Quasi-Static Folding and Deployment of Ultrathin Composite Tape-Spring Hinges

Deployable structures made from ultrathin composite materials can be folded elastically and are able to selfdeploy by releasing the stored strain energy. This paper presents a detailed study of the folding and deployment of a tape-spring hinge made from a two-ply plain-weave laminate of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic. Aparticular version of this hinge was constructed, and its moment-rotation profile during quasi-static deployment was measured. The present study is the first to incorporate in the simulation an experimentally validated elastic micromechanical model and to provide quantitative comparisons between the simulations and the measured behavior of an actual hinge. Folding and deployment simulations of the tape-spring hinge were carried out with the commercial finite element package Abaqus/Explicit, starting from the as-built unstrained structure. The folding simulation includes the effects of pinching the hinge in the middle to reduce the peak moment required to fold it. The deployment simulation fully captures both the steady-state moment part of the deployment and the final snap back to the deployed configuration. An alternative simulation without pinching the hinge provides an estimate of the maximum moment that could be carried by the hinge during operation. This is about double the snapback moment

The Trigger and Data Acquisition System (TriDAS) of the KM3NeT experiment

Starting from 2015, the new generation underwater high energy neutrino telescope, KM3NeT, is being installed in the Mediterranean Sea. During Phase 1, 32 Detection Units (8 tower-like and 24 string-like) will be deployed in the Ionian Sea, about 100km offshore Portopalo di Capo Passero, Sicily, and 7 string-like DUs will be deployed in the MEUST site, offshore Toulon in France. During Phase 2, several hundreds of DUs will be added to the Phase 1 detector, reaching an effective detection volume of some cubic kilometres. In this contribution the Trigger and Data Acquisition System (TriDAS) of the string-based detector is described. The TriDAS is designed to scale with the detector size, allowing the read-out and the online trigger of data from both Phase 1 and Phase 2, whose continuous throughputs are expected to be about 10 Gbps and more than 250 Gbps, respectively

A SyR and IPM machine design methodology assisted by optimization algorithms

The design optimization of synchronous reluctance (SyR) machine and its extension to internal permanent magnet (IPM) motors for wide speed ranges is considered in this paper by means of a Finite Element Analysis-based multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA). The paper is focused on the rotor design, that is controversial key aspect of the design of high saliency SyR and IPM machines, due to the difficult modeling dominated by magnetic saturation. A three step procedure is presented, to obtain a starting SyR design with the optimal torque versus torque ripple compromise and then properly include PMs into the SyR geometry, given the desired constant power speed range of the final IPM machine. The designed rotors have been extensively analyzed by computer simulations and two SyR prototypes have been realized to demonstrate the feasibility of the design procedur

Telling the story: Exploring the experiences of individuals impacted by the global refugee crisis

As host communities experience shifting demographics and influxes of migrating populations, individuals who work, volunteer, and advocate to serve these populations become increasingly necessary. These individuals have the opportunity to interact with newcomers in unique and meaningful ways. Using a qualitative methodology, this study examined the interview responses of volunteers, aid workers, and advocates who dedicate their time to serve and aid the refugee population. Specifically, this study explored their view of advocacy and service; who or what inspired to pursue this work, what personal characteristics have inspired their work as advocates, and what stories and experiences have inspired them in this world. Trends relating to empathy, purpose in life, and motivation to serve were of particular interest. In addition to these predetermined trends, emerging patterns and themes in their stories were identified. Interviewing these individuals, in Valletta, Malta and Harrisonburg, Virginia, revealed a beautiful thread of the rich narrative of human connection. The personal stories of inspiration told by the volunteers, aid workers, and advocates reflected the importance of empathy, motivation to serve, and purpose in life in the experiences of those impacted by and addressing the refugee crisis in Malta and the United States

Contemporary landscape and the archaeological record. An integrated approach to the study of the Etruscan-Samnite site of Pontecagnano (SA)

Pontecagnano is a large Etruscan-Samnite settlement located 8 km SE of Salerno, at the northern edge of the Sele plain. The well-investigated necropolis provided data that made it possible to analyse the structure of the ancient community and reconstruct its long-term development. Over the last few years, after archaeological investigations carried out during roadwork to widen the Salerno-Reggio Calabria highway, a more systematic study of the site was begun. The analysis of archaeological data was combined with environmental and landscape studies, shedding light on the reasons behind the spatial organisation of the settlement, which was influenced by natural or man-made landscape elements such as streams, non-uniform dislocation of geological formations, terraces, roads, canals, etc. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the methods and instruments we used to develop a system that can dynamically combine archaeological and geomorphological data. The paper focuses particularly on the reconstruction of paleo-topographical areas of the ancient settlement. Our investigation outlined the physical and environmental limits within which the old town developed, especially as regards the archaic and classical period. Part of the work was devoted to reconstructing in detail the connections between the modern and the ancient landscape, not only by reading and interpreting the aerial photographs from 1945 to the present-day, but also by analyzing the evidence from the excavations. This approach allowed us to draw up a detailed geomorphologic map of the area of the ancient settlement - part of the GIS platform - and develop a three-dimensional model of the ground (DEM)

Levantamento de dados secundários sobre o acúmulo de carbono orgânico em solos brasileiros sob pastagens.

Este contexto justifica a intensificação de pesquisa na área de mitigação e adaptação do setor pecuário às mudanças do clima e, neste sentido, o presente trabalho se propôs a criar uma base de dados secundários existentes na literatura acerca do acúmulo de carbono orgânico em solos sob pastagens de diversas regiões pecuaristas do Brasil. Com isto, pretende-se contribuir para a criação de padrões e correlações entre as principais causas de variação de carbono sob diferentes formas de manejo de pastagens

Photo-oxidative and soil burial degradation of irrigation tubes based on biodegradable polymer blends

Irrigation tubes based on biodegradable polymers were prepared via an extrusion-drawing process by Irritec and compared to conventional pipes made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). A commercial polylactide/poly (butyleneadipate-co-butyleneterephthalate) (PLA/PBAT) blend (Bio-Flex®) and Mater-Bi® were used. The polymers were characterized from rheological and mechanical points of view. Irrigation pipes were subjected to photoaging with continued exposure to UV radiation up to 22 days. The degradability in the soil of irrigation tube samples was studied. The influence of temperature and UV irradiation on soil burial degradation was investigated. A soil burial degradation test was carried out at 30 °C and 50 °C for up to 70 days. The degree of degradation was evaluated from the weight loss percentage. The degradation rate of irrigation tube samples based on Mater-Bi® was higher at 30 °C and was stimulated after 14 days of UV irradiation. Higher temperatures or UV aging encouraged the disintegration in soil of Bio-Flex®-based irrigation tubes. Furthermore, tube samples, before and after UV and soil burial degradation, were analyzed by Attenuated Total Reflection-Fourier Transform Infra-Red (ATR-FTIR) spectroscop

Automatic design of Synchronous Reluctance motors focusing on barrier shape optimization

The automated design of Synchronous Reluctance motors based on Multi-Objective, Genetic Optimization and Finite Element Analysis is considered in this paper. Three types of barrier shapes are considered, all described by an effective, limited set of input variables. The three solutions are investigated to establish which of the geometries can give the best torque output and also which one represents the best compromise between output performance and computational time. The analysis presented in this paper shows that Synchronous Reluctance motors designed automatically can give a good performance, can be designed in a reasonable time and it is also shown that not all design degrees of freedom are useful in terms of motor performance. Two prototypes of automatically designed machines have been fabricated and experimentally compared to a third prototype designed according to state-of-the-art design principle