Computational algorithms for simulating the grain structure formed on steel billets using cellular automaton and chaos theories

The development of some computational algorithms based on cellular automaton was described to simulate the structures formed during the solidification of steel products. The algorithms described take results from the steel thermal behavior and heat removal previously calculated using a simulator developed by present authors in a previous work. Stored time is used for displaying the steel transition from liquid to mushy and solid. And it is also used to command computational subroutines that reproduce nucleation and grain growth. These routines are logically programmed using the programming language C++ and are based on a simultaneous solution of numerical methods (stochastic and deterministic) to create a graphical representation of different grain structures formed. The grain structure obtained is displayed on the computer screen using a graphical user interface (GUI). The chaos theory and random generation numbers are included in the algorithms to simulate the heterogeneity of grain sizes and morphologies.     

Consolidation mechanism of gold concentrates containing sulfur and carbon during oxygen-enriched air roasting

Consolidation in calcines is a common problem in the oxygen-enriched air roasting of refractory gold concentrates containing sulfur and carbon when the initial temperature is greater than 600℃. To determine the phases that caused consolidation, gold concentrates were roasted under different conditions and the calcines were mainly detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The possible underlying mechanism was then studied through comparisons of the XRD patterns of different calcines. The results indicated that the generation of calcium magnesium silicate, iron-doped calcium aluminosilicate, and calcium aluminate caused the consolidation. Furthermore, an enriched oxygen atmosphere accelerated the oxidation reaction and the emitted heat increased the local temperature in calcines. The local temperature was inferred to have increased to the generation temperature zone of the corresponding liquid phases. Oxidation of the pyrite and decomposition of the dolomite and muscovite mainly occurred at the initial stage of oxygen-enriched air roasting. Calcium was confirmed to be essential to the consolidation process.     

Sintering characteristics of fluxes and their structure optimization

Sintering characteristics of common fluxes and sintering blending ores, such as mineralization capacity, liquid generation capacity, consolidation strength, were examined to master the behavior and effect of fluxes in sintering. Based on fundamental studies, sinter pot tests were carried out to obtain the principles of optimizing the sinter flux structure. The results showed that strong mineralization capacity, liquid phase generation capacity, and consolidation strength were obtained as sintering blending ores combined with the calcareous flux, while relatively poor sintering characteristics were obtained as sintering blending ores combined with the magnesian flux. High reactive quicklime should be used as much as possible in the sintering mixture. It reached better sintering results while quicklime was used instead of limestone and its appropriate proportion in the sintering mixture was around 4wt%. On the premise of ensuring the MgO content, the dolomite amount should be decreased, and the substitution of quicklime for dolomite caused better sintering results. The granularity of serpentine should be refined with a proper size smaller than 2 mm. The application of the divided addition method brought the best sintering performance with 30wt% of quicklime and 70wt% of fuel.     

Parameter Modeling and Kinematical Simulation for Rotor and Stator of Screw Pump

The research object used in the dissertation was screw pump, which was widely applied in engineering field. The analysis of end face profile formation was completed on its main working components, i.e., rotor and stator. With the purpose of finding optimal parameters to improve the efficiency of screw pump design, the key technologies involved in the parametric modeling of rotor and stator were analyzed. The three-dimensional (3D) design software SolidWorks was used for the secondary development and parametric modeling of rotor and stator. After that the simulation models of different kinds of screw pumps were established based on the cycloid type, variation coefficient, and screw head number. Finally the COSMOSMotion was used to analyze the motion characteristics on the equidistant line of rotor, including velocity and acceleration. This design and modeling method has been used in screw pump enterprises for design and development, laying the foundation for finite element analysis and further optimization of screw pump.     

Fabrication and adhesion of hierarchical micro-seta

Spark-erosion perforating technology was used to fabricate a Cu-based template characterized by pores with radius of 0.5 mm inclined at 75°. A commercial silicone elastomer of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) with a rich Si-H content was used to produce an inclined array of primary setae. The technique of argon ion plasma etching on crystalline silicon was used to fabricate negative templates with radii of 5, 10, and 20 μm. The Si-H rich PDMS was used to cast three types of fine array templates, which acted as the secondary setae. A vinyl-rich PDMS precursor was used to bind the primary and secondary setae by a hydrosilylation reaction, thus allowing the formation of three different hierarchical arrangements of setae. Adhesion tests demonstrated that shear adhesion was anisotropic, first increasing in strength then decreasing to a stable level as slippage occurred. The adhesion strength was significantly influenced by the nature of the secondary setae, showing a strong correlation with aspect-ratio and concentration.     

A Numerical Method for Cavity Identification in Beams on an Elastic Foundation

An analytical solution for the natural frequencies of a beam containing a cavity on an elastic foundation is presented. Based on the analytical solution, a numerical method for identifying cavities in the foundation is developed. The position and size of the cavities are identified by minimizing an objective function, which is formulated according to the difference between the computed and measured natural frequencies of the system. The conjugate gradient algorithm is adopted for minimizing the objective function. Some numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the applicability of the presented cavity determination method. The results show that the presented method can be used to identify the cavity position and size conveniently and efficiently.     

Interaction of Units and Research Methods of Control Performances of Distributed Manufacturing Information System

In order to analyze the function demand of the distributed manufacturing information system as well as its control demand, and eliminate information ambiguity among system units to integrate semantics, the abstract Agent model and computational structure of each unit was presented based on flexible coupling automata. The autonomy of each unit was investigated in this foundation. The system unit was described using the Web Ontology Language （OWL） ontology. And the system semantics was also integrated. On these basics the communication among the system units was analyzed with an example of interaction between a machine and a warehouse. The control performances of information system units were investigated using Boolean matrix as a substitute for traditional process in RW theory, which reduced the computational complexity. This work established the foundation for the demand analysis, design and development of the distributed manufacture information system.     

Fractals in Spatial Patterns of Vegetation Formations

Introduction The quantification of spatial patterns, a focal subject in ecological research, is used as a foundation for meas-urement and analysis of the quality of habitats and the biodiversity[1]. Historically, the dominant approach has been used to cho…     

Integration of a statistical emulator approach with the SCE-UA method for parameter optimization of a hydrological model

Parameter optimization of a hydrological model is an indispensable process within model development and application.The lack of knowledge regarding the efficient optimization of model parameters often results in a bottle-neck within the modeling process,resulting in the effective calibration and validation of distributed hydrological models being more difficult to achieve.The classical approaches to global parameter optimization are usually characterized by being time consuming,and having a high computation cost.For this reason,an integrated approach coupling a meta-modeling approach with the SCE-UA method was proposed,and applied within this study to optimize hydrological model parameter estimation.Meta-modeling was used to determine the optimization range for all parameters,following which the SCE-UA method was applied to achieve global parameter optimization.The multivariate regression adaptive splines method was used to construct the response surface as a surrogate model to a complex hydrological model.In this study,the daily distributed time-variant gain model(DTVGM) applied to the Huaihe River Basin,China,was chosen as a case study.The integrated objective function based on the water balance coefficient and the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient was used to evaluate the model performance.The case study shows that the integrated method can efficiently complete the multi-parameter optimization process,and also demonstrates that the method is a powerful tool for efficient parameter optimization.     

Researches on the key technology and equipment for rapid construction of long tunnels with large section

Excavation and lining are two main and important tasks in tunnel construction. Conventional sequential operations may not be appropriate due to time limit for a project and the high cost of construction. The authors developed the new mode of tunnel construction that excavation and lining can be operated simultaneously. The new mode of tunnel construction was applied in Dahuofang Water Conveyance Project in Liaoning Province successfully. This paper makes a comparison of Main Beam TBMs and Double Shield TBMs, the type selection of TBM used in Dahuofang Water Conveyance Project, and the features of Full-ring Inner-through Lining Shutter Jumbo which solves the problem of interference between excavation and lining.     

Fluid-Structure Interaction During Large Amplitude Sloshing and TLD Vibration Control

The arbitrary Lagrange-Eulerian (ALE) finite element method (FEM) was successfully used to analyze fluid-structure interaction with a free surface. The fluid was regarded as a convection dominated incompressible viscous with the viscous and the slip boundary conditions. Generalized variational principles were established for the problem with large amplitude sloshing due to the free fluid surface. The Newmark-β integration method with a predictor-corrector scheme was used to solve the nonlinear dynamic response of the coupled ALE-FEM equations. Numerical examples were given to analyze the effects of a tuned liquid damper (TLD) setting on the structure. The horizontal nonlinear displacement responses in time domain at the top of the structure and the fluid elevation histories along the wall were computed and compared with predictions of a simplified mass-spring system.     

Properties of garnet-type Li6La3ZrTaO12 solid electrolyte films fabricated by aerosol deposition method

The garnet-type Li_6La_3ZrTaO_(12)(LLZT) solid electrolyte films were fabricated by aerosol deposition(AD)method.Ball-milled LLZT powder with a cubic garnet structure and a particle size of 1-2 urn was used as raw material and deposited directly on a SUS316L or a glass substrate via impact consolidation.As-deposited LLZT film has a cubic garnet structure but contains Li_2CO_3 and La_2Zr_2O_7 phases.SEM observation revealed that the film consists of LLZT particles fractured into submicron size.The impurity phase formation during AD process was caused by the local heating by the collision between LLZT particles and deposition surface and reaction with CO_2.The Li~+ ion conductivity of LLZT film was estimated to be 0.24 × 10~(-5)S cm~(-1) at room temperature.Electronic conductivity of LLZT film was confirmed to be around 10~(-12) S cm~(-1),indicating the dominant Li~+ ion conduction of LLZT film.     

Effect of High-Frequency Vertical Vibration of Track on Formation and Evolution of Corrugations

The effect of high-frequency curved track vibrations in the vertical direction on the formation and development of rail corrugation was analyzed. Kalker‘s non-Hertzian rolling contact theory was modified and used to calculate the frictional work density on the contact area of the wheel and rail in rolling when a wheelset is steadily curving. The material loss unit area was assumed to be proportional to the frictional work density to determine the wear depth of the contact surface of the rail. The combined influences of the corrugation and the coupled dynamics of the railway vehicle and track were taken into consideration in the numerical simulation. For simplicity, the model considered one fourth of freight car without lateral motion,namely, a wheelset and the equivalent one fourth freight car body above it. The Euler beam was used to model the rails with the track structure under the rails replaced with equivalent springs, dumpers, and mass bodies. The numerical results show that the high-frequency track vibration causes formation of the initial corrugation on the smooth contact surface of the rail when a wheelset is steadily curving. The corrugation wave,length depends on the frequencies and the rolling speed of the wheelset. The vibration frequencies also affect the depth and increase the corrugation.     

Mathematical modeling and simulation of the interface region of a tri-layer composite material, brass-steel-brass, produced by cold rolling

The object of this study was to find the optimum conditions for the production of a sandwich composite from the sheets of brass-steel-brass. The experimental data obtained during the production process were used to validate the simulation program, which was written to establish the relation between the interface morphology and the thickness reduction amount of the composite. For this purpose, two surfaces of a steel sheet were first prepared by scratching brushing before inserting it between two brass sheets with smooth surfaces. Three sheets were then subjected to a cold rolling process for producing a tri-layer composite with various thick- nesses. The sheet interface after rolling was studied by different techniques, and the bonding strength for each rolling condition was determined by peeling test. Moreover, a relation between interfacial bonding strength and thickness reduction was found. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data and the available theoretical models to modify the original simulation program with high application efficiency used for predicting the behavior of the interface under different pressures.     

Combination Approach of FEM and Circuit System in IR Drop Analysis and Its Applications

A method was developed to solve the combined system of the current field and the circuit. The ＂super-node＂ was used to transform the matrix for conventional nodal analyses of a circuit system from non-positive definite to positive definite. Then, a positive definite matrix for the overall system was obtained by combining the matrix from the circuit nodal analysis method and the matrix resulted from finite element method （FEM） formulation to solve the FEM fields. This approach has been successfully applied to simulate the electrical potential and current distributions on each metal layer of printed circuit boards （PCBs） and integrated circuit （IC） packages for a given power supply. The simulation results can then be used to analyze the properties of the PCBs and IC packages such as the port resistances and IR drops. The results can also be used to optimize PCB and IC package designs, such as by adjusting the power/ground distribution networks.     

New discoveries on the effects of desertification on the ground temperature of permafrost and its significance to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The desert and permafrost conditions of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are unique.However,the effects of desertification on the ground temperature of permafrost are currently unclear.Recently,understanding this problem has become more urgent because of increasing desertification on the plateau.For this reason,an observational field experiment was undertaken by the authors at Honglianghe on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.Thermistor ground temperature probes were used,and synchronized contrasting observations were made in an open area.Observations of the ground temperature of permafrost below sand layers with a range of thicknesses were made from May 2010 to April 2011.The sand layers were found to play a key role in the protection of the underlying permafrost.The ground temperature below a permafrost table overlain by a thick sand layer was lower than that of the average annual temperature for the natural ground surface,and the temperature drop was roughly constant at 0.2°C.During the warmer part of the year (May to September),the maximum temperature drops over the five months were 3.40,3.72,4.85,3.16,and 1.88°C,respectively.The ground temperature near a permafrost table overlain by a thin sand layer was also lower than that of the average annual temperature for the natural ground surface.However,in this case the average of the annual maximum temperature drop was significantly less,0.71°C.The scientific significance of our preliminary conclusions is not only to present an exploration of the interaction between desertification and permafrost,but also to provide new engineering ideas for protecting the permafrost in regions where construction is required on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.     

Fabrication of micro gear wheels by micropowder injection molding

The micropowder injection molding technology was investigated to fabricate the microsized gear wheels on a conventional injection molding machine. The feedstock comprised of carbonyl ferrum powder and a wax-based thermoplastic binder. Microinjection molding was fulfilled at about 423 K under 100 MPa. The heating system was applied to the die to improve the fluidity of the feedstock and subsequently the cooling system was used to enhance the strength of the green compacts after injection by decreasing the temperature of the die. The gear wheels were realized successfully with their addendum circle diameter ranging from 800 to 200 um and with the center hole as small as 60 um.     

The effect of nanohybrid materials on the pour-point and viscosity depressing of waxy crude oil

The pipeline transportation of waxy crude oil is a problem both at home and abroad.In this paper,a novel nanohybrid pour-point depressant (PPD) was used to decrease the pour point and viscosity of waxy crude oil.The pour point and apparent viscosity of waxy crude oil was decreased significantly upon addition of the nanohybrid PPD,and the long-term stability of the nanohybrid PPD was superior to that of a conventional ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer PPD.Polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to study the effect of the nanohybrid PPD on the crystallization of crude oil.Addition of the nanohybrid PPD reduced the amount of wax crystals,prevented their aggregation,and reduced the temperature at which the crude oil started to crystallize.The significant effect of this nanohybrid PPD on the pour point and viscosity depressing of crude oil is of great importance for facilitating the safe,efficient and energy-minimized transportation of waxy crude oil.     

Experimental and numerical study on plasma nitriding of AISI P20 mold steel

In this study, plasma nitriding was used to fabricate a hard protective layer on AISI P20 steel, at three process temperatures (450°C, 500°C, and 550°C) and over a range of time periods (2.5, 5, 7.5, and 10 h), and at a fixed gas N₂:H₂ ratio of 75vol%:25vol%. The morphology of samples was studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, and the formed phase of each sample was determined by X-ray diffraction. The elemental depth profile was measured by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, wavelength dispersive spectroscopy, and glow dispersive spectroscopy. The hardness profile of the samples was identified, and the microhardness profile from the surface to the sample center was recorded. The results show that ε-nitride is the dominant species after carrying out plasma nitriding in all strategies and that the plasma nitriding process improves the hardness up to more than three times. It is found that as the time and temperature of the process increase, the hardness and hardness depth of the diffusion zone considerably increase. Furthermore, artificial neural networks were used to predict the effects of operational parameters on the mechanical properties of plastic mold steel. The plasma temperature, running time of imposition, and target distance to the sample surface were all used as network inputs; Vickers hardness measurements were given as the output of the model. The model accurately reproduced the experimental outcomes under different operational conditions; therefore, it can be used in the effective simulation of the plasma nitriding process in AISI P20 steel.     

Effect of microstructure on the breakage of tin bronze machining chips during pulverization via jet milling

In this study, jet milling was used to recycle tin bronze machining chips into powder. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the microstructure of tin bronze machining chips on their breakage behavior. An experimental target jet mill was used to pulverize machining chips of three different tin bronze alloys containing 7wt%, 10wt%, and 12wt% of tin. Optical and electron microscopy, as well as sieve analysis, were used to follow the trend of pulverization. Each alloy exhibited a distinct rate of size reduction, particle size distribution, and fracture surface appearance. The results showed that the degree of pulverization substantially increased with increasing tin content. This behavior was attributed to the higher number of machining cracks as well as the increased volume fraction of brittle δ phase in the alloys with higher tin contents. The δ phase was observed to strongly influence the creation of machining cracks as well as the nucleation and propagation of cracks during jet milling. In addition, a direct relationship was observed between the mean δ-phase spacing and the mean size of the jet-milled product; i.e., a decrease in the δ-phase spacing resulted in smaller particles.