University of Salford

About: University of Salford is a education organization based out in Salford, Manchester, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Thin film. The organization has 13049 authors who have published 22957 publications receiving 537330 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Salford Manchester & The University of Salford Manchester.

Growth of discharges on polluted insulation

Abstract: The voltage required to maintain local discharges on polluted insulation may increase with increase in discharge length, and if this voltage exceeds the supply voltage, the discharges extinguish without causing a flashover. An analysis based on this mechanism has been made for the simplified case of an insulator having a constant surface resistance, r c , per centimetre of leakage path. This has shown that the flashover stress, E c , is proportional to p 0.43 , where p is the resistivity of the pollution, and that the maximum leakage current which can flow when flashover is impossible is 233E c -1.31 amperes, Ec being in volts (peak) per centimetre. It has been found that these conclusions apply to conventional bushings subjected to wet-flashover tests, and to power insulators subjected to natural pollution under service conditions. Further confirmation of the analysis was obtained from experiments made by the authors and previous workers with artificial pollution, deposited so as to maintain r c constant along the surface. The agreement between this analysis and the experimental results of several investigators indicates that the mechanism discussed here controls flashover in many instances.

Braid Effects on Contractile Range and Friction Modeling in Pneumatic Muscle Actuators

Abstract: Within braided pneumatic Muscle Actuators (pMA) the braid structure is vital to the actuator's performance, preventing over-inflation, converting radial expansion into axial contraction and setting limits for both dilation and contraction. This paper seeks to explore the nature of the contractile limit and the hysteresis observed by researchers during the actuation cycle. Maximum actuator dilation occurs when adjacent braid strands are forced against one another. Within this work this is analyzed mathematically and it is shown that by halving the number of strands used to create the braided shell the actuator's contractile range can be increased by approximately 7%. This also results in a simultaneous peak contractile force increases of over 16%. These results are verified experimentally. Hysteresis due to friction between braid strands during muscle operation is also explored. The paper will show how consideration of the deformation of the strands allows the contact area and therefore friction to be calculated without the need for experimentally obtained data as in previous research. A mathematical model is produced and verified experimentally.

‘All they lack is a chain’: lean and the new performance management in the British civil service

Abstract: The adaptation of lean techniques in public services is viewed as an innovative managerialist response to government demands for more efficient services amidst large reductions in public spending. This paper explores workers' experiences of the impact of lean on work organisation and control and provides new insights into developments within contemporary back office clerical work.

SPICE: Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination

Abstract: In June 1991, the International Standards group for Software Engineering approved a study period to investigate the need and requirements for a standard for software process management. A new international work item has been subsequently raised. The resulting project is named SPICE (Software Process Improvement and Capability Determination). The project aims to build on the best features of existing software assessment methods.