Phenomenon of labyrinth seal with low static pressure difference and large clearance

This paper discusses the straight-through type labyrinth seal. This labyrinth seal is used for axial flow fans, which h ave an outer ring at the blade tip to seal the clearance between the ring tip and the fan shroud, in order to prevent the reverse flow or leakage. These fans are used for the cooling of automobile radiators . In these cases, the labyrinth seal is used in an extremely low static pressure difference and a large clearance . A significant decrease of the leakage rate was reported even when the labyrinth seal rotated in comparatively low speed in this unique condition according to the authors’ former report. However, this phenomen on is differ ent from past research. Further more the cause of th is phenomenon has not been determined. Therefore, the internal flow was depicted with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) in or der to clarify the ca use of this phenomenon. The results of CFD show that the leakage rate decreases significantly because the carry -over flow is intercepted in the expansion groove. This is the newly discovered phenomenon which occurs under the unique condition of an extremely low differential pressure. It has not been pointed out before as the reason why the rotation decreases the leakage rate.     

What we have learned from studies on chemical properties of amorphous alloys?

Amorphous alloys have many attractive characteristics including extremely high corrosion resistance if the sufficient amounts of corrosion-resistant elements are added. The superiority of amorphous alloys is based on the homogeneous single phase nature without any chemical and physical heterogeneities. Although there are processing limitations to avoid the formation of heterogeneous crystalline structure in addition to no welding technology without crystallization, the application of corrosion-resistant amorphous alloys is expected particularly to the very aggressive environments, where any conventional crystalline metallic materials cannot be used. Some amorphous bulk alloys showed zero corrosion mass loss due to spontaneous passivation even in 12 M HCl. Production of amorphous bulk alloys became possible for selected compositions. The homogeneous single phase nature is also effective to form useful catalysts with unique composition and structure. An example of catalysts is for carbon dioxide methanation useful for supply of renewable energy in the form of methane.     

Voice Analysis of Postlingually Deaf Adults Pre- and Postcochlear Implantation

Objectives

To ascertain whether cochlear implantation (CI), without specific vocal rehabilitation, is associated with changes in perceptual and acoustic vocal parameters in adults with severe to profound postlingual deafness.

Hypothesis

Merely restoring auditory feedback could allow the individual to make necessary adjustments in vocal pattern.

Study Design

Prospective and longitudinal.

Methods

The experimental group composed of 40 postlingually deaf adults (20 males and 20 females) with no previous laryngeal or voice disorders. Participants’ voices were recorded before CI and 6–9 months after CI. To check for chance modifications between two evaluations, a control group of 12 postlingually deaf adults, six male and six female, without CI was also evaluated. All sessions composed of the recording of read sentences from Consensus Auditory-Perceptual Evaluation of Voice and sustained vowel /a/. Auditory and acoustic analyses were then conducted.

Results

We found a statistically significant reduction in overall severity, strain, loudness, and instability in auditory analysis. In vocal acoustic analysis, we found statistically significant reduction fundamental frequency (F0) values (in male participants) and F0 variability (in both genders). The control group showed no statistically significant changes in most vocal parameters assessed, apart from pitch and F0 (in female participants only). On comparing the interval of variation of results between the experimental and control groups, we found no statistically significant difference in vocal parameters between CI recipients and nonrecipients, with the exception of F0 variability in male participants.

Conclusions

The patients in our sample showed changes in overall severity, strain, loudness, and instability values, and reductions in F0 and its variability. On comparing the variation of results between the groups, we were able to prove in our study that implant recipients postlingually deaf adults (experimental group), without specific vocal rehabilitation, differed from nonrecipients (control group) in loudness and F0 variability sustained vowel /a/ in male participants.     

Effect of suspended particles on spreading of volatile droplet on solid substrate

Abstract  

We have been interested in behaviors of suspended particles in a volatile droplet placed on a smooth substrate. It is known that the particles gather and deposit in the vicinity of the macroscopic contact line of the droplet, which is generally called ‘coffee stain problem’. A convective flow induced by non-uniform evaporation through the interface brings suspended particles toward the pinned contact line in the drying droplet, which forms a ring stain. We have focused on the dynamics of the droplet with/without suspended particles spreading on the solid substrate and on the behaviors of particles in the evaporating droplet. Spreading process of the droplet is significantly affected by the suspended particles. We indicate flow patterns in the droplet, in which the flow exhibits a modal structure with a mode number in the azimuthal direction, and indicate particles depositions after the dryout of the droplet. Three-dimensional particle tracking velocimetry is applied to reconstruct such unique flow patterns in the spreading process of the droplet. Resultant patterns of the particles depositing on the substrate are introduced.     

Demonstration of laser-frequency upshift by electron-density modulations in a plasma wakefield

In a plasma wake wave generated by a high power laser, modulations of the electron density take the shape of paraboloidal dense shells, moving almost at the speed of light. A counterpropagating laser pulse is partially reflected from the shells, acting as relativistic flying mirrors, producing a time-compressed frequency-multiplied pulse due to the double Doppler effect. The counterpropagating laser pulse reflection from the plasma wake wave accompanied by its frequency multiplication (with a factor from 50 to 114) was detected in our experiment.     

Ruijsenaars' Commuting Difference Operators as Commuting Transfer Matrices

For Belavin's elliptic quantum R-matrix, we construct an L-operator as a set of difference operators acting on functions on the type A weight space. According to the fundamental relation RLL=LLR, taking the trace of the L-operator gives a set of commuting difference operators. We show that for the above mentioned L-operator this approach gives Macdonald type operators with elliptic theta function coefficient, actually equivalent to Ruijsenaars' operators. The relationship between the difference L-operator and Krichever's Lax matrix is given, and an explicit formula for elliptic commuting differential operators is derived. We also study the invariant subspace for the system which is spanned by symmetric theta functions on the weight space. Received: 27 December 1995 / Accepted: 11 November 1996     

The Universal Vassiliev Invariant for the Lie Superalgebra

We compute the universal weight system for Vassiliev coming from the Lie superalgebra applying the construction of [13]. This weight system is a function from the space of chord diagrams to the center Z of the universal enveloping algebra of , and we find a combinatorial expression for it in terms of the standard generators of Z. The resulting knot invariants generalize the Alexander-Conway polynomial. Received: 4 July 1996 / Accepted: 21 August 1996     

双奇核172Re高自旋态转动带结构实验研究

利用重离子熔合蒸发反应¹⁴⁹Sm(²⁷Al,4nγ)¹⁷²Re布居了形变双奇核¹⁷²Re的高自旋态,用12套带有BGO反康普顿抑制的高纯锗探测器阵列进行了在束γ实验测量,首次建立了形变双奇核¹⁷²Re由3个转动带构成的高自旋态能级纲图.研究和讨论了3个转动带的结构特征,基于已有的高自旋态核结构知识并通过系统学比较和分析指出它们的准粒子组态分别为πh_11/2⊙νi_13/2,πh_9/2⊙νi_13/2和π1/2^－[541]⊙ν1/2^－[521].发现前两个转动带在自旋小于18.5h时其转动能级呈现反常的旋称劈裂.     

Novel in-gap spin state in Zn-doped La1.85Sr0.15CuO4

Low-energy spin excitations of La(1.85)Sr(0.15)Cu(1-y)Zn(y)O4 were studied by neutron scattering. In y=0.004, the incommensurate magnetic peaks show a well-defined "spin gap" below T(c). The magnetic signals at omega=3 meV decrease below T(c)=27 K for y=0.008, also suggesting the gap opening. At lower temperatures, however, the signal increases again, implying a novel in-gap spin state. In y=0.017, the spin gap vanishes and elastic magnetic peaks appear. These results clarify that doped Zn impurities induce the novel in-gap state, which becomes larger and more static with increasing Zn.     

Growth and properties of YAlO film synthesized by RF magnetron sputtering

YAlO films are synthesized on (1 0 0)-oriented Si substrates by RF magnetron sputtering method. Al₂O₃ wafer is used as a target material, and some small pieces of Y bulk material are put on the Al₂O₃ target to synthesize YAlO films. Y composition ratio is varied from 0 to 34%. Amorphous YAlO films are characterized. An electrical resistivity as high as 3.4 × 10¹⁴ Ω-cm is achieved for the YAlO film with Y composition ratio of 10%. The dielectric constant increases with increasing Y composition ratio, and the YAlO film with Y composition ratio of 34% has a dielectric constant of 10.2. The bandgap energy of the YAlO film is suggested to be wider than 6.5 eV. YAlO films with a surface roughness of 0.4-1.3 nm are obtained irrespective of the Y composition ratio.