Novel ZA27/B4C/Graphite Hybrid Nanocomposite-Bearing Materials with Enhanced Wear and Corrosion Resistance

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - In this study, nanosized B4C and graphite-reinforced ZA27 matrix hybrid nanocomposites were produced with mechanical milling followed by hot pressing....     

Achievable working range for solid all-desiccant air-conditioning systems under specific space comfort requirements

Solid desiccant air-conditioning systems present a promising solution, in terms of performance level and environmental protection, pointing out their potential to be coupled with thermal solar or waste heat energy source. Nevertheless, these systems are characterized by constraints to the load they can satisfy, through the trade-off between the dehumidification cooling capacity and the latent load of the conditioned space. On that level, one has to note that, for steady environmental conditions, the conditioned space does not present unique value of load, but range of load, corresponding to an array of acceptable temperature and (usually relative) humidity values. In this work a methodology is proposed for the definition of the system's achievable working range under specific set of space (comfort) requirements. Through this approach, the systems present greater potential for covering the space requirements, thus presenting more possibilities on a design basis, and more flexible control strategies, as well. The proposed methodology is presented and discussed through the case study of a solar desiccant air-conditioning system coupled to a typical residential building.     

Evaluation of deflection amplification factor in steel moment‐resisting frames

Steel moment‐resisting frames (SMRFs) are the most common type of structural systems used in steel structures. The first step of structural design for SMRFs starts with the selection of the structural sections on the basis of story drift limitation. ASCE 7 (2010) requires that the inelastic story drifts be obtained by multiplying the deflections determined by elastic analysis under design earthquake forces with a deflection amplification factor (C_d). For special moment‐resisting frames, C_d is given as 5.5 in ASCE 7 (2010). Lower C_d values will increase the overall inelastic response of the structure. On the other hand, the inelastic response of the structure is expected to be less severe when designed for higher C_d values. The performance objective is that the structure should sustain the inelastic deformation demand imposed due to design earthquake ground motions. This study aims at investigating the inelastic seismic response that low‐rise, medium‐rise and high‐rise SMRFs can experience under design earthquake ground motions and maximum considered earthquake (MCE) level ground motions and evaluating the deflection amplification factors (C_d) for SMRFs in a rational way. For this purpose, nonlinear dynamic time history and pushover analyses will be carried out on SMRFs with 4, 9 and 20 stories. The results indicate that the current practice for computing the inelastic story drifts for SMRFs is rational and the frames designed complying with the current code requirements can sustain the inelastic deformations imposed during design earthquake ground motions when seismically designed and detailed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Optimization of optical single sideband configurations for radio over fiber transmission and multi-type data communication over a DWDM link

Two new optical single side band (OSSB) configurations for radio frequency (RF) transmission of data are proposed based on the structures that have been designed for baseband digital data transmission. The performances of these schemes are evaluated based on the relevant eye diagrams and bit error rate (BER). The proposed configurations are studied and analyzed mathematically. Eye diagrams and BER’s indicate an acceptable performance for the suggested structures. Feasible settings for the RF electrical power of the links are considered and the link performance for each setting is evaluated. A 4-dense wavelength division multiplexing (4-DWDM) link is considered for transmitting different types of data over a single mode fiber (SMF). Baseband digital data in the format of OSSB and RF-OSSB signals are transmitted over a 4-DWDM link. Furthermore, the link performance is considered for different electrical power settings of OSSB signal in order to achieve efficient transmission for DWDM network.     

Computer-aided activity planning (CAAP) in large-scale projects with an application in the yachting industry

The present paper provides the schema for an innovative and modular computer-based approach to the planning of activities in large-scale projects. Such projects are characterized by tens of thousands of tasks, which are consequently burdensome and difficult to plan manually. This is true to the point that in many shipyards only a low level of detail is used and poor planning is generally performed. The proposed approach is called computer-aided activity planning (CAAP), and an application in the yachting industry is shown to demonstrate its effectiveness. In particular, the so-called outfitting planning problem is faced. The CAAP system, taking into account the available shipyard resources and the knowledge on the building rules is able to automatically define, sequence, and schedule the activities of the whole outfitting process acting as a “planning configurator”. Moreover, it allows the industry-specific knowledge to be stored, maintained and shared within the (extended) organization. Owing to these “building blocks”, plans can be defined accurately and in a shorter time starting from pre-defined templates, with particular impact on lead times whenever variations to complex projects are needed. Finally, to verify the actual capabilities of the approach, the CAAP was implemented within a prototypical software called NautiCAAP.