Low frequency in situ metrology of absorption and dispersion of sound absorbing porous materials based on high power ultrasonic non-linearly demodulated waves

The present work is related to acoustic in situ free-field measurements of sound absorption in porous materials, such as cellular plastic foams, glass-wool or recycled felt materials. The emphasis is given towards fine metrology of absorption in view of potential industrial applications. A powerful ultrasonic array working at 40 kHz is used. It enables to measure absorption acoustical data down to 100 Hz due to the exploitation of the non-linear ultrasonic demodulation phenomenon in air. Fine measurements of acoustic absorption are compared to numerical predictions based on the “equivalent-fluid” model (when the squeleton frame is motionless), and to some measurements performed on a Brüel and Kjaer impedance tube. Dispersion curves are also measured and compared to the numerical predictions for some automotive felt materials which are compressed at various ratios. Data obtained with a dedicated portable instrument are also discussed for the same type of materials and configurations.     

测量不确定度的研究和应用进展

综述了测量不确定度在国内外的研究及应用的进展，发现测量不确定度是现代误差理论的重要内容，是定量描述测量结果质量的重要指标。目前由ISO等七个国际组织提出的GUM(测量不确定度表述导则)已被各国广泛接受，国内外已有大量关于不确定度应用的文献。除GUM外，还存在其它几种不确定度评定模型。我国虽然对GUM存在重大疑义，并向有关国际组织提出了一些建设性的意见，但在方法的执行上目前仍然与国际社会保持了对GUM的一致态度。     

Space averaging of vibration level differences measured in lightweight building structures

This paper examines space averaging methods applied to structural level differences measured in lightweight building structures (two beam junction and single plate and beam junction). The methods studied include the averaging assuming a constant input force, the averaging based on a constant vibration level across the source element, and the arithmetic averaging of level differences. Tests indicate that a fairly steady input force can be easily produced when using an impulsive source such as a hammer; the constant input force method is then appropriate and can be used to space average level differences (the two beam structure showing a standard deviation of 0.1 dB from the averaging based on levels normalised to the force). On the other hand, acceleration levels can exhibit significant variations with position due to the low mode count and modal overlap of some lightweight elements such as timber beams. Variations in the vibration level across the source element can then be responsible for large inaccuracies in the level difference calculated from the constant level assumption, the two beams’ results showing errors greater than 5 dB at several 1/3 octave band frequencies. The latter averaging method is then inappropriate and should not be used.     

XRD,Raman and magnetic studies of Bi1−xLaxFeO3 solid solution obtained by mechanochemical synthesis

ABSTRACT

Bi_{1 ? x}La_xFeO₃ single-phase solid solution with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.3 was obtained by mechanochemical synthesis and characterized by X-ray diffraction, FT NIR Raman spectroscopy and magnetic studies. The nanocrystalline powders of rhombohedrally distorted perovskite structure R3c were studied ‘as synthesized’ by mechanosynthesis and after annealing at 500 °C for 1 h. The annealing, which resulted in recrystallization of the amorphous shell of the nanograins, was found to modify the external lattice modes of Bi_1?xLa_xFeO₃ and resulted in changes in the temperature variation of the magnetization.     

Calibration of a stochastic health evolution model using NHIS data

This paper presents and calibrates an individual’s stochastic health evolution model. In this health evolution model, the uncertainty of health incidents is described by a stochastic process with a finite number of possible outcomes. We construct a comprehensive health status index (HSI) to describe an individual’s health status, as well as a health risk factor system (RFS) to classify individuals into different risk groups. Based on the maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) method and the method of nonlinear least squares fitting, model calibration is formulated in terms of two mixed-integer nonlinear optimization problems. Using the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data, the model is calibrated for specific risk groups. Longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is used to validate the calibrated model, which displays good validation properties. The end goal of this paper is to provide a model and methodology, whose output can serve as a crucial component of decision support for strategic planning of health related financing and risk management.     

Use of rigid-body motion for the investigation and estimation of the measurement errors related to digital image correlation technique

The aim of this work is to investigate the sources of errors related to digital image correlation (DIC) technique applied to strain measurements. The knowledge of such information is important before the measured kinematic fields can be exploited. After recalling the principle of DIC, some sources of errors related to this technique are listed. Both numerical and experimental tests, based on rigid-body motion, are proposed. These tests are simple and easy-to-implement. They permit to quickly assess the errors related to lighting, the optical lens (distortion), the CCD sensor, the out-of-plane displacement, the speckle pattern, the grid pitch, the size of the subset and the correlation algorithm. The errors sources that cannot be uncoupled were estimated by amplifying their contribution to the global error. The obtained results permit to address a classification of the error related to the used equipment. The paper ends by some suggestions proposed in order to minimize the errors.     

Elastic behaviour of strontium-doped lanthanum calcium manganites in the vicinity of TC

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) manganites with compositional formula, La_0.67Ca_0.33−xSr_xMnO₃ (where x=0, 0.09, 0.11, 0.13, 0.33) were prepared by citrate gel route mainly to understand the elastic behaviour in the vicinity of their magnetic transition temperature T_C. The structural characterizations of all the materials clearly indicate that samples upto x=0.13 doping, are having orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group and sample with x=0.33 is having rhombohedral structure with space group. The magnetic transition temperatures (T_C) are determined by AC susceptibility measurements and are found to increase continuously with increasing strontium concentration. Finally, a systematic investigation of the ultrasonic longitudinal velocities of all the samples was carried out. Further, all the samples are found to exhibit anomalous behaviour in the vicinity of their magnetic transition temperatures and the observed behaviour is explained using Landau's theory.     

Exsolution of Nickel Nanoparticles from Mixed-Valence Metal Oxides: A Quantitative Evaluation by Magnetic Measurements

A fast and accurate experimental method is demonstrated to assess the fraction of exsolved metallic nanoparticles using magnetic measurements. As a benchmark, nanometric metallic nickel exsolved from (La_1−xSr_x)(Cr_1−yNi_y)O_3−δ is used for its high relevance as a solid oxide fuel cell component. The method is based on the difference in the magnetic response of the exsolved metallic nickel (ferromagnetic) and Sr-doped lanthanum chromite ceramic matrix (paramagnetic). The exsolved nickel results in coherent nanoparticles pinned on the surface of the Sr-doped lanthanum chromite ceramic matrix, as evidenced by electron microscopy analyses. The results obtained indicate the procedure as a fast and sensitive method to study the exsolution of ferromagnetic nanoparticles.     

A novel methodological approach for δ18O analysis of sugars using gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry

Although the instrumental coupling of gas chromatography-pyrolysis-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-Py-IRMS) for compound-specific δ¹⁸O analysis has been commercially available for more than a decade, this method has been hardly applied so far. Here we present the first GC-Py-IRMS δ¹⁸O results for trimethylsilyl-derivatives of plant sap-relevant sugars and a polyalcohol (glucose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose and pinitol). Particularly, we focus on sucrose, which is assimilated in leaves and which is the most important transport sugar in plants and hence of utmost relevance in plant physiology and paleoclimate studies. Replication measurements of sucrose standards and concentration series indicate that the GC-Py-IRMS δ¹⁸O measurements are not stable over time and that they are amount (area) dependent. We, therefore, suggest running sample batch replication measurements in alternation with standard concentration series of reference material. This allows for carrying out (i) a drift correction, (ii) a calibration against reference material and (iii) an amount (area) correction. Tests with ¹⁸O-enriched water do not provide any evidence for oxygen isotope exchange reactions affecting sucrose and raffinose. We present the first application of GC-Py-IRMS δ¹⁸O analysis for sucrose from needle extract (soluble carbohydrate) samples. The obtained δ¹⁸O_{sucrose/ Vienna Standard Mean Ocean Water (VSMOW)} values are more positive and vary in a wider range (32.1–40.1 ‰) than the δ¹⁸O_{bulk/ VSMOW} values (24.6–27.2 ‰). Furthermore, they are shown to depend on the climate parameters maximum day temperature, relative air humidity and cloud cover. These findings suggest that δ¹⁸O_sucrose of the investigated needles very sensitively reflects the climatically controlled evaporative ¹⁸O enrichment of leaf water and thus highlights the great potential of GC-Py-IRMS δ¹⁸O_sucrose analysis for plant physiology and paleoclimate studies.     

Block copolymer adsorption from a homopolymer melt to an amine-terminated surface

Using neutron reflectometry, the adsorption of diblock copolymers from a neutral polystyrene (PS) matrix is studied as a function of substrate type and non-adsorbing block degree of polymerization. The block copolymer is poly(deutero styrene)-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) and the substrates are silicon oxide, SiO_x, and SiO_x functionalized with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES). We have determined the equilibrium volume fraction-depth profiles for such films, and compared them with volume fraction profiles generated by self-consistent mean-field (SCMF) theory and find good agreement between the experimental and theoretical data. SCMF calculations show that the segmental interaction energy between PS matrix chains and APTES is two orders of magnitude stronger than that between PS and SiO_x.