Press forming a 0/90 cross-ply advanced thermoplastic composite using the double-dome benchmark geometry

A pre-consolidated thermoplastic advanced composite cross-ply sheet comprised of two uniaxial plies orientated at 0/90° has been thermoformed using tooling based on the double-dome bench-mark geometry. Mitigation of wrinkling was achieved using springs to apply tension to the forming sheet rather than using a friction-based blank-holder. The shear angle across the surface of the formed geometry has been measured and compared with data collected previously from experiments on woven engineering fabrics. The shear behaviour of the material has been characterised as a function of rate and temperature using the picture frame shear test technique. Multi-scale modelling predictions of the material’s shear behaviour have been incorporated in finite element forming predictions; the latter are compared against the experimental results

AV Zones – Tablet app for audiovisual performance

We have identified potential for tablets to be used as stand-alone tools for audiovisual performance, and not simply as controllers, due to their portability, expressive capabilities of multi-touch, and processing power. To explore this potential, we have developed AV Zones (AudioVisual Zones), an iPad app for audiovisual performance. In a preliminary phase, we conducted interviews with audiovisual performers and a workshop, to understand user needs and desires. We then developed AV Zones, an iPad app for audiovisual performance, composed of an audio sequencer/looper with a visualizer. It explores the interactive potential of a touch screen tablet for integrated musical and visual expression. By default, 3 audiovisual columns or “zones” allow for the manipulation of 3 audio loops. These zones are metaphorical adaptations of channels in a standard audio mixer

Non-Euclidean ideal spectrometer

We describe the mathematical scheme for an anomaly-free ideal spectrometer, based on a 2-dimensional plane medium with conical regions of bounded slope. Moreover, the construction may be realised in many different configurations.Comment: 9 pages, 5 figure

A transverse loading technique to enhance the pressure measurement capability of fibre Bragg gratings

A fibre optic pressure sensor based on the application of a transverse load onto an epoxy-resin material embedded over a sub-section of a fibre Bragg grating (FBG) is presented. When a transverse load is applied to the epoxy material it deforms and transfers the load onto the optical fibre in the form of an axial strain that changes the period of the FBG over the embedded region. This introduces a phase shift between the two resulting identical gratings that lie either side of the loaded section, creating a spectral drop-out within the bandwidth of the FBG. A 2 mm section at the centre of FBGs of length 6 mm, recorded in both single mode and highly linearly birefringent optical fibres, was embedded in resin, and were subsequently subjected to a transverse load. The loading technique, while offering protection to the optical fibre from mechanical damage, enhances transverse load sensitivity, without introducing birefringence

Interrogation of fibre Bragg gratings through a fibre optic rotary joint on a geotechnical centrifuge

The monitoring of an array of fibre Bragg gratings (FBGs) strain sensors was performed through a single channel, single mode fibre optic rotary joint (FORJ) mounted on a geotechnical centrifuge. The array of three FBGs was attached to an aluminum plate that was anchored at the ends and placed on the model platform of the centrifuge. Acceleration forces of up to 50g were applied and the reflection signal of the monitored FBGs recorded dynamically using a 2.5kHz FBG interrogator placed outside the centrifuge. The use of a FORJ allowed the monitoring of the FBGs without submitting the FBG interrogator to the high g-forces experienced in the centrifuge. © (2016) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only

Choosing classrooms: a structured interview on children's right to participate

Discourses from distinct areas of knowledge converge on the relevance of listening to children's perspectives on their everyday lives and, specifically, in early childhood settings. Although children's participation is considered an important criterion to assess preschool settings’ quality, there is little empirical evidence on children's ideas in these settings. This study aims to develop and pilot a structured interview to assess children's conceptions, expectations, and perceptions about participation. Results suggest children consider they have more opportunities to make choices in the classroom characterized by the participation narrative. Furthermore, the participation classroom is consistently described as the one in which children would feel better, have more fun, and like the most, suggesting children value more classrooms in which participation occurs.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio