2,024 research outputs found
Interrogation of spline surfaces with application to isogeometric design and analysis of lattice-skin structures
A novel surface interrogation technique is proposed to compute the
intersection of curves with spline surfaces in isogeometric analysis. The
intersection points are determined in one-shot without resorting to a
Newton-Raphson iteration or successive refinement. Surface-curve intersection
is required in a wide range of applications, including contact, immersed
boundary methods and lattice-skin structures, and requires usually the solution
of a system of nonlinear equations. It is assumed that the surface is given in
form of a spline, such as a NURBS, T-spline or Catmull-Clark subdivision
surface, and is convertible into a collection of B\'ezier patches. First, a
hierarchical bounding volume tree is used to efficiently identify the B\'ezier
patches with a convex-hull intersecting the convex-hull of a given curve
segment. For ease of implementation convex-hulls are approximated with k-dops
(discrete orientation polytopes). Subsequently, the intersections of the
identified B\'ezier patches with the curve segment are determined with a
matrix-based implicit representation leading to the computation of a sequence
of small singular value decompositions (SVDs). As an application of the
developed interrogation technique the isogeometric design and analysis of
lattice-skin structures is investigated. The skin is a spline surface that is
usually created in a computer-aided design (CAD) system and the periodic
lattice to be fitted consists of unit cells, each containing a small number of
struts. The lattice-skin structure is generated by projecting selected lattice
nodes onto the surface after determining the intersection of unit cell edges
with the surface. For mechanical analysis, the skin is modelled as a
Kirchhoff-Love thin-shell and the lattice as a pin-jointed truss. The two types
of structures are coupled with a standard Lagrange multiplier approach
Dynamic analysis of a lithium-boiling potassium refractory metal Rankine cycle power system for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory
Lithium-boiling potassium refractory metal Rankine cycle power system heat transfer model
Technology of forced flow and once-through boiling: A survey
Representative boiling heat transfer and pressure drop information obtained primarily from past NASA and AEC programs is presented which is applicable to forced flow and once-through boiler systems. The forced convection boiler has a number of advantages: little possibility of flow mal-distribution; heat transfer characteristics are usually consistent; and conductances are predictable, so that higher heat fluxes may be employed with safety (which leads to more compact, lighter weight equipment). It was found that in gas-fired systems particularly, the controlling heat transfer resistance may be on the hot side, so that increased fluxes would require extended surfaces. If in a power generation system the working fluid is very expensive, a forced flow boiler can be designed especially for small holdup volume. If the fluid is temperature sensitive, the boiling side wall temperatures can be tailored to maintain maximum heat transfer rates without overheating the fluid. The forced flow and once-through configurations may be the only type which can satisfy a specific need (such as the automotive Rankine cycle power plant design having a very short time-response boiler)
Millimeter polarisation of the protoplanetary nebula OH 231.8+4.2: A follow-up study with CARMA
In order to investigate the characteristics and influence of the magnetic
field in evolved stars, we performed a follow-up investigation of our previous
submillimeter analysis of the proto-planetary nebula (PPN) OH 231.8+4.2 (Sabin
et al. 2014), this time at 1.3mm with the CARMA facility in polarisation mode
for the purpose of a multi-scale analysis. OH 231.8+4.2 was observed at ~2.5"
resolution and we detected polarised emission above the 3-sigma threshold (with
a mean polarisation fraction of 3.5 %). The polarisation map indicates an
overall organised magnetic field within the nebula. The main finding in this
paper is the presence of a structure mostly compatible with an ordered toroidal
component that is aligned with the PPN's dark lane. We also present some
alternative magnetic field configuration to explain the structure observed.
These data complete our previous SMA submillimeter data for a better
investigation and understanding of the magnetic field structure in OH
231.8+4.2.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRA
Submillimeter polarisation and magnetic field properties in the envelopes of proto-planetary nebulae CRL 618 and OH 231.8+4.2
We have carried out continuum and line polarisation observations of two
Proto-planetary nebulae (PPNe), CRL 618 and OH 231.8+4.2, using the
Submillimeter Array (SMA) in its compact configuration. The frequency range of
observations, 330-345 GHz, includes the CO(J=3-2) line emission. CRL 618 and OH
231.8+4.2 show quadrupolar and bipolar optical lobes, respectively, surrounded
by a dusty envelope reminiscent of their AGB phase. We report a detection of
dust continuum polarised emission in both PPNe above 4 sigma but no molecular
line polarisation detection above a 3 sigma limit. OH 231.8+4.2 is slightly
more polarised on average than CRL 618 with a mean fractional polarisation of
4.3 and 0.3 per cent, respectively. This agrees with the previous finding that
silicate dust shows higher polarisation than carbonaceous dust. In both
objects, an anti-correlation between the fractional polarisation and the
intensity is observed. Neither PPNe show a well defined toroidal equatorial
field, rather the field is generally well aligned and organised along the polar
direction. This is clearly seen in CRL 618 while in the case of OH 231.8+4.2,
the geometry indicates an X-shaped structure coinciding overall with a
dipole/polar configuration. However in the later case, the presence of a
fragmented and weak toroidal field should not be discarded. Finally, in both
PPNe, we observed that the well organised magnetic field is parallel with the
major axis of the 12CO outflow. This alignment could indicate the presence of a
magnetic outflow launching mechanism. Based on our new high resolution data we
propose two scenarios to explain the evolution of the magnetic field in evolved
stars.Comment: 11 pages, 8 figures and 1 table. Accepted for publication in the
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Societ
How do we measure unmet need within sexual and reproductive health? A systematic review
BACKGROUND: Addressing health inequality with sexual and reproductive health requires an understanding of unmet need within a range of populations. This review examined the methods and definitions that have been used to measure unmet need, and the populations most frequently assessed. METHODS: Five databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Health Management and Policy Database (HMIC)) were searched for studies that described quantitative measurement of unmet need within sexual and/or reproductive health between 2010 and 2021. A narrative synthesis was then undertaken to ascertain themes within the literature. RESULTS: The database search yielded 19,747 papers; 216 papers were included after screening. 190 studies assessed unmet reproductive health need, of which 137 were analyses of trends among people living in low/lower-middle income countries; 181 used cross-sectional data, with only nine analyses being longitudinal. Eighteen studies analysed unmet sexual health need, of which 12 focused on high and upper-middle income populations. 16 papers used cross-sectional analyses. The remaining 10 studies examined unmet need for a combination of sexual and reproductive health services, eight among populations from upper-middle or high income countries. All were cross-sectional analyses. 165 studies used the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) definition of unmet need; no other standardised definition was used among the remaining papers. DISCUSSION: There is a significant focus on unmet need for contraception among women in low income countries within the published literature, leaving considerable evidence gaps in relation to unmet need within sexual health generally and among men in particular, and unmet reproductive health need in high income settings. In addition, using an increased range of data collection methods, analyses and definitions of unmet need would enable better understanding of health inequality in this area
Application of (U-Th)/He thermochronometry as a geothermal exploration tool in extensional tectonic settings: the Wassuk Range, Hawthorne, Nevada
Navy Geothermal Program Office at China Lake, C
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