Effect of transmission error on the dynamic behaviour of gearbox housing

The dynamic response of gearbox remains a paramount concern because of noise generation. This work is concerned with numerical simulation of the overall dynamic behaviour of a parallel helical gear transmission. A dynamic sub-structuring method using different types of substructure (carrying and slave) is made to determine the natural frequencies and the corresponding mode shapes. The structure to be investigated is subdivided into components or sub-structures, which are then analyzed independently for natural frequencies and mode shapes. A numerical model taking into account the elastic coupling between the various components of a gearbox was developed. It allows studying and analyzing the dynamic behaviour of elastic housing in the presence of gear process. The static transmission error is introduced as a vibratory excitation source and it is represented by time-varying mesh stiffness. The discretization of the housing deformation energy and the kinetic energy expressions using plate finite elements leads to constructions of the stiffness and the mass matrixes. In dynamic analyses, time-discretization based on the Newmark method is used. The different equations governing movement of gearbox are established in a truncated modal base deduced from the average characteristics of the structure. A gearbox example is presented, and analyzed. A presentation and discussion of the numerical results was emphasized. The numerical results allow us to conclude on the dominant phenomena of the overall dynamic behaviour of the gear transmission.     

Analysis of synchronous machine modeling for simulation and industrial applications

This paper analyses the synchronous machine modeling by taken into account the machine parameters usually used in industry and those used in researcher’s domains. Two models are presented. The first one is developed in the (d, q) natural reference frames and the other one is referred to the (d, q) stator reference frame. To do this, two methods are proposed to compute the reduction factor of the field winding without any input from design information. It is shown that the reduction factors of the (d, q) damper windings do not influence on the terminal behavior of the machine. This means that it is possible to know the terminal behavior of the machine without knowing the real inductances and resistances of the damper windings. The accuracy of these models is validated by experimental tests.     

Synchronous generator modelling and parameters estimation using least squares method

In this paper, a technique for estimating the synchronous machine’s parameters using sudden short circuit test, is proposed. Before implementing estimation algorithms, a special method of the machine modelling is given. This last one allows to perform tests such as short-circuit, load impact and shedding test, in an easier way than the models usually developed in the literature. Thanks to the well known electrical equivalent circuit of the generator, the relationships between parameters generally used in the industry (i.e., reactances and time constants) and those used in researcher’s domains will be given. Finally, simulation results of the proposed method, allows to show that the algorithm is capable of providing very good estimated parameters fitting with the actual parameters.     

NAVIG: augmented reality guidance system for the visually impaired

Navigating complex routes and finding objects of interest are challenging tasks for the visually impaired. The project NAVIG (Navigation Assisted by artificial VIsion and GNSS) is directed toward increasing personal autonomy via a virtual augmented reality system. The system integrates an adapted geographic information system with different classes of objects useful for improving route selection and guidance. The database also includes models of important geolocated objects that may be detected by real-time embedded vision algorithms. Object localization (relative to the user) may serve both global positioning and sensorimotor actions such as heading, grasping, or piloting. The user is guided to his desired destination through spatialized semantic audio rendering, always maintained in the head-centered reference frame. This paper presents the overall project design and architecture of the NAVIG system. In addition, details of a new type of detection and localization device are presented. This approach combines a bio-inspired vision system that can recognize and locate objects very quickly and a 3D sound rendering system that is able to perceptually position a sound at the location of the recognized object. This system was developed in relation to guidance directives developed through participative design with potential users and educators for the visually impaired.     

Fatty acid composition of green crab (Carcinus mediterraneus) from the Tunisian mediterranean coasts

Green crab (Carcinus mediterraneus) was analysed for proximate and fatty acid composition. The yields of crab claw meat and hepatopancreas were 24.9–26.1% and 8.8–9.2%, respectively. Crude protein (NX6.25) and crude fat contents of crab claw meat were 17.8–18.2% and 0.85–1%, respectively, on a dry weight basis, while those of hepatopancreas were 13–14% and 21.8–22.7%, respectively. The fatty acid (FA) profiles were significantly different between claw meat, and hepatopancreas of the crab. The percentage of total saturated fatty acids was higher in the hepatopancreas (25.15–26.24% of total FAs) than in the claw meat (22.58–23.49% of total FAs). The main saturated fatty acids were palmitic acid (16:0) and stearic acid (18:0). Palmitic acid represented 11.5–12.45% and 11–11.5% of the total FAs in the hepatopancreas and in the claw meat, respectively. The percentages of stearic acid were 7.8–8.3% and 7–7.3% in the hepatopancreas and in the claw meat, respectively. Meanwhile, oleic acid (18:1) was the dominant monounsaturated fatty acid which represents 16.15–16.85% and 15.4–15.7% of the hepatopancreas and the claw meat total FAs, respectively. The dominant PUFA was arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) in both claw meat and hepatopancreas. The content of arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) was higher in the hepatopancreas (13–13.5%) than in the claw meat (10.5–11.8%).     

Intrusion detection and tolerance: A global scheme

Protecting implemented security mechanisms and trusting their output (e.g. log files) when the host, under which they are deployed, is compromised, is among the major challenges that have to be faced. To fulfil this need, recent advances in security have considered the design of storage-based intrusion detection system, which detect intrusions by looking at the low-level disk requests patterns. However, these systems neither tolerate intrusions, nor do they distinguish whether the disk requests are generated by legitimate or malicious processes; and consequently, they generate a lot of false negative and positive alerts. In this paper, we present a Cooperative Intrusion Detection and Tolerance System, called CIDTS, which takes advantage of the information that are available at the network, host operating system, and storage level to better detect intrusion attempts in their early stages, even when the host is compromised. To allow cooperation, the disk communication interface that transports requests between the storage level and the host level is extended to forward information about the processes that generate the request. The paper also provides intrusion tolerance capabilities and provides techniques to support investigation activities. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Yttria-stabilized zirconia in-flight particle characteristics under vacuum plasma spray conditions

This paper deals with the diagnostic yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) in-flight particles in Vacuum Plasma Spray (VPS) process using an optical measurement device. Particle velocity, temperature and diameter were correlated to spray distance under a fixed chamber pressure of about 14 kPa. Experiments were carried out with a two-color pyrometer. Results show that correlations can be satisfactory described with linear relationships. Particle velocity and temperature decrease when increasing spray distance whereas particle diameter exhibits a linear increase with the spray distance.     

Instability in supercritical nonlinear wave equations: Theoretical results and symplectic integration

Nonlinear wave evolutions involve a dynamical balance between linear dispersive spreading of the waves and nonlinear self-interaction of the waves. In sub-critical settings, the dispersive spreading is stronger and therefore solutions are expected to exist globally in time. We show that in the supercritical case, the nonlinear self-interaction of the waves is much stronger. This leads to some sort of instability of the waves. The proofs are based on the construction of high frequency approximate solutions. Preliminary numerical simulations that support these theoretical results are also reported.     

Region-rejection based heuristics for the capacitated multi-source Weber problem

A new type of constructive and adaptive heuristics is put forward to generate initial solutions for the capacitated multi-source Weber problem. This technique is based on guiding the search by constructing restricted regions that forbid new locations to be sited too close to the previously found locations. In this work, a restricted region is represented by a circle whose radius is initially set to a fixed value, based on the sparsity of the customers and the number of facilities, and then a scheme that dynamically adjusts the radius at each facility is proposed. A discretisation technique that divides a continuous space into a discrete number of cells while embedding the use of restricted regions within the search is also presented. The experiments show that the proposed region-rejection methods, though simple and easy to understand, provide encouraging results with regard to both solution quality and computational effort. Some future research avenues are also briefly highlighted.     

Variations of respiratory activity and glutathione in activated sludges exposed to low ozone doses

Ozonation is one of the most effective treatments for reducing the production of activated sludges in wastewater treatment plants. However, because microorganisms are present in the form of microcolonies, some bacteria may be exposed to sub-lethal ozone doses that could lead to adaptation and resistance to further exposition to oxidative treatment. This represents a major question as it may limit the effect of the treatment, especially when low ozone doses are applied. The critical ozone dosage, defined as the lowest specific transferred ozone concentration leading to a decrease in the maximum oxygen uptake rate was estimated to range between 0.9 and 13.6mg O(3)g(-1) COD(sludges), according to the sludges tested. The lowest ozone dosage leading to the decrease of GSH and GSHt concentrations could be estimated to be lower than 10mg O(3)g(-1) COD(sludges) for GSH, and close to 10mg O(3)g(-1) COD(sludges) for GSHt. After sludge exposure to low ozone doses, no higher amounts of glutathione were synthesized, suggesting that no development of resistance to ozonation occurred after sludge treatment with low ozone doses.