Field Investigation of Straw Length, Stubble Height and Rotary Speed Effect on the Dispersion and Burying of Residue

High-yielding agriculture leads to plenty of residues left in the field after harvest, which not only makes seeding operations difficult, but also decreases residue decomposition rate. Thus, it is necessary to incorporate some residue into the soil by tillage operations. Providing the relation between tillage operations and residue incorporation, and establishing a mathematical model plays an important role in residue management and the design of tillage machinery. In order to obtain detailed data on the interaction between crop residue and tillage operations, an electric and multi-functional field testing bench with precise parameter control was developed to perform residue incorporation characteristics of rotary tillage, and investigated straw length, rotary speed and stubble height effect on the dispersion and burying of residue. Three experimental factors affecting residue incorporation performance were studied, i.e. six lengths of straw (30-150 mm), four heights of stubble (50-200 mm), and three rotary speeds (240-320 rpm). Chopped straw and stubble with certain sizes were prepared for the test, and measure the dispersion uniformity and burying rate of residue after rotary tillage. The results indicated that straw length, stubble height, and rotary speed all impact residue incorporation quality. The dispersion uniformity and burying rate of residue decreased with the increase of straw length and stubble height; Lower rotary speed parameter buried lesser residue and dispersed worse uniformity than higher one; It is suggested that farmers determine the straw length and stubble height at the stage of harvest according to the burying rate and dispersion uniformity of residue.

Economic Feasibility Study on PV/Wind Hybrid Microgrids for Indonesia Remote Island Application

This paper presents the economic feasibility of hybrid microgrid power system for three remote islands of Sumatra, Indonesia. The microgrid system simulated and analysed using Homer Pro software. Optimization results showed that the combination of photovoltaic (PV), diesel generation (G) and batteries (Batt) for microgrid power system in Mandeh and Lagundri Island area were the most economical configuration. Meanwhile, for Mentawai area, the combination of PV, Wind Turbine (WT), G, Batt was the most optimal since it has higher wind speed then the other two areas. The Mandeh area has the highest solar radiation compared to the other two areas, resulting in the lowest CoE of $0.096/kWh as well as the lowest investment and operational costs. For the fixed PV 100 kW scenario, the optimal configuration is obtained with 86 kW supplied by WT for the Lagundri location, and 67 kW supplied by WT for the Mentawai area, while the WT installation area is not recommended for Mandeh location. The power management analysis showed that the average and patterns of weather parameters including solar radiation and wind speed effect both PV and Wind electrical power production.

A Numerical Study of the Wind Speed Effect on the Flow and Acoustic Characteristics of the Minor Cavity Structures in a Two-Wheel Landing Gear

The landing gear is widely concerned as the main noise source of airframe noise. The flow characteristics and aerodynamic noise characteristics of the landing gear were numerically simulated based on Large Eddy Simulation and Linearized Euler Equation, and the feasibility of the simulation model was verified by experiments. Then the wind speed effect on the flow and acoustic characteristics of the minor cavity structures in a two-wheel landing gear were analyzed. The results show that the interaction of vortices increases with the increase of velocity at the brake disc, resulting in a slight increase in the amplitude of pressure fluctuation at 55 m·s−1~75 m·s−1. With the increase of speed, the obstruction at the lower hole of torque link decreases, and many vortical structures flow out of the lower hole and are dissipated, so that the pressure fluctuation amplitude of 75 m·s−1 almost does not increase relative to 55 m·s−1. The contribution of each part in the landing gear to the overall noise is as follows: shock strut > tire > torque link > brake disc. At the speed of 34 m·s−1~55 m·s−1, the contribution of each component to the total noise increases with the increase of speed, and the small components such as torque link and brake disc contribute more to the total noise. At the speed of 55 m·s−1~75 m·s−1, the increase of overall noise mainly comes from the main components such as shock strut and tire, and the brake disc and torque link contribute very little to the overall noise. It provides a reference for the further noise reduction optimization design of the landing gear.

Fluorescent biological aerosol particles over the central Pacific Ocean: covariation with ocean surface biological activity indicators

Combining wideband integrated bioaerosol sensors and DNA-staining techniques, online and offline shipboard observations of fluorescent aerosol particles in the atmosphere were carried out over the central Pacific Ocean during March 2019 to identify bioaerosols and determine their spatiotemporal distribution. To understand the origins of and processes associated with bioaerosols, we conducted correlation analyses of fluorescent particle number concentration, wind speed, and a variety of chemical and biological indicators, including concentrations of chlorophyll a, bacteria, and marine organic gel particles such as transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs) and Coomassie stainable particles (CSPs). Five-day backward trajectory analysis indicated that oceanic air masses were dominant between 6 and 18 March, after which the influence of long-range transport from the continent of Asia was prominent. For the first period, we identified certain types of fluorescent particles as bioaerosols with marine origins, because their number concentrations were highly correlated with concentrations of TEPs and bacteria (R: 0.80–0.92) after considering the wind speed effect. For the second period, there was strong correlation between another type of fluorescent particles and CSPs irrespective of wind speed, implying that the fluorescent particles advected from land were mixed with those of marine origins. From the results of our correlation analysis, we developed equations to derive atmospheric bioaerosol number density in the marine atmosphere over the central Pacific Ocean from a combination of biogenic proxy quantities (chlorophyll a, TEPs, and bacteria) and wind speed. We conclude that it is likely that TEPs were transported from the sea surface to the atmosphere together with bacteria to form fluorescent bioaerosols.

Analytical theory of high-speed nonequilibrium in a binary mixture of gases with a predominant light component

Analytical estimates are obtained that allow, first of all, to determine the fundamental conditions for the existence of a high-speed effect. In addition, an analytical assessment of the greatest value of this effect is given.

Wheel Speed Effect on Transient Lateral Force and Its Characterization by Ramp-Step Steer Test Method

ABSTRACT The concept “relaxation length” serves as one of several ways to characterize the transient lateral response for a rolling tire. Most test methods developed to identify relaxation length tightly link to Pacejka's single-contact-point linear transient model. Its underlying assumption is that the traveled distance during the transition interval is always a constant regardless of the wheels' linear rolling speed. The current research provides physical data against this strong assumption. The data is acquired through a newly-developed test method named the “ramp-step steer method”. The ramp-step steer method features a nonstop, high rolling speed, and fast-changing slip angle procedure that cannot be fulfilled by the conventional “start-stop-resume” step steer method. Thanks to the high dynamic capability of the equipment in GCAPS Corp., the proposed test method becomes feasible. A novel data postprocessing scheme accompanies the test method as well. The ramp-step steer method is independent of any specific models and replicates the scenario of a rolling tire subjected to a sudden slip angle change from on-vehicle to an indoor environment. The wheel speed effect on the tires' transient lateral response is reflected through a proposed quantity, Ly, which is a more general descriptor and can downscale to relaxation length under specific circumstances. Ly itself does not associate with any model, so the remaining study explains the speed effect through an updated model. The present research aims to provide a better way of characterizing tires' lateral transient behavior and is not an alternative to identify the key parameter “relaxation length” in Pacejka's model. Another contribution of the research is categorizing and separating the hierarchy of various transient tire models.

Electrically Assisted Wire Drawing Polarity Effects

Electrically assisted manufacturing is the direct application of an electric current or field to a workpiece during a manufacturing operation. In addition to resistive heating, various anomalous effects have been observed experimentally. Since its conception in the 1950s, scientists continue to debate the existence of these so called electroplastic effects (EPEs) due to conflicted results shown throughout literature. A popular theory of electroplasticity is the electron wind, which postulates that there is a transfer of momentum between electrons and dislocations, which assists their motion during deformation. Though refuted both mathematically and experimentally in other types of tests, the electron wind theory, and therefore the existence of electroplasticity, is interestingly supported by the existence of polarity effects in wire drawing. A detailed review of the literature that has shown polarity effects in wire drawing is conducted. While the authors of these publications failed to fully disclose all test parameters, requiring several assumptions to be made, it appears that no mathematical/logical trends could be established. It is hypothesized herein that the velocity of the wire in a wire drawing application can influence the drift velocity of electrons, thereby increasing or decreasing current flow explicitly through the moving section of the wire. In order to test this hypothesis, a fixture was constructed which is capable of passing a current through a moving wire at common wire drawing speeds. Modern sensing equipment was used to measure various electrical parameters during testing. The wire speed effect hypothesis was refuted by experimental testing. While the results of experimental testing thus far indicate the existence of electroplasticity, further testing that includes drawing and force measurements must be conducted in order to fully conclude its existence in the wire drawing application.

Thermo-Mechanical and Delamination Properties in Drilling GFRP Composites by Various Drill Angles

This manuscript aims to study the effects of drilling factors on the thermal-mechanical properties and delamination experimentally during the drilling of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP). Drilling studies were carried out using a CNC machine under dry cutting conditions by 6 mm diameter with different point angles of ∅ = 100°, 118°, and 140°. The drill spindle speed (400, 800, 1600 rpm), feed (0.025, 0.05, 0.1, 0.2 mm/r), and sample thickness (2.6, 5.3, and 7.7 mm) are considered in the analysis. Heat affected zone (HAZ) generated by drilling was measured using a thermal infrared camera and two K-thermocouples installed in the internal coolant holes of the drill. Therefore, two setups were used; the first is with a rotating drill and fixed specimen holder, and the second is with a rotating holder and fixed drill bit. To measure thrust force/torque through drilling, the Kistler dynamometer model 9272 was utilized. Pull-in and push-out delamination were evaluated based on the image analyzed by an AutoCAD technique. The regression models and multivariable regression analysis were developed to find relations between the drilling factors and responses. The results illustrate the significant relations between drilling factors and drilling responses such as thrust force, delamination, and heat affect zone. It was observed that the thrust force is more inspired by feed; however, the speed effect is more trivial and marginal on the thrust force. All machining parameters have a significant effect on the measured temperature, and the largest contribution is of the laminate thickness (33.14%), followed by speed and feed (29.00% and 15.10%, respectively), ended by the lowest contribution of the drill point angle (11.85%).