MHTGR steam generator on-line heat balance, instrumentation and function

Instrumentation is used to measure the Modular High Temperature Gas-Cooled Reactor (MHTGR) steam generator dissimilar metal weld temperature during start-up testing. Additional instrumentation is used to determine an on-line heat balance which is maintained during the 40 year module life. In the process of calibrating the on-line heat balance, the helium flow is adjusted to yield the optimum boiling level in the steam generator relative to the dissimilar metal weld. After calibration is complete the weld temperature measurement is non longer required. The reduced boiling level range results in less restrictive steam generator design constraints

How Secure Are FPGAs in Cryptographic Applications?

The use of FPGAs for cryptographic applications is highly attractive for a variety of reasons but at the same time there are many open issues related to the general security of FPGAs. This contribution attempts to provide a state-of-the-art description of this topic. First, the advantages of reconfigurable hardware for cryptographic applications are listed. Second, potential security problems of FPGAs are described in detail, followed by a proposal of a some countermeasure. Third, a list of open research problems is provided. Even though there have been many contributions dealing with the algorithmic aspects of cryptographic schemes implemented on FPGAs, this contribution appears to be the first comprehensive treatment of system and security aspects

Guaianolide sesquiterpenes from Pulicaria crispa (Forssk.) Oliv.

NoA phytochemical study of the asteraceous herb Pulicaria crispa (Forssk.) Oliv. resulted in the characterisation of three guaianolide sesquiterpenes, 2¿,4¿-dihydroxy-7¿H,8¿H,10¿H-guaia-1(5),11(13)-dien-8ß,12-olide (1), 1¿,2¿-epoxy-4ß-hydroxy-5¿H,7¿H,8¿H,10¿H-guaia-11(13)-en-8ß,12-olide (2) and 5,10-epi-2,3-dihydroaromatin (3). The structures were assigned on the basis of extensive 1 and 2D NMR experiments. Compound 3 exhibited weak antimycobacterial activity against Mycobacterium phlei with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 0.52 mM and cytotoxicity (IC50 of 5.8 ± 0.2 ¿M) in a human bladder carcinoma cell line, EJ-138

Fatigue-crack propagation in aluminum-lithium alloys processed by power and ingot metallurgy

Fatigue-crack propagation behavior in powder-metallurgy (P/M) aluminum-lithium alloys, namely, mechanically-alloyed (MA) Al-4.0Mg-1.5Li-1.1C-0.80{sub 2} (Inco 905-XL) and rapid-solidification-processed (RSP) Al-2.6Li-1.0Cu-0.5Mg-0.5Zr (Allied 644-B) extrusions, has been studied, and results compared with data on an equivalent ingot-metallurgy (I/M) Al-Li alloy, 2090-T81 plate. Fatigue-crack growth resistance of the RSP Al-Li alloy is found to be comparable to the I/M Al-Li alloy; in contrast, crack velocities in MA 905-XL extrusions are nearly three orders of magnitude faster. Growth-rate response in both P/M Al-Li alloys, however, is high anisotropic. Results are interpreted in terms of the microstructural influence of strengthening mechanism, slip mode, grain morphology and texture on the development of crack-tip shielding from crack-path deflection and crack closure. 14 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs