Experimental and numerical analyses of magnetic effect on OH radical distribution in a hydrogen-oxygen diffusion flame

The effect of magnetic field on OH radical distribution in a hydrogen-oxygen diffusion flame was experimentally and numerically investigated to explore the possibility of combustion control by magnetic force. In experiments, a coaxial type of burner was set between the magnet pieces. Two-dimensional (2D) cross-section distributions of OH* chemiluminescence intensity and OH fluorescence intensity were obtained with spectroscopic techniques using a CCD camera and a Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) system, respectively. It was clearly seen that the high-density regions of OH* and OH radicals axisymmetrically migrated toward the central axis of the flame due to the influence of the magnetic field. In numerical simulations, such a phenomenon was qualitatively reproduced by solving the equations of reactive gas dynamics and magnetism. As a result, it was found that the magnetic force does not directly and selectively induce the diffusion velocity (the relative velocity) of OH itself. Alternatively, the magnetic force acting on O₂, whose mass density and magnetic susceptibility are much larger than those of other chemical species, causes the change in the mean velocity (the mass-average velocity) of mixture gas to transport the OH radical distribution indirectly and passively.     

Preparation of TiB2 sintered compacts by hot pressing

A sintered compact of titanium diboride (TiB₂) was prepared by hot pressing of the synthesized TiB₂ powder, which was obtained by a solid-state reaction between TiN and amorphous boron. Densification of the sintered compact occurred at 20 MPa and 1800° C for 5 to 60 min with the aid of a reaction sintering, including the TiB₂ formation reaction between excess 20 at % amorphous boron in the as-synthesized powder (TiB₂ + 0.2B) and intentionally added 10 at % titanium metal. A homogeneous sintered compact of a single phase of TiB₂, which was prepared by hot pressing for 30 min from the starting powder composition [(TiB₂ + 0.2B) + 0.1 Ti], had a fine-grained microstructure composed of TiB₂ grains with diameters of 2 to 3 m. The bulk density was 4.47 g cm^–3, i.e. 98% of the theoretical density. The microhardness, transverse rupture strength and fracture toughness of the TiB₂ sintered compact were 2850 kg mm^–2, 48 kg mm^–2 and 2.4 MN m^–3/2, respectively. The thermal expansion coefficient increased with increasing temperature up to 400° C and had a constant value of 8.8 x 10^–6 deg^–1 above 500° C.     

Effect of grain size on creep of Ti-53.4mol%Al intermetallics at 1100 K

Constant stress creep under compression stress, 100 to 316 MPa, at 1100 K was investigated on single-phase TiAl intermetallics. The material was ingot-cast, isothermally forged, and then annealed to produce stable equi-axed grain structures, whose average grain diameters were 25, 42 and 70m. Creep curves were very similar among the three specimens with different grain diameters and the creep rates at a given strain, as well as the minimum creep rates, depended little on grain size. Two regimes were observed on the stress dependence of the minimum creep rate. The stress exponent under high stresses was about 4.5, independent of grain size. Under stresses lower than about 150 MPa it became about 8.     

Development of a dual‐lamp projector with higher brightness

Stationary projectors mainly used in system applications have recently gained a wider application range, including general presentations in halls and large conference rooms and being used, for example, in digital signage and for monitoring purposes. Consequently, they are required to meet new market demands for durability, reliability, and flexibility in installation in addition to their conventional basic performance such as especially high brightness. To achieve especially high brightness, a new optical system with two lamps is proposed; the profile of the cover glass that prevents the glass from scattering is made aspherical, the profile of the beam‐combining mirror is improved with its position optimized, and the size of the incident plane of the integrator rod is made larger (1.1 times). These measures resulted in an optical system of an even higher efficiency with 7000 lm, which is the highest in its class (according to a June 2010 investigation). Also, the arrangement of two parallel lamps completely eliminated the effect of heat passing from one lamp to the other, which helped secure durability, reliability, and flexibility in installation. Furthermore, the combined use of the unique non‐telecentric optical system, adopted from the conventional single‐lamp model, helps maintain the class‐highest contrast ratio.^1,2     

GBLT-VG for High User Densities by User Group Behavior and Hot Point in MMO Virtual Environment

Massively Multiplayer Online (MMO) games have large-scale virtual environments. Here, we propose a load distribution technique called the Group Based Load-distribution Technique with Virtual Group (GBLT-VG) that utilizes Peer-to-Peer (P2P) communication to maintain scalability under high user density conditions in MMO virtual environments. A common problem of P2P virtual environments is that user group behavior frequently generates high user density conditions. Existing techniques to manage the virtual environment cannot maintain performance in such high user density situations. The proposed technique, GBLT-VG, reduces area management loads of manager peers by introducing a new manager who manages a user neighbor group. GBLT-VG forms the user neighbor group efficiently by using party function under high user density conditions caused by users?? cooperative behaviors. In addition, GBLT-VG reduce the management load by using a virtual group when a number of parties is small, thereby decreasing the existing managers?? loads dynamically. This paper also presents simulation results demonstrating how GBLT-VG can reduce the average number of users managed by the server.     

Pseudo-binary system Bi2O3-TeO2 in air

The phase equilibria in the pseudo-binary system Bi₂O₃-TeO₂ at 600° 950° C in air were examined by solid-state reaction techniques and X-ray powder diffraction method. Four pseudo-binary compounds appeared, i.e., -Bi₂O₃ type solid solution having a compositional range of (1-x)Bi₂O₃·xTeO₂ wherex=0 0.4 a new compound Bi₆Te₂O₁₅ which has an orthorhombic cell of a=2.27(4) nm, b=1.06(1) nm and c = 0.539(8) nm, 2Bi₂O₃ · 3TeO₂, and an unidentified phase Bi₂O₃·2TeO₂. The formation of the phase Bi₆Te₂O₁₅, in which all the Te ions are hexavalent, was confirmed by the thermogravimetry and by the Mössbauer spectra. The liquidus curves for whole system were determined by DTA method.     

Reaction control of TiB2 formation from titanium metal and amorphous boron

TiB₂ powder was synthesized by a controlled formation reaction from titanium metal and amorphous boron. Precursory TiB₂ formed by the pretreatment of the mixed powder (mole ratio: B/Ti=2.0) at 600° C for 60 min in an argon stream. Hollow TiB₂ powder with an average grain size of 15m was obtained by subsequent heat treatment above 900° C for more than 60 min in an argon stream. The formation reaction of TiB₂ powder was further controlled by pretreatment of the mixed powder at 600° C for 60 min in a hydrogen and argon stream and subsequent heat treatment at 1000° C for 360 min in an argon stream, when hollow-free TiB₂ powder was formed by a milder formation reaction between amorphous boron and the reformed titanium metal with hydrogen diffused lattice.     

Thickness dependence of H2 gas sensor in amorphous SnQx films prepared by ion-beam sputtering

Amorphous SnO_x films were deposited by ion-beam sputtering on sintered alumina substrates. Amorphous film sensors were prepared by annealing the films at 300° C for 2 h in air. The thickness dependence of resistivity and hydrogen gas sensitivity were measured at 150° C over the thickness range 1 to 700 nm. A resistivity maximum was observed in ultrathin films. Resistivity increased by three orders of magnitude with increasing film thickness from 0.9 to 7.4 nm and then decreased by five orders of magnitude from 7.4 to 35 nm. Ultrathin film sensors showed sensitivity maxima around a thickness of 10 nm. Sensitivity and resistivity of ultrathin films were significantly influenced by the thermal expansion coefficient and the surface state of the substrate.     

Modification of mesophase pitch by blending Part 2 Modification of mesophase pitch fibre precursor with thermoresisting polyphenyleneoxide (PPO)

Polyphenyleneoxide was blended in amounts of 5 or 10 wt% into petroleum-derived mesophase pitch to reinforce the pitch fibre before the oxidative stabilization to achieve better handling properties. Although polyphenyleneoxide was fusible but hardly soluble in the mesophase pitch even at a spinning temperature of 350° C, blended pitch could be smoothly spun into pitch fibre 10m diameter, as could the parent pitch. Fibrous polyphenyleneoxide of less than 1m diameter was homogeneously dispersed in the pitch fibre, being arranged along the fibre axis. Such fibrous polyp henyleneoxide reinforced the pitch fibre considerably. The fibrous substances at the centre of the fibre disappeared in the carbonized fibre at 1300° C after oxidation at 250° C, although some short ones were observed in the skin region of the fibre, suggesting that polyphenyleneoxide was co-carbonized to be assimilated with mesophase pitch at the centre of the fibre, where the effects of oxidation may be rather limited. The oxidation reactivity and its mechanical strength after carbonization were slightly lower in comparison with those of the parent mesophase pitch.     

Collective modes and a theory of response ofd-wave superconductors

We present a theory of the response ofd-wave superconductors to weak applied fields, by taking account of the Coulomb interaction and all the collective degrees of freedom as well as crystal symmetry. We choose two representative phases: the d phase, which has point nodes in the energy gap, and theY _2–1 phase, which has line as well as point nodes. The former is a self-consistent solution for cubic as well as spherical symmetries and the latter is one for spherical, cubic, and hexagonal symmetries. We obtain obviously gauge-invariant expressions for the order-parameter fluctuations and the currents, having forms common not only to thed-wave states, but also to thep-wave states studied earlier. We also investigate the collective excitations; in the long-wavelength limit for spherically symmetric systems, there are, on the frequency-temperature plane, seven branches for eachd-wave phase considered, in addition to the common plasma mode and orbital Goldstone modes resulting from the spontaneous breakdown of the rotational invariance. In theY _2–1-phase two eigenmodes are found to become gapless at a finite temperature, below which they are purely imaginary. This implies instability of the phase. The effect of crystal anisotropy on the collective spectra is also studied.A preliminary report on the present work was published inJpn. J. Appl. Phys. Suppl. 26-3, 167 (1987).