bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
PRECISE POSE MEASUREMENT WITH SINGLE CAMERA CALIBRATION FOR PLANAR PARALLEL MANIPULATORS
Authors: Neumayr Richard , Zsombor-Murray Paul , O’Leary Paul
Published: April 2018

Pose measurement is an important tool for robot calibration. This paper describes the development and implementation of a technique of camera-aided pose measurement, tested on the Planar Double Triangular Parallel Manipulator (PDTPM). A stationary camera is used to take photos of the End Effector (EE) where a certain array of Light Emitting Diodes (LED) is mounted on. Using various image processing techniques, the coordinates of the LEDs are registered in the image in order to derive the projection matrix that maps any point of the image plane to world coordinates in the EE moving plane. This homography is computed with a method where the vanishing line is treated as the principal component. This estimate is more robust and faster than the Direct Linear Transformation (DLT) method. It was shown that poses could be quickly registered at submillimetre precision notwithstanding inexpensive, relatively low resolution optics. The measurement system is easy to setup, portable, accurate, low cost and it is believed to be a valuable tool.
SINGULARITY ANALYSIS OF THE 4

R

UU PARALLEL MANIPULATOR USING GRASSMANN-CAYLEY ALGEBRA
Authors: Amine Semaan , Masouleh Mehdi Tale , Caro Stéphane , Wenger Philippe , Gosselin Clément
Published: April 2018

This paper deals with the singularity analysis of four degrees of freedom parallel manipulators with identical limb structures performing Schönflies motions, namely, three independent translations and one rotation about an axis of fixed direction. The 6 × 6 Jacobian matrix of such manipulators contains two lines at infinity among its six Plücker vectors. Some points at infinity are thus introduced to formulate the superbracket of Grassmann-Cayley algebra, which corresponds to the determinant of the Jacobian matrix. By exploring this superbracket, all the singularity conditions of such manipulators can be enumerated. The study is illustrated through the singularity analysis of the 4-RUU parallel manipulator.
LAGRANGIAN DYNAMICS OF CABLE-DRIVEN PARALLEL MANIPULATORS: A VARIABLE MASS FORMULATION
Authors: Bedoustani Yousef B. , Bigras Pascal , Taghirad Hamid D. , Bonev Ilian A.
Published: April 2018

In this paper, dynamic analysis of cable-driven parallel manipulators (CDPMs) is performed using the Lagrangian variable mass formulation. This formulation is used to treat the effect of a mass stream entering into the system caused by elongation of the cables. In this way, a complete dynamic model of the system is derived, while preserving the compact and tractable closed-form dynamics formulation. First, a general formulation for a CDPM is given, and the effect of change of mass in the cables is integrated into its dynamics. The significance of such a treatment is that a complete analysis of the dynamics of the system is achieved, including vibrations, stability, and any robust control synthesis of the manipulator. The formulation obtained is applied to a typical planar CDPM. Through numerical simulations, the validity and integrity of the formulations are verified, and the significance of the variable mass treatment in the analysis is examined. For this example, it is shown that the effect of introducing a mass stream into the system is not negligible. Moreover, it is non linear and strongly dependent on the geometric and inertial parameters of the robot, as well as the maneuvering trajectory.
MOTION RECOVERY AFTER JOINT FAILURE IN PARALLEL MANIPULATORS
Authors: Notash Leila
Published: April 2018

In this paper, the failure of parallel manipulators is investigated. Failure modes of parallel manipulators and their causes and effects from the kinematics point of view are discussed. Methodologies for investigating the effect of failures, due to joint failure or singularity, on the motion performance of manipulators are presented, and the criteria for full and partial recovery from these failures are established. The proposed methodologies are based on the projection of the lost motion onto the orthogonal complement of the null space of the Jacobian matrix after failure. The procedure is simulated for planar parallel manipulators to examine if after joint failure the required motion of manipulator could be fully recovered; as well as to calculate the corrections to the motion of remaining joints for recovering the lost motion.
KINEMATIC ANALYSIS OF A TRANSLATIONAL 3-DOF TENSEGRITY MECHANISM
Authors: Mohr Chris A. , Arsenault Marc
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a novel three-degree-of-freedom mechanism based on a known tensegrity architecture. The mechanism is cable driven and shown to exhibit three-dimensional translational motion. Analytical solutions to the direct and inverse kinematic problems are produced based on the geometry and statics of the mechanism. The boundaries of the reachable Cartesian workspace are developed based on maintaining valid tensegrity configurations and requiring the actuated cables to be in tension. The low inertia, relatively large workspace volume and the movement produced by the mechanism make it promising for high speed applications such as pick and place operations.
THE DOF DEGENERATION CHARACTERISTICS OF CLOSED LOOP OVER-CONSTRAINED MECHANISMS
Authors: Guo Sheng , Qu Haibo , Fang Yuefa , Wang Congzhe
Published: April 2018

A new teminology, “degenerative degrees of freedom”, to describe mechanisms possessing different degrees of freedom (DOF) while containing the same number of linkages and joints is introduced. A systematic approach is developed for studying this particular type of closed loop mechanism and its degeneration characteristics of DOFs. First, the single closed loop over-constrained mechanism is analyzed and a relationship between the number of over-constraints and the number of joints and DOFs is established. Then, all possible types of independent over-constraints and their combinations are summarized. Further the non-instantaneous condition of the mechanism is analyzed by using an analytical method. The paper delineates three rules that provide the guidelines for the layout of joints, linkages and their assembly. Finally, the degenerative characteristics of all such mechanisms are systematically tabulated along with sketches of some typical ones. To corroborate the literature an example involving two 6R closed loop mechanisms with 1 and 3 DOFs respectively is presented and analyzed, thus validating their degenerative characteristics.
MODELLING AND ANALYSIS OF A PIEZOELECTRIC ANNULAR STATOR STRUCTURE FOR A NEW IN-SITU DYNAMIC BALANCE REGULATOR
Authors: Du Zhe , Mei Xuesong , Xu Muxun
Published: April 2018

This paper presents the modelling and analysis of a piezoelectric annular stator structure for a new in-situ dynamic balance regulator which is driven by the in-plane bending vibration of the stator. The mathematical model for the in-plane vibration is first developed using an analytical method to determine the theoretical excitation frequency. The excitation modes and structural parameters are then analysed to optimise the performance of the stator. To improve the efficiency of the design and to achieve precise control, a semi-analytical electromechanical coupling model is developed using the dynamic substructure method and the finite element method. The model is verified in preliminary tests.
APPLICATION OF THE TAGUCHI QUALITY METHOD TO DESIGN NAVIGATION CONSTANTS THAT ARE ROBUST TO TARGET MANEUVERS
Authors: Kung Chien-Chun , Chiang Feng-Lung , Yang Ciann-Dong
Published: April 2018

The object of this paper is to present a quality control approach to design the navigation constants for missile guidance law that are robust for target’s maneuverability and missile’s performance. Target’s maneuvers and missile's time constants are considered to be noise factors and Taguchi Quality Method (TQM) is used to conduct matrix experiments and determine the robust navigation constants. From the simulation results for three kinds of guidance laws, we find that robust navigation constants have a greater ability to enhance the interception of targets that are performing uncertain maneuvers with less interception time and smaller miss distances in the hitting phase.
NUMERICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS OF EGR DISTRIBUTION IN A DI TURBOCHARGED DIESEL ENGINE
Authors: Rahimi Reza , Jafarmadar S. , Khalilarya Sh. , Mohebbi A.
Published: April 2018

This paper presents the results of numerical and experimental investigations to evaluate the distribution of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) between cylinders in a DI turbocharged diesel engine. The turbulent three-dimensional flow field was analyzed by the numerical solution of conservation equations with an appropriate turbulence model. EGR was applied to intake manifold with various rates at cooled and non-cooled states. The experiments were conducted on an MT4.244 turbocharged DI diesel engine under full load condition at 1900rpm. The model was validated by experimental data with a good agreement between experimental measurements and numerical predictions. Using this method, it is possible to control EGR distribution so as to reduce emissions formation as well as to improve performance.
AERODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF AN AXIAL COMPRESSOR WITH A CASING GROOVE COMBINED WITH INJECTION
Authors: Kim Dae-Woong , Kim Jin-Hyuk , Kim Kwang-Yong
Published: April 2018

Aerodynamic performance of a transonic axial compressor with a casing groove combined with injection has been investigated in this work. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations with k-ε turbulence model are discretized by finite volume approximations and solved on hexahedral grids for the flow analyses. For parametric study, the front and rear lengths and height of the casing groove are selected as the geometric parameters and are changed with constant injection to investigate their effects on the stall margin and peak adiabatic efficiency. As a result of the parametric study, the maximum stall margin and peak adiabatic efficiency are found to be obtained in the axial compressor having 70% height of the reference groove. The results show that the application of the casing groove combined with injection to an axial compressor is effective for the simultaneous improvement of both the stall margin and peak adiabatic efficiency of the compressor.
MONITORING AND BREAKTHROUGH CONTROL OF LASER DRILLED HOLES BY MEANS OF MACHINE VISION
Authors: Ho Chao-Ching , Chang Yuan-Jen , Hsu Jin-Chen , Kuo Chia-Lung , He Jun-Jia
Published: April 2018

An on-line monitoring system for breakthrough detection in laser drilling is proposed to maximize the material removal rate and energy efficiency of laser through-hole drilling. The system is based on visual monitoring of the working surface using a digital camera, coupled with microcontroller control of the drilling laser operation. The camera is installed adjacent to the entry surface of the workpiece, and the spatial extend of the laser-induced plasma at the working site is monitored radially as the criterion for breakthrough detection. Experimental results show that the proposed system successfully detects when the laser beam has broken through a workpiece, and turns off the laser automatically by feedback control.
FPGA-BASED MOTION CONTROLLER FOR WAFER-HANDLING ROBOT
Authors: Chou Hsin-Hung , Kung Ying-Shieh , Tsui Tai-Wei , Cheng Stone
Published: April 2018

This study applies FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) technology to implement a motion controller for wafer-handling robot which has three-DOF (Degree of Freedom) motion. The proposed FPGA-based motion controller has two modules. The first module is Nios II processor which is used to realize the motion trajectory computation and the three-axis position/speed controllers. The second module is demonstrated to implement the three-axis current vector controllers by using FPGA hardware, and VHDL (VHSIC Hardware Description Language) is adopted to describe the controller behavior. Therefore, a fully digital motion controller for wafer-handling robot, such as one trajectory planning, three current vector controllers and three position/speed controllers are all implemented with an FPGA chip.
DESIGN OF SURFACE-MOUNTED PERMANENT-MAGNET BRUSHLESS DC MOTORS COMBINED WITH GEAR MECHANISMS
Authors: Wu Yi-Chang , Yan Hong-Sen
Published: April 2018

This paper presents novel design concepts by integrating surface-mounted permanent-magnet brushless DC (BLDC) motors with embedded planetary gear trains (PGTs) to form compact structure assemblies with desired functions. The operational principles and configurations of surface-mounted permanent-magnet BLDC motors are introduced. With the aid of fundamental circuits, kinematic characteristics of PGTs are identified. For rationalizing integrated design concepts, design requirements and constraints are concluded. Four feasible design concepts with interior and exterior configurations are successfully generated subject to these design requirements and constraints. The features of the integrated devices are also indicated.
FUZZY LOGIC-BASED INTELLIGENT CONTROL FOR SVM SPEAKER VERIFICATION WITH THE SUPPORT OF GMM PRIOR INFORMATION
Authors: Ding Ing-Jr , Yen Chih-Ta , Lin Zih-Jheng
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a fuzzy logic-based intelligent control (FLIC) scheme for support vector machine (SVM) speaker verification, called FLICSVM, is developed. The proposed FLICSVM method enhances SVM training by considering the property of training utterances for establishing the SVM model and therefore could further ensure the robustness of the SVM classifier on speaker verification. In FLICSVM, when establishing the SVM model in the training procedure, the popular fuzzy control methodology is employed to tune certain specific SVM parameter according to the prior information of SVM training utterances that is derived from Gaussian mixture model (GMM) calculations. Experimental results demonstrated that proposed FLICSVM is apparently superior to conventional SVM in the recognition accuracy.
PASSIVITY-BASED PARAMETER ESTIMATION AND COMPOSITE ADAPTIVE POSITION CONTROL OF INDUCTION MOTORS
Authors: Chen Jenn-Yih
Published: April 2018

In the rotor reference frame, the input-output linearization theory was adopted to decouple the rotor position and rotor flux. We then designed two adaptation laws to estimate the rotor resistance and mechanical parameters of the motor. The passive properties of the negative feedback connection from the rotor flux observer to the rotor resistance estimator, and the position controller were analyzed according to the passivity theorem. The overall control system was proved to be globally stable. Finally, experimental results show that the proposed scheme is robust to the variations of the rotor resistance and load torque disturbances. Furthermore, the estimated parameters can converge to the actual values.
A MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE INTEGRATED ACTIVE COOLING CHANNEL FOR DNA AMPLIFICATION
Authors: Chen Jyh Jian , Qiu Xian Cheng , Shen Chia Ming , Chen Sin Jhih , Ko Yu Wei
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a novel flow-through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chip with active water cooling characteristics. A micro-reactor comprising two heating blocks and a cooling channel for three temperature zones and a fluidic chip with serpentine microchannels is integrated. One important feature of this system is the temperature of the annealing zone is controlled by the flow rate of the fluid inside a water cooling channel under the glass chip. Commercial software is utilized to determine the chip materials and flow rates in the cooling channel those are responsible for creating the denaturation, annealing and extension temperature zones within the chip. DNA fragments with three different lengths are successfully amplified with the device.
SIMULATION OF WORKPIECE DEFORMATION CAUSED BY RELEASING THE CLAMPING FORCE
Authors: Shao Xiao-Dong , Liu Si-Meng , Zhang Liu , Lin Zhao-Xu
Published: April 2018

A novel algorithm to predict machining error caused by releasing the clamping force is put forward in this paper. First, the deformity of the workpiece by clamping force is calculated using FEM. Then the relaxing deformity of the workpiece caused by releasing the clamping force is calculated by the mapping method based on mesh model. The machining error is achieved using error analysis technology. A test is conducted to verify the performance of the simulation result.
STRUCTURAL SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL BASIC TWO-DOF DIFFERENTIALS
Authors: Chu Chia-Chun
Published: April 2018

Differentials are very important in many crucial applications, but almost all differentials are geared differential mechanisms. Therefore, the main purpose of this paper is to synthesize non-gear or novel differentials. All kinds of basic differentials can be contained in the results by the method. First, a modified graph representation is provided for differential mechanisms with different type. Second, the design concept of composition and decomposition the geometric constraint is presented. Then, ten fundamental entities and seven properties of differentials are collated. Finally, eight feasible results with two degrees-of-freedom and two basic loops are obtained. About the eight results, there are two are existing designs and the other six are novel.
A STUDY ON THERMAL INITIAL PROPERTIES FOR INVERSE TECHNIQUE
Authors: Hong Sung-Deok , Kim Chan-Soo , Cho Migyung , Bai Cheolho , Hong Sung-Yull , Shim Jaesool
Published: April 2018

The Levenberg–Marguardt algorithm is used to study on convergence for inverse heat conduction in the unsteady state. In this model, the finite volume method is used to obtain an estimated temperature, which is necessary for minimizing inverse error. Six simulations were performed to investigate the sensitivity to initial thermo-physical properties such as thermal conductivity (k) and heat capacity (ρCp = C) by changing three different damping ratios of the Levenberg–Marquardt algorithm. Our results show that an appropriate selection of thermal-physical properties and damping ratio helps numerical stability and convergence and reduces convergence time.
ON THE DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF ACOUSTIC HORNS FOR ULTRASONIC WELDING
Authors: Shu Kuen-Ming , Hsieh Wen-Hsiang , Yen Hoa-Shen
Published: April 2018

The acoustic horn plays a very vital part in high energy ultrasonic machining, and its design is critical to the quality and the efficiency of machining. This paper performs the analysis and design of acoustic horns for ultrasonic machining by employing ANSYS finite element software. The results indicate that not only the natural frequencies of horns designed by theoretical models are more close to the vibration frequencies of ultrasonic generators, but also their amplitudes are superior to commercially available horns.
MISSILE GUIDANCE ALGORITHM DESIGN USING PARTICLE SWARM OPTIMIZATION
Authors: Kung Chien-Chun , Chen Kuei-Yi
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a PSO guidance (PSOG) algorithm design for the pursuit-evasion optimization problem. The initialized particles are randomly set within the guidance command solution space and the relative distance is taken as the objective function. As the PSOG algorithm proceeds, the iteration will execute until the global optimum is reached. Two pursuit-evasion scenarios show that the PSOG algorithm has satisfied performance in execution time, terminal miss distance, time of interception, final stage turning rate and robust pursuit capability.
TRANSIENT THERMO-STRESS FIELD OF BRAKE SHOE DURING MINE HOIST EMERGENCY BRAKING
Authors: Zhu Zhen C. , Ma Wan , Peng Yu X. , Chen Guo A. , Liu Bin B.
Published: April 2018

In this paper, the finite element (FE) model of the three-dimensional (3-D) transient thermo-stress field of a brake shoe was established and then the software ANSYS 13.0 was used to get the numerical solutions; an experiment was carried out on the X-DM friction tester to verify the FE model. It was found that both the whole temperature and the equivalent stresses of the brake shoe increased and then decreased during mine hoist emergency braking; region of 1 to 3 mm below the friction surface was suffered to larger temperature gradients and stresses.
DESIGN, SIMULATION AND BIFURCATION ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL MICROMACHINED TUNABLE CAPACITOR WITH EXTENDED TUNABILITY
Authors: Mobki Hamed , Rashvand Kaveh , Afrang Saeid , Sadeghi Morteza H. , Rezazadeh Ghader
Published: April 2018

In this paper, a novel RF MEMS variable capacitor has been presented. The applied techniques for increasing the tunability of the capacitor are the increasing of the maximum capacitance and decreasing of the minimum capacitance. The proposed structure is a simple cantilever Euler–Bernoulli micro-beam suspended between two conductive plates, in which the lower plate is considered as stationary reference electrode. In this structure, two pedestals are located in both tips of the cantilever beam. In the capacitive micro-structures, increasing the applied voltage decreases the equivalent stiffness of the structure and leads the system to an unstable condition (pull-in phenomenon). By deflecting the beam toward the upper (lower) plate the minimum (maximum) capacitance decreases (increases) and tunability increases consequently. The located pedestals increase and decrease the maximum and minimum capacitance respectively. The results show that the proposed structure increases the tunability of cantilever beam significantly. Furthermore, bifurcation behavior of movable electrode has been investigated.
ANALYTICAL APPROACH FOR ESTIMATING THE PRESSURE DROP POTENTIAL IN CONVECTIVE VORTEX HEAT ENGINES
Authors: Nizetic S.
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a new analytical approach for estimating the pressure drop potential in proposed technical concepts in which convective vortices are to be used as heat engines. The main novelty is analytical connection of the well-known CAPE value with the magnitude of the pressure potential. The proposed analytical approach is important and useful for research in energy concepts where convective vortices are to be used as sources of mechanical work for electricity production. Furthermore, it is the first approach developed by which the pressure drop potential can be calculated for concepts utilising convective vortex heat engines, and it is an important step forward for the theoretical research of alternative energy concepts with convective vortices.
DISTURBANCE COMPENSATION TECHNIQUES FOR CONTROLLING PNEUMATIC ACTUATOR SYSTEMS
Authors: Lu Yu-Sheng , Syu Chang-Yong , Liu Chao-Shu
Published: April 2018

In this paper, three disturbance compensation algorithms are experimentally evaluated considering the control problem of a rodless pneumatic cylinder. Despite its highly nonlinear dynamics, the pneumatic cylinder is modeled as a linear system including an unknown lumped disturbance. Three disturbance estimation algorithms are then employed to compensate for this lumped disturbance: the traditional linear disturbance observer (TDOB), the integral sliding-mode disturbance observer (I-SDOB) and the IMP-based SDOB (IMP-SDOB). Experimental results are presented to compare these three algorithms in terms of positioning accuracy.
AN INTERMITTENT MOTION MECHANISM INCORPORATING A GENEVA WHEEL AND A GEAR TRAIN
Authors: Dooner David B. , Palermo Antonio , Mundo Domenico
Published: April 2018

This paper presents a kinematic study of a mechanism incorporating a Geneva wheel and a gear train to achieve intermittent motion. The goal of this mechanism is to eliminate the acceleration jump at the beginning and end of the Geneva wheel motion. An epitrochoidal path replaces the circular path for the driving pin in a classical Geneva wheel drive. The epitrochoidal path is generated using a gear train and results in zero velocity, acceleration, and jerk at the beginning and end of the Geneva wheel motion. Presented is a comparison of the position, velocity, acceleration, and jerk between the classical Geneva wheel mechanism and the proposed mechanism. Subsequently, the motion of the Geneva wheel is modified by introducing a non-circular gear pair to adjust the timing of the epitrochoidal path. The motion of the non-circular gear pair is determined by reducing the extreme jerk of the Geneva wheel.
COMBINED VIBRATION ISOLATOR OF DISC SPRINGS FOR CLOSED HIGH-SPEED PRECISION PRESS: DESIGN AND EXPERIMENTS
Authors: Jia F. , Xu F.Y.
Published: April 2018

The structure, strength, and stiffness of disc springs are analyzed or investigated. Based on the previous studies, two finite element models of combined disc springs are established and their loading and unloading deformation patterns are analyzed to determine the optimal combination of disc springs for a desirable vibration isolator of high-speed press. The structural parameters and loading data of JF75G-200 high-speed press are used for simulation and other experiments. The dynamic working points of disc springs in different combinations are drawn, and complete test data are collected. Results show that combined vibration isolator, an isolator with nonlinearly combined disc springs functioning as a whole for vibration isolation, is the best choice. Results from both simulation and tests confirm the feasibility and validity of the proposed isolator. The isolator can efficiently minimize the vibration of the high-speed press.
PRELIMINARY EXPERIMENTAL AND NUMERICAL INVESTIGATIONS OF THE FLOW IN THE CONTRACTION OF A BOUNDARY LAYER WIND TUNNEL
Authors: Bouriga Mohamed , Lemyre-Baron Jean-Sébastien , Morency François , Weiss Julien
Published: April 2018

The time-averaged flow in the contraction of a new boundary-layer wind tunnel is investigated experimentally using Pitot probes and numerically using RANS simulations. Numerical simulations are performed to rule out any risk of flow separation. Experimental and numerical results show a good flow uniformity in the potential core at the contraction exit. Small non-uniformities of the boundary-layer thickness close to the sidewalls centerline are explained by the presence of longitudinal vortices near the sidewall boundary layers. The numerical results confirm an earlier hypothesis concerning the generation of these longitudinal vortices by skew-induced vorticity.
GEOMETRIC CONSTRAINTS AND INTERFERENCE-PROOF CONDITIONS OF HELIX-CURVE MESHING-WHEEL MECHANISM
Authors: Chen Yangzhi , Ding Jiang , Lv Yueling
Published: April 2018

In some recent publications, a gear mechanism named Space-Curve Meshing-Wheel (SCMW) has been proposed by the present authors. This paper presents the geometry of the Helix-Curve Meshing-Wheel (HCMW), the most common SCMW at present. The driven contact curve equation is optimized by removing a redundant length parameter. Then, both geometric constraints and interference-proof conditions are calculated in the following three aspects: contact curves, HCMW pair and HCMW train. A parameter selection of a novel reducer with HCMW trains is shown as a practical example. The theories in this paper are mainly applied to determine the feasibility range of the geometric parameters within the HCMW, and provide foundation to its industrial standardized production.
IMPROVING INDUSTRIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WASTE HEAT RECOVERY SYSTEMS
Authors: O’Rielly Kristine , Jeswiet Jack
Published: April 2018

Improving the energy efficiency of industrial processes and the facilities in which they are carried out is often considered to be one of the most promising ways to begin reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. One of the best ways for organizations to reduce their energy consumption without having to carry out extensive equipment and facility overhauls is waste heat recovery or energy recycling. Waste heat recovery involves tapping into previously discarded thermal energy streams and reusing it for various purposes within a facility (space heating or cooling) or within the process itself (pre-heating air and boiler makeup water). Despite the numerous social and economic benefits that are available through waste heat recovery, several economic and technical barriers still exist to its wide-scale implementation. This paper provides an overview of the current state of waste heat recovery systems available in industry, offers a discussion of the major barriers to their wide-spread implementation, and lastly concludes with new data with several new case studies from Canadian manufacturers which have successfully harnessed waste heat within their facilities.
WALL-INTERFERENCE CORRECTION FOR THE SURFACE-PRESSURE HYSTERESIS OF AN AIRFOIL UNDERGOING PLUNGING MOTION
Authors: Saeedi Mohammad , Mani Mahmoud , Hamta Armin
Published: April 2018

In the current research, the results of a number of wind-tunnel experiments on a moving airfoil with plunging motion are presented. The experiments have been conducted in two different configurations which are tunnels with conventional and slotted test-section walls to provide resemblance to a far-field condition. The difference in results obtained from two test-section configurations can be considered as the wall effect and regulated as a function of non-dimensional parameters which can be further used for correcting experimental results obtained from conventional wind tunnels. When the derived correction factor is applied to a numerical simulation of a wind tunnel with a conventional test section (for points located in the front portion of the airfoil), the resulting pressure variations closely resembled that of a far-field numerical simulation. This methodology showed promising results for the specific configurations used in this research.
IMPROVED MANUFACTURING PROCESS FOR MOVABLE RETAINING PINS USING OPTIMIZATION METHOD
Authors: Hsia Shao-Yi
Published: April 2018

Movable retaining pins are generally used in automobile gears, axles, crankshafts, and seatbelt assemblies. The original manufacturing procedures comprise three-stage forming and then drilling. However, a clamp in the drilling process always causes rod surface damage and dents, and the resulting depth tolerance that always exceeds specified dimensions. This study modifies the cold-forging process by replacing the original mechanical drilling stage with one additional forming stage comprised of backward extrusion. The finite element method is applied to analyze and simulate the forming load at each stage, and the Taguchi method is utilized to optimize the product quality in the key second stage. Analytical results show that transforming the original three forging processes and one drilling process into four forging stages overcomes the problems in part manufacturing. Simultaneously, the dimensional accuracy obtained from experiment and numerical analyses shows in good agreement and trusty.
DEVELOPMENT OF 3-SPEED REAR HUB BICYCLE TRANSMISSIONS WITH GEAR-SHIFTING MECHANISMS
Authors: Wu Yi-Chang , Chang Che-Wei
Published: April 2018

Rear hub bicycle transmissions require less maintenance and are more reliable than rear derailleurs. This study proposes a systematic design process for the conceptual design of 3-speed rear hub bicycle transmissions. By analyzing the kinematics of a basic epicyclic gear mechanism using the fundamental circuit method, the gear sequence and clutching sequence arrangements for 3-speed rear hub transmissions can be obtained. The numbers of gear-teeth for all gear elements resulting in a minimum installation space and satisfying the required speed ratio at each gear stage are determined. A gear-shifting mechanism is constructed to sequentially control the power-flow path within the epicyclic gear mechanism so as to provide three forward gears. An atlas of 3-speed rear hub bicycle transmissions is listed, where three devices are new design concepts and are suitable for further embodiment design. The results of this study will lead to the creation of new multi-speed rear hub bicycle transmissions.
THE EQUATION DERIVATION AND ANALYSIS OF MESHING EFFICIENCY FOR A STRAIGHT SPUR GEAR PAIR
Authors: Chen Tzu-Hsia
Published: April 2018

According to the concept of “Stribeck Curve” proposed by Downson, this paper proposes modified coefficients for the calculation of average friction coefficients for approach and recess. Based on the research of Buckingham, this paper derives the theoretical meshing efficiency equation of straight spur gear pair. And, based on the involute theorem, the average sliding velocities for approach and recess are obtained. The corresponding modified average friction coefficients for approach and recess are obtained. Finally, according to modified average friction coefficients and meshing efficiency equation, the meshing efficiencies for straight spur gear pair (15, 79) are analyzed to be 99.04–99.62%. The best meshing efficiency occurs at pinion speed 800–1500 rpm. Based on the proposed approach, the meshing efficiencies of all spur gear pairs can be analyzed. The results of this paper will contribute to engineers in the design of straight spur gear reducers.
POWER LAW FLUID MODEL INCORPORATED INTO THIN FILM ELASTOHYDRODYNAMIC LUBRICATION OF CIRCULAR CONTACTS
Authors: Chu Li-Ming , Hsu Hsiang-Chen , Su Chia-Hsiang
Published: April 2018

The modified Reynolds equation for power-law fluid is derived from the viscous adsorption theory for thin film elastohydrodynamic lubrication (TFEHL) of circular contacts. The lubricating film between solid surfaces is modeled as three fixed layers, which are two adsorption layers on each surface and a middle layer. The differences between classical EHL and TFEHL with power-law lubricants are discussed. Results show that the TFEHL power law model can reasonably calculate the pressure distribution, the film thickness, and the velocity distribution. The thickness and viscosity of the adsorption layer and the flow index significantly influence the lubrication characteristics of the contact conjunction.
STRESS INTENSITY FACTORS OF A SEMI-ELLIPTICAL CRACK IN A HOLLOW CYLINDER
Authors: Her Shiuh-Chuan , Chang Hao-Hi
Published: April 2018

In this investigation, the weight function method was employed to calculate stress intensity factors for semi-elliptical surface crack in a hollow cylinder. A uniform stress and a linear stress distribution were used as the two references to determine the weight functions. These two factors were obtained by a three-dimensional finite element method which employed singular elements along the crack front and regular elements elsewhere. The weight functions were then applied to a wide range of semi-elliptical surface crack subjected to non-linear loadings. The results were validated against finite element data and compared with other analyses. In the parametric study, the effects of the ratio of the surface crack depth to length ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 and the ratio of the crack depth to the wall thickness ranged from 0.2 to 0.8 on stress intensity factors were investigated.
APPLICATION OF FLUID-STRUCTURE INTERACTION TO NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS IN THE LEFT VENTRICLE
Authors: Doyle Matthew G. , Tavoularis Stavros , Bougault Yves
Published: April 2018

Numerical simulations of blood flow and myocardium motion for an average canine left ventricle (LV) with fluid-structure interaction were performed. The temporal variations of the LV cavity pressure and wall stress during the cardiac cycle were consistent with previous literature. LV cavity volume was conserved from one period to the next, despite sub-physiological ejection volumes and brief periods of backflow during early filling. This study improves on previous ones by presenting details of the models and results for both the fluid and solid components of the LV.
LOAD SEQUENCE ANALYSIS IN FATIGUE LIFE PREDICTION
Authors: Jimenez Moises , Martinez Jose , Figueroa Ulises
Published: April 2018

In this work, the load sequence effect is analyzed in fatigue test. One of the assumptions of the Miner’s rule is that the total damage is equal to the sum of the damages absorbed; however, different models have been proposed to take the effect of the load sequences under two load levels into account. To analyze this effect, a case study of a rear axle mounting bracket has been performed, analyzing six different sequences of three load levels, defined as Low, Medium and High. A Finite Element Analysis was also performed using MSC Tools. With these results and a series of test at constant amplitude, the component S-N curve was made. 24 tests at room temperature were performed in order to evaluate the damage process. It was found that, under a block of three load levels, the sequence of each block has an effect in the total amount of damage under the same number of cycles. With this information it is possible to improve the life prediction through the modification of the damage rule. The proposed model uses a factor which depends on the ultimate strength and yield point. This is an advantage over other approaches, as the other models need additional dynamic tests to obtain coefficients to perform the life prediction.
VIBRATION INDUCED FAILURE ANALYSIS OF A HIGH SPEED ROTOR SUPPORTED BY ACTIVE MAGNETIC BEARINGS
Authors: Ahmad Sarvat M. , Ahmed Osman A. , Mohamed Zaharuddin
Published: April 2018

Active Magnetic Bearings (AMBs) are increasingly used in various industries and a quick re-levitation of AMBs supported high speed flexible rotor is necessary in case of vibration induced failure. A robust fault diagnosis algorithm is presented to detect suspected saturation type of nonlinearity associated with a power amplifier. A five degree-of-freedom AMB system consisting of four opposing pair of radial magnets and a pair of axial magnets is considered. In this paper failure of an industrial grade AMB system is investigated using Sinusoidal Input Describing Function (SIDF) method. SIDF predicts the gain and frequency at which failure occurs. It is demonstrated that the predicted frequency is in agreement with the frequency at which failure occurs.
EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE VIBRATIONS OF A SIMPLY SUPPORTED ROD IMMERSED IN AN AXIAL FLOW WITH A NOZZLE MIDWAY
Authors: Zrymiak William , Siminowski Mark , Chebbi Brahim
Published: April 2018

Experiments to study the induced vibrations of a simply supported rod resulting from an axial flow with a constricting nozzle midway are described. Nozzles with different geometries are used. The results are compared to published data in the literature. It is shown that the vibration of this rod for a particular flow velocity beyond the critical value changes both direction and trajectory. It is also shown that machining cuts on a particular mounted nozzle helps suppress the amplitude of the flow induced vibrations.
DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS OMNIDIRECTIONAL HAZARDOUS MATERIALS HANDLING ROBOT
Authors: Charabaruk Nicholas , Nokleby Scott
Published: April 2018

This paper describes the design and testing of an autonomous omnidirectional robot to be used for moving radioactive materials while minimizing human exposure. The robot, called the OmniMaxbot, uses the Robot Operating System (ROS) to allow the individual components to communicate as well as to control the movement. Details about the hardware and software used in the OmniMaxbot are explained. Test results are presented for the navigation system based on the ROS packages: Global Planner, Base Local Planner, and Adaptive Monte Carlo Localization (AMCL). The test results confirm that the OmniMaxbot is capable of autonomously navigating to a mock ash can, lifting it, navigating to a drop-off location, putting the mock ash can down, backing away until the forks are clear of the mock ash can, and navigating to a standby location. These actions can be performed in areas with both static and dynamic obstacles.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ZrB2-SiC COMPOSITES WITH AN ANALYTICAL STUDY ON MATERIAL REMOVAL RATE AND TOOL WEAR RATE DURING ELECTRICAL DISCHARGE MACHINING
Authors: Sivasankar S. , Jeyapaul R.
Published: April 2018

This research work concentrates on Electrical Discharge Machining (EDM) performance evaluation of ZrB2- SiC ceramic matrix composites with different tool materials at various machining parameters. Monolithic ZrB2 possesses lower relative density (98.72%) than composites. ZrB2 with 20 Vol.% of SiC possesses 99.74% of the relative density with improved hardness values. Bend strength and Young’s modulus increase with SiC addition until it reaches 20 Vol% and then decreasing. EDM performance on tool materials of tungsten, niobium, tantalum, graphite and titanium at various levels of pulse on time and pulse off time are analyzed. Graphite produces the best Material removal rate (MRR) for all the workpieces. Tool wear rate decreases with melting point and thermal conductivity of the tool material.
TOOLING DESIGN IMPROVEMENT OF MULTISTAGE COLD FORGING OF SPECIALTY SHAPED NUTS USING CAE AND 3D PRINTING
Authors: Hsia Shao-Yi , Chou Yu-Tuan
Published: April 2018

Given its critical role in the fastener industry, cold forging is widely performed in automotive production, manufacturing, aviation, and 3C products. Personnel experience and trying error approaches provide a subjective and unreliable background despite their extensive use in fastener forming and die design owing to the difficulty in controlling the development schedule. This study used DEFORM-3D analysis software to investigate the die service life from producing specialty shaped nuts in a multistage cold forging process. Effective stress, effective strain, velocity field, and other quantitative metrics of dies and work-pieces can be obtained from numerical simulations. Herein, 3D printing technology is also implemented to create cold forging dies and deformed work-pieces for assessing the dimension of tooling assembly. This process allows engineers to gain a better understanding of the tooling design at development phase and derives the parts, which were previously just simulation results from DEFORM-3D forming software. Results can help a multistage processing factory establish a cold forming capacity for the development of new products. Consequently, the ability of self-design and self-manufacture of specialty shaped fasteners in Taiwan could be increased widely to enhance the international competitiveness of domestic industries.
A GEAR-SHIFTING MECHANISM WITH A ROTARY CONFIGURATION FOR APPLICATIONS IN A 16-SPEED BICYCLE TRANSMISSION HUB
Authors: Wu Yi-Chang , Chen Li-An
Published: April 2018

A multi-speed bicycle transmission hub includes a geared speed-changing mechanism for providing different speed ratios and a gear-shifting mechanism for controlling the gear stage. This paper focuses on the embodiment design of a mechanical gear-shifting mechanism with a rotary configuration used in a 16-speed transmission hub for bicycles. A 16-link, five-degrees of freedom (DOF) split-power epicyclic gear mechanism, which consists of a gear differential and four sets of parallel-connected basic planetary gear trains, is introduced. Based on the clutching sequence table, a systematic design process is developed to come up with the embodiment design of the gear-shifting mechanism. A feasible and compact 16-speed rear transmission hub for bicycles is presented.
STRUCTURAL ANALYSES OF WATER LIFTING DEVICES WITH GEARS IN ANCIENT CHINA
Authors: Hsiao Kuo-Hung , Chen Yu-Hsun
Published: April 2018

Gear mechanisms were wildly used in variety of purposes from the 2nd century BC in ancient China. There were several books with mechanical illustrations that described the structures and functions of gear mechanisms in ancient China. However, there has never been any record of their appearance or invention in ancient manuscripts. Since gear mechanisms can be used in changing the direction of the source power, some primary devices were added on gear train to transmit the power and generate the function of drawing water. Therefore, the water lifting devices with gears usually have similar topological structures. This work summarized authors’ research for the structural analyses of water lifting devices with gears that were described in ancient Chinese books. The historical development of gear mechanisms in ancient China is briefly introduced first. Then, in the viewpoint of modern mechanisms, the functions and components of water lifting devices with gears are analyzed and presented.
PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS AND IMPROVEMENT DESIGN OF GOLF CLUBS
Authors: Wang Cheng-Chi , Lee Tsui-Er
Published: April 2018

Recently, golf has become a very popular sport, and most golfers focus on improving their skills and learning process. However, many researchers have studied and found that the hardness and vibration frequency of golf club, and the weight and angle of club head can result in unstable swing distance and accuracy. The golfers modify their swings attitude to adapt to the equipments, or even change the club set, and sometimes these situations cause sports injuries to golfers. Therefore, this study discusses how to design an optimal club set for individual golfers by customization and decreases the cases of sports injuries. The Taguchi method is applied to analyze and design the optimum club for shaft hardness, club head weight, spine and grip weight. The improved club is tested, and the result shows that the driving distance is increased by more than 10%, so that the maximum efficiency of hitting is increased. This study provides important reference for design of golf clubs.
DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATIC MEASUREMENT AND MATCHING MACHINE FOR COLUMNED BATTERY CELLS
Authors: Li Xiaoxing , Fan Yi-Hua , Chen Ching-En , Tsao Chia-Hui , Chen Yu-Ming , Hsieh Sheng-Chung
Published: April 2018

An automatic measurement and matching machine for columned batteries is developed in this study. The automatic machine consists of a battery feeding case, an intermittent separation feeding mechanism, a test region, eight classification transport channels, and battery depositary boxes. Besides the mechanism design, a human-machine interface and control program are written in VB language. The program provides the control and monitoring program for the auto-measurement system. The program cannot only read the measurement data and control the automatic machine, but also store these data and provide the test data histories for each cell supplier to the user. The experimental results show that the automatic machine could examine and classify the columned battery cells efficiently and decrease the demand of manpower. The results also show that the total measured and sorting quantity of one machine for eight hours is about 5760 pieces, which is greater than the 3500 pieces measured by one manpower.
INVESTIGATION OF CHARACTERISTICS OF SHEAR LAYER: APPLICATION OF SYNTHETIC JET IN BACKWARD-FACING STEP FLOW FIELD
Authors: Hsu Chia-Wei , Lin San-Yih
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this research is to explore the two-dimensional backward-facing-step flow perturbed by a synthetic-jet actuator experimentally. The step was placed in a low-speed wind tunnel and the flow passage expansion ratio was 1.07. The Reynolds number was Reh = 1.18 × 104 based on the step height and the upstream velocity before the step edge. An electromagnetic loudspeaker was used to generate synthetic jet flows in the direction of the main flow through a slot of 1 mm in width. The peak value of the driven AC voltage was 8 V and the frequency varied in the range of 80–120 Hz. The velocity of the flow field was measured by hot wire anemometers. The distributions of averaged velocity, fluctuation intensity, and Reynolds stress were analyzed to understand the influences of the synthetic jet. The characteristic frequencies were also obtained. The size of the recirculation region was affected by the synthetic jet. The downstream reattached flow was more stable with the synthetic-jet perturbation.