High-Torque-Density Low-Cost Magnetic Gear Utilizing Hybrid Magnets and Advanced Materials

Two major challenges of existing high-performance magnetic gears are: (i) High content of rare-earth permanent magnets which results in high cost as well as price fluctuation; (ii) Conflict between mechanical and electromagnetic performances, especially in the design of highspeed rotor. A magnetic gear using a blend of magnet types, i.e NdFeB, or Dy-free NdFeB and ferrites, is proposed in this paper. The goal is to bring down the cost while retaining comparable torque-transducing performance to a baseline magnetic gear only using rare-earth NdFeB magnets. A variety of topologies based on different combinations of magnet types and geometric shapes have been studied and compared. In addition, the potential impact of using an advanced dual-phase material is evaluated. The goal is to eliminate the well-known tradeoff between rotor mechanical integrity and PM flux leakage

A multi-level analysis of public spending, growth and poverty reduction in Egypt:

"Egypt is a lower middle-income country with a per capita gross domestic product (GDP) in 2003 of US$3,949 measured in international dollars, or purchasing power parity (World Bank 2005a). In the decade from 1975 to 1985, Egypt enjoyed rapid economic growth... however... Egypt still lags behind many middle-income countries in key social indicators. Further reforms are necessary to reduce poverty, especially if Egypt is to achieve the United Nations' Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of halving the number of poor between 1990 and 2015. Government expenditures are an important means of promoting economic growth, reducing poverty, and improving income distribution... The overarching objective of this report is to use a multi-level analysis approach to assess both the effects of various government expenditures on growth and poverty reduction and the trade-offs between these two goals in order to determine policy options toward the achievement of the MDGs. The study involves analyses and simulations at household, sectoral, and regional levels, and at macro-levels using alternative analytical tools. While the analyses at each level were carried out independently, the report provides a synergy of the findings... The report concludes with a synthesis of the different levels of analysis." Authors' AbstractPublic investments, economic growth, Poverty reduction, Social indicators, Income distribution, Millennium Development Goals,

Long term consumption of high fructose and high salt diet did not induce blood pressure elevation in female mice. Is estrogen protective against dietary-induced high blood pressure?

Introduction: High fructose and high salt (HFHS) consumption are linked to hypertension, which is now the leading cause of death worldwide. Results from a previous study showed that the effect of HFHS on blood pressure (BP) is dependent on the concentration and duration of consumption. Sex differences in BP regulation are partially attributed to the effects of sex steroids on key renal sodium transporters.Hypothesis: We hypothesized that HFHS would induce BP elevation in male and female mice, however, females will have higher expression of renal NCC/NKCC during long-term HFHS diet consumption.Methods: Four-week-old male and female CD-1 mice (n= 6/group) were placed in metabolic cages and consumed standard chow and water for seven days, followed by 3months of 4% sodium chloride (NaCl) diet and a drinking solution of 1% NaCl and 20% fructose. Separate mice on the same diet in bins were sacrificed and kidneys extracted at the end of the first week, first and second months, and used for molecular studies.Results: Females expressed higher mRNA levels of NCC and NKCC throughout the study with fold difference of two or higher. Systolic BP averaged weekly and analyzed via ANOVA showed no sex difference in BP from baseline to the third month. Males showed an increase in BP in the third month compared to baseline (123.6 ± 3.6mmHg and 106.3 ± 5.4mmHg, P< 0.5 respectively). There were no sex differences in sodium retention.Conclusion: Females have protection against HFHS induced BP elevation and estrogen may have a protective role

The Effect of CO2 Phase on Oil Displacement in a Sandstone Core Sample

CO2 sequestration in saline aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs is a promising strategy to reduce CO2 concentration in the atmosphere and/or enhance hydrocarbon production. Change in subsurface conditions of pressure and temperature and CO2 state is likely to have a significant impact on capillary and viscous forces, which, in turn, will have a considerable influence on the injection, migration, displacement, and storage capacity and integrity of CO2 processes. In this study, an experimental investigation has been performed to explore the impact of fluid pressure, temperature, and injection rate, as a function of CO2 phase, on the dynamic pressure evolution and the oil recovery performance of CO2 during oil displacement in a Berea sandstone core sample. The results reveal a considerable impact of the fluid pressure, temperature, and injection rate on the differential pressure profile, cumulative produced volumes, endpoint CO2 relative permeability, and oil recovery; the trend and the size of the changes depend on the CO2 phase as well as the pressure range for gaseous CO2–oil displacement. The residual oil saturation was in the range of around 0.44–0.7; liquid CO2 gave the lowest, and low-fluid-pressure gaseous CO2 gave the highest. The endpoint CO2 relative permeability was in the range of about 0.015–0.657; supercritical CO2 gave the highest, and low-pressure gaseous CO2 gave the lowest. As for increasing fluid pressure, the results indicate that viscous forces were dominant in subcritical CO2 displacements, while capillary forces were dominant in supercritical CO2 displacements. As temperature and CO2 injection rates increase, the viscous forces become more dominant than capillary forces

Refinement of primary Silicon crystals by novel Al-ZnS master alloy in solidification of Hypereutectic Al-Si Alloys

A novel Al-ZnS master alloy was developed by in situ reaction of Zn and Na2S in the Al melt. The results from this study left little doubt that this novel Al-ZnS master alloy was a promising refiner in solidification of hypereutectic Al-Si alloys. It refined the primary silicon to the same extent as that achieved by adding P via Cu-P following the same refinement mechanism. The SEM work confirmed that there were many pre-formed ZnS particles contained in the master alloy. The optical metallography showed that the morphologies of the primary silicon crystals in the solidified Al-22Si alloy were drastically changed from irregular coarse morphology to fine regular particles. The primary silicon crystal was refined from 74 m to 26, 22, 24 m by adding 0.05, 0.1, 0.15 wt% ZnS respectively with holding time of 20 min, where as the average particle size of the primary silicon refined by 200 ppm P reduced to 20 m. With the increase of the holding time up to 1.5 hr, the primary silicon size will increase up to 33 m in adding 0.1 wt% ZnS

MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NANO-CRYSTALLINE MATERIAL IN METALLIC GLASS FORMERS

In order to evaluate the model metallic glass alloy’s mechanical properties (Fe49.7 Cr17.1 Mn1.9 Mo7.4 W1.6 B15.2 C3.8 Si2.4) prepared by spark plasma sintering (SPS) which have high velocity.  We made an apparatus having three-point curve testing. The comparatively bulk sizes of sample in the current study permitted the creation samples for test with a macro scale cross-section (range of mm) consistent test dimensions, and well-controlled sample sizes. Cutting using a wire saw produced remarkably sharp notches with a radius that was 3 times smaller than in earlier studies. Our three-point bending apparatus allowed us to acquire the 231 GPa and 4.91 MPam1/2 values for notch fracture toughness and young's modulus. Additionally, the results of the Vickers indentation and flexure tests for young's modulus were reliable. Vickers indentation measurements of indentation fracture toughness produced values that were a minimum of 49.9% lower than those obtained flexure using. The method for examine micro scale mechanical properties described in this study and the accompanying scrutinizes are valid to samples with different ones or compositions that are made by further means

Effects of estrogen on blood pressure and salt and water excretion during a ten-day Angiotesin ll infusion period in ovariectomized mice

Introduction: Premenopausal women are protected from cardiovascular disease compared to age-matched men. Estrogen (E2) plays important roles in these protective mechanisms.Purpose: Our goal was to determine if E2 reduces angiotensin II (AngII)-induced elevation in blood pressure in ovariectomized (OVX) mice. We also hypothesized that E2 affects renal excretion of water and sodium.Methods: Four-week-old CD-1 OVX mice were placed in metabolic cages for a five-day baseline period followed by implantation of an Alzet osmotic pump containing either vehicle or AngII (1 µg/kg/min) and either a placebo or 0.7mg E2 pellet. Measurements of water intake (WI, ml/day), urine volume (UV, ml/day), and urine sodium excretion (UNaE, μEq/day) were recorded daily in the baseline and ten-day post-implantation periods in three groups of mice: vehicle-placebo (V-P), AngII-placebo (AngII-P), and AngII-E2 (n=4/group). Systolic blood pressure (SBP, mmHg) was determined via the tail-cuff technique.Results: Delta SBP (baseline vs AngII period) was higher in AngII-P but not significantly different from AngII-E2 mice, (33.1±3.5 vs 24.5±4.0, respectively). AngII-E2 mice compared to AngII-P mice had lower WI (4.2±0.02 vs 6.9±0.05, respectively, p<0.001), lower UV (1.3±0.02 vs 2.6±0.03, respectively, p<0.03), and lower UNaE (110.5±20.7 vs 199.7±10.8, respectively, p<0.003).Conclusion: E2 administration reduces WI, UV, and UNaE during a ten-day AngII-infusion in OVX mice. E2 did not significantly reduce SBP. Studies of longer duration are underway to investigate the important E2-induced mechanisms on blood pressure regulation