Design of a Commercial Hybrid VTOL UAV System

For the last four decades Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) have been extensively used for military operations that include tracking, surveillance, active engagement with weapons and airborne data acquisition. UAVs are also in demand commercially due to their advantages in comparison to manned vehicles. These advantages include lower manufacturing and operating costs, flexibility in configuration depending on customer request and not risking the pilot on demanding missions. Even though civilian UAVs currently constitute 3 % of the UAV market, it is estimated that their numbers will reach up to 10 % of the UAV market within the next 5 years. Most of the civilian UAV applications require UAVs that are capable of doing a wide range of different and complementary operations within a composite mission. These operations include taking off and landing from limited runway space, while traversing the operation region in considerable cruise speed for mobile tracking applications. This is in addition to being able traverse in low cruise speeds or being able to hover for stationary measurement and tracking. All of these complementary and but different operational capabilities point to a hybrid unmanned vehicle concept, namely the Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) UAVs. In addition, the desired UAV system needs to be cost-efficient while providing easy payload conversion for different civilian applications. In this paper, we review the preliminary design process of such a capable civilian UAV system, namely the TURAC VTOL UAV. TURAC UAV is aimed to have both vertical take-off and landing and Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) capability. TURAC interchangeable payload pod and detachable wing (with potential different size variants) provides capability to perform different mission types, including long endurance and high cruise speed operations. In addition, the TURAC concept is to have two different variants. The TURAC A variant is an eco-friendly and low-noise fully electrical platform which includes 2 tilt electric motors in the front, and a fixed electric motor and ducted fan in the rear, where as the TURAC B variant is envisioned to use high energy density fuel cells for extended hovering time. In this paper, we provide the TURAC UAV’s iterative design and trade-off studies which also include detailed aerodynamic and structural configuration analysis. For the aerodynamic analysis, an in-house software including graphical user interface has been developed to calculate the aerodynamic forces and moments by using the Vortex Lattice Method (VLM). Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) studies are performed to determine the aerodynamic effects for various configurations For structural analysis, a Finite Element Model (FEM) of the TURAC has been prepared and its modal analysis is carried out. Maximum displacements and maximal principal stresses are calculated and used for streamlining a weight efficient fuselage design. Prototypes have been built to show success of the design at both hover and forward flight regime. In this paper, we also provide the flight management and autopilot architecture of the TURAC. The testing of the controller performance has been initiated with the prototype of TURAC. Current work focuses on the building of the full fight test prototype of the TURAC UAV and aerodynamic modeling of the transition flight.     

A Game Theoretical Approach for Improving the Operational Efficiencies of Less-than-truckload Carriers Through Load Exchanges

Less-than-truckload (LTL) transportation offers fast, flexible and relatively low-cost transportation services to shippers. In order to cope with the effects of economic recessions, the LTL industry implemented ideas such as reducing excess capacity and increasing revenues through better yield management. In this paper, we extend these initiatives beyond the reach of individual carriers and propose a collaborative framework that facilitates load exchanges to reduce the operational costs. Even though collective solutions are proven to provide benefits to the participants by reducing the inefficiencies using a system-wide perspective, such solutions are often not attainable in real-life as the negotiating parties are seeking to maximize their individual profits rather than the overall profit and also they are unwilling to share confidential information. Therefore, a mechanism that enables collaboration among the carriers should account for the rationality of the individual participants and should require minimal information transfer between participants. Having this in mind, we propose a mechanism that facilities collaboration through a series of load exchange iterations and identifies an equilibrium among selfish carriers with limited information transfer among the participants. Our time-efficient mechanism can handle large instances with thousands of loads as well as provide significant benefits over the non-collaborative management of LTL networks.

     

维吾尔语三音节词韵律特征声学分析

本文从文本分析模块入手,利用“维吾尔语语音声学参数库”,选择了以开音节和闭音节结尾的333个三音节词的韵律参数,包括元音时长、音高和音强进行了统计分析,归纳了其元音时长、音高和音强分布模式,探讨了维吾尔语三音节词的韵律节奏模式与三音节词重音之间的关系问题,其目的是为了提高语音合成的自然度即更好的为自然语言处理服务。本项研究对维吾尔语语言乃至整个阿尔泰语系语言的韵律研究具有较高的参考价值。     

维吾尔语词首音节元音声学分析

该文利用“维吾尔语语音声学参数数据库”,统计分析和归纳了维吾尔语词首音节元音的共振峰模式及其分布格局。声学元音图有多种画法,该文采用JOOS型声学元音图。这种元音图的特点是以F1为纵坐标,以F2为横坐标。这样绘制成的声学元音图与元音舌位图有很好的对应性。维语标准音词首音节中有[y, i, e, O, u, o, ;, A]等8个元音。舌位前后的分布特点是[u, o, A]为后元音,[y, i, e, O, ;]为前元音;开口度(舌位高低)分布特点是[y, i, u]为高元音,[e, O, o]为次高元音,[;]为次低元音, [A]为低元音.     

Metamodeling live sequence charts for code generation

This article presents a metamodeling study for Live Sequence Charts (LSCs) and Message Sequence Charts (MSCs) with an emphasis on code generation. The article discusses specifically the following points: the approach to building a metamodel for MSCs and LSCs, a metamodel extension from MSC to LSC, support for model-based code generation, and finally action model and domain-specific data model integration. The metamodel is formulated in metaGME, the metamodel language for the Generic Modeling Environment.

基于HTK的维吾尔语连续语音声学建模

维吾尔语属于阿勒泰语系突厥语族,是黏着性语言。本文根据维吾尔语的特点,分析设计了维吾尔语语音识别系统的总体结构,讨论了维吾尔语最佳识别基元的选择方法,提出建立基于决策树聚类的上下文相关模型,并采用混合高斯分布(GMD)拟合观测概率分布,优化维吾尔语连续语音中HMM模型系统以提高识别性能。最后给出实验对比,得出结论,为今后维吾尔语连续语音识别研究提供依据。     

Linear and nonlinear viscoelastic and viscoplastic analysis of asphalt binders with warm mix asphalt additives

Warm-Mix Asphalt (WMA) is a widely used product, which proved a contribution to the reduction in asphalt mixing and compaction temperatures. This reduction leads to lower fuel consumption and smoke emission in asphalt plants. Most of the characterisation of binders used in WMA has focused in the past on measuring linear viscoelastic properties and associated Superpave parameters. Several studies have shown that the average stresses and strains of the asphalt mixture remain mostly within the linear viscoelastic response. However, localised strains in the binder phase of the mixture could reach values high enough to induce nonlinear viscoelastic and viscoplastic deformations. Therefore, this study focuses on an experimental and analytical evaluation of linear, nonlinear viscoelastic and viscoplastic responses of selected binders modified for use in WMA. The first part of the paper analyses the linear viscoelastic material properties and their ability to evaluate permanent deformation resistance. Then, the non-recoverable creep compliance parameter obtained from the Multiple Stress Creep Recovery (MSCR) test is analysed to assess the nonlinear response and permanent deformation of asphalt binders. The paper utilises a nonlinear plasto-viscoelastic (NPVE) approach to assess and quantify the nonlinear plasto-viscoelastic response of binders by separating the recoverable and irrecoverable strains measured in the MSCR test. Two WMA additives were included in this study by mixing them with polymer-modified and unmodified asphalt binders. Analysis of results showed that the NPVE approach captured a higher percentage of recovery than the NLVE approach. However, binder’s performance evaluation and ranking did not change by adopting the NPVE approach. The nonlinear viscoelastic parameters provided insight on the behaviour of asphalt binders mixed with WMA additives during loading cycles. Sasobit showed higher influence than Advera on binders in resisting permanent deformation by increasing the recoverable strain during the unloading phase.     

Model‐based code generation for HLA federates

This paper addresses the problem of automated code generation for a High Level Architecture compliant federate application given its behavior model. The behavior model is a part of the architectural model of a federation that the federate can participate in. The federate behavior model is based on Live Sequence Charts, adopted as the behavioral specification formalism in the Federation Architecture Metamodel (FAMM). FAMM serves as a formal language for describing federation architectures. An objective is to help the testing of federation architecture by means of its prototype implementation early in the development lifecycle. A further objective is to help developers construct complete federate applications that are well modularized. The approach to achieve these objectives is aspect‐oriented in that the generated code, which handles the federate's interactions with a federation execution, serves as the base code, where the computation logic is to be weaved as an aspect. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于自顶向下算法的维吾尔语句法分析初探

该文通过研究国内外相关的句法分析算法与理论,再结合维吾尔语自身的特点对基于规则的维吾尔语句法分析方法进行讨论,由于维吾尔语作为一种自然语言,具有自然语言所共有的一些规则,发现国外经典的句法分析方法同样适合于维吾尔语的句法分析,本论文主要讨论了自项向下的的自动句法分析方法。