Second Overtone Pulsators Among Delta Scuti Stars

We investigate the modal stability of stellar models at masses and luminosity levels corresponding to post main sequence luminous delta scuti pulsators. The envelope models have been computed at fixed mass value, luminosity level and chemical composition (Y=0.28, Z=0.02). According to a nonlinear approach to radial oscillations the present investigation predicts the occurrence of stable second overtone pulsators for the first time. The shape of both light and velocity curves are presented and discussed, providing a useful tool for the identification of second overtone pulsators among the known groups of radially pulsating stars. The period ratios of mixed mode pulsators obtained by perturbing the first and the second overtone radial eigenfunctions are in agreement with observative values. Finally, the physical structure and the dynamical properties of second overtone pulsators are discussed in detail. The role played by the nodal lines in the destabilization of second overtone pulsators is also pointed out.Comment: 20 pages, 11 Postscript figures, uses aaspp4.sty and tighten.st

Design of organic Rankine cycles using a non-conventional optimization approach

The organic Rankine cycle is a suitable technology for utilizing low grade heat for electricity production. Compared to the traditional steam Rankine cycle, the organic Rankine cycle is beneficial, since it enables the choice of a working fluid which performs better than steam at low heat input temperatures and at lowpower outputs. Selecting the process layout of the organic Rankine cycle and the working fluid are two key design decisions which are critical for the thermodynamic and economic performance of the cycle. The prevailing approach used in the design and optimization of organic Rankine cycles is to model the heatexchangers by assuming a fixed minimum temperature difference. The objective of this work is to assess the applicability of this conventional optimization approach and a non-conventional optimization approach. In thenon-conventional optimization approach a total UA-value (the product of the overall heat transfer coefficient and the heat transfer area) is assigned to the cycle, while the distribution of this total UA-value to each of the heat exchangers is optimized. Optimizations are carried out for three different marine engine waste heatsources at temperatures ranging from 90 °C to 285 °C. The results suggest that the conventional optimization approach is not suitable for estimating the performance potential when the temperature profiles in the heat exchangers are closely matched. This is exemplified for the fluid MDM where the temperature profile of preheating aligns with the heat source fluid and for the zeotropic mixture R32/R134a where the temperature profile of condensation aligns with the cooling water. Furthermore, the conventional optimization approach shows weaknesses in evaluating the feasibility of using a recuperator, when the expander outlet temperature is high. In these cases the non-conventional optimization approach is the more suited methodology for designing organic Rankine cycles

DFM synthesis approach based on product-process interface modelling. Application to the peen forming process.

Engineering design approach are curently CAD-centred design process. Manufacturing information is selected and assessed very late in the design process and above all as a reactive task instead of being proactive to lead the design choices. DFM appraoches are therefore assesment methods that compare several design alternatives and not real design approaches at all. Main added value of this research work concerns the use of a product-process interface model to jointly manage both the product and the manufacturing data in a proactive DFM way. The DFM synthesis approach and the interface model are presented via the description of the DFM software platform

Identifying component modules

A computer-based system for modelling component dependencies and identifying component modules is presented. A variation of the Dependency Structure Matrix (DSM) representation was used to model component dependencies. The system utilises a two-stage approach towards facilitating the identification of a hierarchical modular structure. The first stage calculates a value for a clustering criterion that may be used to group component dependencies together. A Genetic Algorithm is described to optimise the order of the components within the DSM with the focus of minimising the value of the clustering criterion to identify the most significant component groupings (modules) within the product structure. The second stage utilises a 'Module Strength Indicator' (MSI) function to determine a value representative of the degree of modularity of the component groupings. The application of this function to the DSM produces a 'Module Structure Matrix' (MSM) depicting the relative modularity of available component groupings within it. The approach enabled the identification of hierarchical modularity in the product structure without the requirement for any additional domain specific knowledge within the system. The system supports design by providing mechanisms to explicitly represent and utilise component and dependency knowledge to facilitate the nontrivial task of determining near-optimal component modules and representing product modularity

Differential electrophysiological response during rest, self-referential, and non-self-referential tasks in human posteromedial cortex

The electrophysiological basis for higher brain activity during rest and internally directed cognition within the human default mode network (DMN) remains largely unknown. Here we use intracranial recordings in the human posteromedial cortex (PMC), a core node within the DMN, during conditions of cued rest, autobiographical judgments, and arithmetic processing. We found a heterogeneous profile of PMC responses in functional, spatial, and temporal domains. Although the majority of PMC sites showed increased broad gamma band activity (30-180 Hz) during rest, some PMC sites, proximal to the retrosplenial cortex, responded selectively to autobiographical stimuli. However, no site responded to both conditions, even though they were located within the boundaries of the DMN identified with resting-state functional imaging and similarly deactivated during arithmetic processing. These findings, which provide electrophysiological evidence for heterogeneity within the core of the DMN, will have important implications for neuroimaging studies of the DMN