Planning the GMAW process by constraint propagation

Although the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process is widely used for joining metals, its planning is still a cumbersome task. The planning procedure involves many complex interrelationships among the process variables and depends heavily on empirical knowledge. Therefore, a solution method that allows a convenient way to represent the domain knowledge and evaluate the process variable relationships is needed. Further, the lack of a strong domain theory to quantify these interrelationships is a deficiency in the planning of the GMAW process. This paper presents a solution method that overcomes this deficiency and introduces a convenient knowledge representation scheme. The solution method considers the planning procedure to be a constraint satisfaction problem (CSP). The AC-4 algorithm is used to obtain arc consistency among nodes in the constraint network and the PC-4 algorithm is applied to obtain path consistency in the network. A modified version of the AC-4 algorithm is developed to reduce the search space and correspondingly reduce the computation time. An example is presented to demonstrate the capability of the method and its potential to reduce lead time.     

Integrating scheduling and control functions in computer integrated manufacturing using artificial intelligence

Proper integration of scheduling and control in Flexible Manufacturing Systems will make available the required level of decision-making capacity to provide a flexibly-automated, efficient, and quality manufacturing process. To achieve this level of integration, the developments in computer technology and sophisticated techniques of artificial intelligence (AI) should be applied to such FMS functions as scheduling. In this paper, we present an Intelligent Scheduling System for FMS under development that makes use of the integration of two AI technologies. These two AI technologies — Neural Networks and Expert Systems — provide the intelligence that the scheduling function requires in order to generate goodschedules within the restrictions imposed by real-time problems. Because the system has the ability to plan ahead and learn, it has a higher probability of success than conventional approaches. The adaptive behavior that will be achieved contribute to the integration of scheduling and control in FMS.     

装载机多路阀操纵系统改进设计

论述了装载机现行的操纵机构,分析了液压先导操纵阀的应用局限性。介绍了气动助力器的工作原理,通过对操纵杆上的期望力分析计算获得满足性能要求的操纵力。装载机操纵机构借助助力器的助力作用,可以用较小的操纵力对装载机进行轻松操纵,从而使操作轻便灵活。     

LS SIMD微处理器中的三组指令并发执行的设计

文章介绍了LS SIMD微处理器中实现三组指令并发执行的可能性和必要性，分析了三组指令并发执行给流水线带来的影响，并讨论了控制逻辑对三级指令并发执行的控制及其实现形式。     

数字式液压逻辑流量阀的设计

数字工流量阀采用数字控制方式，调节系统流量以达到液压系统调整目的，它本身具有控制响应快、精度高、稳定性好、适应范围大等优点，在行走机械上将会得到广泛地应用。     

南水北调石家庄受水区地下水压采方案探讨

南水北调中线石家庄受水区水资源匮乏严重，由于连年超采地下水已引发了严重的环境地质问题。现对南水北调中线石家庄受水区地下水压采方案进行探讨，通过工程措施、管理措施和相关法规、办法的制定，开源与节流并举，使该区域水资源能够支撑区域社会、经济、环境的可持续发展。     

Elastic T-stress solutions for semi-elliptical surface cracks in finite thickness plates

Three-dimensional finite element analyses have been conducted to calculate the elastic T-stress for semi-elliptical surface cracks in finite thickness plates. Far-field tension and bending loads were considered. The analysis procedures and results were verified using both exact solutions and approximate solutions. The T-stress solutions are presented along the crack front for cracks with a/t values of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 or 0.8 and a/c values of 0.2, 0.4, 0.6 or 1.0. Based on the present finite element calculations for T-stress, empirical equations for the T-stress at three locations: the deepest, the surface and the middle points of the crack front under tension or bending are presented. The numerical results are approximated by empirical formulae fitted with an accuracy of 1% or better. They are valid for 0.2?a/c?1 and 0?a/t?0.8. These T-stress results together with the corresponding K or J values for surface cracks are suitable for the analysis of constraint effects for surface cracked components.     

INCORPORATING PRACTICAL AND SYNTHESIS CONTENTS IN UNDERGRADUATE CONTROL EDUCATION

This paper revisits the effort over the last decade in making undergraduate control education more useful and attractive to both the control engineers and the engineers at large. With the help of further coverage in new textbooks, more practical and synthesis contents in the control courses have been incorporated. Gaps still exist, particularly in the areas of PID control and auto‐tuning, fuzzy control, overall control strategy, control structure and systems thinking, and these will be elaborated. A major challenge is in the coverage of more practical and synthesis contents in the introductory common control course for all engineers. How this may be resolved is discussed. Finally, the need for new teaching approaches such as the use of interesting case studies and the use of problem‐based learning will be outlined.     

On finding optimal and near-optimal lineal spanning trees

The search for good lineal, or depth-first, spanning trees is an important aspect in the implementation of a wide assortment of graph algorithms. We consider the complexity of findingoptimal lineal spanning trees under various notions of optimality. In particular, we show that several natural problems, such as constructing a shortest or a tallest lineal tree, are NP-hard. We also address the issue of polynomial-time, near-optimization strategies for these difficult problems, showing that efficient absolute approximation algorithms cannot exist unlessP = NP.This author's research was supported in part by the Sandia University Research Program and by the National Science Foundation under Grant M IP-8603879.This author's research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grants ECS-8403859 and MIP-8603879.     

CONSTRUCTION OF ADMISSIBLE OPERATION CONDITION DOMAIN FOR WELL-STIRRED REACTORS DURING THEIR DESIGN AND CONTROL STAGES

The work examines the problem of constructing an admissible operation condition domain for a well-stirred reactor which would satisfy restrictions in conversion, selectivity, heat removal and stability. The domain is very important and must be known during the reactor design and control stages because it yields visual information for analyzing the reactor operations and makes it possible to find the variation intervals of decision variables, necessary to calculate and optimize the reactor. Being known, the admissible operation condition domain makes it possible to estimate the limiting restrictions and to choose the necessary reserves. The domain has completely been studied analytically for chemical processes with arbitrary kinetics.