单自由度八杆仿生机构构型与尺度同步设计方法

单自由度八杆仿生机构杆长参数较多，是仿生机器人领域研究的难点之一。为提高设计效率，提出一种构型与尺度同步设计方法。在选定的运动链和机架的基础上，以不等式形式分步给出运动可行性及外形约束条件，使得上一步的杆长可作为下一步求解的已知值。通过该过程，在得到八杆仿生机构构型的同时，快速得到所有杆长的初步可行域。循环上述过程，逐步缩小约束条件的范围，可使得八杆机构的杆长快速接近目标值。在此基础上，分类讨论了连杆搭接顺序、约束条件及基本运动链的差异对求解难度及构型结果的影响。利用所提出的单自由度八杆仿生机构的设计方法，在对初始条件进行合理选取的前提下，可在初步得到构型的同时将杆长限定在较小范围内，实现了构型与尺度的同步设计。该方法还可应用于其他单自由度机构的设计当中，具有较好的借鉴意义。     

Passive fuel cell/lithium-ion capacitor hybridization for vehicular applications

Electric recreational vehicles represent a new challenge in terms of power supply systems compared to the current light-duty electric vehicles, which achieve high performance and long-range. The recreational vehicles need to heed the limited dimension requirements while assuring the high requested power. This paper proposes an integration of Lithium-Ion Capacitor (LIC) with Fuel Cell (FC) without any power electronic device for a three-wheel electric motorcycle. Unlike other hybrid power supply systems, the proposed FC-LIC passive configuration is lighter, compact, more efficient, and simpler to implement. Due to the different impedance of the components the system is self-management, in which FC supplies the average power component and LIC operates as a low-pass filter. In this respect, a simulator is built based on experimental tests to study the system performance in terms of hydrogen consumption and FC degradation. Subsequently, the system is tested under three standard motorcycle driving cycles at three different FC system lifespan stages. The obtained results demonstrate that a passive topology can supply the requested power along different FC stages of life and reported just an increment of 12% of hydrogen consumption at the oldest condition compared to the new condition.     

几种多态含能材料构型转变的DFT研究

为了从分子层面上对含能材料不同分子构型间的转变情况有一个直观认识,借助Gaussian 09软件,运用密度泛函理论(DFT),采用TS算法搜寻β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7在分子构型转变过程中的过渡态结构,确定了它们的构型转变过程;并通过计算吉布斯自由能随构型转变路径的变化,比较多态含能材料分子构型转变的难易程度。结果表明,由亚稳晶型到稳定晶型的转变首先会越过过渡态,克服自由能能垒转变为亚稳态结构,实现β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7分子构型转变分别需要克服的自由能能垒分别为5.25、22.21、9.69和10.24kJ/mol。因此,常温常压下β-RDX→α-RDX、γ-HMX→β-HMX、ε-CL-20→β-CL-20及β-FOX-7→α-FOX-7构型转变的难度大小排序为:HMX>>FOX-7>CL-20>RDX。     

Optimal PMU placement considering topology constraints

A new optimization algorithm for optimal PMU configuration based on combination of graph theory and genetic algorithm is proposed. According to four topology reconstruction rules and three PMU configuration rules based on the graphic relationships between PMUs, constraints of PMU placement are put forward through topology constraint analysis, which dramatically limits the feasible solution space, thereby enhancing the algorithm speed. Meanwhile, an improved genetic algorithm based on serial number coding is presented to avoid infeasible solutions and improve the overall optimization performance. New corresponding crossover and mutation operator is also created. Examples show that the proposed algorithm performs very well and is highly valuable to large-scale networks.     

Ultrasonic tomographic velocimeter for visualization of axial flow fields in pipes

An ultrasonic tomographic velocimeter to provide quantitative images of axial flow fields in pipes is developed and presented in this work. To detect the flow in various directions and positions, a novel transducer configuration strategy is proposed. All-in-one transducers are mounted in two sectional planes of the pipe. In each plane, N transducers are equally spaced along the circumference. Overlapped propagation paths are introduced by the configuration strategy, and the influence of the vortex flow can be eliminated theoretically by averaging the line velocities of the overlapped paths. To achieve a fast detection speed, the projection data is collected via an electrical scan in a fan-beam mode. After rearrangement and interpolation of the projection data, the parallel beam filtered back projection (FBP) algorithm is implemented to reconstruct the axial flow field. Numerical simulations with the theoretical velocity profiles were performed. The compensation method for the vortex flow is proved to be effective and necessary, and the number of transducers required for reconstruction of common flow profiles was estimated. Accordingly, an ultrasonic tomographic velocimeter consisting of 2×12 transducers was fabricated. Experiments were conducted in the straight pipe and downstream of a single bend pipe and compared with the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation results. As demonstrated, the ultrasonic tomographic velocimeter was capable of visualizing both symmetric and asymmetric axial flow fields with high reliability.     

A meta-model for knowledge configuration management to support collaborative engineering

This paper focuses on industrial design and simulation processes especially in automotive and aerospace areas. Designers use business models (called expert models) such as CAD (computed aided design) and CAE (computed aided engineering) models to optimize and streamline the engineering process. Each expert model contains information such as parameters, expert rules, mathematic relations (parametric models, for example) which are shared by several users and in several different domains (mechanical, thermal, acoustic, fluid, etc.). This information is exploited at the same time in a concurrent engineering context. It is the basis of an imperfect collaboration process due to the fact that existing tools do not manage encapsulated information well and are unable to ensure that parameters and rules are consistent (same value of parameters for example) throughout different heterogeneous expert models. In this context, we propose an approach to manage knowledge using configurations synchronized with expert models which enable designers to use parameters consistently in a collaborative context. Our approach is called KCModel (knowledge configuration model): it allows acquisition, traceability, re-use and consistency of explicit knowledge used in configuration.     

Optimal configuration of cluster supply chains with augmented Lagrange coordination

Enterprises in an industrial cluster could dynamically alliance in the form of cluster supply chains to share inner-cluster resources and services, and respond to the ever-fluctuating customer demands in a cost-effective way. However, an effective and feasible method enabling such dynamic cluster supply chain configuration (CSCC) lags behind practice due to the conflict of interests. Researchers are designing All-in-One theoretic models to optimize CSCC with the assumed decision details of all enterprises, while in fact clustered enterprises are seeking effective decentralized decision mechanisms which protect their decision autonomy in the frequently re-configured CSC. A newly emerged multi-disciplinary optimization method, Augmented Lagrangian Coordination (ALC), which supports the open-structure collaboration with strict optimization convergence, is thoroughly investigated in this paper and applied to solve the conflict. Through a complete analysis of CSC’s configuration policies in typical stages, a generic CSCC model is proposed and then partitioned into an ALC-based decentralized decision model by the typical decision autonomy distribution in clusters. Clustered enterprises collaborate vertically and laterally along the ALC model through multi-dimensional couplings to achieve the overall consistency and optimality. Results have proved the effectiveness of ALC for CSCC problem. A set of sensitivity analysis is also conducted to find out the condition in which an order has to be fulfilled in a CSC and the most appropriate configuration.     

真空热处理炉布料矩阵优化仿真分析

为了获得更高的加热效率和更好的温度均匀性,采用有限元软件建立了真空热处理炉加热过程仿真模型,并耦合PID算法用于温度控制。通过与实测温度对比,验证了仿真模型的准确性。借助该模型,模拟研究了布料矩阵对两种典型形状零件在真空热处理炉内加热特性的影响。模拟装炉时基于零件几何形状特征,对圆棒形工件采用顺排、叉排和环形排列3种形式,对圆盘形工件采用横排式和竖排式。研究结果表明:尽管零件形状和数量相同,但是随着布料矩阵的变化,加热效率和温度均匀性都会改变。对于圆棒形工件,采用环形排列不仅可以提高内部工件的加热速率,而且相较于叉排式可以将最大温差减小36 ℃;对于圆盘形工件,由水平式改为竖直式布料可以将最大温差由248 ℃减小至171 ℃。     

Dynamic Performance of a Complex Distillation System to Separate a Five‐Component Hydrocarbon Mixture

Distillation is one of the most used separation processes in chemical industry, although it is a highly energy‐intensive operation. For multicomponent distillation, complex structures have been proposed in previous works, which may allow energy savings. Nevertheless, it is mandatory to understand the dynamic characteristics of such complex structures. In this work, the dynamic performance of a dividing‐wall‐based structure for the separation of a five‐component mixture is studied. A sensitivity analysis is performed on the structure in terms of the interlinking streams, performing a singular value decomposition analysis to selected cases with different operational conditions. The designs with the lowest energy duties also showed the best open‐loop properties.     

Systematic exploration of the applicability of the idiomatic vapor balance rule to distillation column consolidation

For N-component distillation(N ≥ 3), consolidation between different column sections is an inevitable manipulation when synthesizing complex distillation configurations. In the consolidation, the idiomatic vapor balance(IVB) rule, in which the larger vapor flowrate in the two columns before consolidation will be chosen as the balanced vapor flowrate at the consolidation point, has been widely used. However, the applicability of the IVB rule has not been verified, which is of essential importance to the accuracy of the distillation configuration synthesis.In the present study, the applicability of the IVB rule to distillation column consolidation was systematically explored by rigorous method for the first time. First, the separation of ideal and non-ideal three-component mixtures with variable compositions was studied, and the optimized configurations before and after consolidation were determined by a rigorous method. The results indicated that for the separation of an ideal mixture, the IVB rule was applicable for the whole composition range, while for the separation of a non-ideal mixture, the IVB rule was only applicable for very limited composition range. Finally, two cases of synthesizing distillation configurations for the separation of non-ideal mixtures were studied to verify the remarkable deviations the IVB rule may cause. The results indicated that the applicability of the shortcut method using the IVB rule to the distillation configuration synthesis depended on the composition of the non-ideal mixture, and a remarkable error might result and the truly optimal configuration might be missed if the IVB rule is applied to a non-ideal mixture.