Multi-scale roughness transfer in cold metal rolling

We report on a comparative Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) multi-scale roughness analysis of cold rolled Al alloy and steel roll, in order to characterize the roughness transfer from the steel roll to the workpiece in cold strip rolling processes. More than three orders of length-scale magnitudes were investigated from 100 microns to 50 nanometers on both types of surfaces. The analysis reveals that both types of surfaces are anisotropic self-affine surfaces. Transverse and longitudinal height profiles exhibit a different roughness exponent (Hurst exponent) ζ=0.93±0.03 and ζ=0.5±0.05 Different length-scale cut-offs are obtained in each direction l^sup=50μm, l^sup>100μm. Height and slope distributions are also computed to complement this study. The above mentionned self-affine characteresitics are found to be very similar for the roll and the strip surfaces, which suggest that roughness transfer takes place from the macroscopic (100 μm) to the very small scale (50 nm).     

Der Einfluß der Luftdichte nach den neuen IEC-Mittelwerten für Kugelfunkenstrecken

Zusammenfassung Aus den neuen IEC-Mittelwerten wird auf Grund von Ähnlichkeitsgesetzen der Einfluß der Luftdichte errechnet. Die FunkenspannungU ist nur in erster Annäherung der Luftdichte proportional. In Wirklichkeit hängt der Einfluß der Luftdichte (Korrektionsfaktork, U=k · U _n ) in verwickelter Weise vom KugeldurchmesserD, von der Schlagweites, von den Potentialen der Kugeln gegen Erde, der Polarität und der Größe der Luftdichte selbst ab. Dies rührt davon her, daß man die Korrektion eigentlich nicht an der Spannung, sondern an den Elektrodenabmessungen (Schlagweite und Kugeldurchmesser) anzubringen hat. Die Funkenspannung ändert sich durchweg weniger als proportional mit der Luftdichte, am wenigsten bei kleinem Verhältniss/D und beliebiger Potentialverteilung und Polarität und bei großem Verhältniss/D und einpoliger Erdung. Dazwischen liegt eine Stelle, bei der sich der Funkenspannungsverlauf am meisten der Proportionalität mit der Luftdichte nähert. Diese Stelle (Minimum vonk bei < 1) stimmt mit der Stelle des Minimums der Durchbruchfeldstärke überein, wie überhaupt der Verlauf vonk dem Verlauf der Durchbruchfeldstärke auch bezüglich der Abhängigkeit vons/D, D, dem Potentialverlauf und der Polarität ähnelt.Bei symmetrischer Spannungsverteilung an den Polen überwiegt oberhalb vons=0,5 cm der Einfluß des Kugeldurchmessers, so daß es berechtigt ist, Korrektionsfaktorenk nach Tafel 4 aufzustellen, die nur vonD und von abhängen.Auch bei gestörter Funkenstrecke (Käfigfunkenstrecke) gelten die Ahnlichkeitsgesetze, dagegen nicht mehr bei Auftreten von Vorentladungen, insbesondere bei Stoßspannungen.Die auf Grund von Meßwerten (IEC-Mittelwerte) bestimmte Luftdichtenabhängigkeit wird mit Angaben von Peek und Ver Planck verglichen, die beide nicht von Meßwerten, sondern von Formeln abgeleitet und daher, insbesondere bei Ver Planck, nicht genau sind.     

A computational tool based on voxel geometry for dose reconstruction of a radiological accident due to external exposure

In the case of overexposure to ionising radiation, estimation of the absorbed dose in the organism is an important indicator for evaluating the biological consequences of this exposure. The physical dosimetry approach is based either on real reconstruction of the accident, using physical phantoms, or on calculation techniques. Tools using Monte Carlo simulations associated with geometric models are very powerful since they offer the possibility to simulate faithfully the victim and the environment for dose calculations in various accidental situations. Their work presents a new computational tool, called SESAME, dedicated to dose reconstruction of radiological accidents based on anthropomorphic voxel phantoms built from real medical images of the victim in association with the MCNP Monte Carlo code. The utility was, as a first step, validated for neutrons by experimental means using a physical tissue-equivalent phantom.     

Comparison of ultraviolet femtosecond and nanosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry analysis in glass, monazite, and zircon

We compared the analytical performance of ultraviolet femtosecond and nanosecond laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). The benefit of ultrafast lasers was evaluated regarding thermal-induced chemical fractionation, that is otherwise well known to limit LA-ICPMS. Both lasers had a Gaussian beam energy profile and were tested using the same ablation system and ICPMS analyzer. Resulting crater morphologies and analytical signals showed more straightforward femtosecond laser ablation processes, with minimal thermal effects. Despite a less stable energy output, the ultrafast laser yielded elemental (Pb/U, Pb/Th) and Pb isotopic ratios that were more precise, repeatable, and accurate, even when compared to the best analytical conditions for the nanosecond laser. Measurements on NIST glasses, monazites, and zircon also showed that femtosecond LA-ICPMS calibration was less matrix-matched dependent and therefore more versatile.     

Towards efficient data distribution on computational desktop grids with BitTorrent

Datacentric applications are still a challenging issue for large-scale distributed computing systems. The emergence of new protocols and software for collaborative content distribution over the Internet offers a new opportunity for efficient and fast delivery of a high volume of data. This paper presents an evaluation of the BitTorrent protocol for computational desktop grids. We first present a prototype of a generic subsystem dedicated to data management and designed to serve as a building block for any desktop grid system. Based on this prototype we conduct experiments to evaluate the potential of BitTorrent compared to a classical approach based on FTP data server. The preliminary results obtained with a 65-node cluster measure the basic characteristics of BitTorrent in terms of latency and bandwidth and evaluate the scalability of BitTorrent for the delivery of large input files. Moreover, we show that BitTorrent has a considerable latency overhead compared to FTP but clearly outperforms FTP when distributing large files or files to a high number of nodes. Tests on a synthetic application show that BitTorrent significantly increases the communication/computation ratio of the applications eligible to run on a desktop grid system.     

基于Livermore模型CT图片构建人体躯干数字体模及其在肺部计数器虚拟刻度中的应用

基于Livermore 人体躯干物理模型CT图片构建数字体模,并结合蒙特卡罗程序MCNP对一套由四个宽能高纯锗探测器(BEGe)构成的肺部计数器进行了虚拟刻度.首先,利用点源(241Am,137Cs,60Co,54Mn,57Co,109Cd) 实验数据,对高纯锗晶体尺寸进行调整以获得正确的探测器几何参数,在γ射线能量13.9 keV～1332.5 keV范围内,调整后四个探测器全能峰效率实验测量的平均值与蒙特卡罗计算值的差别在±10%范围内.之后,对不同胸壁厚度(CWT=19 mm, 25 mm, 30 mm, 43 mm)躯干体模进行CT扫描获得其CT图片,利用Dosigray软件对CT图片进行分割后,连同探测器几何描述文件输入到OEDIPE软件,生成数字体模虚拟刻度用MCNP输入程序.最后,利用241Am、152Eu肺部源对数字体模虚拟刻度结果进行了实验验证,结果表明:在59.5 keV～1408 keV能量范围内,虚拟刻度结果与实验结果的差别在±10%之间;对于17.5 keV能量,差别在±30%之间.     

A feasibility study on the use of anthropometric variables to make muscle–computer interface more practical

High classification accuracy has been achieved for muscle–computer interfaces (MCIs) based on surface electromyography (EMG) recognition in many recent works with an increasing number of discriminated movements. However, there are many limitations to use these interfaces in the real-world contexts. One of the major problems is compatibility. Designing and training the classification EMG system for a particular individual user is needed in order to reach high accuracy. If the system can calibrate itself automatically/semi-automatically, the development of standard interfaces that are compatible with almost any user could be possible. Twelve anthropometric variables, a measurement of body dimensions, have been proposed and used to calibrate the system in two different ways: a weighting factor for a classifier and a normalizing value for EMG features. The experimental results showed that a number of relationships between anthropometric variables and EMG time-domain features from upper-limb muscles and movements are statistically strong (average r=0.71?0.80) and significant (p<0.05). In this paper, the feasibility to use anthropometric variables to calibrate the EMG classification system is shown obviously and the proposed calibration technique is suggested to further improve the robustness and practical use of MCIs based on EMG pattern recognition.     

Pneumatic actuator control: Solution based on adaptive twisting and experimentation

An adaptive version of the twisting algorithm is proposed, which actually presents a new second-order sliding-mode algorithm. Due to the dynamic adaptation of the gains the controller design does not require complete information on the bounds of uncertainties and perturbations. It automatically decreases the gains and respectively also the dangerous oscillations due to a too large discontinuous-control magnitude. Thus, both the performance and the accuracy of the closed-loop system are improved. In order to show the feasibility of the approach, the methodology is successfully applied to control the position of a pneumatic actuator in an experimental setup.