Description:
The geared five-bar mechanism possesses kinematic abilities that qualify its utility in various industrial applications. Small changes to the mechanism topology or dimensions create new designs with different motion characteristics. This article presents design-orientated kinematical insights and mathematical treatments for the embodiment of the mechanism in which the end gear is eccentrically pivoted to a sliding element. For its synthesis, a kinematic classification is introduced and approximate curves are used to guide the motion of the slider. A gradient-based Levenberg-Marquardt formulation is employed for the optimization procedure. Geometric, mobility, and dimensional constraints are utilized together with numerical position equations for the analysis. Two case studies are presented at the end of this article to highlight the versatility of the mechanism and prove the validity of the presented mathematical model.
Description:
The geared five-bar mechanism possesses kinematic abilities that qualify its utility in various industrial applications. Small changes to the mechanism topology or dimensions create new designs with different motion characteristics. This article presents design-orientated kinematical insights and mathematical treatments for the embodiment of the mechanism in which the end gear is eccentrically pivoted to a sliding element. For its synthesis, a kinematic classification is introduced and approximate curves are used to guide the motion of the slider. A gradient-based Levenberg-Marquardt formulation is employed for the optimization procedure. Geometric, mobility, and dimensional constraints are utilized together with numerical position equations for the analysis. Two case studies are presented at the end of this article to highlight the versatility of the mechanism and prove the validity of the presented mathematical model.
Description:
Features extraction has always been crucial in rotary machines for Condition based machine health monitoring. Time-domain-segmentation being among the preliminary steps for further classification process plays a momentous role. Vibration signals from bearing are quasistationary in nature therefore calculation of constituent frequencies amplitudes in the vibration signal is dependent upon time-segmentation-window size. The proposed research confers the effects of time-segmentation window size on spectral features amplitudes calculation and its impacts on classification accuracy of the Artificial Neural Network (ANN). Using multi-size time-segmentation-window, for comprehensive spectral features calculation, ANN pattern classifier has been trained for enhanced classification. ANN learning assigns importance based relative weights to the links using supervised learning. Experimental results have shown that multi-size-window spectral features for ANN fault classifier perform efficiently for quasi-stationary bearing vibrations.
Description:
Rotary machines, and limaçon machines in particular, offer a better power to weight ratio compared to reciprocating machines; however, leakage due to improper apex and side sealing have prevented rotary machines from thriving. In this paper, a modelling approach is presented to analyse the vibration of apex seal during the machine operation and the power loss caused by the seal friction. The seal and spring are modelled as a spring-mass system in which the seal deformation is negligible. The seal-groove relative positions have then been categorised into nine different possible cases based on the number of contact points between the seal and the seal groove. A case study has been presented to demonstrate the reliability of the model.
Description:
This paper presents a new algorithm for the control of a B-double truck–trailer with steerable trailer wheels and active hitch angles, designed to minimize both off-tracking and scuffing. Each trailer has six autonomously steered double wheels, although each double wheel is modelled by a centrally placed single wheel. Each hitch point, joining truck to first trailer and first trailer to second trailer, as well as a nominated point central to the axles of the second trailer, traverses the same path which is determined by an operator controlling the path curvature and truck speed. The algorithm approximates the ideal solution in which all wheels on each trailer have the same centre of curvature. The actively controlled hitch angles, satisfying the path-following constraints, provide a further level of cooperative redundancy of steering systems. Simulations are carried out to show the effects of changing curvature and front hitch speed on hitch path, wheel angles, and hitch angles as well as the accuracy of the algorithm. Further simulation is carried out to show the improvement in off-tracking of the new control system over current B-double fixed-wheel systems.
Description:
This paper presents a new algorithm for the control of a B-double truck–trailer with steerable trailer wheels and active hitch angles, designed to minimize both off-tracking and scuffing. Each trailer has six autonomously steered double wheels, although each double wheel is modelled by a centrally placed single wheel. Each hitch point, joining truck to first trailer and first trailer to second trailer, as well as a nominated point central to the axles of the second trailer, traverses the same path which is determined by an operator controlling the path curvature and truck speed. The algorithm approximates the ideal solution in which all wheels on each trailer have the same centre of curvature. The actively controlled hitch angles, satisfying the path-following constraints, provide a further level of cooperative redundancy of steering systems. Simulations are carried out to show the effects of changing curvature and front hitch speed on hitch path, wheel angles, and hitch angles as well as the accuracy of the algorithm. Further simulation is carried out to show the improvement in off-tracking of the new control system over current B-double fixed-wheel systems.
Description:
Cold start driving cycles exhibit an increase in friction losses due to the low temperatures of metal and media compared to normal operating engine conditions. These friction losses are responsible for up to 10% penalty in fuel economy over the official drive cycles like the New European Drive Cycle (NEDC), where the temperature of the oil even at the end of the 1180 s of the drive cycle is below the fully warmed up values of between 100°C and 120°C. At engine oil temperatures below 100°C the water from the blowby condensates and dilutes the engine oil in the oil pan which negatively affects engine wear. Therefore engine oil temperatures above 100°C are desirable to minimize engine wear through blowby condensate. The paper presents a new technique to warm up the engine oil that significantly reduces the friction losses and therefore also reduces the fuel economy penalty during a 22°C cold start NEDC. Chassis dynamometer experiments demonstrated fuel economy improvements of over 7% as well as significant emission reductions by rapidly increasing the oil temperature. Oil temperatures were increased by up to 60°C during certain parts of the NEDC. It is shown how a very simple sensitivity analysis can be used to assess the relative size or efficiency of different heat transfer passes and the resulting fuel economy improvement potential of different heat recovery systems system. Due to its simplicity the method is very fast to use and therefore also very cost effective. The method demonstrated a very good correlation for the fuel consumption within ±1% compared to measurements on a vehicle chassis roll.
Description:
Flow of gas in pipelines is subject to thermodynamic conditions which produces twophase bulks (i.e., slugs) within the axial pipeline flow. These moving slugs apply a moving load on the free spanning pipe sections, which consequently undergo variable bending stresses, and flexural deflections. Both the maximum pipeline stress and deflection due to the slug flow loads need to be understood in the design of pipeline spans. However, calculation of a moving mass on a free spanning pipeline is not trivial and the required mathematical model is burdensome for general pipeline design engineering. The work in this paper is intended to investigate the conditions under which simplified analysis would produce a safe pipeline design which can be used by practicing pipeline design engineers. The simulated finite element models presented here prove that replacing the moving mass of the slug by a moving force will produce adequately accurate results at low speeds where the mass of the slug is much smaller than the mass of the pipe section. This result is significant, as the assumption of point load simplifies the analysis to a considerable extent. Since most applications fall within the speed and mass ratio which justify employing this simplified analysis, the work presented here offers a powerful design tool to estimate fatigue stresses and lateral deflections without the need of expensive timeconsuming inputs from specialized practitioners.
Description:
The future development of a non-evaporative brown coal dewatering technique called Mechanical Thermal Expression (MTE) will produce large volumes of acidic, salty and organic rich product water. The overall viability of the MTE process will, in turn rely on the availability of a simple and energy-efficient water remediation strategy. Water treatment using the feed coal itself as an adsorbent may provide such an option. In this study a fixed-bed configuration of raw Loy Yang coal was employed. When the adsorbent was first exposed to MTE water, most of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and most of the multivalent cations in solution were adsorbed. However, breakthrough of monovalent cations occurred after a volume of MTE water equivalent to just two times the volume of the adsorbent bed itself (2 bed volumes (BVs)) had passed, with only small proportions of Na and K being retained. About 60% (30 mg/g, db) of the dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and about 25% (0.16 mmol/g, db) of the total cations were removed after passing 20 BV of MTE water through the adsorbent bed. This corresponds to an adsorbent requirement that is 1.4% of the amount of coal to be dewatered. Thus, the use of brown coal adsorbent beds may be an effective primary water treatment option. However specific organic and inorganic components are likely to require further reduction prior to discharge to the environment
Description:
Distorted spectra of Fibre Bragg Gratings (FBG) sensors have been using in most of research on identifying delaminations in composites which is the most common cause of failures of laminated composite structures. However, it has been shown that there are multiple causes which can produce a similar response spectrum of an FBG sensor. As a consequence an integrated additional monitoring system would enhance the prediction power of FBG based monitoring system. In this research paper we introduce a "FBG-AE hybrid system" concept for the detection of delaminations in composite structures which uses same FBG sensor network for monitor damage using two independent responses from the sensors. The proposed system use spectral responses from FBG sensors and extract strain and acoustic emission data for monitoring purpose. The proposed concept has experimentally investigated with convincing results.
Description:
Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences located at distal ends of chromosomes that protect against genomic DNA degradation and chromosomal instability. Excessive telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and for this reason telomere length is a marker of biological age. Abnormally short telomeres may culminate in the manifestation of a number of cardio-metabolic diseases. Age-related cardio-metabolic diseases attributable to an inactive lifestyle, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, are associated with short leukocyte telomeres. Exercise training prevents and manages the symptoms of many cardio-metabolic diseases whilst concurrently maintaining telomere length. The positive relationship between exercise training, physical fitness and telomere length raises the possibility of a mediating role of telomeres in chronic disease prevention via exercise. Further elucidation of the underpinning molecular mechanisms of how exercise maintains telomere length should provide crucial information on how physical activity can be best structured to combat the chronic disease epidemic and improve the human health span. Here, we synthesise and discuss the current evidence on the impact of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on telomere dynamics. We provide the molecular mechanisms with a known role in exercise-induced telomere length maintenance and highlight unexplored, alternative pathways ripe for future investigations.
Description:
Telomeres are tandem repeat DNA sequences located at distal ends of chromosomes that protect against genomic DNA degradation and chromosomal instability. Excessive telomere shortening leads to cellular senescence and for this reason telomere length is a marker of biological age. Abnormally short telomeres may culminate in the manifestation of a number of cardio-metabolic diseases. Age-related cardio-metabolic diseases attributable to an inactive lifestyle, such as obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease, are associated with short leukocyte telomeres. Exercise training prevents and manages the symptoms of many cardio-metabolic diseases whilst concurrently maintaining telomere length. The positive relationship between exercise training, physical fitness and telomere length raises the possibility of a mediating role of telomeres in chronic disease prevention via exercise. Further elucidation of the underpinning molecular mechanisms of how exercise maintains telomere length should provide crucial information on how physical activity can be best structured to combat the chronic disease epidemic and improve the human health span. Here, we synthesise and discuss the current evidence on the impact of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness on telomere dynamics. We provide the molecular mechanisms with a known role in exercise-induced telomere length maintenance and highlight unexplored, alternative pathways ripe for future investigations.
Description:
Current flexi fuel gasoline and ethanol engines have brake efficiencies generally lower than a dedicated gasoline engines because of the constraints to accommodate a variable mixture of the two fuels. Considering ethanol has a few advantages with reference to gasoline, namely the higher octane number and the larger heat of vaporization, the paper explores the potentials of dedicated pure ethanol engines using the most advanced techniques available for gasoline engines, specifically direct injection, turbo charging and variable valve actuation. Computations are performed with state-of-the-art, well validated, engine and vehicle performance simulations packages, generally accepted to produce accurate results targeting major trends in engine developments. The higher compression ratio and the higher boost permitted by ethanol allows larger top brake efficiencies than gasoline, while variable valve actuation produces small penalties in efficiency changing the load. Finally, small, high power density, turbo charged, direct injection, variable valve actuation load controlled engines are proved to operate very efficiently over driving cycles.
Description:
Current flexi fuel gasoline and ethanol engines have brake efficiencies generally lower than a dedicated gasoline engines because of the constraints to accommodate a variable mixture of the two fuels. Considering ethanol has a few advantages with reference to gasoline, namely the higher octane number and the larger heat of vaporization, the paper explores the potentials of dedicated pure ethanol engines using the most advanced techniques available for gasoline engines, specifically direct injection, turbo charging and variable valve actuation. Computations are performed with state-of-the-art, well validated, engine and vehicle performance simulations packages, generally accepted to produce accurate results targeting major trends in engine developments. The higher compression ratio and the higher boost permitted by ethanol allows larger top brake efficiencies than gasoline, while variable valve actuation produces small penalties in efficiency changing the load. Finally, small, high power density, turbo charged, direct injection, variable valve actuation load controlled engines are proved to operate very efficiently over driving cycles.
Description:
This paper presents the results of calculations of the wheel angles and the drive wheel speeds to ensure that the steering effect of the wheel angles and the steering effect of the speeds of the drive wheels are identical. These calculations are general insofar as the centre of curvature of the path of the centre of the vehicle can lie anywhere in the 'horizontal' plane, including within the plan view of the vehicle. These minimal turning circles at times require large wheel angles and large differences in the drive wheel speeds. When the driver selects a centre of curvature inside the rectangle defined by the wheelbase and the track, problems arise owing to the multiple solutions of the arctan function. This problem is solved so that flipping of the wheels through 180° is avoided. Similar problems can arise in the calculation of the correct wheel speed because of the ambiguity of the square root function, which has both positive and negative roots. This problem is also solved. Alternative driver interfaces are described in detail. Vehicles with cooperative redundant multiple steering systems promise safety benefits relative to vehicles with a single non-redundant steering system and environmental benefits relative to vehicles with conflicting redundant multiple steering systems. The safety benefits result from increased traction, stability and manoeuvrability (especially on hills). The environmental benefits include reduced ground damage, tyre wear and fuel wastage on turning. These vehicles would be used to best advantage as extreme off-road vehicles. The general case of vehicles described is capable of both pure rotation and pure translation in any direction, and all motion in between. This maximized manoeuvrability also makes the system ideal for vehicles operating in confined spaces, such as forklift trucks.
Description:
This paper presents the results of calculations of the wheel angles and the drive wheel speeds to ensure that the steering effect of the wheel angles and the steering effect of the speeds of the drive wheels are identical. These calculations are general insofar as the centre of curvature of the path of the centre of the vehicle can lie anywhere in the 'horizontal' plane, including within the plan view of the vehicle. These minimal turning circles at times require large wheel angles and large differences in the drive wheel speeds. When the driver selects a centre of curvature inside the rectangle defined by the wheelbase and the track, problems arise owing to the multiple solutions of the arctan function. This problem is solved so that flipping of the wheels through 180° is avoided. Similar problems can arise in the calculation of the correct wheel speed because of the ambiguity of the square root function, which has both positive and negative roots. This problem is also solved. Alternative driver interfaces are described in detail. Vehicles with cooperative redundant multiple steering systems promise safety benefits relative to vehicles with a single non-redundant steering system and environmental benefits relative to vehicles with conflicting redundant multiple steering systems. The safety benefits result from increased traction, stability and manoeuvrability (especially on hills). The environmental benefits include reduced ground damage, tyre wear and fuel wastage on turning. These vehicles would be used to best advantage as extreme off-road vehicles. The general case of vehicles described is capable of both pure rotation and pure translation in any direction, and all motion in between. This maximized manoeuvrability also makes the system ideal for vehicles operating in confined spaces, such as forklift trucks.
Description:
Three methods of fatigue strength evaluation, i.e., the hot spot stress (HSS) method, 1 mm stress method and linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) method, are used to evaluate the fatigue strength of transverse fillet welded joints in bending and the results are compared with those of fatigue experiments. It is found that the HSS is overly conservative in predicting the fatigue strength of fillet welded joints in bending. The 1 mm stress catches the geometric influence of attachments very well. A reference strength range is suggested for applying the 1 mm stress method to the fatigue strength evaluation of fillet welded joints in bending on the base of analysing available test data. LEFM is an established method for fatigue strength evaluation of welded joints and its applicability is much dependent on the ease and accuracy of quantifying the stress intensity factor (SIF) along the crack front. In this study, the SIF of fillet welded joints in bending is estimated in different ways and the resulting fatigue strengths are compared with fatigue test data.
Description:
Steel Catenary Risers (SCRs), are increasingly becoming an attractive option for many deepwater field developments. SCRs are typically used to transport fluids between floating production vessels and pipelines. Typical uses may also involve the transport of produced fluids from a subsea production system to a floating production vessel or the transport of gas or water for re-injection into the producing reservoirs. The floating production vessel on which the steel catenary riser is supported will be subject to motions caused by environmental loads, and influenced by the mooring system and other risers. Horizontal movement of the vessel causes changes in the riser catenary configuration in near, mean, and far positions. On the seabed, the riser is connected to a pipeline that extends for some distance from the riser touchdown point, to its tie-in point on a pipeline or other facility. Effective tension at the touchdown point is necessary to maintain the riser configuration which may cause the pipeline to walk in the axial direction. The development of axial walking is in part due to the pull experienced on the pipeline at the touchdown point from the SCR tension. In this paper, the results of the effective axial force and the pipeline end expansion using a finite element study are presented to highlight the effect that the changing SCR tension, combined with the thermal transients and a global seabed slope along the pipeline length, has on the pipeline walking. Additionally, the paper provides some guidance in regards to the selection of the optimum location for the hold-back anchors, to ensure that pipeline walking does not compromise the integrity of both the SCR and the pipeline system. In general, the results show that SCR bottom tension provides the dominant walking mechanism and can exceed the other walking mechanisms associated with thermal transients and seabed slope. For a straight short pipeline, in the range of 2–3 km, where there is no lateral buckling, it is recommended to install the anchor towards the PLET (Pipeline End Termination) and away from the SCR transition point.