Transient liquid phase sintering of high-purity mullite for high-temperature structural ceramics

High-purity mullite ceramics, promising engineering ceramics for high-temperature applications, were fabricated using transient liquid phase sintering to improve their high-temperature mechanical properties. Small amounts of ultrafine alumina or silica powders were uniformly mixed with the mullite precursor depending on the silica-alumina ratio of the resulting ceramics to allow for the formation of a transient liquid phase during sintering, thus, enhancing densification at the early stage of sintering and mullite formation by the reaction between additional alumina and the residual glassy phase (mullitization) at the final stage of sintering. The addition of alumina powder to the silica-rich mullite precursor resulted in a reaction between the glassy silica and alumina phases during sintering, thereby forming a mullite phase without inhibiting densification. The addition of fine silica powder to the mullite single-phase precursor led to densification with an abnormal grain growth of mullite, whereas some of the added silica remained as a glassy phase after sintering. The resulting mullite ceramics prepared using different powder compositions showed different sintering behaviors, depending on the amount of alumina added. Upon selecting an optimum process and the amount of alumina to be added, the pure mullite ceramics obtained via transient liquid phase sintering exhibited high density (approximately 99%) and excellent high-temperature flexural strength (approximately 320 MPa) at 1500 °C in air. These results clearly demonstrate that pure mullite ceramics fabricated via transient liquid phase sintering with compositions close to those of stoichiometric mullite could be a promising process for the fabrication of high-temperature structural ceramics used in an ambient atmosphere. The transient liquid phase sintering process proposed in this study could be a powerful processing tool that allows for the preparation of superior high-temperature structural ceramics used in the ambient processing atmosphere.     

极限工况下的管网“互联互通”改进方案

在全国天然气管道“主干互联、区域成网”(以下简称“互联互通”)基础格局逐渐形成的背景下,天然气管网规模日益扩大、管道分支和气源增加,并且分布不集中、输送方向可变,使得输气方案更加灵活,可以更好地解决某些地域的供气紧张问题;但受现有站场和设备的限制,暂不能满足某些多线组合极限工况,使得“互联互通”的初衷难以全部实现。为了使得现有的各输气干线在实现“互联互通”之后可以满足更多的多线组合工况,在分析“互联互通”背景下M管网工况变化的基础上,研发了可以进行水力仿真和压气站方案制订的计算软件,并对3种极限工况下的不同输气量情况进行了可行性试算,进而基于试算结果提出了相应的管网改进建议。研究结果表明:(1)经验证,软件计算误差满足要求;(2)在M管道某处增设压气站或在某些输气站场配置压缩机组;(3) M管网改进调整后,可以完成大部分的多线组合极限工况,真正实现“互联互通”的输气方案。结论认为,该研究成果有助于推进全国天然气管网早日实现“互联互通”。     

Design and experimental investigation of the high efficiency 1.5 W/4.2 K pneumatic-drive G-M cryocooler

The development of a high cooling power and high efficiency 4.2 K two stage G-M cryocooler is critically important given its broad applications in low temperature superconductors, MRI, infrared detector and cryogenic electronics. A high efficiency 1.5 W/4.2 K pneumatic-drive G-M cryocooler has recently been designed and developed by ARS. The effect of expansion volume rate and operation conditions on the cooling performance has been experimentally investigated. A typical cooling performance of 1.5 W/4.2 K has been achieved, and the minimum temperature of the second stage is 2.46 K. The steady input power of the compressor at 60 Hz is 6.8 kW, while the operation speed of the rotary valve is 30 rpm. A maximum cooling power of 1.75 W/4.2 K has been obtained in test runs.     

Event-triggered distributed receding horizon control for tracking and formation of homogeneous multi-agent systems

This paper proposes an event-triggered distributed receding horizon control (DRHC) approach for the formation and tracking problems of homogeneous multi-agent systems. For each agent, an event-triggering condition, based on assumed predictive information of the neighbours, is derived from stability analysis. Considering the uncertain deviation between the assumed and true predictive information, we design a time-varying compatibility constraint for the individual optimization problem. In the event-triggered DRHC algorithm, each agent solves the optimization problem and communicates with its neighbours only when the event-triggering condition is satisfied, so the communication and computation burden are reduced. Moreover, guarantees for the recursive feasibility and asymptotic stability of the overall system are proved. A simulation example is provided to illustrate effectiveness of the proposed approach.     

On the thermally-induced seizure in bearings: A review

This paper presents a state-of-the-art survey of papers reported on the nature of a troublesome failure mode in bearings known as seizure. This mode of failure is thermally-induced and it occurs in both journal and rolling element bearings. To gain insight, particular attention is given to reported experimental observation, various mechanisms involved, and available prediction methodologies.     

Improved synergetic excitation control for transient stability enhancement and voltage regulation of power systems

This paper proposes decentralized improved synergetic excitation controllers (ISEC) for synchronous generators to enhance transient stability and obtain satisfactory voltage regulation performance of power systems. Each generator is considered as a subsystem, for which an ISEC is designed. According to the control objectives, a manifold, which is a linear combination of the deviation of generator terminal voltage, rotor speed and active power, is chosen for the design of ISEC. Compared with the conventional synergetic excitation controller (CSEC), a parameter adaptation scheme is proposed for updating the controller parameter online in order to improve the transient stability and voltage regulation performance simultaneously under various operating conditions. Case studies are undertaken on a single-machine infinite-bus power system and a two-area four-machine power system, respectively. Simulation results show the ISEC can provide better damping and voltage regulation performance, compared with the CSEC without parameter adaptation scheme and the conventional power system stabilizer.     

Study on wax precipitation characteristics of wax deposit in pipes

Wax deposit properties are a significant concern in pipeline pigging during waxy crude oil transportation. In the present work, the impacts of flow conditions and oil properties on the wax precipitation characteristics of wax deposits are investigated. A flow loop apparatus was developed to conduct wax deposition experiments using four crude oils collected from different field pipes. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique was employed to observe the wax precipitation characteristics of crude oil and wax deposit. The results show that the wax content and the wax appearance temperature (WAT) of the deposits increase with shear stress and radial temperature gradient, and decrease with radial wax molecule concentration gradient near the pipe wall. The DSC tests on the wax deposits revealed that the deposit wax content is strongly correlated to the oil wax content. Furthermore, an empirical correlation was developed to predict the wax content and the WAT of the wax deposit. Verification of the empirical correlation using the different oils indicated that the average relative error of the wax content prediction and average absolute error of WAT prediction were 13.2% and 3.6°C, respectively.     

低剂量抑制剂Inhibex501存在下的甲烷水合物相平衡研究

含动力学抑制剂的天然气水合物相平衡研究对新型低剂量抑制剂的开发具有指导作用。在283.6 ~ 290.9 K和7.51 MPa ~ 15.97 MPa的温压范围内研究了抑制剂Inhibex501及其溶剂2-乙二醇单丁醚对甲烷水合物相平衡条件的影响。实验结果显示，0.5wt%和2.0wt%浓度的Inhibex501对甲烷水合物形成的热力学条件具有促进作用，能使甲烷水合物形成移向更高的温度或者更低的压力，而2-乙二醇单丁醚在浓度0.2wt% ~ 1.0wt%范围几乎不改变甲烷水合物形成的热力学条件，N-乙烯基己内酰胺与N-乙烯基吡咯烷酮的共聚物对水合物形成热力学条件的改变起主要作用。     

Animations showing Lego manipulative tasks: Three potential moderators of effectiveness

Evidence suggests that transient visual information, such as animations, may be more challenging to learn than static visualizations. However, when a procedural-manipulative task is involved, our evolved embodied cognition seems to reverse this transitory challenge. Hence, for object manipulative tasks, instructional animations may be more suitable than statics. We investigated this argument further by comparing animations with statics using a Lego task shown to university students, by examining three potential moderators of effectiveness: (a) the environment of manipulation (virtual or physical), (b) the quality of visual information (focused or unfocused), and (c) the presence of hands (no hands or with hands). In Experiment 1 we found an advantage of animation over statics, and no differences among the environments. In Experiment 2, we again observed an animation advantage, a small advantage of focused static information compared to unfocused static information, and a positive effect of not showing the hands.     

GIS在深圳市三防指挥信息系统中的应用

深圳市三防指挥信息系统利用GIS技术,结合水利(水务)、防汛、抗旱的具体业务,建立了水情遥测数据处 理分系统、工况监测数据处理分系统、水务行业三防信息管理分系统、决策支持分系统、水源优化调度分 系统,提高了现代化管理水平。