Stabilizing adaptive controller for uncertain dynamical systems: An LMI approach

Adaptive stabilization of a class of linear systems with matched and unmatched uncertainties is considered in this paper. The proposed controller indeed stabilizes the uncertain system for any positive values of its non-adaptive gain that may be tuned to enhance dynamic response of system. The performance of uncertain system along with the Algebraic Riccati Equation that arises from the adaptive stabilizing controller is now formulated as a multi-objective Linear Matrix Inequality optimization problem. The decay rate and a factor governing the ultimate bound of the system states are considered to characterize the closed loop system performance. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed controller is illustrated via stabilizing a mass-spring system. Recommended by Editorial Board member Gang Tao under the direction of Editor Young Il Lee. The authors would like to thank the reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions that have improved the quality of this paper. Sandip Ghosh received the B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Bengal Engineering College (D.U.), Howrah, and Master in Control System Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, in 1999 and 2003 respectively. Presently he is pursuing the Ph.D. degree at Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. His research interests include adaptive control, robust control and control of time-delay systems. Sarit K. Das is a Professor of Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He received the Ph.D. degree in 1985 from the same department. His research interests include design of periodic controller, decoupling of multivariable systems, modeling and robust control of complex systems. Goshaidas Ray is a Professor of Electrical Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He received the Ph.D. degree in 1982 from Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. His research interests include modeling, estimation, model-based control, intelligent control, robotic systems and distributed control systems.     

Multisensor-based monitoring of weld deposition and plate distortion for various torch angles in pulsed MIG welding

Manufacturing companies often fail to maintain good weld quality due to poor arc stability and distortion after welding. Weld quality can be improved by reducing the transverse shrinkage and the angular distortion in butt welding. The welding deposition efficiency is also an important economic factor. In this work, various pulse voltage parameters have been varied along with welding torch angle in pulsed metal inert gas (P-MIG) welding. The experimental results revealed that the peak voltage is the dominant pulse voltage parameter. Various sensors were also used to monitor arc current, arc voltage, arc sound, and also weld temperature. A strong relationship between arc sound (as well as arc power) and transverse distortion (as well as metal deposition) was found to exist in P-MIG welding. The frequency domain features of welding arc sound were also extracted and correlated to the process characteristics.     

Semi‐global stabilization of discrete‐time systems subject to non‐right invertible constraints

This paper investigates time‐invariant linear systems subject to input and state constraints. We study discrete‐time systems with full or partial constraints on both input and state. It has been shown earlier that the solvability conditions of stabilization problems are closely related to important concepts such as the right invertibility or non‐right invertibility of the constraints, the location of constraint invariant zeros, and the order of constraint infinite zeros. In this paper, for general time‐invariant linear systems with non‐right invertible constraints, necessary and sufficient conditions are developed under which semi‐global stabilization in the admissible set can be achieved by state feedback. Sufficient conditions are also developed for such a stabilization in the case where measurement feedback is used. Such sufficient conditions are almost necessary. Controllers for both state feedback and measurement feedback are constructed as well. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prediction of metal deposition from arc sound and weld temperature signatures in pulsed MIG welding

The weld deposition efficiency is an important economic factor like productivity and weld quality in gas metal arc welding (GMAW). There is a strong relationship between arc sound signals and arc stability (or deposition efficiency) in GMAW. In this work, the variation of weld deposition efficiency with various pulse parameters in pulsed metal inert gas welding was investigated. The arc sound signal along with current and voltage signals were acquired and analyzed in time domain as well as in frequency domain. The sound signal kurtosis and arc power were found to be highly correlated with welding process stability. The weld deposition efficiency was also related to weld surface peak temperature. Finally, an attempt was made to correlate the sound time domain as well as frequency domain features of sound signal with the deposition efficiency. The variation of pulse shape with the duty factor also influenced the deposition efficiency as evidenced by in fast Fourier transform analysis.     

Photoconductive optically driven deformable membrane for spatial light modulator applications utilizing GaAs substrates

The fabrication and characterization of an optically addressable deformable mirror for a spatial light modulator is described. Device operation utilizes an electrostatically driven pixellated aluminized polymeric membrane mirror supported above an optically controlled photoconductive GaAs substrate. A 5 microm thick grid of patterned photoresist supports the 2 microm thick aluminized Mylar membrane. A conductive ZnO layer is placed on the back side of the GaAs wafer. A standard Michelson interferometer is used to measure mirror deformation data as a function of illumination, applied voltage, and frequency. A simplified analysis of device operation is also presented.     

Synthesis and characterization of metal selenide (ZnSe, CdSe, HgSe) nanoparticles

Thermolysis of [M(SeCH2CH2CH2NMe2)2] (M = Zn, Cd, Hg), prepared by the reactions of sodium salt of 3-(N,N-dimethylamino)propaneselenolate with metal acetates, afforded metal selenides (MSe). The metal selenides were characterized by XRD, EDAX, SEM, AFM, and TEM techniques. Nanoparticles of HgSe were prepared by pyrolysis in a quartz boat, solvothermal, and sonochemical methods. EDAX showed 1:1 Hg/Se ratio, while XRD and SAED patterns confirmed the formation of cubic HgSe. These particles are spherical in nature with an average diameter of 15 nm (from TEM).     

Correlation of Microstructure and Texture in a Two-Phase High-Mn Twinning-Induced Plasticity Steel During Cold Rolling

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The evolution of microstructure and texture of a two-phase austenite-ferrite twinning-induced plasticity steel during cold rolling was investigated and...     

Nanohardness of Sintered and Shock Deformed Alumina

To understand how high–strain rate, flyer-plate impact affects the nanohardness of a coarse (~10 μm) grain, high-density (~3.978 gm cc^–1) alumina, load controlled nanoindentation experiments were conducted with a Berkovich indenter on as-sintered disks and shock-recovered alumina fragments obtained from an earlier flyer-plate shock impact study. The nanohardness of the shock-recovered alumina was much lower than that of the as-sintered alumina. The indentation size effect was severe in the shock-recovered alumina but only mild in the as-sintered alumina. Extensive additional characterization by field emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and analysis of the experimental load depth data were used to provide a new explanation for the presence of strong indentation size effect in the shock-recovered alumina. Finally, a qualitative model was proposed to provide a rationale for the whole scenario of nanoindentation responses in the as-sintered and shock-recovered alumina ceramics.     

Development and application of a mobile laboratory for measuring emissions from diesel engines. 2. Sampling for toxics and particulate matter

Limited data are available on the emission rates of speciated volatile and semivolatile organic compounds, as well as the physical and chemical characteristics of fine particulate matter (PM) from mobile, in-use diesel engines operated on the road. A design for the sampling of these fractions and the first data from in-use diesel sources are presented in this paper. Emission rates for carbonyls, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, toluene, xylene, PM, and elemental and organic carbon (EC and OC) are reported for a vehicle driven while following the California Air Resources Board (ARB) four-mode heavy heavy-duty diesel truck (HHDDT) cycle and while transiting through a major transportation corridor. Results show that distance specific emission rates are substantially greater in congested traffic as compared with highway cruise conditions. Specifically, emissions of toxic compounds are 3-15 times greater, and PM is 7 times greater under these conditions. The dependence of these species on driving mode suggests that health and source apportionment studies will need to account for driving patterns in addition to emission factors. Comparison of the PM/NOx ratios obtained for the above tests provides insight into the presence and importance of "off-cycle" emissions during on-road driving. Measurements from a stationary source (operated and tested at constant engine speed) equipped with an engine similar to that in the HHDDT yielded a greater understanding of the relative dependence of emissions on load versus engine transients. These data are indicative of the type of investigations made possible by the development of this novel laboratory.     

Contactless measurement of surface dominated recombination in gold- and aluminum-catalyzed silicon vapor-liquid-solid wires

Carrier lifetimes of Si micro/nanowires grown by the vapor-liquid-solid method are measured using an extension of the classic contactless photoconductivity decay method. The samples measured consist of a thin aggregated film of oxide passivated wires on a fused silica carrier. Au catalyzed wires in the 392-730 nm diameter range are studied. Recombination in these wires is controlled by the surface or near surface effects, not bulk Au impurities. The lifetimes of Au- and Al-catalyzed wires of comparable diameter are measured. The Al wires are found to have slightly longer lifetimes than those grown with Au at a comparable diameter. Across all samples, the lifetimes measured range was from 0.2 to 1.0 ns. The surface controlled nature of the recombination measured implies larger diameter wires will offer better performance in devices that rely on minority carrier transport.