Knowledge-based hand tool selection in concurrent design of mechanical systems

Selection of hand tools for cost-effective assembly and maintenance of a mechanical system has a significant impact on its life-cycle cost. A knowledge-based automated procedure for the selection of hand tools needed to efficiently carry out fastening operations in a mechanical assembly is presented. The objective is to select a tool that is applicable to a particular fastening operation, minimizes time and cost of the fastening operation, and satisfies accessibility requirements, and to provide design assistance to the design engineer. The role of the tool selection procedure in the concurrent design of mechanical systems is described.     

The care of the terminally ill patient

Drs. Alejandro Goic (internist), Ramón Florenzano (psychiatrist), Bernardino Pi?era (physician and Catholic Bishop), Sergio Valdés (internist) and Rodolfo Armas (internist) participated in a round table about the care of the terminally ill, during a Postgraduate Course organized by the Chilean Society of Gastroenterology. After a general introduction, participants discussed the psychological aspects of terminally ill patients, about the sense of death from a Christian anthropological perspective, the terminally ill in intensive care units and finally about the education of medical students in this frequently neglected aspect of medical practice.     

A Novel Three-State ARQ Scheme for Variable Error-Tate Channels

This paper presents a new type of automatic-repeat-request (ARQ) scheme, Three-State ARQ (TS-ARQ), for error control in data transmission over a noisy channel. The new scheme is based on the Go-Back-N (GBN) protocol and uses three different methods of GBN protocols: basic GBN, n-copy GBN and continuous-GBN. The new ARQ model is applicable for channels having the variable noise level going from low through medium until very high levels. As it is known, such wireless channels are to be found in terrestrial and space (satellite) communications. This model is to be used for the estimation of the noise state in the channel and one of the methods is used, depending of the noise level. When the noise level is low GBN-ARQ is used, in the case of the medium noise level the n-copy GBN is used, and if the noise level is high continuous-GBN will be applied. This paper presents the method of determining the parameters and transfer moments from one state to another. An original mathematical model is given, together with evaluation results. These results are compared with the known methods and the conclusion that the described method provides some better performances is drowned. The implementation of this new procedure is simple as described in the flow chart given in the paper.     

Transient EMF induced in LV cables due to wind turbine direct lightning strike

This paper presents a novel, easy to use, engineering method for determining the transient electromotive force (EMF) induced in low-voltage (LV) cables, connecting the wind turbine with a near-by transformer, in the event of direct lightning strike into the top of the wind turbine tower. Proposed method is based on the application of the travelling wave analysis onto the system consisted of wind turbine tower, earthing system of wind turbine, earthing system of near-by transformer station and LV cables connecting the wind turbine with associated transformer. Hence, this design gives rise to a complex, mutually connected, earthing system. Direct lightning strike to the wind turbine initiates a travelling wave process in the system consisted of lightning channel, wind turbine tower and earthing system of the wind turbine. Due to the transient nature of the observed phenomenon, current and voltage states at the earthing system as well as in the associated low-voltage cables are formed through the propagation and reflection of the accompanying travelling waves. Transient EMF induced in LV cables could endanger cable main insulation and insulation of the associated transformer LV winding. Developed theory is subsequently applied on the concrete wind turbine example.     

A review of climate change, mitigation and adaptation

Global climate change is a change in the long-term weather patterns that characterize the regions of the world. Scientists state unequivocally that the earth is warming. Natural climate variability alone cannot explain this trend. Human activities, especially the burning of coal and oil, have warmed the earth by dramatically increasing the concentrations of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere. The more of these gases humans put into the atmosphere, the more the earth will warm in the decades and centuries ahead. The impacts of warming can already be observed in many places, from rising sea levels to melting snow and ice to changing weather patterns. Climate change is already affecting ecosystems, freshwater supplies, and human health. Although climate change cannot be avoided entirely, the most severe impacts of climate change can be avoided by substantially reducing the amount of heat-trapping gases released into the atmosphere. However, the time available for beginning serious action to avoid severe global consequences is growing short. This paper reviews assessing of such climate change impacts on various components of the ecosystem such as air, water, plants, animals and human beings, with special emphasis on economy. The most daunting problem of global warming is also discussed. This paper, further reviews the mitigation measures, with a special focus on carbon sequestration and clean development mechanism (CDM). The importance of synergy between climate change mitigation and adaptation has been discussed. An overview of the relationship between economy and emissions, including Carbon Tax and Emission Trading and the policies are also presented.     

Wide frequency range capacitive detection of loss in a metallic cantilever using resonance and relaxation modes

The impedance of a capacitor which embraces a charged cantilever is used to measure the mechanical properties of the cantilever material. The technique has been tested with an amorphous metallic specimen, but is applicable for many other solids. The material damping can be measured at the resonance frequency of the cantilever via the width of the resonance curve or by recording the ring-down behavior. Additionally, several decades in frequency are accessible below the resonance frequency, where values as low as nu=0.03 Hz are achieved easily. The data are analyzed with a single equation that captures the damping at all frequencies in terms of the material specific Young's modulus E and its loss angle tan delta=E"/E'.