During short-term scheduling in a steel plant, one problem is to know beforehand how long equipment will be usable and when it will have to be maintained. The present system answers this question for a part in a continuous caster in order to inform another system that schedules short-term production. It uses fuzzy inference rules to process input data and to compute the life-expectancy of the p...

Real-world scheduling is decision making under vague constraints of diierent importance, often using uncertain data, where compromises between antagonistic criteria are allowed. We explain in theory and by detailed examples a new combination of fuzzy set based constraints and repair based heuristics that help to model these scheduling problems. We simplify the mathematics needed for a method of...

The CFD modelling of metals reduction processes particularly always seems to involve the interaction of liquid metals, a gas (often air) top space, liquid droplets in the top space and injection of both solid particles and gaseous bubbles into the bath. These phases all interact and exchange mass, momentum and energy. Often it is the extent to which these multi-phase phenomena can be effectivel...

A differentially steered three-wheeled vehicle has proven to be an effective platform for outdoor navigation. Many applications for this vehicle configuration, including planetary exploration and landmine/UXO location, require accurate localization. In spite of known problems, odometry, also called dead reckoning, remains one of the least expensive and most popular methods for localization. Thi...

This paper introduces our implementation of a personal real-time live broadcast system. This system is comprised of three main components: the caster program, data manipulation program, and management program. The caster program is a client program running on the end user's personal computer equipped with a webcam. This program provides a convenient environment (cue sheet, prompts, reference im...

The attachment probability of inclusions on a bubble surface is investigated based on fundamental fluid flow simulations, incorporating the inclusion trajectory and sliding time of each individual inclusion along the bubble surface as a function of particle and bubble size. Then, the turbulent fluid flow in a typical continuous casting mold, trajectories of bubbles and their path length in the ...

This paper establishes the models of the steelmaking continuous casting (SCC) process, and proposed the improved algorithms for this problem. The simulation results of a computerized scheduling system are also given to prove the model. The SCC process scheduling problem is very difficult to get a good performance solution in practice. The scheduling of the SCC process requires that each cast pl...

Synopsis Mathematical modeling of stress generation in casting processes is a difficult, complex subject that is now receiving increased attention. This paper reviews the basic equations, solution methods and important phenomena associated with casting processes that require special numerical treatment. Stress modeling begins with a coupled, transient heat transfer analysis, including solidific...

Caster Semenya, a South African 18-year-old, won the 800-metre track running title at the Berlin World Athletics Championships in 2009. Only 3 h later, her gender was being harshly contested. The investigation of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) was neither discreet nor respectful of her privacy. Caster's case has implications for the ethics of sports and debates ab...