Implementation of a new fuzzy vector control of induction motor

The aim of this paper is to present a new approach to control an induction motor using type-1 fuzzy logic. The induction motor has a nonlinear model, uncertain and strongly coupled. The vector control technique, which is based on the inverse model of the induction motors, solves the coupling problem. Unfortunately, in practice this is not checked because of model uncertainties. Indeed, the presence of the uncertainties led us to use human expertise such as the fuzzy logic techniques. In order to maintain the decoupling and to overcome the problem of the sensitivity to the parametric variations, the field-oriented control is replaced by a new block control. The simulation results show that the both control schemes provide in their basic configuration, comparable performances regarding the decoupling. However, the fuzzy vector control provides the insensitivity to the parametric variations compared to the classical one. The fuzzy vector control scheme is successfully implemented in real-time using a digital signal processor board dSPACE 1104. The efficiency of this technique is verified as well as experimentally at different dynamic operating conditions such as sudden loads change, parameter variations, speed changes, etc. The fuzzy vector control is found to be a best control for application in an induction motor.     

Development of a Novel Tool To Demystify Drug Distribution at Tissue-Blood Barriers

Tissue endothelial cells express ABC-transporter enzymes that change the concentration of small molecules within different tissue compartments. These “blood-tissue barriers” have been shown to directly affect the efficacy and toxicity of anticancer, antimicrobial, psychiatric, and anti-epileptic drugs. Currently this phenomenon is best studied for the blood-brain barrier, but remains enigmatic for most other tissues. In addition, canonical pharmacokinetic theory specifically assumes an equal concentration of free drug within all tissue compartments. Inspired by Lipinski's “rule of 5,” we here clarify current knowledge on drug–tissue distribution by: 1) curating the in-vivo literature on 73 drugs across 23 tissues and 2) developing two graphical web-based applications to visually describe and interpret data. These curated in-vivo dataset and visualization tools enabled us to achieve new insights into the logic of the barrier-tissue organization and showed remarkable correspondence to whole-body imaging of radiolabeled molecules.     

Interlaboratory study on lipid oxidation during accelerated storage trials with rapeseed and sunflower oil analyzed by conjugated dienes as primary oxidation products

Accelerated storage tests are frequently used to assess the oxidative stability of foods and related systems due to its reproducibility. Various methods and experimental conditions are used to measure lipid oxidation. Differences between laboratories make it necessary to determine the repeatability and reproducibility of oxidation tests performed under the same conditions. The objective of the present interlaboratory study was to evaluate the outcome of a storage test for two different bulk oils, sunflower oil (SFO) and rapeseed oil (RSO), during a period of 9 weeks at 20°C, 30°C, 40°C, and 60°C. Sixteen laboratories were provided with bottled oils and conducted the storage tests according to a detailed protocol. Lipid oxidation was monitored by the formation of conjugated dienes (CD) and the activation energy (E_a) was determined for comparative purposes and statistically evaluated. An increase in CD formation was observed for both oils when the storage temperature was increased in all laboratories. The E_a,1 ranged from 47.9 to 73.3 kJ mol⁻¹ in RSO and from 27.8 to 62.6 kJ mol⁻¹ in SFO, with average values of 58.2 and 46.8 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively. The reproducibility coefficients were 10.9% and 18.2% for RSO and SFO, respectively. Practical applications: In order to compare results on oxidative stability of foods derived from different studies, the reproducibility of storage tests and methods employed to evaluate the oxidation level should be considered. This study provides fundamental data on the reproducibility of lipid oxidation under accelerated storage conditions and defines important parameters to be considered for the conduction of experiments.     

Influence of different dispersants on the quality and stability of aqueous quinacridone magenta pigment dispersion for ink-jet applications

The stability of water-based pigment dispersions is a key factor in determining their utility in ink-jet applications, and the appropriate choice of dispersant plays a special role. Among the pigment formulations tested to date, literature data on magenta pigments are very limited. Thus, the goal of this work was to study the influence of the type and loading of dispersants on the quality and stability of quinacridone magenta pigment dispersions. Three different commercially available dispersants were tested: (1) a cationic styrene-maleic anhydride copolymer, (2) an anionic polyacrylate, and (3) a nonionic alkyl ethoxylate. Pigment and dispersing agents were analysed using the Fourier Transform–infrared method. The stability of pigment dispersions was determined by comparative studies of changes in the pigment particle size, viscosity, pH, filtration time, optical density and gloss during the accelerated ageing test. Moreover, Turbiscan AGS and LUMiFuge analysers were used for evaluations of the instability of the dispersions. The properties of each dispersing agent affected the performances of the different dispersants. The highest stability for the pigment formulations was provided using the nonionic dispersant (small particle size, < 60 nm; the lowest viscosity < 60 mPa·s at the optimal dispersant content; favourable results of the filtration test; the highest pigment dispersability, proven by optical density and gloss). The Turbiscan AGS and LUMiFuge results indicated that the stability of all tested quinacridone magenta pigment dispersions was excellent (Turbiscan Stability Index values below three, and no significant differences in transmission profiles, respectively). However, it was found that the measurement results were influenced by the viscosity of the formulations.     

Virtual reality for fire safety training: study of factors involved in immersive learning

Virtual Reality - For several years, virtual reality (VR) has been increasingly used in many fields, including learning. It has shown many benefits such as increased learner’s safety and...