Development and field test of the articulated mobile robot T2 Snake-4 for plant disaster prevention

Abstract

In this work, we develop an articulated mobile robot that can move in narrow spaces, climb stairs, gather information, and operate valves for plant disaster prevention. The robot can adopt a tall position using a folding arm and gather information using sensors mounted on the arm. In addition, this paper presents a stair climbing method using a single backward wave. This method enables the robot to climb stairs that have a short tread. The developed robot system is tested in a field test at the World Robot Summit 2018, and the lessons learned in the field test are discussed.     

Model predictive control with adaptive disturbance prediction and its application to fatty acid distillation column control

This paper describes the results of a joint university-industry study to control a fatty acid distillation sequence, which is plagued with severe disturbance problems. In order to solve the disturbance problem, a model predictive control algorithm is modified in terms of disturbance prediction. Assuming that the dynamics of the unmeasured disturbances is generated by an auto-regressive form, the dynamics of the disturbance can be adaptively identified by using time series data of prediction errors and inputs. Using an identified disturbance model with a process model, future outputs are predicted. Control actions are determined so that the predicted output is as close to the target value as possible. This modified model predictive control aglorithm is applied to a ratio control scheme for three distillation columns. The control system developed has been in use sucessfully for more than six years to produce commercial products.     

Applications of wear-resistant thick films formed by physical vapor deposition processes

Several physical vapor deposition processes are being developed in Japan to obtain hard refractory carbide and nitride thick films. A good example is the process for producing TiC and/or TiN by (1) reactive evaporation, (2) reactive r.f. ion plating, (3) reactive sputtering, (4) activated reactive evaporation with a probe electrode and a grounded substrate or (5) activated reactive evaporation with a positive-biased or a.c. modulated substrate (low pressure plasma deposition, d.c. or a.c.). Thick films of chromium, chromium carbide and chromium nitride deposited on steel sheets by (6) a hollow cathode discharge process are being investigated for wear applications.This paper describes the examination of such films formed by processes (4)–(6). Wear resistance is correlated to microhardness, X-ray diffraction diagrams, scanning electron microscopy observations and scratch test results.TiC-coated WC-Co throw-away tool tips, for example, prepared in suitable deposition conditions show marked improvements: $\text{1}\text{20}$ to $\text{1}\text{30}$ on crater depth and $\text{1}\text{4}$ to $\text{1}\text{5}$ on flank wear compared with uncoated tips after 15 min of lathe machining a Ni-Cr-Mo steel SNCM-8 rod at a feed rate of 0.4 mm rev^-1, with a depth of cut of 0.5 mm and at a machining speed of 234-158 m min^-1. The hardness, color and crystal structure are reported for TiN-coated sheets.The features of chromium together with its carbide and nitride films deposited by a hollow cathode discharge process for wear applications are also described.     

An energy trading system with consideration of CO2 emissions

Abatement of CO₂ emission is one of the most important issues in the 21st century regarding preservation of the earth environment. This paper addresses a utility operations planning problem for distributed energy management systems (DEMSs), where we are to obtain optimal plans that minimize both costs and CO₂ emissions. A DEMS consists of multiple entities that seek their own economic profits. In this paper, we give a mathematical formulation of the utility operations planning problem for each entity, and propose an energy trading market, which utlizes a multi‐attribute auction protocol in order to deal with both a price and a CO₂ emission rate. Experimental results show that collaboration among entities through the market provides a more profitable plan for each entity and abatement of CO₂ emission is also achieved. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 162(4): 54–63, 2008; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley. com ). DOI 10.1002/eej.20418     

Ordered Mesoporous Silica Derived from Layered Silicates

Here, the development of ordered mesoporous silica prepared by the reaction of layered silicates with organoammonium surfactants is reviewed. The specific features of mesoporous silica are discussed with relation to the probable formation mechanisms. The recent understanding of the unusual structural changes from the 2D structure to periodic 3D mesostructures is presented. The formation of mesophase silicates from layered silicates with single silicate sheets depends on combined factors including the reactivity of layered silicates, the presence of layered intermediates, the variation of the silicate sheets, and the assemblies of surfactant molecules in the interlayer spaces. FSM‐16‐type (p6mm) mesoporous silica is formed via layered intermediates composed of fragmented silicate sheets and alkyltrimethylammonium (C_nTMA) cations. KSW‐2‐type (c2mm) mesoporous silica can be prepared through the bending of the individual silicate sheets with intralayer and interlayer condensation. Although the structure of the silicate sheets changes during the reactions with C_nTMA cations in a complex manner, the structural units caused by kanemite in the frameworks are retained. Recent development of the structural design in the silicate framework is very important for obtaining KSW‐2‐based mesoporous silica with molecularly ordered frameworks. The structural units originating from layered silicates are chemically designed and structurally stabilized by direct silylation of as‐synthesized KSW‐2. Some proposed applications using these mesoporous silica are also summarized with some remarks on the uniqueness of the use of layered silicates by comparison with MCM‐type mesoporous silica.     

iopeNet及其目的

我们已经提出的新的开放式区域控制网络“iopeNet”是一个全新的概念，与现有的设备控制网络没有冲突。本资料就此加以阐释。     

Acid catalytic hydrothermal conversion of carbohydrate biomass into useful substances

Acidic hydrothermal degradation of glucose was examined in the presence of HCl, H₂SO₄, and H₃PO₄ with pH varying from 1.5 to 2.5 and reaction time varying from 1 to 10 min at 523 K, to investigate the effect of different acid catalysts and acid concentration on the production of 5-hydroxymethyl-2-furaldehyde (HMF) and levulinic acid from glucose. At lower acidities of pH 2.5, a considerably higher amount of HMF was produced. The increase in acid concentration accelerated the conversion of HMF to levulinic acid. The order for the production of HMF using the three acids is in the sequence of H₃PO₄ > H₂SO₄ > HCl. On the contrary, the order for production of levulinic acid follows HCl > H₂SO₄ > H₃PO₄. In the experimental conditions used in this study, the highest yield of levulinic acid is about 55%, which was obtained at pH 1.5 for 5 min in the case of HCl as an acid catalyst, and the total highest yields of HMF and levulinic acid are about 50%, which occurred at pH 2.0 for 5 min in the case of H₃PO₄ as an acid catalyst.     

The P,Q controllable domain of a single phase PWM converter topreserve sinusoidal AC current waveform

The P,Q controllable domain for any single phase utility-interactive voltage-source pulse width modulation (PWM) converter to preserve the AC current waveform sinusoidally, is derived mathematically to form an ellipse determined by its mains circuit parameters, independently of the PWM types. The elliptical domain was examined by and verified from both digital simulation and experiment     

通信协议标准规格

开放式综合设备网络可以满足建筑物节能、引进设备控制网络、连接现有的各种电气设备网络协议、通过扩展因特网的方式构建广域建筑设备控制网络等要求。 本文将对目前正在研究的，可望满足上述要求的设备控制网络的标准规格进行简要介绍。