Design and Implementation of a Flexible Manufacturing Control System Using Neural Network

Design and implementation of a sequential controller based on the concept of artificial neural networks for a flexible manufacturing system are presented. The recurrent neural network (RNN) type is used for such a purpose. Contrary to the programmable controller, an RNN-based sequential controller is based on a definite mathematical model rather than depending on experience and trial and error techniques. The proposed controller is also more flexible because it is not limited by the restrictions of the finite state automata theory. Adequate guidelines of how to construct an RNN-based sequential controller are presented. These guidelines are applied to different case studies. The proposed controller is tested by simulations and real-time experiments. These tests prove the successfulness of the proposed controller performances. Theoretical as well as experimental results are presented and discussed indicating that the proposed design procedure using Elman's RNN can be effective in designing a sequential controller for event-based type manufacturing systems. In addition, the simulation results assure the effectiveness of the proposed controller to outperform the effect of noisy inputs.     

Mechanical behavior of 30–50 nm thick aluminum films under uniaxial tension

We present uniaxial tensile test results for 30–50 nm thick freestanding aluminum films. Young’s modulus and ductility were found to decrease monotonically with grain size. Reverse Hall–Petch behavior was observed with no appreciable room temperature creep. Non-linear elasticity with small irreversible deformation was observed for 50 nm thick specimens.     

DEPOSITIONAL AND DIAGENETIC HISTORY OF THE KERENDAN CARBONATE PLATFORM, OLIGOCENE, CENTRAL KALIMANTAN, INDONESIA

The Kerendan carbonate platform (Oligocene Berai Limestone) covers a subsurface area measuring approximately 11 by 16 km in the westernmost Kutei Basin, Central Kalimantan. Aggradation of the Kerendan platform occurred during a major Oligocene transgression, and is contemporaneous with aggradation and backstepping of the Barito shelf margin which was located approximately 30 km to the south. The Kerendan platform is approximately 1,000 m thick, and comprises three aggrading seismic sequences identified by the downlap of basinal strata at the platform margin and downlap of transgressive strata within the platform. Carbonate deposition started in the Late Eocene, and ended when the upper limestone sequence drowned and was covered with shale in the Late Oligocene (approximately 28.6 Ma). Three depositional areas can be distinguished in seismic sections: (1) a platform interior (lagoon); (2) a slightly raised platform rim (1–2 km wide); and (3) a basinward‐dipping platform margin and slope. The margin of the platform is identified by inflections on the seismic profiles where the relatively flat platform top begins to slope basinward. Depositional models from outcrops combined with core from three Kerendan wells were used to extrapolate depositional facies onto the seismically‐defined platform. Platform‐interior (lagoon) facies consist largely of fossiliferous wackestones and packstones, and porosities are generally lower than 5%. The platform rim is characterized by interbedded bioclastic wackestones, packstones, grainstones and boundstones, with grainstones increasing toward the platform margin. Porosity preferentially occurs in packstones, grainstones and boundstones. The platform‐rim deposits have greater porosity (5–13%) than the platform interior because the platform run is more grainstone‐rich, and because acidic waters compacting out of basinal shales concentrated dissolution near the platform margin. Pore types include vuggy porosity, microporosity within grains, and intercrystalline porosity in dolomite in the upper part of the platform rim. Different pore types have resulted in variable but locally very high permeabilities (greater than 100 mD). Permeabilities decrease with depth as vuggy pores decrease, and microporosity becomes dominant.     

Theoretical analysis of heat transfer in laminar pulsating flow

Pulsation effect on heat transfer in laminar incompressible flow, which led to contradictory results in previous studies, is theoretically investigated in this work starting from basic principles in an attempt to eliminate existing confusion at various levels. First, the analytical solution of the fully developed thermal and hydraulic profiles under constant wall heat flux is obtained. It eliminates the confusion resulting from a previously published erroneous solution. The physical implications of the solution are discussed. Also, a new time average heat transfer coefficient for pulsating flow is carefully defined such as to produce results that are both useful from the engineering point of view, and compliant with the energy balance. This rationally derived average is compared with intuitive averages used in the literature. New results are numerically obtained for the thermally developing region with a fully developed velocity profile. Different types of thermal boundary conditions are considered, including the effect of wall thermal inertia. The effects of Reynold and Prandtl numbers, as well as pulsation amplitude and frequency on heat transfer are investigated. The mechanism by which pulsation affects the developing region, by creating damped oscillations along the tube length of the time average Nusselt number, is explained.     

Quantum chemical studies of Li cation binding to polyalkyloxides

A quantum chemical study of the binding of Li⁺ cation to polyalkyloxides has been carried out. The lithium cation interaction with three polyalkyloxides (polyethylene oxide (PEO), polytrimethylene oxide (PTMO), and polypropylene oxide (PPO)) has been investigated using ab initio molecular orbital theory at the HF/6-31G^* level with molecular models for the polymers. Coordination by one to six oxygens was considered. In addition, higher level calculations were carried out using G3(MP2) theory for coordination of Li⁺ by one oxygen. For coordination of lithium by one oxygen, the binding energy ordering is PTMO>PPO>PEO, with PTMO having the largest lithium cation affinity. The same ordering is found for larger coordination numbers with the exception of coordination by six oxygens, where the ordering changes due to the steric interactions.     

On upgrading the numerics in combustion chemistry codes

A method of updating and reusing legacy FORTRAN codes for combustion simulations is presented using the DAEPACK software package. The procedure is demonstrated on two codes that come with the CHEMKIN-II package, CONP and SENKIN, for the constant-pressure batch reactor simulation. Using DAEPACK generated code, analytical derivative calculations, sparsity pattern information, and hidden discontinuity information can be obtained for the models of interest. This information can be easily integrated with different solvers giving the modeler great flexibility in selecting the best solution procedure. Using the generated code, the CONP code was connected to three different solvers, and the SENKIN code was connected to two different solvers. The effect of model formulation, analytical derivatives, sparsity, and sensitivity equation solution method were analyzed for three large kinetic mechanisms for methane, acetylene, and n-heptane. For the n-heptane model, with 544 species and 2446 reactions, a factor of 10-speed improvement over the original solution procedure was found using analytical derivatives and sparse linear algebra. For sensitivity calculations, for a small number of parameters, a factor of 55 improvement over the original solution procedure was found for the n-heptane problem. Upon closer examination of results, no one method is found to always be superior to other methods, and selection of the appropriate solution procedure requires an examination of the specific kinetic mechanism, which is easily conducted using DAEPACK generated code.