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A Novel Soft Sensor for Real-Time Monitoring of the Die Melt Temperature Profile in Polymer Extrusion
Get PDFPolymer extrusion is the most fundamental technique for processing polymeric materials, and its importance is increasing due to the rapid growth of worldwide demand for polymeric materials. However, the process thermal monitoring is experiencing several problems resulting in poor process diagnostics and control. Most of the existing process thermal monitoring methods in industry only provide point/bulk measurements, which are less detailed and low in accuracy. Physical thermal profile measurements across the melt flow may not be industrially compatible due to their complexity, access requirements, invasiveness, etc. Therefore, inferential thermal profile monitoring techniques are invaluable for obtaining detailed, accurate, and industrially compatible measurements and, hence, to achieve improved process control. In this paper, a novel soft sensor strategy is proposed to predict the real-time temperature profile across the die melt flow in polymer extrusion for the first time in industry or research. It is capable of determining the melt temperature at a number of die radial positions only based on six readily measurable process parameters. A comparison between the simulation results of the novel melt temperature profile prediction soft sensor and the experimental measurements showed that the soft sensor can predict the real-time melt temperature profile of the die melt flow with good accuracy. Therefore, this will offer a promising solution for making real-time melt temperature profile measurements noninvasively in polymer extrusion, and also, it should be applicable to other polymer processes only with a few modifications. Moreover, this technique should facilitate in developing an advanced process thermal control strategy
Coordinate transformation of an industrial robot and its application in deterministic optical polishing
Get PDFAn IRB6620 industrial robot from ABB Co. Ltd. (Zurich, Switzerland) is used as a processing platform for optical processing, and computer-controlled optical surfacing is applied as a key technology. The function of each coordinate system of the robot in processing is reviewed, as well as the relationship of each coordinate system and coordinate transformation. An algorithm governing coordinate transformations is provided. In order to assess the functionality of the robot as a polishing instrument, experiments have been designed so that the removal rate and surface form error correction of the robot facility have been compared with those from established computer numerical control polishing. The importance for the application of industrial robot in optical processing is also presented
Isolation and characterization of a novel polysaccharide from seeds of Peltophorum pterocarpum
Get PDFPeltophorum pterocarpum seeds yielded ~20% water soluble polysaccharide. The polysaccharide is a galactomannan with mannose:galactose ratio of 4.4:1. The polysaccharide had an intrinsic viscosity of 3.14 dl/g and weight average molecular weight of 2.49 x 105 g/mol. The polysaccharide solutions were non-Newtonian at concentrations above 1%. A double logarithmic plot of the zero shear specific viscosity versus volume concentration gave a coil overlap concentration, c* of 2.6/[η], with slope c1.4 in the dilute regime and c4.3 in the concentrated regime. The experimental data were fitted to different viscosity models with the Martin model giving the best fit. The Cox-Merz empirical rule gave close superimposition of the data from steady shear viscosity η( ) and complex viscosity η*(ω)
The Katz-Francis scale of attitude toward Judaism: Internal consistency reliability and construct validity among female undergraduate students in Israel
Get PDFThe Katz-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Judaism was developed to extend to the Jewish community a growing body of international research concerned to map the correlates, antecedents and consequences of individual differences in attitude toward religion as assessed by the Francis Scale of Attitude toward Christianity. The internal consistency reliability and construct validity of the Katz-Francis Scale of Attitude toward Judaism were supported in data provided by 284 Hebrew-speaking female undergraduate students attending Bar-Ilan University. This instrument is commended for application in further research
Affective Audio
Get PDFThe authors discuss their interdisciplinary research, which investigates the use of affective computing technologies in the context of music, audiovisual artworks and video games. One current project involves the expansion of mobile sound walk apps through incorporating environmental and emotional factors, forming new sonic landscapes. What type of music could reflect driving through a hot desert landscape at midday or walking through a snowy cityscape at dawn? Through a discussion of their collective work in this area, the authors aim to elicit a vision of the computer-based musical experiences of the future
Trenchant Remedying: Directional Disturbing of Organizational Change Effort
Get PDFOrganisational change theory has a historic bias towards personal resistance and individuals adopting a passive or negative perspective to change initiatives. Perpetuating this view change literature presents management approaches to assist in overcoming resistance, which have shown negligible evolution beyond the view that individual involvement and participation, together with effective communication, provide assistance. This paper challenges this assumption by providing inspiration via a contrary conceptual approach to organisational change; proposing an antithesis to traditional change management solutions and contributes to the role of communication within the process of change management. Grounded theory is the methodology used, which enables the data to provide the concepts and connections required in the construction of the theory. This requires a no preconceptions dictum to enable the generation of theory, not verification of a previous theory or hypothesis. Trenchant remedying is the grounded theory generated from data and conceptualises the concern resolving behaviours undertaken during the change receptivity process. During analysis it became evident that vigour and effort were expended and a solution sought as a remedy, hence the naming of the core category
Chemical analysis of Cd12xZnxS/CdTe solar cells by plasma profiling TOFMS
Get PDFThin film CdTe photovoltaic (PV) devices and reference layers obtained by the atmospheric pressure metalorganic vapour deposition (AP-MOCVD) method have been studied for their chemical structure using plasma profiling time-of-flight-mass spectroscopy (PP-TOFMS, also called glow discharge TOFMS). Different levels of arsenic (As) dopant in CdTe films were measured by PP-TOFMS and compared to results obtained from a more conventional depth profiling method (secondary ion mass spectrometry or SIMS). This comparison showed that PPTOFMS has the sufficient sensitivity towards detection of the As dopant in CdTe and hence is suited as a rapid, low vacuum tool in controlling the large scale production of CdTe PV materials
Components responsible for the emulsification properties of corn fibre
Get PDFAn emulsion was prepared using corn fibre gum (CFG) and the resulting oil and aqueous phases were separated by centrifugation. The material adsorbed onto the surface of the oil droplets in the oil phase was desorbed using surfactant. The desorbed CFG and the non adsorbed CFG that remained present in the aqueous phase were collected, precipitated using alcohol and freeze dried. Their sugar composition, phenolic acid, lipid and protein contents were determined. There was no consistent difference observed in the sugar composition, phenolic acid and lipid contents of the original material and the adsorbed and non adsorbed fractions. There was, however, a significant difference in the protein contents with the adsorbed fraction containing ~10.7% protein compared to 3.90% and 2.87% for the original and non adsorbed CFG samples respectively. The three samples were also found to have very similar molecular mass distributions and each showed the presence of two peaks using refractive index detection. The major peak, corresponding to ~95% of the total, had a molecular mass of ~ 650,000 g/mol and the minor peak corresponded to a molecular mass of ~ 90,000 g/mol. The corresponding UV elution profiles indicated that the minor peak contained a significant proportion of phenolic and/or proteinaceous material
The Psychological Type Profile of Readers in the Church of England: Clones of the Clergy or Distinctive Voices?
Get PDFThe present study employs Jungian psychological type theory to examine the profile of 236 Readers serving in the Church of England (108 males and 128 females) alongside previously published data providing the psychological type profile of clergy serving within the Church of England (626 men and 237 women). The analysis was interpreted to test two competing accounts of Reader ministry: that Reader ministry expresses similar qualities to those reflected in ordained ministry, and that Reader ministry represents a pioneer ministry on the boundaries of the church. Overall the findings demonstrate significant psychological similarities between those exercising Reader ministry and those exercising ordained ministry, suggesting that, in the current generation, Readers tend to present themselves as clones of the clergy rather than as distinctive voices equipped for pioneer ministry or for fresh expressions of church
Taking responsibility for multiple churches: A study in burnout among Anglican clergywomen in England
Get PDFA major consequence of changing cultures for Anglican clergy serving in the established Church of England (reflected in declining congregations, stretched financial resources, and falling vocations to the priesthood) is seen in the process of pastoral reorganisation that now requires individual clergy to have oversight of a growing number of churches. This is especially the case in rural areas where individual clergy may now be responsible for seven or more churches. Drawing on data provided by 867 clergywomen serving in stipendiary ministry in the Church of England, the present study examines the association between the number of churches and levels of burnout reported among the clergy, after taking into account personal factors (like age), psychological factors (like personality), theological factors (like church tradition) and other contextual factors (like rurality). Employing the balanced affect model of work-related psychological health operationalised through the Francis Burnout Inventory, the data demonstrated a small significant inverse association between the number of churches and positive affect (satisfaction in ministry), but no association with negative affect (emotional exhaustion). Overall, however, the variance accounted for by the number of churches was trivial in comparison with the variance accounted for by psychological factors