Application of shortened heat treatment cycles on A356 automotive brake calipers with respective globular and dendritic microstructures

Since the automotive industry has many possible applications for semi-solid metal (SSM)-high-pressure die casting (HPDC) parts, the newly developed heat treatment cycles, as well as the traditional heat treatment cycles, were applied to A356 brake calipers cast using a LK DCC630 HPDC machine.Vickers hardness measurements at a cross section of the brake calipers were performed, indicating that similar values can be obtained when using the significantly shorter heat treatment cycles.Finally, the typical tensile properties that can be obtained for SSM-HPDC A356 brake calipers are compared with those manufactured by gravity die casting.Results indicate that the differences in microstructures (globular or dendritic) do not have a noteworthy effect on the heat treatment response.This implies that the short heat treatment cycles originally developed for globular SSM-HPDC A356 castings can be successfully applied to dendritic liquid A356 castings too.

Research on Development Trend of Automobile Electronic Technology

Along with the popularization of artificial intelligence and information technology, the development of automobile industry have been closely combined with information technology, environmental protection and energy saving ideas, promotion and application of electronic control technology, which development cycle becoming shorter and shorter. In this paper, through the analysis of the present application situation and development trend of the automobile electronic technology at present, in order to provide a theoretical reference for the future development of the automobile electronic control technology.

Development and Application of Hydrocracking Catalysts RHC-1/RHC-5 for Maximizing High Quality Chemical Raw Materials Yield

To adapt to the change in the demand of the oil refining market,two hydrocracking catalysts,RHC-1 and RHC-5,were developed to improve the quality of tail oil.The catalysts were designed based on the theory of selective ring-opening.By selecting more acidic molecular sieves,the problem of poor selectivity of conventional materials can be solved to properly match up to the hydrogenation performance of catalysts.Compared with the performance of previous catalysts,the quality of the tail oil achieved by the said catalysts is better,and the BMCI is reduced by 1—2 units.In the long cycle operation of the petroleum industry,the good quality of the tail oil has been verified and the adaptability of the process conditions is good.When the RHC-1 catalyst is used to process heavy feed under medium pressure,a BMCI value of about12 can be obtained along with a nearly 60%yield of tail oil.The total yield of chemical raw material(steaming cracking feed+catalytic reforming feed)can exceed 80%,and the hydrogen consumption has dropped by nearly 50%as compared to the conventional hydrocracking conversion rate.When processing a mixed CGO and VGO feed with the full conversion mode under a hydrogen pressure of 13.0 MPa,the RHC-5 catalyst can yield about 68.4%of heavy naphtha with a potential aromatic content of up to 50.6,while the total yield of chemical raw materials can reach more than 98%.The results of industrial application of these catalysts show that more than 30%of high quality tail oil can be obtained via processing of inferior quality feed,and its BMCI value can reach 10.7.The total yield of chemical raw materials can reach more than65%.The industrial operation process has implemented two operating cycles totaling 8 years.

Regional Innovation Policies for High-Technology Firms： The Importance of the Cluster Life Cycle

The present work makes an in-depth analysis of an aspect not yet sufficiently examined by the studies into regional innovation systems, relating to why the policy makers must adopt regional innovation policies in accordance with the development cycle of the active clusters in the territory. The analysis carried out in the course of the work contributes towards understanding the validity of an evolutionary-type development model for which the regional innovation policies for the growth of high-tech firms should dynamically change in relation to the various cluster stages. The development model proposed provides a framework for the policy makers in order to state more efficiently through time the regional innovation strategies.

Innovation in Chinese Agribusinesses： Internal Resources and External Networks

The existing literature on innovation concentrates mostly on large industrial firms and high-technology industries, whereas, little attention has been given to agribusiness. Empirical evidence regarding the driving forces behind innovation in agribusinesses in developing countries, China in particular is scarce. This paper helps fill that void. It develops a framework in which innovation results from synergies between internal resources and external networks. This paper applies and tests the framework using 2003-2005 data from a panel survey of 32 leading agribusiness firms in Shandong Province, China. The empirical results indicate the importance of internal resources, external networks and the synergies between them. We find that R＆D expenditures and the number of technical employees are internal resources that are both important to product innovation. Surprisingly, management quality is negatively related to the possession of a unique technology and new products as a proportion of all products. It is possible that management quality is associated with more formalization and rigidity in decision-making, hindering creativity and lengthening the new product development cycle. In order to develop innovative products, our results suggest that investing in R＆D and hiring more technical staff may be more effective approaches than spending on managerial talent.

An Experimental and Numerical Study of Effect of Textured Surface by Arc Discharge on Strength of Adhesively Bonded Joints

Aluminum alloys are being increasingly applied in the automotive industry as a means to reduce mass. Their application to the vehicle structure is typically via a combination of either mechanical or fusion joining with adhesive bonding. Correspondingly, there has been a large effort in improving the adhesive bonding characteristics by changing the surface properties using different surface treatment techniques. One such method is the atmospheric arc discharge process which develops a specific surface roughness which can be leveraged to improve adhesive bonding. In this paper the effect of a textured surface by arc discharge on the failure mode and strength of adhesively bonded aluminum alloy sheets is investigated. A single-lap joint configuration is used for simulation and experimental analysis. A two-dimensional （2D） finite element method （FEM） involving the morphology of treated surfaces and using interfacial elements based on a cohesive zone model （CZM） are used to predict the joint strength which is an enabler for faster product development cycles. The influence of arc process parameters： the arc current and the torch scanning speed, on the surface morphology and joint strength are explored in this study. Specifically, the present study shows that the surface treatment of aluminum alloys by arc discharge can strongly enhance adhesive bond strength. Additionally, arc treatment not only increases the joint strength but also improves the quality of bond along the interface （transition toward cohesive failure mode）. The current FE simulation of adhesive joint using the elastic and elasto-plastic （non-linear） material properties for adherend and adhesive, respectively, and cohesive zone elements for interface shows an accurate prediction of the resulting joint strength. By inclusion of non-linear multi-scale geometry model via considering the surface topographical changes after surface treatment the FE joint strength prediction can be successfully implemented.

Parameterization Modeling of a Gas Turbine Coverplate

In order to reduce product development cycle time, aerospace companies tend to develop various correlations integrating geometric and performance parameters. This paper covers the development of a parameterization modeling, to be used in the preliminary design phase, for the turbine cover plate of an aero-engine. The parameterization modeling of the turbine cover plate is achieved by using commercial CAD （computer aided design） software processing in batch mode. Two main approaches are presented the outer face and the skeleton models. These models can then be integrated into an iterative process for designing optimal shapes. Both models are capable of reproducing existing cover plate with reasonable accuracy in relatively shorter time periods. However, the skeleton approach provides probably the best results in terms of flexibility and accuracy, but increases programming complexity and requires greater run times.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises （SMEs） in Personal Services

Entrepreneurship has become an attribute of the current growth without business activities. Entrepreneurship is a global world. It is not possible to think about economic driving force of technological development and scientific research. It materializes knowledge and involvement of people and society. Expansion of business activities is a source of individual country＇s economic performance. It contributes to the development of people＇s living standards. In every market economy, it represents an irreplaceable role for small and medium-sized enterprises （SMEs）. A strong representation of＂micro-enterprises＂ can be found in the field of personal services. Companies within the course of their existence go through particular stages of their development--from their foundation through the stage of steady development. After this stage, there comes their decline that can develop even into their termination. We indicate this process as a company life cycle. The aim of the submitted project is to map the life cycle of particularly chosen companies providing accommodation and catering services and to find a mutual relation among observed quantities and their stable economic positions in the market. The analysis is based on the data of macro-economic character, the data about development of receipts in the sector, development of inflation, tempo of economic growth, and development of consumer prices. Out of a company, non-financial factors will also be considered. The core of the analysis is the stage of sustainable stability of the assessed companies. The point of the findings is revelation of the causes of risks of possible transition into the stage of termination due to the decline of services volume, decline of profitability, and long-lasting payment insolvency. The contribution of the project is to draw our attention to possible risks of critical situation development and to propose how to avoid them so that the company will not occur in financial straits. Achieved information could assist the company management to make relevant decisions.

Educational Software Development Life Cycle Stages

Technological innovations have revolutionized the educational technology into various dimensions. Educational processes without educational technology have no value in this modern world. In education domain, the educational software has simplified the processes in greater extend. A implemented while developing such educational software. In particu proper lar, the development methodology has to be software developed to enrich these education processes should follow a development strategy to motivate the end users to utilize the hypermedia potentials. The software development life cycle （SDLC） has different phases in designing such educationa technology and assists the end users to benefit from the modern technology. This study identifies the various factors to be considered at each phase of the SDLC while developing educational software. Also, this study proposes some suggestions to be followed in ESDLC with respect to educational processes perspectives. The core idea of this study is to identify the various issues in implementing such educational software in day to day teaching and learning processes.

Energy Crisis in Nigerian University System： Implications of Self Auto-generation for Human Capital Development

Energy requirements for tertiary educational purpose is burgeoning, a reflection of its criticality to human asset formation and to use self auto-generation by petrol or diesel generators as the energy supply source is an unsustainable practice. The situation is worrisome in view of the noise pollution and nuisance that constitutes to the learning environment. This paper, therefore, determines the quantity of self generated energy supply, its intensity, the associated CO2 emissions and their possible implications for human capital development. A survey of generating sets was conducted using the University of Nigeria Nsukka as a representative of Nigerian universities. A walk-through-approach was adopted in gathering data and two metrics-life cycle cost and cost of electricity from auto-generation were used to determine the economic implications of the self generation. The results show that self auto-generation contributed installed energy capacity of amount 19 MVA, 20 MVA, 34 MVA, 11 MVA and 22 MVA to run human capital development activities, respectively for academic sessions from July 2006 to November 2010. The study helps us understand that reforms in educational sector are not effective as long as energy insecurity is a dominant factor.

High-Speed EMU TCMS Design and LCC Technology Research

This paper introduces the high-speed electrical multiple unit （EMO） life cycle, including the design, manufacturing, testing, and maintenance stages. It also presents the train control and monitoring system （TCMS） software development platform, the TCMS testing and verification bench, the EMU driving simulation platform, and the EMU remote data transmittal and maintenance platform. All these platforms and benches combined together make up the EMU life cycle cost （LCC） system. Each platform facilitates EMU LCC management and is an important part of the system.

Engineering Design Study on an Innovative Hydrokinetic Turbine with on Shore Foundation

Tidal currents are a resource of great potentiality and not yet fully explored. Several efforts have been made to exploit these resources, but the costs associated to the deployment of tidal plants in marine environments are usually too high. The aim of this work is to present a system able to handle with the above mentioned problems, through the development of a particular hydrokinetic turbine design. In previous works, the authors described a basic turbine configuration achieving interesting performances, although some operational inconveniences were detected. Those problems have been existing so the solution should be optimized and redesigned. As a result, a new design of the turbine is proposed, consisting of a double rotor spinning in opposite directions in order to balance the induced mechanical torque. From preliminary evaluations related to the Messina Strait tidal cycles （Punta Pezzo site, RC, Italy）, a single 12 m diameter turbine can supply a power of about 500 kW with a peak current speed of 3 m/s and deliver up to 450 MWh/year.

非线性编辑系统的构成与发展优势

随着数字电视技术的不断发展,各种数字电视设备在广播电视中逐步推广应用,非线性编辑系统经过多年的研究开发,以其特有的高度集中的制作功能,灵活多变的编辑组合方式,终于从萌芽状态走向成熟。因为非线性编辑系统是基于PC平台的,而PC机有着更加快速的升级开发周期和呈指数增长的威力,故而它必然推动非线性编辑进入广播电视节目的后期制作和播出的新领域。

An effective fault prediction model developed using an extreme learning machine with various kernel methods

System analysts often use software fault prediction models to identify fault-prone modules during the design phase of the software development life cycle. The models help predict faulty modules based on the software metrics that are input to the models. In this study, we consider 20 types of metrics to develop a model using an extreme learning machine associated with various kernel methods. We evaluate the effectiveness of the mode using a proposed framework based on the cost and efficiency in the testing phases. The evaluation process is carried out by considering case studies for 30 object-oriented software systems. Experimental results demonstrate that the application of a fault prediction model is suitable for projects with the percentage of faulty classes below a certain threshold, which depends on the efficiency of fault identification(low: 47.28%; median: 39.24%; high: 25.72%). We consider nine feature selection techniques to remove the irrelevant metrics and to select the best set of source code metrics for fault prediction.