bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self-Powered and Bio-Inspired Dynamic Systems: Research and Education
Authors: Khoshnoud Farbod , Esat Ibrahim I. , Bonser Richard H. C. , de Silva Clarence W. , McKerns Michael M. , Owhadi Houman
Published: February 2017

Animals are products of nature and have evolved over millions of years to perform better in their activities. Engineering research and development can benefit greatly by looking into nature and finding engineering solutions by learning from animals’ evolution and biological systems. Another relevant factor in the present context is highlighted by the statement of the Nobel laureate Richard Smalley: “Energy is the single most important problem facing humanity today.” This paper focuses on how the research and education in the area of Dynamic Systems can be geared towards these two considerations. In particular, recent advances in self-powered dynamic systems and bio-inspired dynamic systems are highlighted. Self-powered dynamic systems benefit by capturing wasted energy in a dynamic system and converting it into useful energy in the mode of a regenerative system, possibly in conjunction with renewable energies. Examples of solar-powered vehicles, regenerative vibration control, and energy harvesting are presented in the paper. Particularly, development of solar-powered quadrotor, octocopter, and tricopter airships are presented, a self-powered vibration control of a mass-spring system using electromagnetic actuators/generators, and piezoelectric flutter energy harvesting using bi-stable material are discussed. As examples of bioinspired dynamic systems, flapping wing flying robots, vertical axis wind turbines inspired by fish schooling, propulsion inspired by jellyfish, and Psi Intelligent Control are given. In particular, various design and developments of bird-inspired and insect-inspired flapping wings with the piezoelectric and electromagnetic actuation mechanisms, a scaled vertical axis wind turbine farm consist of 4 turbines and the corresponding wind tunnel testing, jellyfish-inspired pulsing jet and experimenting the increase in efficiency of energy consumption, and a multi-agent/robotic based predictive control scheme inspired by Psi precognition (event or state not yet experienced). Examples of student projects and research carried out at Brunel University and the experimental rigs built (in all the mentioned areas) are discussed, as an integrated research and educational activity. For the analysis and understanding of the behavior of self-powered and bio-inspired systems, Optimal Uncertainty Quantification (OUQ) is used. OUQ establishes a unified analysis framework in obtaining optimized solutions of the dynamic systems responses, which takes into account uncertainties and incomplete information in the simulation of these systems.
The Coupled Orbitless Drive
Authors: Stocco Leo
Published: February 2017

In an associated work [9], a low-ratio Epicyclic drive is developed that resembles a Planetary drive but has crank-shaft pinions, an additional carrier replacing its ring gear, and half the reduction ratio of a similarly sized Planetary drive. Adding couplings that reverse the sun and planet engagement, further reduces the ratio below unity. Interchanging the roles of the input and output shafts results in high reduction ratios similar to a Cycloid drive. Like a Cycloid drive, it has co-axial drive shafts and a reduction ratio that depends on the difference between gear pitch diameters. Unlike a Cycloid drive, the drive shafts spin in a common direction, torque is split between multiple co-planar transmission paths, and no ring gears are required. It has many optional configurations, none of which slip or jam, and is a viable option for speed reduction applications that require low cost and complexity in a compact package.
Development and Validation of a Predictive Algorithm for Near-Optimal Control of Venetian Blinds
Authors: Karizi Nasim , Reddy T. Agami , Dasgupta Partha
Published: February 2017

Application of integrated centralized control systems in buildings has been shown to be a very promising option to reduce energy consumption. The focus of this paper is on automated day-lighting systems which can modulate window blinds and electrical interior lights for maintaining the proper illumination levels and saving significant electrical energy in buildings.

The algorithm proposed involves developing a preliminary baseline strategy for near-optimal blind slat angle settings for venetian blinds. We describe the predictive algorithm and validate the algorithm through experimental studies in both a virtual test cell as well as in an actual test room which have three separate sets of venetian blinds. The baseline strategy involves using a detailed lighting simulation program to predict illumination levels during selected days of the year and specific times of the day. The simulations are done by modifying the angels of blinds individually by pre-selected increments. It is then shown that this baseline data when properly extrapolated is adequate to predict near-optimal blind angles for most of the hours during the rest of the year.

The study presented in this paper lays the foundation towards the development of an innovative integrated lighting control algorithm for high performance buildings using distributed sensors which will be described in a subsequent paper.
A Novel Information Fusion Model Based on D-S Evidence Theory for Equipment Diagnosis
Authors: Zhou Dengji , Wei Tingting , Zhang Huisheng , Chen Meishan , Ma Shixi , Lu Zhenhua
Published: February 2017

With the wide-scale use of mechanical equipment, more and more faults occur. At the same time, data deluge about the conditions of machines come into being with the development of sensor technology and information technology. It provides opportunities and challenges to solve the fault problems of mechanical equipment. Information fusion seems to be a useful solution, which is the process of integration of multiple data and knowledge representing the same object into a consistent, accurate, and useful representation. A novel information fusion model, with hybrid-type fusion architecture, is built in this paper. This model consists of data layer, feature layer and decision layer, based on a new Dempster/Shafer (D-S) evidence algorithm. After the data preprocessing based on event reasoning in data layer and feature layer, the information will be fused based on the new algorithm in feature layer and decision layer. Application of this information fusion model in fault diagnosis is beneficial in two aspects, diagnostic applicability and diagnostic accuracy. An effect can be caused by different faults. This information fusion model can solve this problem and increase the number of recognizable faults, to expand the range of fault diagnosis. Additionally, this model can overcome the uncertainty of information and equipment to increase diagnostic accuracy. Two case studies are implemented by this information fusion model to evaluate it. In the first case, fault probabilities calculated by different methods are adopted as inputs to diagnose a fault, which is quite different to be detected based on the information from a single system. The second case is about sensor fault diagnosis. Fault signals are planted into the measured parameters for the diagnostic system, to test the ability to consider the uncertainty of measured parameters. The case study result shows that the model can identify the fault more effectively and accurately. Meanwhile, it has good expansibility, which may be used in more fields.
Integrability Conditions in Nonlinear Beam Kinematics
Authors: Murakami Hidenori
Published: February 2017

In order to develop an active nonlinear beam model, the beam’s kinematics is examined by employing the kinematic assumption of a rigid cross section during deformation. As a mathematical tool, the moving frame method, developed by Élie Cartan (1869–1951) on differentiable manifolds, is utilized by treating a beam as a frame bundle on a deforming centroidal curve. As a result, three new integrability conditions are obtained, which play critical roles in the derivation of beam equations of motion. They also serve a role in a geometrically-exact finite-element implementation of beam models. These integrability conditions enable the derivation of beam models starting from the three-dimensional Hamilton’s principle and the d’Alembert principle of virtual work. Finally, the reconstruction scheme for rotation matrices for given angular velocity at each time is presented.
The Mechanisms Whereby Double Helical Offset-Toothed Synchronous Belt Produces Lower Noise Than Straight-Toothed Synchronous Belt: A Theoretical Investigation
Authors: Guo Jianhua , Wang Yu , Hu Qingming , Li Shan , He Ze , Gong Gordon
Published: February 2017

Recent experimental investigations demonstrate that the level of noise generated by double helical synchronous belt (DHSB) is lower than that by straight-toothed synchronous belt (STSB). The present study is to theoretically elucidate the mechanisms whereby DHSB produces lower noise. In the theoretical analysis, a model DHSB is divided into several parallel narrow DHSBs with equal width. Let each narrow DHSB’s helical angle be 0° so each narrow DHSB becomes a narrow STSB. The theory of the one-dimensional sound field is then applied to obtain the standing wave solution of impact sound pressure. The sum of impact sound pressures by the narrow STSBs derived from one pair (left- and right-handed) of helical teeth of the model DHSB represents transmission impact noise. Computational results reveal that the power of impact sound at the damping-frequency decreases as the helical tooth’s angle increases. In addition, the impact sound power decreases as the degree of tooth’s offset of a double helical offset-toothed synchronous belt (DHOTSB) increases. Impact sound power is in the following order from high to low: STSB » DHSB > DHOTSB. In experimental investigations, the noise was in the following order from high to low: STSB » DHSB > DHOTSB, consistent with theoretical prediction. Also, the sound power at high frequency was markedly attenuated in DHSB or DHOTSB, the impact noise is the major sources of noise. Thus, the reduced noise in DHSB and DHOTSB can be explained by the one-dimensional standing wave sound field theory.
Research on Optical-Electrostatic Driving Micro-Mirror Based on PLZT Ceramic
Authors: Liu Y. F. , Wang X. J. , Lu F. , Sun D. , Wang J.
Published: February 2017

The Lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titannate (PLZT) ceramic can be able to drive a micro-mirror according to its excellent advantages such as less susceptible to electromagnetic interference, non-contact optical control and other features. However, the slow response of the photo-deformation and inherent hysteresis extremely limit its wide applications, especially in the dynamic fields of high frequency. To solve above-mentioned problems, this paper proposes an optical-electrostatic driving approach to actuate a device including two parallel electrode plates and a micro-mirror. For the experiment, the SMF-28 fiber with a diameter of 8.2um was selected and the displacement and photovoltage of the PLZT ceramic when irradiated with ultraviolet light of 200mWcm−2 were measured and analyzed. The results show that the response time of the PLZT ceramic obtains 20s when the deformation displacement reaches over 8.2um. Based on the proposed hybrid optical-electrostatic driving device, the deformation displacement is demonstrated to be 9.17um by applying 300V voltage to the parallel electrode plates. Furthermore, the response time reduces to almost 1s when the photovoltage of PLZT is applied with 300V, which indicates that the proposed hybrid optical-electrostatic driving mechanism can significantly eliminate the effect of slow response of photo-deformation.
Numerical Simulation on Forced Convection Heat Transfer Performance and Pressure Drop of High Permeability Porous Media
Authors: Hirasawa Shigeki , Kawanami Tsuyoshi , Shirai Katsuaki
Published: February 2017

We studied the forced convection heat transfer performance and pressure drop of high permeability metal cellular porous media in air flow using a 3-dimensional thermofluid computation code. The temperature and velocity distributions in the air flow region, local heat transfer coefficient, and local heat flux on the surface of the porous media were numerically calculated for steady air flow by changing the parameters of the pore size and air velocity. The cellular porous media were modeled by pin array, cube geometry, and truncated octahedron geometry using thin wires. The diameter of the wires was 0.1 mm, and the pore per inch (PPI) was 5–50. The relations between the Nusselt number using the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and the Reynolds number were obtained from our calculation results, and we compared them with conventionally proposed experimental correlations. Also, the pressure drop calculation result was compared with conventionally proposed experimental correlations. The following results were obtained. The local heat transfer coefficient and local heat flux on the surface of porous media were small near the joint positions of the wires of the cellular porous media because of the thermal boundary layer. The volumetric heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop agreed with conventionally proposed experimental correlations within errors of twice the volumetric heat transfer coefficient and pressure drop. The relation between the heat transfer rate per unit volume and the heat transfer area per unit volume agreed with the convection heat transfer correlation for a tube bundle.
Validation of the ASVDADD Constraint Selection Algorithm for Effective RCCE Modeling of Natural Gas Ignition in Air
Authors: Rivadossi Luca , Beretta Gian Paolo
Published: February 2017

The Rate-Controlled Constrained-Equilibrium (RCCE) model reduction scheme for chemical kinetics provides acceptable accuracies in predicting hydrocarbon ignition delays by solving a smaller number of differential equations than the number of species in the underlying Detailed Kinetic Model (DKM). To yield good approximations, the method requires accurate identification of the rate controlling constraints. Until recently, a drawback of the RCCE scheme has been the absence of a fully automatable and systematic procedure capable of identifying the best constraints for a given range of thermodynamic conditions and a required level of approximation. A recent paper [1] has proposed a new methodology for such identification based on a simple algebraic analysis of the results of a preliminary simulation of the underlying DKM, focused on the behaviour of the degrees of disequilibrium (DoD) of the individual chemical reactions. The new methodology is based on computing an Approximate Singular Value Decomposition of the Actual Degrees of Disequilibrium (ASVDADD) obtained from the DKM simulation. The effectiveness and robustness of the method has been demonstrated in [1] for some cases of methane/oxygen ignition by considering a C1/H/O (29 species/133 reactions) sub-mechanism of the GRI-Mech 3.0 scheme and comparing the results of a DKM simulation with those of RCCE simulations based on increasing numbers of ASVDADD constraints. The RCCE results are in excellent agreement with DKM predictions for relatively small numbers of RCCE constraints. Here we provide a demonstration of the new method for some cases of shock-tube ignition of a natural gas/air mixture, with higher hydrocarbons approximately represented by propane according to the full (53 species/325 reactions) GRI-Mech 3.0 scheme.
Design and Characterization of a Bi-Material Co-Extruder for Fused Deposition Modeling
Authors: Khondoker Mohammad Abu Hasan , Sameoto Dan
Published: February 2017

Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM) is a popular style of additive manufacturing (AM) where a 3D object is fabricated by a molten material deposited into successive 2D layers. Multi-material 3D printing is particularly challenging due to poor adhesion between dissimilar plastics. The majority of currently available multi-material printers use separate nozzles for each material. Therefore, they are incapable of producing devices made of functionally gradient materials (FGM). FGM is a special class of engineering material exhibiting spatially inhomogeneous content, which tailors the material for specific functional and performance requirements. In this work, we present the design and characterization of a bi-material co-extruder system. This specialized extruder is capable of printing two thermoplastic materials through a single nozzle and is also capable of altering the composition of the deposited material while printing. It is also exceptional in that the internal structure of the hot end can be easily accessed and is a more adaptable design than previously reported co-extruders. The extruder was installed on a Geeetech PI3 Pro C printer. Then, some simple structures were printed using pairs of materials including polylactic acid (PLA), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and high impact polystyrene (HIPS). Without any internal mixing features, the composition of the output (for instance, different colored PLA) was determined from microscopic images of cross-section of the extrudates.
Parking Control of Mixed Conventional/Braking Actuation Mobile Robots Using Fuzzy Logic Control
Authors: Nikshi Walelign M. , Bedillion Mark D. , Hoover Randy C.
Published: February 2017

In this paper a new mobile robot system, the mixed conventional/braking actuation mobile robot (MAMR), is introduced. Various actuation systems exist for mobile robots such as differential drive with motor-driven wheels, legged mechanisms, and others. The common characteristics of all those actuation systems is the use of conventional motors to move each degree of freedom. Robots with such actuation systems are generally complex, heavy, and expensive. This paper uses brakes in combination with conventional actuators to tackle those drawbacks. In this study, some of the conventional actuators are replaced by brakes resulting a new mobile robot platform. Two states of brakes (i.e. ON/OFF) which are obtained by assuming Coulomb friction at the brake are considered. This paper discusses the dynamics and parking control of such a robot using a fuzzy logic controller. Several Matlab/Simulink simulations with different initial conditions are done to show the effectiveness of the proposed controller.
An Experimental Investigation of Industrial Gearbox Condition Using Wear Particle Analysis Technique
Authors: Akl Sayed Y. , Abd El-Ghafar Sherif , Mosleh Hamed
Published: February 2017

In different lubricated machines as engines and gearboxes, the generated wear particles analysis is considered as an effective tool for condition monitoring of these machines. Wear particle analysis as a nondestructive evaluation technique is an effective method to determine the lubricating oil conditions within different lubricated machines, thus monitoring wear modes and imminent failures in these machines. Machine condition monitoring is a cost-effective and reliable system to predict mechanical behavior and efficiency of power plant systems. Qualitative, quantitative and morphological data could be obtained from the wear particle analysis through the periodically taken samples of the lubricant. Different methods are used to detect and analyze wear debris in the lubricant oil, such as ferrograhy, spectrometry, filtergram, particle counters and recently Laser oil analyzer and time-dependent limits monitor factors. The objective of the present work is to apply wear particle analysis technique for condition monitoring of an industrial gearbox transmission over one year period. This transmission belongs to one of the largest carpet manufacturing plant in the world. The chosen gearbox for condition monitoring was a new gearbox installed to the rug textile machine. The gearbox components are elasto-hydrodynamically lubricated with mineral-based oil. The function of the gearbox is to drive the motion (forward and backward) of the knife to cut the fibbers of the carpet during the operation. Periodic oil samples were taken and analyzed through spectrometric technique while selective samples were chosen to be analyzed through ferrography technique. Spectrometric and ferrographic analysis were used where quantitative and qualitative changes in the concentration and size distribution of different particles were analyzed and compared to baseline and limit values. In addition to the sampling process, the gearbox performance was also monitored through measuring the oil temperature that was recorded just after the oil sample intake. The oil temperature is an indication for the gearbox loading which in its turn indicates any failure if it occurs. Results were analyzed, discussed and correlated to the gearbox performance. Also, recommendations were given for better performance based on the investigation and justification of the relevant results.
Experimental Investigation of Ventilation Effectiveness in an Airliner Cabin Mockup
Authors: Patel Jignesh A. , Jones Byron W. , Hosni Mohammad H. , Keshavarz Ali
Published: February 2017

Frequent air travel and long flight duration makes the study of airliner cabin environmental quality a topic of utmost importance. Ventilation effectiveness is one of the more crucial factors affecting air quality in any environment. Ventilation effectiveness, along with the overall ventilation rate, is a measure of the ability of the air distribution system to remove internally generated pollutants or contaminants from a given space. Because of the high occupant density in an aircraft cabin, local variations in ventilation are important as a passenger will occupy the same space for the duration of the flight. Poor ventilation in even a small portion of the cabin could impact multiple people for extended time periods. In this study, the local effective ventilation rates and local ventilation effectiveness in an eleven-row, full-scale, Boeing 767 cabin mockup were measured. These measurements were completed at each of the 77 seats in the mockup. Each seat was occupied by a heated mannequin. In order to simulate the thermal load inside the cabin, the mannequins were wrapped with a heating wire to generate approximately 100 W (341 BTU/hour) of heat. Carbon dioxide was used as a tracer gas for the experiments and the tracer gas decay method was employed to calculate the local effective ventilation rate and local ventilation effectiveness. The overall ventilation rate, based on total supply air flow, was approximately 27 air changes per hour. Local ventilation effectiveness ranged from 0.86 to 1.02 with a mean value of 0.94. These ventilation effectiveness values are higher than typically found in other indoor applications and are likely due to the relatively high airspeeds present in the aircraft cabin and the high degree of mixing they provide. The uniformity is also good with no areas of particularly low ventilation effectiveness being identified. No clear patterns with respect to seat location, window versus center versus aisle, were found.
Estimating the Interval of Failure Probability Fluctuation Under Uncertain Input Variable Distributions
Authors: Hurtado Jorge E.
Published: February 2017

Structural reliability analysis often faces the problem that the input variable distributions are uncertain and thus the interval for reliability measures must be determined. A Monte Carlo simulation consists in estimating the failure probability for several sets of random realizations of the distributions, thus implying a huge computational labor, much higher than in conventional Monte Carlo. In this paper a method for drastically simplifying this task is proposed. The method exploits the ordering statistics representation property of the reliability plot, which is shown to approximately obey an orthogonal hyperbolic pattern. Accordingly a two-level FORM approach is used to derive the polar vectors for building two plots, one for the input variable space and another for the uncertain distribution parameter space. It is demonstrated that the extrema of the failure probability are contained amongst the samples located in extreme sectors of the parameter plot as pointed out by the hyperbolae.
Modeling of an Inertially Stabilized Camera System Using Gimbal Platform
Authors: Haggart Gary , Nandikolla Vidya K. , Jia Ruting
Published: February 2017

This paper develops a camera gimbal platform for stabilization and tracking purposes. The main focus of this research is analytical modeling of an inertially stabilized platform with the prediction of the angular stability. The mechanical model of the platform includes, moment of inertia, motor drive, and performance of the gyro to measure the disturbances of the platform. The gimbal/motor system is developed and simulated and feedback control scheme is designed to stabilize and maintain the line of sight (LOS) for tracking purposes. The model integrates a PI2 controller using a PID-I approach for the system stability. The effect of vibration induced disturbance in the system is investigated to simulate the realistic behavior of an inertially stabilized platform. The simulation results of the four types of commercial gyros are presented to calculate the required values for stability purposes. The results from the simulation generated the performance limits chart describing the working condition of the low cost sensors vs the high cost sensors. As the vibration level increased, the performance of the highest quality sensor greatly decreased. This verifies the value and necessity of modeling and simulating to understand the component trade studies to ensure correct sensor selection for the desired application.
Morphology Origin of Gradually Weakened Thermal-Conductivity Enhancement for HDPE/MWCNTs Nanocomposites
Authors: Yin Xiao-Hong , Yang Can , E Shiju , Li Xiping , Cao Jianbo
Published: February 2017

In this work, high-density polyethylene/multi-walled carbon nanotubes (HDPE/MWCNTs) nanocomposites containing various filler loadings (i.e., 0.5∼16.0 wt.%) were prepared with their thermal conductivities determined using a laser-based analyzer. It was found that although the nanocomposite’s thermal conductivity increased with elevated MWCNT content, the enhancement degree lowered gradually. Rheology and microstructure characterizations were performed to reveal the morphology origin of gradually weakened thermal-conductivity enhancement. The dynamic rheology measurements showed that all nanocomposites exhibited higher storage modulus (G′), loss modulus (G″) as well as complex viscosity (η*) compared with the neat HDPE. More interestingly, the plateau of the flow regime formed at low frequency ranges with MWCNT loadings higher than 2.0 wt.% suggested the formation of the MWNCT network structures within the nanocomposites. The existence of such structures was further verified by the Cole-Cole curves obtained from the rheology testing and MWCNT distribution states from scanning electron microscope (SEM) results. The formation of MWCNT network lowered the degree of thermal-conductivity enhancement in such a way that it gave a larger possibility for MWCNTs to agglomerate, which led to phonon scattering that reduced the nanocomposite’s thermal conductivity.
The Combined Effects of Impact Direction and Impact Location on Serious-to-Maximum Injuries Among Drivers in Motor Vehicle Frontal Crashes
Authors: Li Peiyu , Ma Chunsheng , Zhang Kai , Shi Longli , Zhang Jinhuan
Published: February 2017

This paper investigates the combined effects of specific impact direction and impact location on the serious-to-maximum (AIS3–6) thoracic injuries of drivers in frontal impacts based on the 1995–2009 data from the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) National Automotive Sampling System/Crashworthiness Data System (NASS/CDS). The selected sample is limited to three impact locations near the driver side (distributed, offset and corner) and two impact directions (pure frontal and oblique) treated as the frontal direction, resulting in a total of six crash configurations. The risks of thoracic injury for drivers in all frontal crash configurations are evaluated. The relative risks with 95% confidence intervals are calculated. Binary logistic regressions are fitted to the datasets for further examination of the effects of impact direction and impact location on the serious-to-maximum thoracic injuries. Occupant characteristics and crash severity are also included as explanatory variables. Overall, impact location and impact direction have considerable influences on thoracic injury pattern and severity for drivers. For distributed and corner deformation, oblique loading is approximately 3 times more likely to lead to thoracic injures than pure frontal loading. Conversely, the relative risk is 3.44 for offset deformation, which indicates that, for this impact location, frontal impact is more associated thoracic injuries compared to oblique impact. The effects of impact location and impact direction on serious-to-maximum injuries for three types of anatomical structures (organ, skeletal and vessel) are assessed as well. In addition to crash related variables (impact location and impact direction), results of the binary logistic regressions also indicate that crash severity (OR, 7.67–81.35) and occupant characteristics, including age (OR, 4.80–20.83), gender (OR, 1.16) and BMI (OR, 1.81), significantly affect the risks of thoracic injuries in frontal motor vehicle collisions.
Dependence of the Regime of Aggregate Structures of Magnetic Rod-Like Particles on the Magnetic Model
Authors: Satoh Akira
Published: February 2017

In the present study, we attempt to discuss the dependence of the regime of the aggregate structures of magnetic rod-like particles on the magnetic model. Moreover, we briefly discuss the characteristic magneto-rheological properties of each magnetic model. Three representative magnetic models are here addressed for a magnetic rod-like particle, that is, (a) a spherocylinder particle with a dipole moment at the particle center (dipole model), (b) a spherocylinder particle with a plus and a minus charge at the center of each hemi-sphere (charge model) and (c) a spherocylinder with a dipole moment in a direction normal to the particle axis direction at the particle center (hematite model). For each magnetic model, molecular simulations based on the Monte Carlo method have been performed in order to elucidate the influences of magnetic particle-particle and particle-field interactions on the aggregate structures of magnetic spherocylinder particles in thermodynamic equilibrium. For the case of the dipole model, long stable raft-like clusters are gradually formed with increasing magnetic particle-particle interaction strength, and these raft-like clusters dissociate into the formation of chain-like clusters with increasing magnetic field strength. For the case of the charge model, long and thick chain-like clusters are more significantly formed with increasing magnetic interactions, and the thick chain-like clusters in the field direction become further thicker with increasing magnetic field strength. For the hematite model, long raft-like clusters are formed and these clusters still remain and incline in the field direction in a strong magnetic field situation. From these results, it is evident that the different magnetic model gives rise to the significantly different regime of the aggregate structures. Moreover, Brownian dynamics simulations have been conduced in order to clarify the dependence of the magneto-rheological characteristics on the regime of the above-mentioned particle aggregates. Among these magnetic models, the charge model yields the largest magneto-rheological effect, whereas the hematite model provides the negative viscosity due to the magnetic properties of particles.
Experiment on Negative Magneto-Rheological Characteristics to Verify the Theoretical Prediction Based on the Orientational Distribution Function
Authors: Cuadra Rafael , Satoh Akira
Published: February 2017

In a suspension composed of spindle-like hematite particles (α-Fe2O3), the previous theoretical study based on the orientational distribution function has shown that the viscosity due to the magnetic properties of spindle-like hematite particles exhibits negative magneto-rheological characteristics in a certain situation of the orientational distribution of the particles under a certain applied magnetic field circumstance. This is mainly because the spindle-like hematite particles have a unique characteristic in that they are magnetized in a direction normal to the particle axis direction. This weak magnetic characteristic yields an advantage to the suspension in that it is relatively straightforward to synthesize a stable dispersion of such hematite particles because the electric double layer functions well for preventing the particles from aggregating. The negative magneto-rheological effect has also energetically been investigated by a simulation approach based on the Brownian dynamics and these simulation results clearly show that the negative magneto-rheological characteristics certainly arise in a multi-particle suspension system. From this background, in the previous experimental study, we synthesized a suspension composed of spindle-like hematite particles and measured the viscosity due to the magnetic properties of the particles in a simple shear flow. This first simple experiment has succeeded in verifying that the negative magneto-rheological characteristics surely arise in an actual hematite particle suspension. The present study further advances the experimental investigation of the negative magneto-rheological effect in order to obtain the more detailed data of these negative magneto-rheological characteristics. The viscosity due to the magnetic properties was measured using a cone-plate-type rheometer, located in the uniform area of the magnetic field, under various conditions of the magnetic field strength and the shear rate of a shear flow. The viscosity of hematite-glycerol-water dispersions becomes negative, attains to a minimum value, after that starts to increase, and finally becomes positive with increasing magnetic field strength. These characteristics of the negative viscosity are in good agreement with the theoretical prediction that was obtained by the orientational distribution function.
The Dependence of Effective Thermal Conductivity (ETC) of Soil Particulate Beds, on Pressure and Temperature
Authors: Levy Moshe
Published: February 2017

Effective Thermal Conductivity (ETC) of particulate beds is an important property to many processes in industries such as pharmaceutical, food, nuclear and casting and solidification technologies. This paper presents an experimental research that examines the dependence of the ETC of soil due to changes in the average temperature of the particulate beds, and the stresses on the particles (as derived from the pressure on the top face of the beds).A uni-axial cylindrical experimental system was composed. The ETC was measured by the experimental system while either the pressure on the particulate beds or the average temperature of the beds was changed.
A New GUI Device for Monitoring Cardiovascular Status
Authors: Wang Lulu , Al-Jumaily Ahmed
Published: February 2017

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) is widely recognized as a significant marker of cardiovascular status monitoring, and it is correlated with many cardiovascular risk factors, including age, blood pressure, pulse pressure, hypertrophy and heart diseases. Aortic PWV is a direct measurement of aortic stiffness and is considered to be the gold standard of arterial stiffness measurements. This paper describes the development of a wireless healthcare device includes graphic user interface (GUI) to monitor the severity of CVD by measuring and analysing the PWV values under MATLAB environment. The GUI build presents the data into a simple and friendly program. It consists of patient information part and data analysis which is able to detect the severity of hypertrophy and heart diseases. The proposed device may serve as new clinical computer-aided diagnostic tool to help the healthcare professionals to monitor the severity of CVD due to its properties of non-invasive, effort-independent, and continuous monitoring.
Hydrogen Production From Methane Steam Reforming With CO2 Capture Through Metallic Membranes
Authors: Carapellucci Roberto , Favre Eric , Giordano Lorena , Roizard Denis
Published: February 2017

As an energy carrier, hydrogen has the potential to boost the transition toward a cleaner and sustainable energy infrastructure. In this context, steam methane reforming coupled with carbon capture through membrane separation is emerging as a potential route for hydrogen generation with a reduced carbon footprint. A potential way to improve the efficiency and reduce costs of the entire process is to integrate the hydrogen production system with a gas turbine power plant, using a fraction of waste heat exhausted to provide the heat and the steam required by the endothermic reforming reaction.

The paper assesses the techno-economic performances of a small-scale hydrogen and electricity co-production system, integrating a syngas production section, a gas turbine and a membrane separation unit.

The simulation study investigates two main configurations, depending on whether the gas turbine is fed by hydrogen or natural gas. For each configuration, energy and economic performance indices are evaluated varying the main plant operating parameters, i.e. the steam reforming temperature, the permeate sweep dilution, the membrane pressure ratio and the technology of gas turbine.
Enhanced Thermal Rectification of Near-Field Thermal Diode Using Surface Gratings
Authors: Ghanekar Alok , Ji Jun , Sun Mingdi , Zhang Zongqin , Zheng Yi
Published: February 2017

We demonstrate workings of a near-field thermal rectification device that uses phase change material to achieve asymmetry in heat transfer. We exploit the temperature dependent dielectric properties of VO2 due metal-insulator transition near 341 K. The device operates near the critical temperature of the phase change material. Analogous to an electrical diode, heat transfer coefficient is very high in one direction (forward bias) while it is very small when the polarity of temperature gradient is reversed (reverse bias). Rectification as high as 15 can be obtained for minimal temperature difference of 5 K. We show that high rectification is achieved by using 1-D triangular and rectangular surface gratings. The rectification factor is dramatically enhanced in the near-field due to the spectral mismatch between dissimilar materials for the negative polarity.
Development of an Optimization Framework for Micro-Grid Energy Conversion Systems
Authors: Cao Tao , Hwang Yunho , Radermacher Reinhard , Chun Ho-Hwan
Published: February 2017

A comprehensive optimization study considering both system configurations and control strategies is needed for micro-grid energy systems. In order to address this need, this study provides an advanced optimization framework that extends existing energy system optimization studies in following four aspects: complete system optimization from scratch; comprehensive energy conversion equipment modeling for heating, cooling and power generations; modeling of cascaded configurations such as a cascaded absorption-compression refrigeration system and a cascaded organic Rankine cycle-direct heating system; and consideration of transient loads and weather profiles. The optimization framework aims to find optimum system configurations and control strategies for any given equipment options, and load- and weather-profiles in order to minimize life cycle cost. First, correlation based equipment models and cascaded system models were developed. Then the optimization framework was established using a genetic algorithm solver built in Matlab. The framework was presented through a case study on an oceanic container transportation application under transient loads and weather profiles. It was found that the optimized system was able to reduce life cycle cost by 40%. The optimized system is in favor of cascaded organic Exploring waste heat from the main engine that is used for main propulsion is the key to reduce life cycle cost. The developed optimization framework can be used for any applications as an efficient tool to search for novel energy system designs and their evaluations.
Landfill Gas Utilization for Water, Electricity and Food Production in Texas
Authors: Wikramanayake Enakshi , Bahadur Vaibhav
Published: February 2017

Methane emissions from US landfills equal 14% of US residential natural gas consumption, and represent a significant waste of energy. This work presents and analyzes three concepts for landfill gas (LFG) utilization, which impact the water, electricity and food sectors. The first novel concept uses LFG to power refrigeration cycles to enable atmospheric water harvesting (AWH). Freshwater produced by LFG-based AWH can be used for water intensive operations (drilling, hydraulic fracturing) in oilfields located near landfills. The second concept is about routing LFG to nearby natural gas-fired power plants, instead of using it for onsite electricity generation. This approach is attractive, since both landfills and power plants are concentrated around population centers. The third novel concept uses LFG as the feedstock and energy source for ammonia production, which is the starting point for fertilizers. A framework and methodology for quantifying the benefits of these concepts is established. Emissions from landfills in Texas are analyzed to map the current LFG management, and quantify the benefits of the proposed concepts. Firstly, LFG-based AWH can meet 14% of the water requirement of the Barnett Shale, which can be served by 20 landfills. Secondly, routing the LFG to gas-fired power plants will enable a 3% increase in statewide installed capacity. Importantly, five power plants can increase their capacity by more than 10%. Thirdly, LFG can be used to produce 3,200 tons of ammonia daily, which yields enough fertilizer to cultivate nine times the current area under corn cultivation. Overall, these concepts offer alternatives to LFG-based onsite electricity generation, which enables utilization of only 22% of the generated LFG. The proposed waste-to-value concepts can be extended to other regions and offer options to augment water, electricity and food production globally.
Mist Cooling Technology for Thermoelectric Power Plants
Authors: Gokkus Enes , Bahadur Vaibhav
Published: February 2017

A novel mist-based cooling concept is analyzed with the objective of reducing water consumption in thermoelectric power plants. Additionally, this concept offers the potential to increase electricity generation capacity. The concept involves the integration of two independent mist-based technologies. In the first technology, the cooling tower is replaced with a two stage heat exchanger consisting of air-cooled and water mist-cooled sections. The mist-cooled heat exchanger chills the cooling water to near wet bulb temperature ambient, which enables lowered condenser pressures and temperatures. Enhanced evaporation control through mist cooling allows the mist to reach temperatures closer to wet bulb temperature conditions than cooling towers. In the second technology, the shell-and-tube steam condenser is replaced with a direct contact condenser, wherein Rankine cycle steam condenses on water mist streams. The large area offered by mist droplets increases heat transfer rates significantly, resulting in compact, low maintenance condensers.

Analyses show that mist cooling technology can reduce water consumption by up to 65 %, compared to present-day cooling towers of the same power output. Furthermore, by reducing the condenser pressure, electricity generation can be increased by 4 % while still consuming less water than cooling towers. First-order techno-economic analyses reveal that mist cooling technology can benefit 17 out of 18 coal-fired power plants in Texas. It is expected that this technology will significantly benefit other U.S. power plants located in water-stressed areas.
Reliability Analysis Method for Multi-State Repairable Systems Based on Goal Oriented Methodology
Authors: Yi Xiaojian , Dhillon B. S. , Mu Hui-na , Zhang Zhong , Hou Peng
Published: February 2017

This paper proposes a new GO method for repairable systems with multiple unstable operation states. First, multi-state signal flow and multi-state GO operator are defined, respectively. And the formula for calculating state probability of unit with multiple unstable operation states is deduced based on Markov theory. Furthermore, a new function GO operator named Type 19 is created to describe the unit stabilizing property. And its GO operation formulas for reliability analysis are deduced. On this basis, the reliability analysis process of multi-state repairable systems based on the new GO method is formulated. Then, this new GO method is applied in reliability analysis of Hydraulic Oil Supply System of a heavy vehicle. In order to verify the feasibility, advantage and reasonability of the new GO method, its analysis result is compared with those of FTA and the existing GO method for two-state repairable systems. All in all, this paper not only improves the theory of GO method, and widens the application of GO method, but also provides a new approach for reliability analysis of multi-state repairable systems.
Development of Parameters for Dynamic Modeling of Underground Haulage Vehicles
Authors: Jobes Christopher C. , Bissert Peter , Mahmoudian Nina , Li Bingxi
Published: February 2017

To address concerns of how mobile proximity detection systems will adapt to underground mobile haulage vehicles, researchers have collected and categorized data on the parameters of 145 mine haulage vehicles in 5 categories including load-haul-dump, shuttle car, roof bolter, haul truck, and mobile coal haulage (face drill, production drill, and others.) Statistical methods were used to determine the appropriate representative vehicle for each category. These representative vehicles’ parameters and characteristics could then be used to develop a dynamic model that predicts their dynamic behavior on an underground haulageway surface. These models can be used in conjunction with worker escapability data and/or interaction with other vehicles to provide insight as to whether or not the proximity detection systems will be adequate for the underground mining workplace.