Dynamic evaluation of a scaled-down heat pipe-cooled system during start-up/shut-down processes using a hardware-in-the-loop test approach

Micro-mobile heat pipe-cooled nuclear power plants are promising candidates for distributed energy resource power genera-tors and can be flexibly deployed in remote places to meet increasing electric power demands.However,previous steady-state simulations and experiments have deviated significantly from actual micronuclear system operations.Hence,a transient analysis is required for performance optimization and safety assessment.In this study,a hardware-in-the-loop(HIL)approach was used to investigate the dynamic behavior of scaled-down heat pipe-cooled systems.The real-time features of the HIL architecture were interpreted and validated,and an optimal time step of 500 ms was selected for the thermal transient.The power transient was modeled using point kinetic equations,and a scaled-down thermal prototype was set up to avoid mod-eling unpredictable heat transfer behaviors and feeding temperature samples into the main program running on a desktop PC.A series of dynamic test results showed significant power and temperature oscillations during the transient process,owing to the inconsistency of the rapid nuclear reaction rate and large thermal inertia.The proposed HIL approach is stable and effective for further studying of the dynamic characteristics and control optimization of solid-state small nuclear-powered systems at an early prototyping stage.

Damping capacity of high strength-damping aluminum alloys prepared by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy process

Two kinds of high strength-damping aluminum alloys （LZ7） were fabricated by rapid solidification and powder metallurgy （RS-PM） process. One material was extruded to profile aluminum directly and the other was extruded to bar and then rolled to sheet. The damping capacity over a temperature range of 25-300 ℃was studied with damping mechanical thermal analyzer （DMTA） and the microstructures were investigated by optical microscopy （OM）, scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. The experimental results show that the damping capacity increases with the test temperature elevating. Internal friction value of rolled sheet aluminum is up to 11.5×10^-2 and that of profile aluminum is as high as 6.0×10^-2 and 7.5×10^-2 at 300 ℃, respectively. Microstructure analysis shows the shape of precipitation phase of rolled alloy is more regular and the distribution is more homogeneous than that of profile alloy. Meanwhile, the interface between particulate and matrix of rolled sheet alloy is looser than that of profile alloy. Maybe the differences at interface can explain why damping capacity of rolled sheet alloy is higher than that of profile alloys at high temperature （above 120 ℃）.

Effects of processing parameters on figuration during the GMAW rapid prototyping process

As a deposition technology, gas metal arc welding （GMAW） has shown new promise for rapid prototyping of metallic parts. During the process of metal forming using the arc of GMA W, low heat input and stable droplet transition are critical to high quality figuration. The effects of various processing parameters on figuration quality were studied in the experiment of GMA W rapid prototyping using the wire of ERSO-6 , including welding voltage, wire feeding rate, welding speed and so on. The optimal parameters for ERSO-6 are obtained. Simultaneously, it is verified that the rapid prototyping parts with favorable structures and quality can be achieved under the conditions of low heat input and stable droplet transition.

The exact solution of Stokes' second problem including start-up process with fractional element

The start-up process of Stokes＇ second problem of a viscoelastic material with fractional element is studied. The fluid above an infinite flat plane is set in motion by a sudden acceleration of the plate to steady oscillation. Exact solutions are obtained by using Laplace transform and Fourier transform. It is found that the relationship between the first peak value and the one of equal-amplitude oscillations depends on the distance from the plate. The amplitude decreases for increasing frequency and increasing distance.

Effects of process parameters on warpage of rapid heat cycle moulding plastic part

The effects of process parameters in rapid heat cycle moulding （RHCM） on parts warpage were investigated. A vehicle-used blue-tooth front shell （consisting of ABS material） was considered as a part example manufactured by RHCM method. The corresponding rapid heat response mould with an innovational conformal heating/cooling channel system and a dynamic mould temperature control system based on the Jll-W-160 type precise temperature controller was proposed. During heating/cooling process, the mould was able to be heated from room temperature to 160 ~C in 6 s and then cooled to 80 ~C in 22 s. The effects of processing conditions in RHCM on part warpage were investigated based on the single factor experimental method and Taguchi theory. Results reveal that the elevated mould temperature reduces unwanted freezing during the injection stage, thus improving mouldability and enhancing part quality, whereas the overheated of mould temperature will lead to defective product. The feasible mould temperature scope in RHCM should be no higher than 140 ~C, and the efficient mould temperature scope should be around the polymer heat distortion temperature. Melt temperature as well as injection pressure effects on warpage can be divided into two stages The lower stage gives a no explicit effect on warpage whereas the higher stage leads to a quasi-linear downtrend. But others affect the warpage as a V-type fluctuation, reaching to the minimum around the heat distortion temperature. Under the same mould temperature condition, the effects of process parameters on warpage decrease according to the following order, packing time, packing pressure, melt temperature, injection pressure and cooling time, respectively.

On-line detection system of weld-based rapid prototyping process based on structured light

In order to realize the closed-loop control for rapid prototyping process based on gas metal arc welding, the geometric parameters of weld beads should be detected. In this study, a vision sensor system consisting of a linear laser projector and a CCD camera was designed to collect images of weld beads. Then, an image processing approach which combines with a Gaassian filter and an improved gravity method was used to extract the centerline of a light stripe based on VC ＋＋. Feature points of the centerline were identical directly by means of an image fusion algorithm. Experimental results show that image fusion is an effective approach to measure the width and height of the weld bead with high accuracy. This method can identify beads effectively in multi-pass welding and avoid designing different modes to suit all kinds of shapes.

Structure and electrochemical properties of hypo-stoichiometric hydro-gen storage alloys prepared by twin-roller rapid quenching process

The stoichiometric alloy MlB5.0 and the hypo-stoichiometric alloy MlB4.85 were prepared by twin-roller rapid quenching process, and their structure and electrochemical properties were studied. The results of XRD show that both of the alloys have a typical single-phase hexagonal CaCus-type structure. The cell volume of the hylpo-stoichiometric alloy M1B4.85 is slightly larger than that of the stoichiometric alloy M1B5.0, although its lattice constant cla is smaller. Under 2 C discharging rate, i.e. 640 mA/g, the M1B4.85 has a discharge capacity of 320 mAh/g, which is higher than that of the M1Bs.o, 312 mAh/g. Nevertheless, the capacities of the M1B4.85 and the M1Bs.o decline 24.7% and 20.2% after 400 cycles, respectively. The relationship of electrochemical performances of the alloys with their structures is discussed.

Point-defect engineering of nanoporous CuBi_(2)O_(4) photocathode via rapid thermal processing for enhanced photoelectrochemical activity

Engineering point defects such as metal and oxygen vacancies play a crucial role in manipulating the electrical,optical,and catalytic properties of oxide semiconductors for solar water splitting.Herein,we synthesized nanoporous CuBi_(2)O_(4)(np-CBO)photocathodes and engineered their surface point defects via rapid thermal processing(RTP)in controlled atmospheres(O_(2),N_(2),and vacuum).We found that the O_(2)-RTP treatment of np-CBO increased the charge carrier density effectively without hampering the nanoporous morphology,which was attributed to the formation of copper vacancies(VCu).Further analyses revealed that the amounts of oxygen vacancies(Vo)and Cu^(1+)were reduced simultaneously,and the relative electrochemical active surface area increased after the O_(2)-RTP treatment.Notably,the point defects(VC_(u),Cu^(1+),and Vo)regulated np-CBO achieved a superb water-splitting photocurrent density of-1.81 m A cm^(-2) under simulated sunlight illumination,which is attributed to the enhanced charge transport and transfer properties resulting from the regulated surface point defects.Finally,the reversibility of the formation of the point defects was checked by sequential RTP treatments(O_(2)-N_(2)-O_(2)-N_(2)),demonstrating the strong dependence of photocurrent response on the RTP cycles.Conclusively,the surface point defect engineering via RTP treatment in a controlled atmosphere is a rapid and facile strategy to promote charge transport and transfer properties of photoelectrodes for efficient solar water-splitting.

Crystallization process in rapidly solidified Al-Nd-Ni amorphous alloy prepa red by melt spinning

Rapidly solidified ribbons of Al90Nd7Ni3 metallic glasses were prepare d by using melt spinning. Crystallization process of the totally amorphous ribbo ns was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray diffraction analysis,under continuous heating regime. The results show that,under continuo us heating regime,the metallic glass devitrifies via two main stages: primary c rystallization,resulting in two-phase mixture of α（Al） plus residual amor phous phase,and secondary crystallization,corresponding to some inter-metalli c phases appearing,successively including Al11Nd3,Al3Ni,and some un known phases,in the Al amorphous/crystal matrix. Four peaks appear on the conti nuous heating DSC curves. Their peak temperatures are respectively 470.8,（570. 8,） （585.6,） and 731.6 K at infinitesimal heating rate,and their activation energies of the respective phase transformation are 183.0,294.7,232.5 and 269.1 kJ/mol. The values of Avrami exponent of the four reactions decrease with increasing relative transformation degree. At the earlier stage of phase trans formation,the values of n are larger than 4,and at the later stage the val ues of n become close to some value from 0.5 to 2.0.

Devitrification process in rapidly solidified Al-Ni-Cu-Nd metallic glass

In the present study, rapidly solidified ribbons of Al87 Ni7Cu3 Nd3 metallic glass was prepared by usingmelt spinning. Devitrification process of the totally amorphous ribbons was investigated by high temperature X-raydiffraction analysis, combining with differential scanning calorimetry, under continuous and isothermal heating re-gime. The X-ray diffraction intensity and full width at the half maximum (FWHM) were analyzed to investigate theincrease of crystallized amount and growth of α-Al crystal particles. The results show that under continuous heatingregime, the metallic glass devitrifies via two main stages: primary crystallization, resulting in two-phase mixture ofα-Al plus residual amorphous phase, and secondary crystallization, corresponding to rapid precipitation of some in-ter-metallic phases in the form of dispersion or eutectic mixture. Under isothermal heating regime, only Al crystalprecipitates from the Al-rich amorphous matrix at low temperature, and when heating at 280 ℃ only Al crystal pre-cipitates within a short time, and then Al8 Cu4 Nd forms, followed by Al3 Ni, in the residual amorphous phase. Whenheating at higher temperature or for longer time, Aln Nd3 forms, the amorphous phase disappears, and the ribbonsdevelop into polycrystalline morphologies with multiply phase mixture of a-Al, Al8 Cu4 Nd, Al3 Ni, and Al11 Nd3.

Preparation and modification of VO_2 thin film on R-sapphire substrate by rapid thermal process

The VO2 thin film with high performance of metal-insulator transition （MIT） is prepared on R-sapphire substrate for the first time by magnetron sputtering with rapid thermal process （RTP）. The electrical characteristic and THz transmittance of MIT in VO2 film are studied by four-point probe method and THz time domain spectrum （THz-TDS）. X-ray diffraction （XRD）, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy （XPS）, atomic force microscopy （AFM）, and search engine marketing （SEM） are employed to analyze the crystalline structure, valence state, surface morphology of the film. Results indicate that the properties of VO2 film which is oxidized from the metal vanadium film in oxygen atmosphere are improved with a follow- up RTP modification in nitrogen atmosphere. The crystallization and components of VO2 film are improved and the film becomes compact and uniform. A better phase transition performance is shown that the resistance changes nearly 3 orders of magnitude with a 2-~C hysteresis width and the THz transmittances are reduced by 64% and 60% in thermal and optical excitation respectively.

START-UP AND DYNAMIC PROCESSES SIMULATION OF A DISTILLATION COLUMN

A new dynamic non-equilibrium mixing-pool model for simulating start-up and dynamic re-sponse of a distillation column is reported.The proposed model is established on the basis ofconsidering the two dimensional flow/mixing behavior of actual trays in a distillation column.Com-parison is made among the computed results of the start-up time and the dynamic response time bythe proposed and five other typical models.It is found that the computed time for both dynamicprocesses is longer by the model which considers any flow/mixing pattern than by the model withoutsuch concern.The inertia effect of flow/mixing seems to be important and can not be ignored inmodeling the transient process of distillation.The proposed model,which is believed to be suitableto large column,seems somewhat useful in predicting industrial distillation dynamics.

Numerical simulation of the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster

A particle-in-cell Monte Carlo collision model of a discharge chamber is established to investigate the start-up process of a miniature ion thruster.We present the discharge characteristics at different stages(the initial stage,development stage,and stable stage)according to the trend of the discharge current with time.The discharge current is the sum of the sidewall current and the backplate current.During the start-up process,the sidewall current lags behind the backplate current.The variation and distribution characteristics of the discharge current over time are determined by the electron density distribution and electric potential distribution.

Design of Rapid Thermal Processing for Large Diameter Wafer

The relationship between the arrangement of tungsten-halogen lamps and the uniformity of irradiance received by the wafer is discussed, and a sort of axial-symmetrical lamps-array is designed to guarantee that the irradiation on the edge is approximately the same as the one on the center of the wafer. The magnitude of temperature on the wafer vs. the power of tungsten-halogen lamps is calculated numerically.

The Role of Venture Capital in Supporting the Development Process of Innovative Start-Ups:Evidence From the Italian Market

This research paper investigates the role of Italian venture capital in supporting innovative start-ups in their early-stage process,which is usually focused on the creation of a new product or the development of a new service.The aim of the study is to observe and assess the key economic features of innovative start-ups funded at the beginning of the early-stage by venture capital funds and thereafter analyze the level of development of target companies at four years since the capital injection.The sample of deals created to describe this dynamic process is composed by investments realized between 1996 and 2012 and,in this way,according to the chosen methodology,it is representative of Italian venture capital role and contribution in the years from 1996 to 2016.The authors used for their empirical study a proprietary database,Venture Capital Monitor—VeMTM.Through the analysis of collected data,the paper describes the strategic importance of venture capital investments in early-stage opportunities both for target companies and the Italian socio-economic environment,and finds aggregate values of reference to quantitatively define the socio-economic outcome of this kind of operations.A final further contribution is provided by comparing the present results to the ones of two previous studies conducted by the authors.

基于RAPIDS的无参DBSCAN算法

具有噪声的基于密度的空间聚类(Density‑based spatial clustering of applications with noise,DBSCAN)能够发现不同密度和大小的类簇,对噪声也有很好的鲁棒性,被广泛地应用到数据挖掘的任务中。DBSCAN通常需要调整参数MinPts和Eps以达到更优的聚类效果,但往往在搜索最优参数的过程中会影响DBSCAN的性能。本文从两个方面优化DBSCAN,一方面,提出一种无参的方法优化DBSCAN全局参数选择。无参方法利用自然最近邻获得数据集的自然特征值,并将自然特征值作为参数MinPts值。然后,根据自然特征值计算自然特征集合,利用自然特征集合中的数据分布特性,分别采取统计最小值、平均值和最大值3种方式得到Eps值。另一方面,采用集成数据科学实时加速平台(Real‑time acceleration platform for integrated data science,RAPIDS)的图形处理器(Graphics processing unit,GPU)计算加快DBSCAN算法的收敛速度。实验结果表明,本文提出的方法在优化DBSCAN参数选择的同时,取得了与密度峰值聚类(Density peaks clustering,DPC)相当的聚类结果。

顾及BDS-3星钟约束的GNSS超快速轨道钟差解算方法

BDS-3高稳定星载原子钟作为北斗星座的显著技术优势,在GNSS数据处理中尚未得到充分利用。针对严格时效性限制下GNSS超快速轨道钟差参数精度受限问题,本文提出顾及BDS-3星钟约束的GNSS超快速轨道钟差解算方法。首先,以GNSS轨道钟差参数间相关性为基础,构建顾及BDS-3星钟参数特性的GNSS定轨模型;然后,基于GNSS精密钟差产品,分析星钟约束对GNSS轨道钟差参数精度的影响规律;最后,为克服预报钟差精度与约束筛选对定轨影响,建立BDS-3星钟建模与GNSS超快速轨道钟差估计的同步处理方法。试验结果表明,在BDS-3星钟参数最优约束下,BDS-3与GPS轨道钟差精度可分别提升27.5%、5.1%和20.2%、5.2%;且较传统BDS-3星钟单历元处理策略,基于BDS-3星钟建模与GNSS超快速定轨同步处理方法,GNSS超快速轨道钟差精度可分别提升至4.8%与34.2%,轨道精度实现了毫米级改善。因此,顾及BDS-3星钟约束的GNSS超快速轨道钟差解算方法可有效对BDS-3高稳星钟信息模型化,并实现GNSS超快速轨道钟差精度的优化处理。

Rapid Tooling-Rapid Abrading Process Integratedwith Rapid Prototyping

The paper is to outline a new process for manufacturing rapid graphite electrode. It detailsthe steps in Providing integration with Rapid Prototyping (RP) into rapid electrode abrading Process.The key to this combination is the successful model or patted creating using the RP technology.Significantly reduced lead-time, shortened learns curve, lowered revision changes cost and eliminatedor reduced mold polishing are the consequent results. high quality Electrical Discharge Machining(EDM) electrodes are sometimes difficult to be manufactured rapidly and are very time-consumingby conventional methods, even using Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machines. Abradingprovides a simple way to create etuemely detailed and complex electrode to make molds in toolingmaking industries. Integration with the rapid development of the Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing(RP&M) technology, the rapid electrode abrading process has been regarded as one of the majorbreakthrough in tooling making technology.