Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Brown, R. J..
This document is a viewgraph presentation about Friction Plug Welding (FPW). It reviews the process of FPW, showing pictures which review the process. It also reviews the microstructural characterization using Transmission Electron Microscopy. There are several charts which are included for further information.
Soil conservation programs are becoming more important as the growing human population exerts greater pressure on this non-renewable resource. Indeed, soil degradation affects approximately 10 percent of Canada's agricultural land with an estimated loss of 6,000 hectares of topsoil annually from Ontario farmland alone. Soil loss not only affects agricultural productivity but also decreases water quality and can lead to siltation problems. Thus, there is a growing demand for soil conservation programs and a need to develop an effective monitoring system. Topography and soil type information can easily be handled within a geographic information system (GIS). Information about vegetative cover type and surface roughness, which both experience considerable temporal change, can be obtained from remote sensing techniques. For further development of the technology to produce an operational soil conservation monitoring system, an experiment was conducted in Oxford County, Ontario which investigated the separability of fall surface cover type using C-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data.
Previous studies of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery have shown qualitative relationships between radar backscatter and soil moisture. However, to be able to use these data in operational programs it will be necessary to establish quantitatively how the radar return is related to soil moisture and the effects of surface roughness, soil type, and vegetation cover and growth stage, as a function of frequency and polarization. To this end, a multi-year experiment began in 1990 as a cooperative venture amongst the Canada Center (Agriculture Canada), and the Universities of Guelph, Sherbrooke, Laval, and Waterloo. During 1990, SAR imagery was acquired during two periods (May and Jun.) to correspond to times of minimal and substantial vegetation cover. SAR data were acquired on three days in May and on four days in Jul. to cover different soil moisture conditions. This unique comprehensive data set is used to investigate the relationships between soil moisture and radar backscatter. The experiment and data collected are described, and a preliminary qualitative interpretation of the relationship between soil moisture and image tone is provided.
Pulse-width-modulated amplifier supplies high current as efficiently as low current needed for starting and running motor. Key to efficiency of motor-control amplifier is V-channel metal-oxide/semiconductor transistor Q1. Device has low saturation resistance. However, has large gate input capacitance and small margin between its turn-on voltage and maximum allowable gate-to-source voltage. Circuits for output stages overcome limitations of VMOS device.
Osteopenic changes in the tibial compact bone of fifteen adult male monkeys immobilized for up to 7 months are examined histologically. Osteonal formation in the proximal tibia is analyzed. The analysis reveals the loss of haversian bone in the proximal tibia, increased activation with excessive depth of penetration of osteoclastic activity, rapid bone loss, and resorption cavities of irregular size and orientation. Osteonal formation following reambulation is examined; the recovery of cortical is a repair and rejuvenation process characterized by refilling of resorption cavities and remodeling activities.
Histological techniques were utilized for evaluating progressive changes in tibial compact bone in adult male monkeys during chronic studies of immobilization-associated osteopenia. The animals were restrained in a semirecumbent position which reduces normally occurring stresses in the lower extremities and results in bone mass loss. The longest immobilization studies were of seven months duration. Losses of haversian bone tended to occur predominatly in the proximal tibia and were characterized by increased activation with excessive depth of penetration of osteoclastic activity. There was no apparent regulation of the size and orientation of resorption cavities. Rapid bone loss seen during 10 weeks of immobilization appeared to be due to unrestrained osteoclastic activity without controls and regulation which are characteristic of adaptive systems. The general pattern of loss persisted throughout 7 months of immobilization. Clear cut evidence of a formation phase in haversian bone was seen only after two months of reambulation.
The development of a technique to control the articulated primary mirror (APM) of the solar optical telescope (SOT) is discussed. Program results indicate that a single, all digital controller has sufficient capability to totally handle the computational requirements for control of the SOT APM.
The digital pointing control system developed for the Space Shuttle Data Bus is discussed. The device, which interfaces with NASA standard sensor units, contains a front panel controller, a development system to load, inspect, print, and store the program and data, and a 'test jig' to provide closed-loop controller operation. The system is described with particular reference to the tracker-gyro interfaces, the control algorithms and compensation procedures, Kalman-estimation filtering, the proportional power output, and the discrete output capability. The results of simulation studies are presented and the development status is noted.
Recent developments in the use of aerial thermography in energy conservation programs within Canada were summarized. Following a brief review of studies conducted during the last three years, methodologies of data acquisition, processing, analysis and interpretation was discussed. Examples of results from an industrial oriented project were presented and recommendations for future basic work were outlined.