Ultrasonic test of carbon composite/copper joints in the ITER divertor

The vertical targets of the ITER divertor consist of high flux units (HFU) actively cooled: CuCrZr tubes armoured by tungsten and carbon/carbon fibre composite (CFC). The armour is obtained with holed parallelepiped blocks, called monoblocks, previously prepared and welded onto the tubes by means diffusion bonding. The monoblock preparation consists in the casting of a layer of copper oxygen free (Cu OFHC) inside the monoblock hole.Each HFU is covered with more than 100 monoblocks that have to be joined simultaneously to the tube. Therefore, it is very important to individuate any defects present in the casting of Cu OFHC or at the interface with the CFC before the monoblocks are installed on the units.This paper discusses the application of non-destructive testing by ultrasound (US) method for the control of the joining interfaces between CFC monoblocks and Cu OFHC, before the brazing on the CrCrZr tube.In ENEA laboratory an ultrasonic technique (UT) suitable for the control of these joints with size and geometry according to the ITER specifications has been developed and widely tested. Real defects in this type of joints are, however, still hardly detected by UT. The CFC surface has to be machined to improve the mechanical strength of the joint. This results in a surface not perpendicular to the ultrasonic wave. Moreover, CFC is characterized by high acoustic attenuation of the ultrasonic wave and then it is not easy to get information regarding the Cu/CFC bonding. Nevertheless, the UT sharpness and simplicity pushes to perform some further study. With this purpose, a sample with artificial defects induced on the CFC/Cu interface during the Cu casting, has been manufactured and investigated, both by pulse-echo technique and by different techniques. The results obtained by the UT on this sample are reported and compared with X-ray method.     

CEO's Corner

ABSTRACT

This article discusses adopting quality function deployment to develop an effective and efficient process measurement program. The project was conducted at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Norfolk, Virginia, over a 5-month period. The objective was to develop a measurement program for a software maintenance by identifying the critical metrics for the entire process. As a result, 23 quality metrics were developed for NUWC's process measurement program. Also discussed are the benefits achieved during the quality function deployment process.     

Effect of complexation of oxidised corn starch with mineral elements on physicochemical properties

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of complexation of oxidised starch with mineral elements on its physicochemical properties. Corn starch was oxidised with sodium hypochlorite and, afterwards, modified with ions of potassium, magnesium and iron. Thus, native and modified starches were analysed for: contents of mineral elements, colour parameters (L*a*b*), water binding capacity and solubility in water at temperature of 60 and 80 °C. Thermodynamic characteristics of gelatinisation by DSC, molecular weight distribution by GPC, intrinsic viscosity and pasting properties by RVA were studied. The efficiency of incorporation of metal ions into oxidised corn starch was about 30%, 20% and 20% for potassium, magnesium and iron ions, respectively. The complexation with potassium ions caused the greatest changes in the molecular weight distribution and the intrinsic viscosity of starches and viscosity of starch pastes. Only modification of starch with iron ions affected the colour parameters of the starch. Incorporation of metal ions into starch resulted also in changes in its water binding capacity and solubility in water.     

Comparative analysis of the outdoor performance of a dye solar cell mini‐panel for building integrated photovoltaics applications

New generation photovoltaic (PV) devices such as polymer and dye sensitized solar cells (DSC) have now reached a more mature stage of development, and among their various applications, building integrated PVs seems to have the most promising future, especially for DSC devices. This new generation technology has attracted an increasing interest because of its low cost due to the use of cheap printable materials and simple manufacturing techniques, easy production, and relatively high efficiency. As for the more consolidated PV technologies, DSCs need to be tested in real operating conditions and their performance compared with other PV technologies to put into evidence the real potential. This work presents the results of a 3 months outdoor monitoring activity performed on a DSC mini‐panel made by the Dyepower Consortium, positioned on a south oriented vertical plane together with a double junction amorphous silicon (a‐Si) device and a multi‐crystalline silicon (m‐Si) device at the ESTER station of the University of Rome Tor Vergata. Good performance of the DSC mini‐panel has been observed for this particular configuration, where the DSC energy production compares favorably with that of a‐Si and m‐Si especially at high solar angles of incidence confirming the suitability of this technology for the integration into building facades. This assumption is confirmed by the energy produced per nominal watt‐peak for the duration of the measurement campaign by the DSC that is 12% higher than that by a‐Si and only 3% lower than that by m‐Si for these operating conditions. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Measuring the global construction industry: improving the quality of data

In the context of a truly global market for construction, an international strategy is required to ensure that national and international statistical systems are able to provide accurate and valid information. In many parts of the world the collection of reliable national information on construction activity is not an easy task, and the measurement of comparable, cross-national data can be problematic. This paper considers possible strategies for the improvement of data collection systems in the context of user needs.     

Substitution possibilities and determinants of energy intensity for China

This paper measures technological change, factor demand and inter-factor and inter-fuel substitutability measures for China. We use individual fuel price data and a two-stage approach to estimate total factor cost functions and fuel share equations. Both inter-factor and inter-fuel substitution elasticities are calculated and the change in energy intensity is decomposed into its driving forces. The results suggest that energy is substitutable for capital regionally and for labor nationally. Capital substitutes for energy more easily than labor does. Energy intensity changes vary by region but the major drivers seem to be “budget effect” and the adoption of energy-intensive technologies, which might be embodied in high-level energy-using exports and sectors, capital investment and even old technique and equipment imports. Whether the trend in rising energy intensity continues will be significant for China and the rest of the world.     

Industrial agglomeration,geographic innovation and total factor productivity: The case of Taiwan

The paper analyses the impact of geographic innovation on total factor productivity (TFP) in Taiwan in 2001 using 242 four-digit standard industrial classification (SIC) industries. We compute TFP by estimating Translog production functions with K, L, E and M inputs, and measure the geographic innovative activity using both Krugman's Gini coefficients and the location Herfindahl index. We also consider the geographic innovation variable as an endogenous variable and use two stage least squares (2SLS) to obtain a consistent, albeit inefficient, estimator. The empirical results show a significantly positive effect of geographic innovation, as well as R&D expenditure, on TFP. These results are robust for the Gini coefficients and location Herfindahl index, when industrial characteristics and heteroskedasticity are controlled. Moreover the Hausman test shows that the geographic innovation variable should be treated as endogenous which supports the modern theory of industrial clustering regarding innovation spillovers within clusters.