English fiddling 1650-1850 : reconstructing a lost idiom

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Towards an optimised sputtered MoS2 lubricant film

It is shown that the tribological quality of MoS2 lubricant films formed by magnetron sputtering is determined by the choice of sputtering conditions. By selecting the appropriate conditions, films of extremely high lubricity and endurance (in vacuum), which are well suited to many space applications, are obtained. Such MoS2 films, when applied to precision ball hearings, give rise to the lowest torques (for the given test conditions) yet seen in our laboratory. While a remarkably good performance is obtained in vacuum, tests in air show a marked deterioration in lubricating qualities. It is demonstrated that this is attributable to the adsorption of water vapor on MoS2 surfaces and that the degree of deterioration is related to the partial pressure of water vapor present. Analysis of results indicates that the factors relevant to obtaining optimum films are deposition rate and film composition

Systems thinking: critical thinking skills for the 1990s and beyond

This pdf article discusses the need for teaching systems thinking and critical thinking skills. Systems thinking and systems dynamics are important for developing effective strategies to close the gap between the interdependent nature of our problems and our ability to understand them. This article calls for a clearer view of the nature of systems thinking and the education system into which it must be transferred. Educational levels: Graduate or professional

A model for evolution and extinction

We present a model for evolution and extinction in large ecosystems. The model incorporates the effects of interactions between species and the influences of abiotic environmental factors. We study the properties of the model by approximate analytic solution and also by numerical simulation, and use it to make predictions about the distribution of extinctions and species lifetimes that we would expect to see in real ecosystems. It should be possible to test these predictions against the fossil record. The model indicates that a possible mechanism for mass extinction is the coincidence of a large coevolutionary avalanche in the ecosystem with a severe environmental disturbance.Comment: Postscript (compressed etc. using uufiles), 16 pages, with 15 embedded figure

The in-vacuo torque performance of dry-lubricated ball bearings at cryogenic temperatures

The performance of dry-lubricated, angular contact ball bearings in vacuum at a temperature of 20 degrees K has been investigated, and is compared with the in-vacuo performance at room temperatures. Bearings were lubricated using dry-lubricant techniques which have been previously established for space applications involving operations at or near room temperature. Comparative tests were undertaken using three lubricants: molybdenum disulphide, lead, and PTFE. Results obtained using the three lubricants are presented

The role of follow-on contracts in government-sponsored research and development

Role of follow-on contracts in government sponsored research and developmen

Hydrogen film cooling of a small hydrogen-oxygen thrust chamber and its effect on erosion rates of various ablative materials

An experimental investigation was conducted to determine what arrangement of film-coolant-injection orifices should be used to decrease the erosion rates of small, high temperature, high pressure ablative thrust chambers without incurring a large penalty in combustion performance. All of the film cooling was supplied through holes in a ring between the outer row of injector elements and the chamber wall. The best arrangement, which had twice the number of holes as there were outer row injection elements, was also the simplest. The performance penalties, presented as a reduction in characteristic exhaust velocity efficiency, were 0.8 and 2.8 percentage points for the 10 and 20 percent cooling flows, respectively, The best film-coolant injector was then used to obtain erosion rates for 19 ablative materials. The throat erosion rate was reduced by a factor of 2.5 with a 10 percent coolant flow. Only the more expensive silica phenolic materials had low enough erosion rates to be considered for use in the nozzle throat. However, some of the cheaper materials might qualify for use in other areas of small nozzles with large throat diameters where the higher erosion rates are more acceptable