Evaluating factors influencing farmers' satisfaction with their irrigation system

The logit technique is used to analyze the relationship between dichotomous reactions of satisfaction (satisfied/dissatisfied) with the irrigation system and certain independent variables. The result shows that five important variables — water availability on time, fertilizer availability, landholding size, farmers' participation in irrigation activities and location of farmland along the canal — significantly determine satisfaction.     

Finding niches for whole-farm design models – contradictio in terminis?

Whole-farm design models quantitatively analyze the effects of a variety of potential changes at the farm system level. Science-driven technical information is confronted with value-driven objectives of farmers or other social groupings under explicit assumptions with respect to exogenous variables that are important drivers of agricultural systems (e.g., market conditions). Hence, farm design is an outcome of objective specification and the potential of a system. In recent publications, whole-farm design modelling has been proposed to enhance (farm) innovation processes. A number of operational modelling tools now offers the opportunity to assess the true potential of whole-farm design modelling to enhance innovation. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is not trivial to find niches for the application of goal-based farm models. Model outcomes appeared not to match questions of farm managers monitoring and learning from their own and other farmers’ practices. However, our research indicates that whole-farm design modelling possesses the capabilities to make a valuable contribution to reframing. Reframing is the phenomenon that people feel an urge to discuss and reconsider current objectives and perspectives on a problem. Reframing might take place in a situation (i) of mutually felt dependency between stakeholders, (ii) in which there is sufficient pressure and urgency for stakeholders to explore new problem definitions and make progress. Furthermore, our research suggests that the way the researcher enters a likely niche to introduce a model and/or his or her position in this niche may have significant implications for the potential of models to enhance an innovation process. Therefore, we hypothesize that the chances of capitalizing on modelling expertise are likely to be higher when researchers with such expertise are a logical and more or less permanent component of ongoing trajectories than when these researchers come from outside to purposefully search for a niche.     

Modelling carbon dynamics in mixed grass–red clover swards

Growth and carbon dynamics in mixed grass–red clover leys were simulated using a growth model for pure stands based on radiation use, allocation within plant and loss of biomass. The model and its parameter values were taken from previous applications of the model to pure swards of grass and red clover grown in the same experiment at the same sites and years.     

SL4105柴油机的连杆杆身的变形分析

对SL4105柴油机的连杆进行了精确的三维建模,并考虑到连杆锻造毛坯和加工误差对连杆刚度的影响,根据实际情况对连杆运动时的整体变形进行了计算分析。分析结果表明:连杆的锻造加工误差会使连杆在最大爆发压力下产生较大的弯曲变形,变形最大值的大小和位置因加工误差的不同而不同。     

Effects of alternative water distribution rules on irrigation system performance: a simulation analysis

Based on a simulation model reflecting physical and economic conditions typically found in rice irrigation systems in Asia, the irrigation performance implications of alternative water distribution rules for dry season irrigation are evaluated under varying degrees of water shortage. The rules examined reflect differing water distribution strategies designed either to maximize conveyance efficiency, economic efficiency, or equity; or to achieve a balance between efficiency and equity objectives. Irrigation performance is evaluated using several efficiency measures reflecting the physical, agronomic and economic productivity of water, and one measure of equity. Economic efficiency and equity among farmers within the portion of the irrigation system that is on in any given season are shown to be complementary, and not competing objectives. Economic efficiency and equity among all farmers within the command area of the irrigation system are largely complementary strategies at the lower levels of water shortage, but with increasing shortage, significant tradeoffs develop between these objectives. An operational rule for water distribution under a goal of maximizing economic efficiency is developed, and the data requirements for its implementation are shown to be modest. Under the model's assumed conditions of dry season rice production dependent solely on surface irrigation for water, the distribution strategy designed to maximize conveyance efficiency results in only modestly lower levels of economic efficiency and equity than could be achieved by the strategy designed to maximize economic efficiency.     

An integrated modelling toolbox for water resources assessment and management in highland catchments: Model description

Water and land resource competition and environmental degradation pose difficult questions for resource managers. In particular, the ensuing trade-offs between economic, environmental, and social factors and their spatiotemporal variability must be considered when implementing management policies. This paper describes an integrated modelling toolbox that has been developed for highland catchments – specifically the Mae Chaem catchment in Northern Thailand. This toolbox contains models of crop growth, erosion and rainfall-runoff, as well as household decision and socioeconomic impact models. The approach described advances and complements previous approaches by: considering more complex interactions between land-use decisions and the hydrological cycle; modelling household decisions based on uncertain expectations; and assessing impacts of changes not only on flows and household income, but also on subsistence production and erosion. An example of the types of trade-offs and scenarios that can be assessed using the integrated modelling toolbox is also presented. This demonstrates that for the scenarios presented, the magnitude and direction of impacts simulated by the model is not dependent on climate. Further testing of the model is demonstrated in a companion paper. Overall, the plausibility of the model is shown.     

横向出流陡坡消能塘体型设计与试验研究

陡坡消能塘水流在塘末端转向 90°进入下游渠道是一种特殊的布置形式。通过对一实际工程消能塘的水力计算与物理模型试验验证 ,提出了此类消能塘体型的设计方法并对设计计算中的几个问题进行了讨论     

车辆发动机气门弹簧的设计方法探讨

发动机气门弹簧多用圆柱形螺旋压缩弹簧,在气门关闭过程中用于克服气门及传动件的惯性力,保证气门及时落座并紧密贴合,防止气门在发动机振动时产生跳动。本文通过分析其优化设计的设计变量、目标函数和约束条件,提出并验证优化设计的数学模型,该方法简便易行,且可以达到预期的设计目的。     

自压式树状管网的两级优化设计模型与神经优化设计

建立了自压式树状管网两级优化设计模型，并用人工神经网络法实现树状管网非线性规划模型的快速求解。采用的人工神经网络技术的两级优化设计模型在适用范围、求解速度和获得最优解能力上，均优于单一的非线性规划模型和线性规划模型，是实现树状管网全局优化设计的一条新途径。     

喷灌压力管网系统水力特性的模拟模型研究

本文从系统的观点出发，首先分析了水泵直接加压式喷灌压力管网系统的组成，继而运用图示模拟技术，着重研究探讨了计算各类水力单元直至全系统水力特性的模拟模型，并针对一个规模较大，地形较为复杂的坡地喷灌工程，具体介绍了运用该模型进行图示模拟计算的方法和步骤。计算结果表明，该模型能如实地反映喷灌压力管网系统的运行客观规律，从而为了解把握喷灌压力管网系统的水力特性提供了一种行之有效的实用计算方法。