Soft sensor for real-time cement fineness estimation

This paper describes the design and implementation of soft sensors to estimate cement fineness. Soft sensors are mathematical models that use available data to provide real-time information on process variables when the information, for whatever reason, is not available by direct measurement. In this application, soft sensors are used to provide information on process variable normally provided by off-line laboratory tests performed at large time intervals. Cement fineness is one of the crucial parameters that define the quality of produced cement. Providing real-time information on cement fineness using soft sensors can overcome limitations and problems that originate from a lack of information between two laboratory tests. The model inputs were selected from candidate process variables using an information theoretic approach. Models based on multi-layer perceptrons were developed, and their ability to estimate cement fineness of laboratory samples was analyzed. Models that had the best performance, and capacity to adopt changes in the cement grinding circuit were selected to implement soft sensors. Soft sensors were tested using data from a continuous cement production to demonstrate their use in real-time fineness estimation. Their performance was highly satisfactory, and the sensors proved to be capable of providing valuable information on cement grinding circuit performance. After successful off-line tests, soft sensors were implemented and installed in the control room of a cement factory. Results on the site confirm results obtained by tests conducted during soft sensor development.     

Nonlinear dynamic behaviors and control based on simulation of high-purity heat integrated air separation column

In this paper, the dynamic behaviors on the basis of simulation for high-purity heat integrated air separation column (HIASC) are studied. A nonlinear generic model control (GMC) scheme is proposed based on the nonlinear behavior analyses of a HIASC process, and an adaptive generic model control (AGMC) scheme is further presented to correct the model parameters online. Related internal model control (IMC) scheme and multi-loop PID (M-PID) scheme are also developed as the comparative base. The comparative researches are carried out among these linear and nonlinear control schemes in detail. The simulation research results show that the proposed AGMC schemes present advantages in both servo control and regulatory control for the high-purity HIASC.     

考虑链路重传的工业无线网络确定性调度算法

作为工业网络的关键技术, 确定性调度通过合理安排网络传输资源, 满足工业数据在规定时间内到达目标设备的实时性要求. 工业网络往往部署在环境恶劣、电磁情况复杂的工业现场, 与有线网络相比, 工业无线网络还面临着严重的丢包问题. 考虑到重传是克服链路丢包的简便高效方法, 本文提出了支持持续重传和区间重传两种策略的确定性调度算法. 基于链路时槽松弛度和动态优先级, 调度算法在每个时槽按照调度规则为重传链路配置通信资源, 缓解丢包对数据传输的影响, 并围绕对应重传策略进行相应的时槽、频点优化分配, 保障数据端到端按时到达. 仿真结果表明, 所提调度算法在满足传输确定性的前提下, 有效提升了数据传输的可靠性.     

New Paradigm of Data-Driven Smart Customisation through Digital Twin

Big data is one of the most important resources for the promotion of smart customisation. With access to data from multiple sources, manufacturers can provide on-demand and customised products. However, existing research of smart customisation has focused on data generated from the physical world, not virtual models. As physical data is constrained by what has already occurred, it is limited in the identification of new areas to improve customer satisfaction. A new technology called digital twin aims to achieve this integration of physical and virtual entities. Incorporation of digital twin into the paradigm of existing data-driven smart customisation will make the process more responsive, adaptable and predictive. This paper presents a new framework of data-driven smart customisation augmented by digital twin. The new framework aims to facilitate improved collaboration of all stakeholders in the customisation process. A case study of the elevator industry illustrates the efficacy of the proposed framework.     

A systematic literature review on intelligent automation: Aligning concepts from theory,practice, and future perspectives

With the recent developments in robotic process automation (RPA) and artificial intelligence (AI), academics and industrial practitioners are now pursuing robust and adaptive decision making (DM) in real-life engineering applications and automated business workflows and processes to accommodate context awareness, adaptation to environment and customisation. The emerging research via RPA, AI and soft computing offers sophisticated decision analysis methods, data-driven DM and scenario analysis with regard to the consideration of decision choices and provides benefits in numerous engineering applications. The emerging intelligent automation (IA) – the combination of RPA, AI and soft computing – can further transcend traditional DM to achieve unprecedented levels of operational efficiency, decision quality and system reliability. RPA allows an intelligent agent to eliminate operational errors and mimic manual routine decisions, including rule-based, well-structured and repetitive decisions involving enormous data, in a digital system, while AI has the cognitive capabilities to emulate the actions of human behaviour and process unstructured data via machine learning, natural language processing and image processing. Insights from IA drive new opportunities in providing automated DM processes, fault diagnosis, knowledge elicitation and solutions under complex decision environments with the presence of context-aware data, uncertainty and customer preferences. This sophisticated review attempts to deliver the relevant research directions and applications from the selected literature to the readers and address the key contributions of the selected literature, IA’s benefits, implementation considerations, challenges and potential IA applications to foster the relevant research development in the domain.     

Data filtering based least squares algorithms for multivariable CARAR-like systems

This paper focuses on the identification problem of multivariable controlled autoregressive autoregressive (CARAR-like) systems. The corresponding identification model contains a parameter vector and a parameter matrix, and thus the conventional least squares methods cannot be applied to directly estimate the parameters of the systems. By using the hierarchical identification principle, this paper presents a hierarchical generalized least squares algorithm and a filtering based hierarchical least squares algorithm for the multivariable CARAR-like systems. The simulation results show that the two hierarchical least squares algorithms are effective.     

多小波系数增强动态聚合联邦深度网络的多工况故障诊断

针对分布式场景下单节点样本有限、多节点间工况分布不平衡等导致的深度学习故障诊断精度低的问题,提出一种多小波系数增强动态聚合联邦深度网络用于分布式小样本下的多工况机械故障诊断。提出多小波系数增强动态聚合联邦深度网络的诊断框架,单终端节点从本地样本中提取小波系数特征,提出多小波系数深度网络融合的特征增强方法,局部模型从多样性小波系数集合中提取更具判别性故障特征;聚合节点通过对多终端节点局部模型的聚合以构建全局联邦深度网络模型,并用于多工况故障诊断;为降低多节点间数据非独立同分布的影响,提出平衡模型贡献度的联邦动态加权聚合算法。轴承振动数据分析结果表明,所提方法能在分布式小样本条件下实现高精度的多工况故障诊断。     

移动机器人视觉 SLAM 回环检测原理、现状及趋势

近年来,视觉 SLAM 以结构简单、成本低、可结合语义信息等优势得到广泛关注。 回环检测在其中发挥着重要的作用。 根据获得的回环信息,视觉 SLAM 后端优化算法便可以根据回环约束对位姿进行优化,消除移动机器人在长时间的工作下产生 的累积误差,实现精确的长期定位,从而构建全局一致的运动轨迹和地图。 首先介绍视觉 SLAM 中回环检测原理及作用,从特 征提取、相似度判断、实验评估几个方面对传统词袋模型进行深入分析,并概述目前基于词袋模型和概率的改进算法,对比总结 基于深度学习的回环检测方法,简单概述结合语义信息的回环检测方法,最后对回环检测技术目前存在的问题以及未来的发展 趋势进行总结与展望。     

Modeling contaminant intrusion in water distribution networks: A new similarity-based DST method

Contaminant intrusion in a water distribution network is a complex but a commonly observed phenomenon, which depends on three elements – a pathway, a driving force and a contamination source. However, the data on these elements are generally incomplete, non-specific and uncertain. In an earlier work, Sadiq, Kleiner, and Rajani (2006) have successfully applied traditional Dempster–Shafer theory (DST) to estimate the “risk” of contaminant intrusion in a water distribution network based on limited uncertain information. However, the method used for generating basic probability assignment (BPA) was not very flexible, and did not handle and process uncertain information effectively. In this paper, a more pragmatic method is proposed that utilizes “soft” computing flexibility to generate BPAs from uncertain information. This paper compares these two methods through numerical examples, and demonstrates the efficiency and effectiveness of modified method.