Development, implementation, and testing of fault detection strategies on the National Wind Technology Center’s controls advanced research turbines

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s National Wind Technology Center dedicates two 600 kW turbines for advanced control systems research. A fault detection system for both turbines has been developed, analyzed, and improved across years of experiments to protect the turbines as each new controller is tested. Analysis of field data and ongoing fault detection strategy improvements have resulted in a system of sensors, fault definitions, and detection strategies that have thus far been effective at protecting the turbines. In this paper, we document this fault detection system and provide field data illustrating its operation while detecting a range of failures. In some cases, we discuss the refinement process over time as fault detection strategies were improved. The purpose of this article is to share field experience obtained during the development and field testing of the existing fault detection system, and to offer a possible baseline for comparison with more advanced turbine fault detection controllers.     

An optimal sidelobeless window

A window is derived whose Fourier transform magnitude is unimodal and whose processing gain against white noise is maximized. As such, the spectral window does not exhibit sidelobes and is as narrow in frequency as possible. If should be useful for a variety of signal processing applications     

Engaging High‐Sensation Seekers: The Dynamic Interplay of Sensation Seeking,Message Visual‐Auditory Complexity and Arousing Content

This study extends the research on message‐sensation value (MSV) by treating it as a dynamic stream of complex visual‐auditory information and arousing content (MSV‐d). Real‐time attentional and emotional responses to this dynamic stream during the PSA viewing process are indicated by psychophysiological measures. Dynamic models are used to systematically examine endogenous and exogenous influences on message processing to more accurately understand the effects of MSV‐d variables and individuals' sensation seeking tendencies during the processing of the PSAs. An important finding is that generally, increasing visual‐auditory complexity activates an approach tendency in those with high sensation‐seeking tendencies but activates an avoidance tendency in those with low sensation‐seeking tendencies, and this response pattern is moderated by arousing content.     

Ultrathin Polydopamine Films with Phospholipid Nanodiscs Containing a Glycophorin A Domain

Cellular membranes have long served as an inspiration for nanomaterial research. The preparation of ultrathin polydopamine (PDA) films with integrated protein pores containing phospholipids and an embedded domain of a membrane protein glycophorin A as simplified cell membrane mimics is reported. Large area, ultrathin PDA films are obtained by electropolymerization on gold surfaces with 10–18 nm thickness and dimensions of up to 2.5 cm². The films are transferred from gold to various other substrates such as nylon mesh, silicon, or substrates containing holes in the micrometer range, and they remain intact even after transfer. The novel transfer technique gives access to freestanding PDA films that remain stable even at the air interfaces with elastic moduli of ≈6–12 GPa, which are higher than any other PDA films reported before. As the PDA film thickness is within the range of cellular membranes, monodisperse protein nanopores, so‐called “nanodiscs,” are integrated as functional entities. These nanodisc‐containing PDA films can serve as semi‐permeable films, in which the embedded pores control material transport. In the future, these simplified cell membrane mimics may offer structural investigations of the embedded membrane proteins to receive an improved understanding of protein‐mediated transport processes in cellular membranes.     

Catalytically Doped Semiconductors for Chemical Gas Sensing: Aerogel‐Like Aluminum‐Containing Zinc Oxide Materials Prepared in the Gas Phase

Atmospheric contamination with organic compounds is undesired in industry and in society because of odor nuisance or potential toxicity. Resistive gas sensors made of semiconducting metal oxides are effective in the detection of gases even at low concentration. Major drawbacks are low selectivity and missing sensitivity toward a targeted compound. Acetaldehyde is selected due to its high relevance in chemical industry and its toxic character. Considering the similarity between gas‐sensing and heterogeneous catalysis (surface reactions, activity, selectivity), it is tempting to transfer concepts. A question of importance is how doping and the resulting change in electronic properties of a metal‐oxide support with semiconducting properties alters reactivity of the surfaces and the functionality in gas‐sensing and in heterogeneous catalysis. A gas‐phase synthesis method is employed for aerogel‐like zinc oxide materials with a defined content of aluminum (n‐doping), which were then used for the assembly of gas sensors. It is shown that only Al‐doped ZnO represents an effective sensor material that is sensitive down to very low concentrations (<350 ppb). The advance in properties relates to a catalytic effect for the doped semiconductor nanomaterial.     

Fractional brownian motion: a maximum likelihood estimator and its application to image texture

Fractals have been shown to be useful in characterizing texture in a variety of contexts. Use of this methodology normally involves measurement of a parameter H, which is directly related to fractal dimension. In this work the basic theory of fractional Brownian motion is extended to the discrete case. It is shown that the power spectral density of such a discrete process is only approximately proportional to |f|a instead of in direct proportion as in the continuous case. An asymptotic Cramer-Rao bound is derived for the variance of an estimate of H. Subsequently, a maximum likelihood estimator (MLE) is developed to estimate H. It is shown that the variance of this estimator nearly achieves the minimum bound. A generation algorithm for discrete fractional motion is presented and used to demonstrate the capabilities of the MLE when the discrete fractional Brownian process is contaminated with additive Gaussian noise. The results show that even at signal-to-noise ratios of 30 dB, significant errors in estimation of H can result when noise is present. The MLE is then applied to X-ray images of the human calcaneus to demonstrate how the line-to-line formulation can be applied to the two-dimensional case. These results indicate that it has strong potential for quantifying texture.     

Flow Behavior of Milk Chocolate Melt and the Application to Coating Flow

ABSTRACT: The rheological properties of chocolate, especially shear viscosity and yield stress, are important control parameters for enrobing processes in confectionery manufacture. The rheological parameters of molten milk chocolate were measured at 42°C during steady pipe flow using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) viscometric method. The experimental method combines shear rate values obtained from an MR velocity image and shear stress values obtained from an independent pressure drop measurement. The experimental factors were emulsifier type and emulsifier level. The rheogram data were fit by the Casson model to yield the Casson yield stress and plastic viscosity. The Casson yield stress ranged from 1.9 to 15.0 Pa; the Casson viscosity ranged from 6.0 to 14.6 Pa s as a function of emulsifier content. The rheological parameters were incorporated into a drainage theory model to predict coating thicknesses in the enrobing process. The model was solved numerically and yielded good approximations to the experimental values that were between 1.1 to 2.7 mm.