53 research outputs found
The Transition to Superrotation in Terrestrial Atmospheres
We show that by changing a single non-dimensional number, the thermal Rossby
number, global atmospheric simulations with only axisymmetric forcing pass from
an Earth-like atmosphere to a superrotating atmosphere that more resembles the
atmospheres of Venus or Titan. The transition to superrotation occurs under
conditions in which equatorward-propagating Rossby waves generated by
baroclinic instability at intermediate and high latitudes are suppressed, which
will occur when the deformation radius exceeds the planetary radius. At large
thermal Rossby numbers following an initial, nearly axisymmetric phase, a
global baroclinic wave of zonal wavenumber one generated by mixed
barotropic-baroclinic instability dominates the eddy flux of zonal momentum.
The global wave converges eastward zonal momentum to the equator and deposits
westward momentum at intermediate latitudes during spinup and before
superrotation emerges, and the baroclinic instability ceases once superrotation
is established. A global barotropic mode of zonal wavenumber one generated by a
mix of high- and low-latitude barotropic instability is responsible for
maintaining superrotation in the statistically steady state. At intermediate
thermal Rossby numbers, momentum flux by the global baroclinic mode is
subdominant relative to smaller baroclinic modes, and thus strong superrotation
does not develop.Comment: accepted for publication in JGR-Planet
On-line monitoring of multi-component strain development in a tufting needle using optical fibre Bragg grating sensors
Dynamic loadings induced on a tufting needle during the tufting of dry carbon fibre preform via a commercial robot-controlled tufting head were investigated in situ and in real-time using optical fibre Bragg grating (FBG) sensors bonded to the needle shaft. The sensors were configured such that the axial strain and bending moments experienced by the needle could be measured. A study of the influence of thread and thread type on the strain imparted to the needle revealed axial strain profiles which had equivalent trends but different magnitudes. The mean of the maximum axial compression strains measured during the tufting of a 4-ply quasi-isotropic carbon fibre dry preform were - 499 Ā± 79 Ī¼Īµ, - 463 Ā± 51 Ī¼Īµ and - 431 Ā± 59 Ī¼Īµ for a needle without thread, with metal wire and with KevlarĀ® thread, respectively. The needle similarly exhibited bending moments of different magnitude when the different needle feeding configurations were used
Fibre grating refractometer sensors for composite process monitoring
Optimum performance from advanced composites requires careful control of the
resin matrix during cure. This is to ensure there are no cure induced voids and
to minimise the build up of internal stresses. Careful control of the process is
also necessary to reduce wastage. Traditional resin inspection techniques are
bulk or sample oriented and thus cannot provide data about critical component
parts. Optical fibre based sensors however, allow for in-situ monitoring
techniques to be deployed in components without effecting their structural
integrity. In this work, two fibre optic grating techniques are demonstrated as
process monitoring sensors and are compared with a Fresnel refractometric
method. The change in refractive index of a resin has previously been used as a
means for assessing the degree of cure. The central wavelength of an attenuation
band of a long period grating (LPG) was monitored during the cure of a resin. In
parallel the spectral resonances of a tilted fibre Bragg grating (FBG) are also
monitored. The two techniques are shown to correlate well with the Fresnel based
method in both detecting the resin and monitoring the state of cure, indicating
the potential of the techniques for online production monitorin
Automated manufacture of 3D reinforced aerospace composite structures
Purpose- This study is part of the FP7 project ADVITAC and focuses on exploring
an innovative combination of cutting edge technologies to be implemented within
automated processes for composite parts manufacturing. The objective is the
design of a production route for components with tailored fibre orientation and
ply lay-up, with improved damage tolerance thanks to through-the-thickness
reinforcement and integrated health monitoring systems based on optical fibres
technology.
Design/Methodology/Approach- The proposed technologies are described in detail
and their compatibility and potential for integration are discussed. A set up
for on-line monitoring of infusion and curing processes of carbon/epoxy
laminates preformed by dry fibre placement technology is proposed, and a
preliminary study of their mechanical performance is presented. The possibility
of reinforcing through-the-thickness preforms manufactured with dry slit tapes
automatically laid-up and consolidated by laser heating is investigated.
Findings- Improved knowledge of interaction/compatibility between the discussed
technologies and scope for application.
Research limitations/implications- The paper reports the technical potential and
practical feasibility of the proposed integrated production process. Limited
quantitative evaluations on the materials performance are provided. The analysis
of the technologies involved represents the early outcome of the ongoing ADVITAC
project.
Practical implications- This study contributes to the identification of a new
generation of composite architecture which allows production cost and weight
savings while retaining the level of quality suitable for demanding structural
applications, with particular relevance to the aerospace field.
Originality/value- This paper investigates for the first time the practical
possibility of designing a single automated process involving dry fibre
placement, tufting and optical fibre sensor monitoring for the production of
complex composite components
Data from: Prospective comparison of two models of integrating early infant male circumcision with maternal child health services in Kenya: the Mtoto Msafi Mbili Study
As countries scale up adult voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention, they are looking ahead to long term sustainable strategies, including introduction of early infant male circumcision (EIMC). To address the lack of evidence regarding introduction of EIMC services in sub-Saharan African settings, we conducted a simultaneous, prospective comparison of two models of EIMC service delivery in Homa Bay County, Kenya. In one division a standard delivery package (SDP) was introduced and included health facility-based provision of EIMC services with community engagement for client referral versus in a different division a standard package plus (SDPplus) that included community-delivered EIMC services. Babies 1ā60 days old were eligible for EIMC. A representative sample of mothers and fathers of baby boys at 16 health facilities was surveyed. We examined differences between mothers and fathers in the SDP and SDPplus divisions and identified factors associated with EIMC uptake. We report adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR). Of 1660 mothers interviewed, 1501 (89%) gave approval to contact the father, and 1259 fathers (84%) were interviewed. The proportion of babies circumcised was slightly greater in the SDPplus division than the SDP division (27.3% vs 23.7%), but the difference was not significant (p = 0.08). In adjusted analyses, however, the prevalence of babies being circumcised was greater in the SDPplus division (aPR = 1.23, 95% CI:1.04ā1.45) and the factors associated with a baby being circumcised were the mother having received information about EIMC (during pregnancy, aPR = 4.81, 95% CI: 2.21ā3.42), having discussed circumcision with the father if married or cohabiting (aPR = 5.39, 95% CI: 3.31ā8.80) or being single (aPR = 5.67, 95% CI: 3.31ā9.69), perceiving herself to be living with HIV (aPR = 1.39, 95% CI: 1.15ā1.67), or having a post-secondary education (aPR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.04ā1.69), and the father being Muslim (aPR = 1.85, 95% CI: 1.29ā2.65) or circumcised (aPR = 1.34, 95% CI: 1.13ā1.59). The median age of 2117 babies circumcised was 8 days (IQR: 1ā36), and the median weight was 3.6 kg (IQR: 3.2ā4.4). There were 6 moderate adverse events (AEs) (0.28%); 5 severe AEs (0.24%), all involving an injury to the glans penis, requiring hospitalization and corrective surgery; and one death probably related to the procedure. There were no AEs among the 365 procedures performed outside health facilities. Information and education campaigns must reach members of the general population, especially men and fathers, who are influential to the EIMC decision. Serious AEs using the Mogen clamp are rare, but do occur and require efficient, reliable emergency back-up. Our results can assist countries considering scale-up of EIMC services for HIV prevention as their adult VMMC programs mature
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