Hierarchical inversion‐based output tracking control for uncertain autonomous underwater vehicles using extended Kalman filter

In this study, a hierarchical inversion‐based output tracking controller (HIOTC) is developed for an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) subject to random uncertainties (e.g., current disturbances, unmodeled dynamics, and parameter variations) and noises (e.g., process and measurement noises). The proposed HIOTC respectively utilizes a combination of feedforward and feedback controls in a hierarchical structure based on the kinematic and dynamic models of the system. Moreover, to obtain uncontaminated or unavailable states for implementing the proposed control law, the extended Kalman filter (EKF) is employed to estimate the system states. Then, the position outputs, orientation, and velocity of the AUV are reached with guaranteed asymptotic stability. The robustness of the proposed HIOTC is verified through injection of random uncertainties into the system model. The closed‐loop stability of the proposed individual subsystems is respectively guaranteed to have uniformly ultimately bounded (UUB) performance based on the Lyapunov stability criteria. In addition, the asymptotic tracking of the overall system is demonstrated using Barbalat's lemma. Finally, the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed control scheme are evaluated through computer simulations and it is shown that the overall system achieves good asymptotic tracking performance.     

Application of Fuzzy Moving Sliding Surface Approach for Container Cranes

International Journal of Control, Automation and Systems - In this paper, we consider the fuzzy moving sliding surface anti-sway control problem for container cranes. We first introduce the dynamic...     

Design of a Sliding Mode Controller with Fuzzy Rules for a 4-DoF Service Robot

In this study, a novel control strategy that combines a fuzzy system and the sliding mode controller is proposed for improving stability and achieving high-accuracy control in service robots. Based on the kinematic and dynamic models of a 4-degrees of freedom manipulator, and the observed tracking error using a low-cost inertial sensor, the proposed fuzzy sliding mode controller (FSMC(IMU)) is designed to generate appropriate torques at robot joints. The FSMC(IMU) controller parameters are adjusted through a fuzzy rule that determines the state of the system. The error in trajectory tracking is reduced through this. The gain value K can be finely adjusted by fuzzy control by observing the degree of vibration after entering the sliding mode surface. The larger the observed vibration value, the faster the fuzzy controller follows the given input trajectory by selecting a smaller gain value K and reducing jitter due to the sliding mode control’s discontinuous switch characteristics. When the degree of error is small, it achieves faster and more accurate control performance than when the observer is not used. The stability of the FSMC(IMU) system is verified via disturbance experiments. The experimental data are compared with the conventional sliding mode controller and proportional-derivative control. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed FSMC(IMU) controller is stable, fast, and highly accurate in controlling service robots.

     

Companion robots for older adults: Rodgers’ evolutionary concept analysis approach

Intelligent Service Robotics - This study aims to analyze the concept of companion robots for older adults from the perspective of nursing. This study employed a concept analysis. The literature...     

Invertebrate response to impacts of water diversion and flow regulation in high‐altitude tropical streams

Water supply systems are critical infrastructure that provides food and energy security for developed societies. The operation of reservoirs (flow regulation) and water intakes (water diversion) has known negative impacts on aquatic ecosystems; however, quantification of ecological impacts and examination of these two types of flow alteration remain a developing area of research. We investigated the individual and combined impact of flow regulation and water diversion on stream ecosystem integrity, the freshwater macroinvertebrate community, and the population structure of flow‐sensitive insects. For 2 years, we monitored quarterly discharge, physical and chemical stream conditions, and benthic invertebrates of four high‐altitude tropical streams that are part of the water supply system of Quito, Ecuador. Flow regulation caused a loss of the hydrological seasonality of these streams, including a decrease in stream depth and biotic quality. Water diversion caused a decrease in dissolved oxygen and overall ecosystem integrity. Freshwater invertebrate density and richness decreased as a result of water diversion and flow regulation. The combined flow alteration in these streams decreased the density of nymphal stages of the widely distributed mayfly Andesiops peruvianus. Given the societal needs for food and energy security, water management for diversion (e.g., irrigation) and in‐line storage practices (e.g., hydroelectric dams) are anticipated to increase. This research suggests that the negative environmental impacts of flow alteration could be mitigated with discharge releases designed to approximate the natural hydrologic regime of undisturbed streams.     

Winglet geometry effects on tip leakage loss over the plane tip in a turbine cascade

The effects of winglet offset distance, winglet coverage, and winglet cross section on the over-tip leakage loss for the plane tip have been investigated experimentally in a turbine blade cascade for a tip gap height-to-span ratio of h/s = 1.36 %. The results show that the over-tip leakage loss for the full coverage winglet increases steeply with increasing the winglet offset distance. This loss generation is attributed to flow disturbances over the forward-facing and backward-facing steps within the tip gap. The winglet flush mounted to the tip surface provides the best result. With the leading edge winglet portion or without it, the both-side winglet always provides better aerodynamic performance than the corresponding pressure-side winglet or suction-side winglet. Longer coverage of the both-side winglet leads to lower loss. Therefore, the full coverage winglet performs best in the loss reduction for the plane tip. In general, thinner winglet leads to better aerodynamic result, and the winglet cross section having a slant bottom surface with the smallest thickness at its outer end is recommended.     

Effects of Al:Si and (Al + Na):Si ratios on the properties of the international simple glass,part II: Structure

High-alumina containing high-level waste (HLW) will be vitrified at the Waste Treatment Plant at the Hanford Site. The resulting glasses, high in alumina, will have distinct composition-structure-property (C-S-P) relationships compared to previously studied HLW glasses. These C-S-P relationships determine the processability and product durability of glasses and therefore must be understood. The main purpose of this study is to understand the detailed structural changes caused by Al:Si and (Al + Na):Si substitutions in a simplified nuclear waste model glass (ISG, international simple glass) by combining experimental structural characterizations and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The structures of these two series of glasses were characterized by neutron total scattering and ²⁷Al, ²³Na, ²⁹Si, and ¹¹B solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Additionally, MD simulations were used to generate atomistic structural models of the borosilicate glasses and simulation results were validated by the experimental structural data. Short-range (eg, bond distance, coordination number, etc) and medium-range (eg, oxygen speciation, network connectivity, polyhedral linkages) structural features of the borosilicate glasses were systematically investigated as a function of the degree of substitution. The results show that bond distance and coordination number of the cation-oxygen pairs are relatively insensitive to Al:Si and (Al + Na):Si substitutions with the exception of the B-O pair. Additionally, the Al:Si substitution results in an increase in tri-bridging oxygen species, whereas (Al + Na):Si substitution creates nonbridging oxygen species. Charge compensator preferences were found for Si-[NBO] (Na⁺), ^[3]B-[NBO] (Na⁺), ^[4]B (mostly Ca²⁺), ^[4]Al (nearly equally split Na⁺ and Ca²⁺), and ^[6]Zr (mostly Ca²⁺). The network former-BO-network former linkages preferences were also tabulated; Si-O-Al and Al-O-Al were preferred at the expense of lower Si-O-^[3]B and ^[3]B-O-^[3]B linkages. These results provide insights on the structural origins of property changes such as glass-transition temperature caused by the substitutions, providing a basis for future improvements of theoretical and computer simulation models.     

Atomic layer deposition of GDC cathodic functional thin films for oxide ion incorporation enhancement

In this paper, we report successful fabrication of a gadolinia-doped ceria (GDC) thin film using atomic layer deposition (ALD) for improving the performance of solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). By varying the deposition conditions and adjusting the configuration of the ALD supercycle, the doping ratio of ALD GDC was controlled. The morphology, crystallinity, and chemical composition of ALD GDC thin films were analyzed. ALD GDC showed different surface chemistry, including oxidation states, at different doping ratios. The application of ALD GDC in a SOFC led to an output power density enhancement greater than 2.5 times. With an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) porous support structure, an ALD GDC thin film SOFC (TF-SOFC) showed a high power density of 288.24 mW/cm² at an operating temperature of 450°C.     

Effects of acid leaching treatment of soda-lime silicate glass on crack initiation and fracture

Water or acid soaking surface treatments have been shown to increase the mechanical strength of soda-lime silicate (SLS) glasses. This increase in strength has traditionally been attributed to effects related to residual stress or changes in fracture resistance. In this work, we report experimental data that cannot be explained based on the existing knowledge of glass surface mechanics. In dry environments, annealed and acid-leached SLS surfaces have comparable crack initiation stress and fracture stress as measured by Hertzian indentation and biaxial bending tests, respectively. Yet, in the presence of humidity, acid-leached surfaces have higher failure stress than the annealed surfaces. This apparent enhancement in the crack resistance of the acid-leached surface of SLS glass in humid environments supports the hypothesis that acid-leached surface chemistry can lower the transport kinetics of molecular water to critical flaws.     

Effect of AlN addition on the electrical resistivity of pressureless sintered SiC ceramics with B4C and C

The effect of 0–12 wt% AlN addition on the electrical resistivity of SiC ceramics pressureless sintered with 0.7 wt% B₄C and 2.5 wt% C additives was investigated. The elemental analysis of SiC grains revealed a codoping of Al and N in the SiC lattice with a higher N concentration with 1 wt% AlN addition and a higher Al concentration with 12 wt% AlN addition. The electrical resistivity decreased by four orders of magnitude (1.7 × 10⁵ → 8.3 × 10¹ Ω cm) with 1 wt% AlN addition due to the increased carrier density (1.7 × 10¹⁰ → 2.3 × 10¹⁵ cm⁻³) caused by excess N-derived donors. However, subsequent AlN addition (4 → 12 wt%) led to an increase (2.9 × 10³ → 1.2 × 10⁴ Ω‧cm) in electrical resistivity due to (1) increased Al dopants which act as deep acceptors for trapping N-derived carriers causing a decrease in carrier density (2.3 × 10¹⁵ → 5.9 × 10¹³ cm⁻³), (2) the formation of electrically insulating SiC-AlN solid solution, and (3) the presence of electrically insulating AlN grains at the grain boundaries.