Intelligent identification and control for autonomous guided vehicles using adaptive fuzzy-based algorithms

Fuzzy logic was first suggested as the mechanism by which humans drive cars. This paper addresses the use of fuzzy logic and algorithms towards the intelligent autonomous motion control of land vehicles. To cope with vehicle complexities, internal parametric changes, and with unpredictable environmental effects, the controllers that are presented, whilst heuristic in nature, are self-organizing or self-learning in that they generate automatically by observation an experiential rule base that models the vehicle, and via an appropriate performance index an optimal control rule base that is robust to large parametric changes. The methodology presented is applicable to any complex process which is too difficult to model or control using conventional methods, or which has relied on the experience of a human operator. An overview of fuzzy logic and static fuzzy logic control (akin to expert systems) is provided, together with illustrative examples.     

Tube-shaping unit — A way of improving the quality of shaped tubes

Lenin Dnepropetrovsk Pipe Plant. Translated from Metallurg, No. 8, p. 39, August, 1989.     

Three ways to implement interfacial techniques: application tomeasurements of chromatic dispersion, birefringence, and nonlinearsusceptibilities

Depending on the spectal width of the source illuminating an interferometer, measurement procedures can utilize either the whole interferogram, or only the fringe envelope, or only the fringe quick oscillations. With an ultraband spectrum source, a simplified adaptation of the methods of Fourier transform spectroscopy yields the variations of the test-fiber propagation constant over the whole wavelength-interval of the source. Chromatic dispersion can then be computed from a single interferogram. With narrower spectrum sources, only the fringe envelopes are utilized and yield measurements of mode delay, with application to chromatic and polarization mode dispersion. In this case, however, interferograms at several wavelengths are necessary. With even narrower spectrum sources, the fringe quick oscillations provide measurements of phase shifts, related to changes in the mode propagation constant, when outside perturbations are applied to the test fiber. A direct method for measuring the third-order nonlinear susceptibilities is discussed. In this case the outside perturbation is an intense pump laser field     

Continuous phase quadrature phase shift keyed signaling techniquewith coding

A continuous phase quadrature phase shift keyed (CPQPSK) modulation technique is presented. This method utilizes a conventional QPSK modulator and a phase trajectory converter to approximate M=4, h=1/4 continuous phase signal and allows low cost, low complexity, and high rate (>1 Gbit/s) CPM modem implementation for bandwidth efficient transmission through nonlinear satellite channels. Using a communications analysis computer program it has been found that CPQPSK has 99 percent out-of-band power of 0.8R (MSK has 99 percent out-of-band power of 1.2 R where R is defined as bit rate), continuous phase trajectories, and nearly constant envelope amplitude. Simulation of realistic hardware designs indicate that the CPQPSK will require an Eb/No of 14 dB to achieve a bit error rate (BER) of 10^-6. Forward error correcting techniques using block codes with an overhead of 10 percent indicate that the Eb/No requirements can be reduced to 11.2 dB for 10^-6 BER     

Considerations in application and selection of unit substationtransformers

This paper discusses secondary unit substations transformers (USTs) ranging from 300 up through 2500 kVA with 34.5-kV maximum primary voltages and with secondary voltages 600 V and below. Pad-mounted (compartmentalized) transformers are not considered in this paper. The first part of this paper discusses USTs belonging to two general categories, liquid type and dry type (nonliquid type). Liquid types include a discussion of the presently available insulating fluids: mineral oil, high-temperature hydrocarbon fluid, silicone fluids, and the new vegetable-based fluids. Dry types include a discussion of vacuum pressure impregnated polyester, vacuum pressure encapsulated silicone, partial cast, and full cast insulation systems. The National Electric Code (1999) requirements as they affect both liquid- and dry-type USTs for both outdoor and indoor locations are considered. The paper discusses the relative advantages of each UST within each category with respect to the following: (1) first cost; (2) operating costs (losses); (3) overload capability; (4) fan cooling; (5) space factor; (6) environmental factors; (7) sound levels; and (8) maintenance     

Half-bridge inverter using 4H-SiC gate turn-off thyristors

This paper reports on the first demonstration of a half-bridge power inverter constructed from silicon carbide gate turn-off thyristors (GTOs) operated in the conventional GTO mode. This circuit was characterized with input bus voltages of up to 600 VDC and 2 A (peak current density of 540 A/cm²) with resistive loads using a pulse-width modulated switching frequency of 2 kHz. We discuss the implications of the thyristor's electrical characteristics and the circuit topology on the overall operation of the half-bridge circuit. This work has determined the conservative critical rate of rise value of the off-state voltage to be 200 V/μs in these devices     

Interactions of electron beams with surfaces of MgO crystals

The strong interaction of electrons with the flat surfaces of small crystals has been investigated by high resolution CTEM and STEM instruments. When cubic crystals of MgO smoke with edges 20–300 nm are oriented so that the ?001? or ?011? zone axis is parallel to the optical axis, then two kinds of external fringes are observed at (100) surfaces. One kind is parallel to the surface, having spacings up to 0.4 nm. These are caused by interference among the electron channelled along the surface. Fresnel-diffracted ones and the remnant of the incident beam. Fringes of the other kind, which appear as fine structure in the first kind of fringes, are perpendicular to the crystal edge. When an electron beam is parallel to the ?011? axis, the second kind of fringe, whose spacing is 0.3 nm corresponding to d₀₁₁, shows the difference of the surface potential between magnesium atoms and oxygen atoms. Selected area diffraction patterns and microdiffraction patterns also show the same periodicities as in the two kinds of fringes. Simulated images, using the scattering amplitudes for ions, are compared with observations.