Automatic thermal switch

An automatic thermal switch to control heat flow includes two thermally conductive plates and a thermally conductive switch saddle pivotally mounted to the first plate. A flexible heat carrier is connected between the switch saddle and the second plate. A phase-change power unit, including a piston coupled to the switch saddle, is in thermal contact with the first thermally conductive plate. A biasing element biases the switch saddle in a predetermined position with respect to the first plate. When the phase-change power unit is actuated by an increase in heat transmitted through the first place, the piston extends and causes the switch saddle to pivot, thereby varying the thermal conduction between the two plates through the switch saddle and flexible heat carrier. The biasing element, switch saddle, and piston can be arranged to provide either a normally closed or normally opened thermally conductive path between the two plates

Automatic thermal switch

An automatic thermal switch to control heat flow includes a first thermally conductive plate, a second thermally conductive plate and a thermal transfer plate pivotally mounted between the first and second plates. A phase change power unit, including a plunger connected to the transfer plate, is in thermal contact with the first thermally conductive plate. A biasing element, connected to the transfer plate, biases the transfer plate in a predetermined position with respect to the first and second plates. When the phase change power unit is actuated by an increase in heat transmitted through the first plate, the plunger extends and pivots the transfer plate to vary the thermal conduction between the first and second plates through the transfer plate. The biasing element, transfer plate and piston can be arranged to provide either a normally closed or normally open thermally conductive path between the first and second plates

Study of local flow conditions over a hemispherically blunted 25 deg cone for a shallow re-entry trajectory

Local flow conditions over hemispherically blunted 25 deg cone for shallow reentry trajector

Economic Reforms and Constitutional Transition

This paper investigates the relationship between economic reforms and constitutional transition, which has been neglected by many transition economists. It is argued that assessment of reform performance might be very misleading if it is not recognized that economic reforms are just a small part of large scale of constitutional transition. Rivalry and competition between states and between political forces within each country are the driving forces for constitutional transition. We use Russia as an example of economic reforms associated with constitutional transition and China as an example of economic reforms in the absence of constitutional transition to examine features and problems in the two patterns of transition. It is concluded that under political monopoly of the ruling party, economic transition will be hijacked by state opportunism. Dual track approach to economic transition may generate very high long-term cost of constitutional transition that might well outweigh its short-term benefit of buying out the vested interests.constitutional transition, economic reform, division of labor, debate of shock therapy vs gradualism, debate of convergence vs institutional innovation

Estimation of an initial condition of sigma-delta modulators via projection onto convex sets

Abstract—In this paper, an initial condition of strictly causal rational interpolative sigma-delta modulators (SDMs) is estimated based on quantizer output bit streams and an input signal. A set of initial conditions generating bounded trajectories is characterized. It is found that a set of initial conditions generating bounded trajectories but not necessarily corresponding to quantizer output bit streams is convex. Also, it is found that a set of initial conditions corresponding to quantizer output bit streams but not necessarily generating bounded trajectories is convex too. Moreover, it is found that an initial condition both corresponding to quantizer output bit streams and generating bounded trajectories is uniquely defined if the loop filter is unstable (Here, an unstable loop filter refers to that with at least one of its poles being strictly outside the unit circle). To estimate that unique initial condition, a projection onto convex set approach is employed. Numerical computer simulations show that the employed method can estimate the initial condition effectively

Difference between irregular chaotic patterns of second-order double-loop ΣΔ modulators and second-order interpolative bandpass ΣΔ modulators

In this paper, we find that, by computing the difference between two consecutive state vectors of second-order double-loop sigma-delta modulators (SDMs) and plotting one component of the subtracted vectors against the other component, irregular chaotic patterns will become two vertical lines. By multiplying a matrix on the subtracted vectors, it can be further transformed to two fixed points. However, second-order interpolative bandpass SDMs still exhibit chaotic behaviors after applying the same transformations. Moreover, it is found that the Lyapunov exponent of state vectors of second-order double-loop SDMs is higher than that of second-order interpolative bandpass SDMs, whereas the Lyapunov exponent of transformed vectors becomes negative infinity for second-order double-loop SDMs and increases for second-order interpolative bandpass SDMs. Hence, by examining the occurrence of chaotic behaviors of the transformed vectors of these two SDMs, these two SDMs can be distinguished from their state vectors and their transformed vectors without solving the state equations and knowing the information of input signals

Fuzzy impulsive control of high order interpolative lowpass sigma delta modulators

In this paper, a fuzzy impulsive control strategy is proposed. The state vectors that the impulsive controller resets to are determined so that the state vectors of interpolative low-pass sigma-delta modulators (SDMs) are bounded within any arbitrary nonempty region no matter what the input step size, the initial condition and the filter parameters are, the occurrence of limit cycle behaviors and the effect of audio clicks are minimized, as well as the state vectors are close to the invariant set if it exists. To work on this problem, first, the local stability criterion and the condition for the occurrence of limit cycle behaviors are derived. Second, based on the derived conditions, as well as a practical consideration based on the boundedness of the state variables and a heuristic measure on the strength of audio clicks, fuzzy membership functions and a fuzzy impulsive control law are formulated. The controlled state vectors are then determined by solving the fuzzy impulsive control law. One of the advantages of the fuzzy impulsive control strategy over the existing linear control strategies is the robustness to the input signal, the initial condition and the filter parameters, and that over the existing nonlinear control strategy are the efficiency and the effectiveness in terms of lower frequency of applying the control force and higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) performanc

Student Transfer: The Effect of Timing on Academic Achievement

America’s population is highly mobile. Some students move between school years, during the summer months, while others transfer after the school year has begun. Classrooms throughout the United States are likely to have students moving-in and transferring-out at any point; mobility occurs before, during, and after the school year begins. Research indicates that mobility has an effect on academic achievement. The major purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the timing of student transfer on academic achievement. Students who transferred Early (during the summer) and students who transferred Late (during the school year) were compared to those who did not transfer. Multiple Regression analysis was used to determine if the timing of student mobility significantly effects achievement as measured by the Maine Educational Assessment (MEA). MEA scores of students from a small, rural Maine school system were regressed on gender, socioeconomic status, (SES) transfer status, mobility number, and the timing of transfer. Results indicated that: transferring, cumulative number of transfers, and the timing of transfer did not have a significant effect on academic achievement. Recommendations for further study included longitudinal study, consideration of personal characteristics of movers, reasons for moving, qualitative studies, the social implications of student mobility and an examination of school district polices and their effectiveness regarding transfer students