheme of specimen fracture is proposed in the presence of localized plasticity and in its absence near the tip of the concentrator.     

Structural levels of fatigue failure and damage estimation in 17Mn1Si steel on the basis of a multilevel approach of physical mesomechanics

The evaluation of crack initiation and growth at microscopic scale is a crucial issue for the safety assessment of macroscopical fractures. In the present paper, the crack propagation in 17Mn1Si steel macroscale is investigated by taking into account the microstructural damage accumulation in polycrystalline solids. The revealed regularities are in good agreement with the concept of physical mesomechanics, which allows obtaining a generalized view of the material deformation and the failure process in the vicinity of the concentrator, which fulfills the limiting, initial and physical conditions and allows obtaining the generalized regularities in deformation and failure of 17Mn1Si steel.