Search

As various international and government institutions have decreed that electronic devices must adhere to electromagnetic safety standards before they enter the market, electromagnetic shielding has become an important aspect of design considerations. Various materials at different price points have specific characteristics that may cause them to become either optimal or ill-fitting for specific applications, however, testing their shielding capability can be difficult without the expensive equipment in testing facilities. In this paper, a handheld electromagnetic (EM) meter was used in a simplified test set up to assess the shielding effectiveness of 6 shielding materials: silver sleeve, steel mesh, conductive ABS, Al tape, and Al metallised film. Silver sleeve, Al tape, and Al metallised film were chosen to shield a robotic medical device based on their shielding capability, cost-effectiveness, and design flexibility. The CISPR 11 radiated emissions test results of the robotic medical device validated the shielding effectiveness of the materials chosen showing that the handheld EM meter was able to assess the materials’ shielding capability.As various international and government institutions have decreed that electronic devices must adhere to electromagnetic safety standards before they enter the market, electromagnetic shielding has become an important aspect of design considerations. Various materials at different price points have specific characteristics that may cause them to become either optimal or ill-fitting for specific applications, however, testing their shielding capability can be difficult without the expensive equipment in testing facilities. In this paper, a handheld electromagnetic (EM) meter was used in a simplified test set up to assess the shielding effectiveness of 6 shielding materials: silver sleeve, steel mesh, conductive ABS, Al tape, and Al metallised film. Silver sleeve, Al tape, and Al metallised film were chosen to shield a robotic medical device based on their shielding capability, cost-effectiveness, and design flexibility. The CISPR 11 radiated emissions test results of the robotic medical device validated th...

As an important part of the valve opening and closing controller in engine, camshaft has high machining accuracy requirement in designing. Taking the high-speed camshaft grinder spindle system as the research object and the spindle system performance as the optimizing target, this paper firstly uses Solidworks to establish the three-dimensional finite element model (FEM) of spindle system, then conducts static analysis and the modal analysis by applying the established FEM in ANSYS Workbench, and finally uses the design optimization function of the ANSYS Workbench to optimize the structure parameter in the spindle system. The study results prove that the design of the spindle system fully meets the production requirements, and the performance of the optimized spindle system is promoted. Besides, this paper provides an analysis and optimization method for other grinder spindle systems.

The technology of parabolic trough collectors (PTC) is used widely in concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants worldwide. However this type of large-size collectors cannot be officially tested by an accredited laboratory and certified by an accredited certification body so far, as there is no standard adapted to its particularity, and the current published standard for solar thermal collectors are not completely applicable to them. Recently some standardization committees have been working on this technology. This paper aims to give a summary of the standardized testing methodology of large-size PTC for CSP plants, giving the physical model chosen for modeling the thermal performance of the collector in the new revision of standard ISO 9806 and the points still to be improved in the standard draft IEC 62862-3-2. In this paper, a summary of the testing validation performed on one parabolic trough collector installed in one of the test facilities at the Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) with this new model is also presented.

Traditional rake type mulching film recycling machine has the problem of difficulty in unloading and packing film, poor continuity of the work. In order to solve such problems, this paper designs a kind of chain rake type mulching film recycling machine which can realize continuous raking film, collecting film, transporting film, shaking off soil, unloading film. Rake teeth is the basic part of chain rake mulching recycling machine. The stability of rake teeth’s inserting soil is an important factor to ensure recovery efficiency of the plastic film recovery. By virtual prototype simulation, this paper study the influence of different factors on the stability of rake teeth inserting soil. The results are as follow: ①The speed of chain rake has no significant effect on the stability of rake teeth inserting soil; ②Reducing resistance of rake teeth in the process of working, is conducive to improve the stability of rake teeth inserting soil; ③Appropriate increasing elastic modulus of chain rake, is helpful to...

Dynamically induced phase transitions in metals, within the present discussion, are those that take place within a time scale characteristic of the shock waves and any reflections or rarefactions involved in the loading structure along with associated plastic flow. Contemporary topics of interest include the influence of loading wave shape, the effect of shear produced by directionality of the loading relative to the sample dimensions and initial velocity field, and the loading duration (kinetic effects, hysteresis) on the appearance and longevity of a transformed phase. These topics often arise while considering the loading of parts of various shapes with high explosives, are typically two or three-dimensional, and are often selected because of the potential of the transformed phase to significantly modify the motion. In this paper, we look at current work on phase transitions in metals influenced by shear reported in the literature, and relate recent work conducted at Los Alamos on iron’s epsilon phase transition that indicates a significant response to shear produced by reflected elastic waves. A brief discussion of criteria for the occurrence of stress induced phase transitions is provided. Closing remarks regard certain physical processes, such as fragmentation and jet formation, which may be strongly influenced by phase transitions.Dynamically induced phase transitions in metals, within the present discussion, are those that take place within a time scale characteristic of the shock waves and any reflections or rarefactions involved in the loading structure along with associated plastic flow. Contemporary topics of interest include the influence of loading wave shape, the effect of shear produced by directionality of the loading relative to the sample dimensions and initial velocity field, and the loading duration (kinetic effects, hysteresis) on the appearance and longevity of a transformed phase. These topics often arise while considering the loading of parts of various shapes with high explosives, are typically two or three-dimensional, and are often selected because of the potential of the transformed phase to significantly modify the motion. In this paper, we look at current work on phase transitions in metals influenced by shear reported in the literature, and relate recent work conducted at Los Alamos on iron’s epsilon phase ...

The paper presents preliminary results of dynamic tests of the masonry barrel vault in a technical scale. Experimental studies are intended to identify material properties of homogenized masonry vaults under dynamic loads. The aim of the work is to create numerical models to analyse vault’s dynamic response to dynamic loads in a simplest and accurate way. The process of building the vault in a technical scale is presented in the paper. Furthermore a excitation of vibrations with an electrodynamic modal exciter placed on the vault, controlled by an arbitrary waveform function generator, is discussed. Finally paper presents trends in the research for homogenization algorithm enabling dynamic analysis of masonry vaults.Experimental results were compared with outcomes of so-called macromodels (macromodel of a brick masonry is a model in which masonry, i.e. a medium consisting of two different fractions – bricks and mortar, is represented by a homogenized, uniformed, material). Homogenization entail significan...

The paper deals with use of LOOP thermosyphon heat pipe to transfer heat from electrotechnical box and describe of construction individual types of LOOP heat pipes. The LOOP heat pipe is very good cooling device which requires no mechanical parts in their design. LOOP heat pipe use only phase change during heat transfer, without a compressor, fan or pump. LOOP heat pipe is more energy saving compared to conventional cooling systems with forced convection. The main advantage of cooling by heat pipe is that electrotechnical box can be hermetically closed (dust -free construction), because dust reduces the lifetime of electrotechnical elements in box. Lifetime of LOOP heat pipe equals to the lifetime of construction material. The paper describes mathematical model of LOOP thermosyphon heat pipe (condenser). Compares selected types of working fluids which are filled with a heat pipe and construction materials of heat pipe.

According to available literature, it is assumed that outer packaging container, which is usually made of corrugated cardboard, does not influence the mitigation of the impact effects, thus in the designing process of packaging system the outer packaging is skipped. The purpose of this paper is to verify the above assumption, including determination of the influence of the 5-layer cardboard on the properties of structures that consist of that cardboard and polyethylene foam. Verification is performed with the use of the finite element method. To apply this method the dynamic compression curve of cushioning material is required. Therefore in the paper it is also presented the modified method to determine the curve.

Alstom is developing solar power tower plants utilizing molten salt as the working fluid. In solar power tower, the molten salt central receiver (MSCR) atop of the tower is constructed of banks of tubes arranged in panels creating a heat transfer surface exposed to the solar irradiation from the heliostat field. The molten salt heat transfer fluid (HTF), in this case 60/40%wt NaNO3-KNO3, flows in serpentine flow through the surface collecting sensible heat thus raising the HTF temperature from 290°C to 565°C. The hot molten salt is stored and dispatched to produce superheated steam in a steam generator, which in turn produces electricity in the steam turbine generator. The MSCR based power plant with a thermal energy storage system (TESS) is a fully dispatchable renewable power plant with a number of opportunities for operational and economic optimization.This paper presents operation and controls challenges to the MSCR and the overall power plant, and the use of dynamic model computer simulation based transient analyses applied to molten salt based solar thermal power plant. This study presents the evaluation of the current MSCR design, using a dynamic model, with emphasis on severe events affecting critical process response, such as MS temperature deviations, and recommend MSCR control design improvements based on the results. Cloud events are the scope of the transient analysis presented in this paper. The paper presents results from a comparative study to examine impacts or effects on key process variables related to controls and operation of the MSCR plant.

This paper seeks to determine whether the Finite Volume method within a commercially available Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solver (ANSYS Fluent) can model radiation with comparable accuracy to a Monte Carlo ray-tracing software package (SolTrace). A detailed investigation was performed into modeling techniques that can be used to significantly reduce the optical errors traditionally associated with CFD modeling of radiation false scattering and ray effect using a simple optical test case. The strategies formulated in the first part of this paper were used to model a variety of Linear Fresnel Collector Concentrating Solar Power Plants. This paper shows that commercial CFD packages yield accurate results for line focusing concentrating solar applications and simple geometries, validating its use in an integrated environment where both optical and thermal performance of these plants can be simulated and optimized.

The paper presents preliminary results of a partnership project between academic research groups and industrial partners. The LFR500 project aims at developing a prototype of Linear Fresnel Reflector (LFR) solar power plants able to work above 500°C providing Direct Steam Generation (DSG) under 90 bars. LFR plants usually operate at 300°C, but at 500°C the efficiency is raised by more than 50%. Since thermal losses are mainly radiative at this working temperature, the absorber layers must satisfy both conditions of solar absorption and low thermal emittance in the infrared (IR) domain (beyond 2450nm…). The paper will present both modeling, design of the absorptive multilayer and experimental demonstration of an absorbing tube at industrial scale. Furthermore, characterization and aging testing will be considered and presented

This paper presents a summary of the testing procedure and a validation of the methodology of parabolic trough collector in solar thermal power plants. The applied testing methodology is the one proposed within the Spanish standardization sub-committee AEN/CTN 206/SC117 working group WG2 related to the components for solar thermal power plants. This methodology is also proposed within the international committee IEC TC 117 (Standard draft IEC 62862-3-2 Ed. 1.0). This study is done at Plataforma Solar de Almeria (PSA) in Almeria within the European project STAGE-STE. This paper presents the results of the optical and thermal efficiency of a large-size parabolic trough collector. The obtained values are similar to the previous analysis on this collector by PSA. The results of the tracking system have a good accuracy compared to the acceptance angle of the concentrator.

Concentrating solar power co-generation systems have been identified as potential stand-alone solar energy supply solutions in remote rural energy applications. This study describes the modelling and synthesis of a combined heat and power Stirling CSP system in order to evaluate its potential performance in small off-grid rural village applications in Africa. This Stirling micro-Combined Heat and Power (micro-CHP) system has a 1 kW electric capacity, with 3 kW of thermal generation capacity which is produced as waste heat recovered from the solar power generation process. As part of the development of an intelligent microgrid control and distribution solution, the Trinum micro-CHP system and other co-generation systems are systematically being modelled on the TRNSYS simulation platform. This paper describes the modelling and simulation of the Trinum micro-CHP configuration on TRNSYS as part of the process to develop the control automation solution for the smart rural microgrid in which the Trinum will serve as a solar powerpack. The results present simulated performance outputs for the Trinum micro-CHP system for a number of remote rural locations in Africa computed from real-time TRNSYS solar irradiation and weather data (yearly, monthly, daily) for the relevant locations. The focus of this paper is on the parametric modelling of the Trinum Stirling micro-CHP system, with specific reference to this system as a TRNSYS functional block in the microgrid simulation. The model is used to forecast the solar energy harvesting potential of the Trinum micro-CHP unit at a number of remote rural sites in Africa.

Shear-slitting process is used to separate sheets which are produced in large rolls that need to be cut to specific dimensions to make final products. The high residual stresses, sheet deformation, secondary fractures and burr formation at cut surface during the cutting or slitting processes leads to deterioration of quality of workpiece. The paper focuses on the numerical and experimental analysis of slitting process using FEM, SPH and vision-based methods. In computer models dynamic effects, mechanical coupling, constitutive damage law and contact friction are taken into account. The effect of main process parameters on equivalent plastic strain state and burr formation on cut surface of aluminum alloy is analyzed. The results of computer simulations can be used to forecasting quality of the final parts optimization.

Experimentally determined efficiency characteristics of a supersonic micro turbine are discussed in the present paper. The micro turbine is a representative of a “micro-turbine-generator-construction-kit” for ORC small scale waste heat recovery. The isentropic total-to-static efficiency of the 12 kW turbine reaches an excellent design point performance of 73.4 %. Furthermore, its off-design operating behavior is very advantageous for small waste heat recovery plants: the turbine efficiency keeps a high level over a wide range of pressure ratio and rotational speed.

High altitude environment simulation system (HAES) is built to provide a true flight environment for subsonic vehicles, with low density, high speed, and short time characteristics. Normally, wind tunnel experiments are based on similar principal, such as parameters of Re or Ma, in order to shorten test product size. However, the test products in HAES are trim size, so more attention is put on the true flight environment simulation. It includes real flight environment pressure, destiny and real flight velocity, and its type velocity is Ma=0.8. In this paper, the aerodynamic design of HAES is introduced and its rationality is explained according to CFD calculation based on Fluent. Besides, the initial pressure of vacuum tank in HAES is optimized, which is not only to meet the economic requirements, but also to decrease the effect of additional stress on the test product in the process of the establishment of the target flow field.

Climate change as an ongoing anthropogenic environmental challenge is predominantly caused by an amplification in the amount of greenhouse gases (GHGs), notably carbon dioxide (CO2) in building sector. Global CO2 emissions are emitted from HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) occupation to provide thermal comfort in building. In fact, the amount of energy used for cooling or heating building is implication of building envelope design. Building envelope acts as interface layer of heat transfer between outdoor environment and the interior of a building. It appears as wall, window, roof and external shading device. This paper examines performance of various design strategy on building envelope to limit solar radiation and reduce cooling loads in tropical climate. The design strategies are considering orientation, window to wall ratio, material properties, and external shading device. This research applied simulation method using Autodesk Ecotect to investigate simultaneously between variations o...

Residual stresses induced in the component by previous thermal/mechanical processes are compressive or tensile stresses having a zero resultant. In particular, they arise as consequence of thermo-mechanical processes (e.g. ring-rolling process), casting and heat treatments. When machining stressed components, volume removal leads to a re-arrangement of residual stresses, which inevitably causes distortions in the workpiece. If distortions are excessive, they can lead to a large number of scrap parts. This paper describes the development of a numerical procedure for the analysis of the distortions on a waspaloy turbine case, obtained by ring rolling process. A 3D model of ring rolling process has been set in the commercial software DEFORM 3D. Three different ring rolling strategies have been analyzed, in order to find the combination of process parameters which allows to obtain the best component in terms of geometrical precision. Then, the heat treatments (air cooling, solubilization, stabilization and aging) have been simulated to predict the bulk residual stresses distributions. Finally, the numerical distortions induced by machining have been simulated considering the material removal in some machining operations.

After successful design and test of Shiraz 250 kW parabolic trough solar pilot plant it was decided to develop a commercial scale new parabolic trough collector. In this paper the process of basic and detail design, assumptions and also models used for optimal design will be discussed. Manufacturing of collector and installation of its’ several parts and future activities will be presented.

Z-Scan technology, which has the advantages of simple experimental device, convenient operation and high sensitivity, is widely used in study of nonlinear optical properties of materials. However, Z-Scan experiment is influenced by experimental environment, equipment, optical parameters and other factors, which will result in large differences in measurement data, and affect the calculation of three-order nonlinear optical polarization coefficient. Based on introducing the basic principle of laser Z-Scan technology, the paper focuses on the laser Z-Scan experiments, analysis of the factors that influence the measurement accuracy of Z-Scan, and put forward the corresponding method to improve Z-Scan experiment precision.

The Jack Rabbit experiments, performed by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, focus on detonation wave corner turning and shock desensitization. Indeed, while important for safety or charge design, the behaviour of explosives in these regimes is poorly understood. In this paper, our temperature based reactive burn model is calibrated for LX-17 and compared to the Jack Rabbit data. It is shown that our model can reproduce the corner turning and shock desensitization behaviour of four out of the five experiments.

Electric motive force which flows into the iron core continuously on a plate – plate iron isolated may cause heat posed by current eddy (eddy current). No water loss occurs due to detainees on the circuit at the the flow of current load because this loss happened on the entanglement of the transformer is made of copper. Continuously Transposed Conductors (CTC) consist of a number of enameled rectangular wires (5-84 strands) made into an assembly. Each strand is transposed in turn to each position in the cable and is then covered with layers of insulation paper. Continuously Transposed Conductors are used in winding wires for medium and ultra high power transformers. CTC is manufactured by OFHC copper and indeed, is able to supply polyester roped. CTC which has been designed to reduce production cost, oil pocket and improve cooling efficiency. Hardened type CTC (CPR1, CPR2, and CPR3: BS1432) and Self-bonding CTC which can be used to improve mechanical and electrical strength are also available. This analys...

Hydrostatic slideway is a key part in the heavy-duty gantry CNC machine, which supports the total weight of the gantry and moves smoothly along the table. Therefore, the oil film between sliding rails plays an important role on the carrying capacity and precision of machine. In this paper, the oil film in no friction is simulated with three-dimensional CFD. The carrying capacity of heavy hydrostatic slideway, pressure and velocity characteristic of the flow field are analyzed. The simulation result is verified through comparing with the experimental data obtained from the heavy-duty gantry machine. For the requirement of engineering, the oil film carrying capacity is analyzed with simplified theoretical method. The precision of the simplified method is evaluated and the effectiveness is verified with the experimental data. The simplified calculation method is provided for designing oil pad on heavy-duty gantry CNC machine hydrostatic slideway.

Simulations of high voltage detonators, such as Exploding Bridgewire (EBW) and Exploding Foil Initiators (EFI), have historically been simple, often empirical, one-dimensional models capable of predicting parameters such as current, voltage, and in the case of EFIs, flyer velocity. Experimental methods have correspondingly generally been limited to the same parameters. With the advent of complex, first principles magnetohydrodynamic codes such as ALEGRA MHD, it is now possible to simulate these components in three dimensions and predict greater range of parameters than before. A significant improvement in experimental capability was therefore required to ensure these simulations could be adequately verified. In this second paper of a three part study, data is presented from a flexible foil EFI header experiment. This study has shown that there is significant bridge expansion before time of peak voltage and that heating within the bridge material is spatially affected by the microstructure of the metal foil.

The work presented in this paper offers a robust, effective and economically competitive method for online detection and monitoring of the presence of molecular hydrogen in the heat transfer fluids of parabolic trough collector plants. The novel method is based on a specific fluorescent sensor according to the ES2425002 patent (“Method for the detection and quantification of hydrogen in a heat transfer fluid”).

The paper portrays the first year of two-year study in integration Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics (STEAM) in chemistry learning. The research focused on developing 21st-century skills of chemistry students in secondary schools. The 21st-century skills as a set of abilities that students need to develop in facing the future challenge which involves learning, literacy, and life skills. The study was conducted in two secondary schools both public and private school in topics of hydrocarbon, petroleum, solubility, and acid base in year 10 and 11. The qualitative methodology was applied to explore the students’ learning experiences and understanding the research context. Data was collected through observation, interview, reflective journal, and 21st-century rubric. The STEAM approach was integrated through modification of project-based learning model. The students had opportunities to develop their own projects by integrating chemistry and STEAM principles to their project. The results ...

Damage detection of wind turbine blades is difficult due to their complex geometry and large size, for which large deployment of sensing systems is typically not economical. A solution is to develop and deploy dedicated sensor networks fabricated from inexpensive materials and electronics. The authors have recently developed a novel skin-type strain gauge for measuring strain over very large surfaces. The skin, a type of large-area electronics, is constituted from a network of soft elastomeric capacitors. The sensing system is analogous to a biological skin, where local strain can be monitored over a global area. In this paper, we propose the utilization of a dense network of soft elastomeric capacitors to detect, localize, and quantify damage on wind turbine blades. We also leverage mature off-the-shelf technologies, in particular resistive strain gauges, to augment such dense sensor network with high accuracy data at key locations, therefore constituting a hybrid dense sensor network. The proposed hybri...

This paper presents the analytical and simulation results of optimizing the radiative heat transfer performance of horizontal rectangular fin array heat sink. The fin thickness and inter-fin spacing need to be properly designed to eliminate surface area changes accompanying the creation of fin structures. Analytical expression for this change in area is developed in this work and used in identifying the optimum number of fins and their corresponding inter-fin spacing for a given rectangular space of a radiative heat sink. COMSOL Multiphysics software is used to simulate the structures considered in the above analysis. The performances of the simulated structures as radiative heat sinks are compared with the ones suggested by the developed empirical equation. The results from the two methods agreed with each successfully in the sense that the structures with large numerical radiative power from the simulations are found to also be the optimum structures suggested by the analytical formula derived in this work.

Thermal adaptability is an important part of the aerial optoelectronic equipment to adapt to the working environment. In this paper, the parameters and working conditions of an electro-optical equipment are introduced, and the thermal adaptability is analyzed with the optical design. According to the heat transfer theory, combined with the actual conditions of the equipment, the thermal design is carried out. The temperature distribution in 6 hours is obtained by simulation analysis. The results show that the thermal design is suitable for the actual working conditions of the existing equipment, and the maximum temperature difference between the primary and secondary mirrors at any time is 4.2°C, which meets the requirement of the maximum temperature difference of 5°C.

SHAMS 1 (“Shams” means “Sun” in Arabic) Concentrated Solar Power plant is a very successful example of a modern plant, which combines the known configuration of a parabolic trough technology with the well-established power generation technologies operated at 540°C live steam temperature while respecting the specific requirement of the daily starts and shutdowns. In addition to the high live steam temperature challenge and being located in the middle of the desert approx. 120 km south west of the city of Abu Dhabi, the plant has to face, the plant has to fact several atmospheric challenges like the high dust concentration, wind storms, and high ambient temperature. This paper, written jointly by Shams Power Company – the project and operating company and MAN Diesel & Turbo – the steam turbine original manufacturer, describes the challenges in optimizing the design of the steam turbine to fulfill the requirement of fast start up while operating the plant on daily transient pattern for minimum 30 years. It a...

Photovoltaic - Concentrated Solar Power (PV-CSP) hybrid technology is considered to be an important future research trend in solar energy engineering. The development of the PV-CSP hybrid technology accelerates in recent years with the rapid maturation of photovoltaics (PV) and concentrated solar power (CSP). This paper presents the recent advances on PV-CSP technology, including different technologies based on new dispatch strategies, Organic Rankine Cycles, spectral beam filters and so on. The research status and the hybrid system performance of the recent researches are summarized, aimed to provide an extended recognition on the PV-CSP hybrid technology. The advantages and limitations of the hybrid system are concluded according to the researches reviewed.

Pneumatic impact mechanisms are widely used in construction, mining and other economic sectors of a country. Such mechanisms are a base for a wide range of machines of various types and dimensions from hand-held tools to mounted piling hammers with impact energy up to 10 000 J. This paper is aimed at creation of pneumatic impact mechanism with the improved characteristics, including operation, energy use, weight and size which is especially important in space-limited working conditions. The research methods include development of computer mathematical model that can solve equations system and test a prototype model at the experimental stand. As a result of conducted research the pneumatic impact mechanism with the improved characteristics was developed. An engineering method for calculating throttle pneumatic impact mechanisms with a preset value of impact energy from 1 to 20 000 was investigated. This method allows creating percussive machines of a wide range of application.

In recent years, high frequency welding has been widely used in production because of its advantages of simplicity, reliability and high quality. In the production process, how to effectively control the weld penetration welding, ensure full penetration, weld uniform, so as to ensure the welding quality is to solve the problem of the present stage, it is an important research field in the field of welding technology. In this paper, based on the study of some methods of welding inspection, a set of on-line welding quality inspection system based on machine vision is designed.

The problem of heat damage in high temperature mine has been attached more and more concern to. In addition, the existing solutions also have problems which are large initial investment and poor safety performance. Vortex tube type of mine cooling jacket, studied in this paper, using vortex tube refrigeration principle. It used compressed exhaust gas as the gas source, which can solve the problem of the large-scale cooling equipment which rely on electricity, and may not emit toxic gases at the same time. Thereby, by using the method of observation and questionnaire survey, the parameters of the vortex tube were optimized for optimal cooling effect. In conclusion, the features of security, reliability, energy saving and environmental protection can be realized by the vortex tube type of cooling jacket. What’s more important, we had investigated the feasibility of the application of vortex tube type of mine cooling jacket.

The air-air ejectors in conjunction with a rotary vacuum pump are used to create and maintain vacuum in sealed chamber for technological purposes. This system can partially decrease the value of the produced vacuum and eliminate the cavitation phenomenon due to the higher inlet pressure present on the suction throat of the vacuum pump [1]. The main working principle of any kind of ejector is the transfer of the kinetic energy conserved in the primary medium, which is made by the interchange of momentum to the driven secondary medium. Because of the low density of the used gases is the increase of kinetic energy possible only with a nozzle, which has the highest outlet velocity without the change of inlet parameters. This paper presents an automatable design and CFD simulation method for axisymmetric plug nozzles.

This paper proposes an innovative volumetric solar absorber design to be used in high-temperature air receivers of solar power tower plants. The innovative absorber, a so-called CPC-stacked-plate configuration, applies the well-known principle of a compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) for the first time in a volumetric solar receiver, heating air to high temperatures. The proposed absorber configuration is analyzed numerically, applying first the open-source ray-tracing software Tonatiuh in order to obtain the solar flux distribution on the absorber’s surfaces. Next, a Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) analysis of a representative single channel of the innovative receiver is performed, using the commercial CFD software ANSYS Fluent. The solution of the conjugate heat transfer problem shows that the behavior of the new absorber concept is promising, however further optimization of the geometry will be necessary in order to exceed the performance of the classical absorber designs.

The use of Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) has rapidly evolved from an emerging technology to the industry standards in Materials, Manufacturing, Chemical, Civil, and Aerospace engineering. Despite this the recognition of the ICME merits has been somewhat lacking within NDE community. This is due in part to the makeup of NDE practitioners. They are a very diverse but regimented group. More than 80% of NDE experts are trained and certified as NDT Level 3’s and auditors in order to perform their daily inspection jobs. These jobs involve detection of attribute of interest, which may be a defect or condition or both, in a material. These jobs are performed in strict compliance with procedures that have been developed over many years by trial-and-error with minimal understanding of the underlying physics and interplay between the NDE methods setup parameters. It is not in the nature of these trained Level 3’s experts to look for alternate or out-of-the box, solutions. Instead, they follow the procedures for compliance as required by regulatory agencies. This approach is time-consuming, subjective, and is treated as a bottleneck in today’s manufacturing environments. As such, there is a need for new NDE tools that provide rapid, high quality solutions for studying structural and dimensional integrity in parts at a reduced cost. NDE simulations offer such options by a shortening NDE technique development-time, attaining a new level in the scientific understanding of physics of interactions between interrogating energy and materials, and reducing costs. In this paper, we apply NDE simulation (XRSIM as an example) for simulating X-Ray techniques for studying aerospace components. These results show that NDE simulations help: 1) significantly shorten NDE technique development-time, 2) assist in training NDE experts, by facilitating the understanding of the underlying physics, and 3) improve both capability and reliability of NDE methods in terms of coverage maps.

Thermal regulation of building-integrated concentrating photovoltaic (BICPV) systems have a direct influence on the photovoltaic performance. This paper investigates the thermal behavior of a BICPV and phase change material (PCM) system through numerical modeling simulations. Based on an updated mathematical model, theoretical simulation has been conducted for a BICPV-PCM system. The results show a 3% electrical efficiency improvement of the BICPV-PCM system in certain cases.

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a technology that first emerged in 1987 with stereolithography (SL) of plastic materials from 3D Systems. It saw light use for rapid prototyping and very low volume production for a number of years. However, in the past few years AM of metallic materials has become a practical fabrication technology, use is rapidly increasing and is projected to continue with double digit growth in coming years. The promise and flexibility shown by AM has spurred efforts to begin standardization of this type of process. This paper provides an assessment of the state of the art for in-situ process monitoring of AM processes with an emphasis on the production of metallic components. It is seen that with the implementation of proper process control there is potential to create reliable and reproducible materials and geometries previously unachievable using metal removal based means of production. A reliable methodology for detection and control of microstructure and defects would be of great value in terms of enabling broader AM utilization.

Analytical computer models of UT measurements are becoming more prominent in evaluating NDE methods – a process known as Model Assisted Probability of Detection, or MAPOD. As inspection requirements become more stringent, the respective models become more complex. An important application for aerospace structures involves inspection for cracks near boltholes in plate and layered structures. This paper describes a project to develop and validate analytical models for bolthole crack inspection, as well as to implement and demonstrate those models within an integrated graphical interface which can be used to simulate these inspections. The work involves a combination of approximate, paraxial, bulk-wave models as well as more rigorous, analytical models that include both bulk and surface/plate modes. The simpler models have greater flexibility and efficiency for handling complex geometry, while the more exact models are useful for benchmarking and assessing the accuracy of the paraxial versions. Model results will be presented for bolthole cracks in single layered components. Extensions of the models to multiple layers and to more complex geometries and materials will also be discussed.

This paper presents the comparative experimental results of an automotive air conditioning (AAC) system charged with refrigerants R1234yf and R134a which were analyzed to find the effect of increasing ambient temperature using energy and exergy-based approaches. The urgencies for such investigation are due to the demand of finding refrigerant both satisfy the performance and also compatible with Kyoto Protocol and EU f-gas regulation. For this aim, a bench-top experimental AAC system was constructed and tested at four different compressor speeds, namely 1000, 1500, 2000, and 2500 rpm. For each compressor speed, the temperatures of the air streams at the inlets of the inside duct was 30 °C and varies the outside duct, i.e. Tcond,ai, of 30, 35, and 40°C. It was revealed that the AAC system with R1234yf yield comparative performances shown by the higher mass flow rate, comparably less cooling capacity and COP than that of with R134a. The mass flow rates and power absorbed in the compressor get higher as Tcon...

Advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have led to an increase in the demand for reliable and robust inspection techniques to maintain safety critical features. The application of modelling methods to develop and evaluate inspections is becoming an essential tool for the NDE community. Current analytical methods are inadequate for simulation of arbitrary components and heterogeneous materials, such as anisotropic welds or composite structures. Finite element analysis software (FEA), such as PZFlex, can provide the ability to simulate the inspection of these arrangements, providing the ability to economically prototype and evaluate improved NDE methods. FEA is often seen as computationally expensive for ultrasound problems however, advances in computing power have made it a more viable tool. This paper aims to illustrate the capability of appropriate FEA to produce accurate simulations of ultrasonic array inspections – minimizing the requirement for expensive test-piece fabrication. Validation is afforded via corroboration of the FE derived and experimentally generated data sets for a test-block comprising 1D and 2D defects. The modelling approach is extended to consider the more troublesome aspects of heterogeneous materials where defect dimensions can be of the same length scale as the grain structure. The model is used to facilitate the implementation of new ultrasonic array inspection methods for such materials. This is exemplified by considering the simulation of ultrasonic NDE in a weld structure in order to assess new approaches to imaging such structures.

The paper investigates the possibility of using a previously developed mathematical model of strain resistance to describe the rheological behavior of the 01570C alloy (Russian Standard) of an Al-Mg-Sc-Zr system at 300 °C in the range of strain rates between 0.1 and 5 s−1. The model takes into account hardening due to an increase in dislocation density, as well as the barrier effect of blocking the motion of free dislocations, and softening due to dynamic recovery and dynamic recrystallization. The identification and verification of the model is made by the experimental data of cylindrical specimen compression obtained on a plastometric apparatus built at Institute of Engineering Science, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. According to the verification results, we can conclude that the considered model, with the calculation accuracy acceptable for engineering, describes the rheological behavior of the 01570C alloy at 300 °C for strain rates ranging from 0.1 to 5 s−1.

Ultrasound signals have been used extensively for non-destructive evaluation (NDE). However, typical reconstruction techniques, such as the synthetic aperture focusing technique (SAFT), are limited to quasi-homogenous thin media. New ultrasonic systems and reconstruction algorithms are in need for one-sided NDE of non-homogenous thick objects. An application example space is imaging of reinforced concrete structures for commercial nuclear power plants (NPPs). These structures provide important foundation, support, shielding, and containment functions. Identification and management of aging and degradation of concrete structures is fundamental to the proposed long-term operation of NPPs. Another example is geothermal and oil/gas production wells. These multi-layered structures are composed of steel, cement, and several types of soil and rocks. Ultrasound systems with greater penetration range and image quality will allow for better monitoring of the well’s health and prediction of high-pressure hydraulic fracturing of the rock. These application challenges need to be addressed with an integrated imaging approach, where the application, hardware, and reconstruction software are highly integrated and optimized. Therefore, we are developing an ultrasonic system with Model-Based Iterative Reconstruction (MBIR) as the image reconstruction backbone. As the first implementation of MBIR for ultrasonic signals, this paper document the first implementation of the algorithm and show reconstruction results for synthetically generated data.1

The 1-MW PUSPATI Research Reactor (RTP) is the one and only nuclear pool type research reactor developed by General Atomic (GA) in Malaysia. It was installed at Malaysian Nuclear Agency and has reached the first criticality on 8 June 1982. Based on the initial core which comprised of 80 standard TRIGA fuel elements, the very fundamental thermal hydraulic model was investigated during steady state operation using the PARET-code. The main objective of this paper is to determine the variation of temperature profiles and Departure of Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) of RTP at full power operation. The second objective is to confirm that the values obtained from PARET-code are in agreement with Safety Analysis Report (SAR) for RTP. The code was employed for the hot and average channels in the core in order to calculate of fuel’s center and surface, cladding, coolant temperatures as well as DNBR’s values. In this study, it was found that the results obtained from the PARET-code showed that the thermal hydraulic parameters related to safety for initial core which was cooled by natural convection was in agreement with the designed values and safety limit in SAR.

A major project is underway at Diamond Light Source to remove one of the 24 Double Bend Achromat (DBA) Storage Ring cells and replace it with a Double Double Bend Achromat (DDBA). In this way a new Insertion Device (ID) straight can be created and so ID light can be produced and delivered to a beamline previously only capable of receiving Bending Magnet (BM) radiation. This project is in support of the micro-focus Protein Crystallography (MX) beamline VMX-m which is scheduled to take users towards the end of 2017. This paper describes the Engineering Design of the DDBA project in more detail and gives the current status of the project.

The Concentrix CPV technology was developed over the last ten years from a laboratory scale to an industrial scale with fully automized production lines and installed in multi MW CPV power plants. This paper describes the R&D work which was required to proceed from first prototypes to industrial products. Highlighted are significant steps to improve the performance of the CPV modules, the reproducibility of the production processes and the reduction of cost of the CPV system. The module efficiency was continuously increased resulting in a module efficiency of 33.8 % for the latest commercially available product and a world record efficiency of 38.9 % for a prototype module. A 44 MWp CPV power plant with Concentrix technology started operation in 2014 and reached a very homogeneous daily average DC efficiency of close to 25 % for 1.5 MWp blocks.

This paper presents the prediction of the chip formation at the machining process using a lathe machine in a more specific way focusing on facing cutting (face turning). The main purpose is to propose a new approach to predict the chip formation with the variation of the cutting directions i.e., the backward and forward direction. In addition, the interaction between stress analysis and chip formation on cutting process was also investigated. The simulations were conducted using three dimensional (3D) finite element method based on ABAQUS software with aluminum and high speed steel (HSS) as the workpiece and the tool materials, respectively. The simulation result showed that the chip resulted using a backward direction depicts a better formation than that using a conventional (forward) direction.

In the paper, we present the Budker Institute long term plans for laying the plasma physics database for an advanced fuel fusion reactor based on the axisymmetric linear magnetic trap. The general approach to development of the reactor utilizes the idea that confinement of a plasma with the highest pressure can be obtained in a linear device with multi-mirror end sections attached at both ends to suppress the axial plasma losses. To develop the required database a stepwise approach is applied, which suggests construction of the several experimental devices with progressively increasing plasma parameters, which incorporate the different constituents of the approach. Ultimately, after successfully proving the ideas in the experiments, a prototype of the reactor will be constructed in the Budker Institute.

The paper considers the technique of hybrid concentrator solar plants developing with a new design that increases the optical concentration ratio and utilizes additionally diffuse solar radiation. The circulation of heat carrier passes in divided PV modules and thermal collectors circuits on a common carrier platform with the implementation of resetting heat in a counter flow mode in the linear heat exchangers. Described data experiments and calculations of specific performance of electric and thermal energy for different concentration ratio and at different installation latitudes as well as the cost of energy production calculations.