Motion Error Compensation Method for Hydrostatic Tables Using Actively Controlled Capillaries

To compensate for the motion errors in hydrostatic tables, a method to actively control the clearance of a bearing corresponding to the amount of error using actively controlled capillaries is introduced in this paper. The design method for an actively controlled capillary that considers the output rate of a piezo actuator and the amount of error that must be corrected is described. The basic characteristics of such a system were tested, such as the maximum controllable range of the error, micro-step response, and available dynamic bandwidth when the capillary was installed in a hydrostatic table. The tests demonstrated that the maximum controllable range was 2.4 /im, the resolution was 27 nm, and the frequency bandwidth was 5.5 Hz. Simultaneous compensation of the linear and angular motion errors using two actively controlled capillaries was also performed for a hydrostatic table driven by a ballscrew and a DC servomotor. An iterative compensation method was applied to improve the compensation characteristics. Experimental results showed that the linear and angular motion errors were improved to 0.12 μm and 0.20 arcsec, which were about 1/15^th and l/6^th of the initial motion errors, respectively. These results confirmed that the proposed compensation method improves the motion accuracy of hydrostatic tables very effectively.     

Trade-off analysis in multi-objective optimization using Chebyshev orthogonal polynomials

In this paper, it is intended to introduce a method to solve multi-objective optimization problems and to evaluate its performance. In order to verify the performance of this method it is applied for a vertical roller mill for Portland cement. A design process is defined with the compromise decision support problem concept and a design process consists of two steps : the design of experiments and mathematical programming. In this process, a designer decides an object that the objective function is going to pursuit and a non-linear optimization is performed composing objective constraints with practical constraints. In this method, response surfaces are used to model objectives (stress, deflection and weight) and the optimization is performed for each of the objectives while handling the remaining ones as constraints. The response surfaces are constructed using orthogonal polynomials, and orthogonal array as design of experiment, with analysis of variance for variable selection. In addition, it establishes the relative influence of the design variables in the objectives variability. The constrained optimization problems are solved using sequential quadratic programming. From the results, it is found that the method in this paper is a very effective and powerful for the multi-objective optimization of various practical design problems. It provides, moreover, a reference of design to judge the amount of excess or shortage from the final object.     

Condition monitoring scheme via one-class support vector machine and multivariate control charts

A condition-based maintenance (CBM) has been widely employed to reduce maintenance cost by predicting the health status of many complex systems in prognostics and health management (PHM) framework. Recently, multivariate control charts used in statistical process control (SPC) have been actively introduced as monitoring technology. In this paper, we propose a condition monitoring scheme to monitor the health status of the system of interest. In our condition monitoring scheme, we first define reference data set using one-class support vector machine (OC-SVM) to construct the control limit of multivariate control charts in phase I. Then, parametric control chart or non-parametric control chart is selected according to the results from multivariate normality tests. The proposed condition monitoring scheme is applied to sensor data of two anemometers to evaluate the performance of fault detection power.

     

Ni@Ru and NiCo@Ru Core–Shell Hexagonal Nanosandwiches with a Compositionally Tunable Core and a Regioselectively Grown Shell

The development of highly active electrocatalysts is crucial for the advancement of renewable energy conversion devices. The design of core–shell nanoparticle catalysts represents a promising approach to boost catalytic activity as well as save the use of expensive precious metals. Here, a simple, one‐step synthetic route is reported to prepare hexagonal nanosandwich‐shaped Ni@Ru core–shell nanoparticles (Ni@Ru HNS), in which Ru shell layers are overgrown in a regioselective manner on the top and bottom, and around the center section of a hexagonal Ni nanoplate core. Notably, the synthesis can be extended to NiCo@Ru core–shell nanoparticles with tunable core compositions (Ni₃Co_x@Ru HNS). Core–shell HNS structures show superior electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) to a commercial RuO₂ black catalyst, with their OER activity being dependent on their core compositions. The observed trend in OER activity is correlated to the population of Ru oxide (Ru⁴⁺) species, which can be modulated by the core compositions.     

Titanium implants and BMP-7 in bone: an experimental model in the rabbit

This study evaluates the effect of rhBMP-7/OP-1 on the osseointegration of commercially pure titanium implants in an experimental implant model in rabbits. Threaded titanium implants with two transverse parallel canals were inserted in the femur and tibia of rabbits. The canals were filled with, 10 g of BMP-7/collagen carrier, pure collagen carrier or were left empty as a control. The stiffness of the implant fixation was evaluated by Resonance Frequency Analysis (RFA) at baseline and four weeks postoperativly. Percentage of bone ingrowth in the canals was measured on microradiographs. Histomorphometry along the threaded part of the implants was performed on 15 m thin sections. The results from the RFA demonstrated a higher mean value for the BMP-7 treated implants in the tibia than the carrier treated implants but not compared to the control implants. The control implants in the tibia demonstrated more bone ingrowth in the upper canal than to the carrier or the BMP-7 treated implants. Apart from these differences there were no significant effects of BMP. In this study BMP-7 did not contribute to any substantially improved bone anchorage of titanium implants.     

A Study on the Pd/a-Si/Ni Seed Layer for Metal-Induced Lateral Crystallization and Poly-Si TFTs

The effect of Pd on the growth rate of metal-induced lateral crystallization (MILC) from Ni seed and the electrical properties of thin-film transistors (TFTs) fabricated on the films crystallized by MILC were investigated. When the Pd metal is placed on the amorphous-silicon/Ni-seed layer, the MILC growth rate is two to three times faster than that of conventional Ni-MILC, without any degradation of TFTs. These results were explained by a stress that is generated by the formation of Pd₂Si     

A Lyapunov functional approach to robust stability analysis of continuous-time uncertain linear systems in polytopic domains

In this paper, a sufficient linear matrix inequality (LMI) condition is presented for robust stability analysis of continuous-time linear time-invariant (LTI) systems in polytopic domains. The underlying idea behind the proposed approach is to introduce a family of complex functions which map the closed right-hand side of the complex plane into the inside of the closed unit circle centered at the origin. Then, the mapping properties are used to assure that all the eigenvalues of a system are located in the open left-hand side of the complex plane. Examples show the validity of the proposed condition.     

A S-Bridged Inductive Electromagnetic Bandgap Power Plane for Suppression of Ground Bounce Noise

In this letter, a novel power plane using an inductive S-bridged electromagnetic bandgap (EBG) is proposed for ultra wideband suppression of the ground bounce noise. The S-shaped bridge detouring unit cells effectively increase the power plane inductance. -30 dB stopband is realized from 220 MHz to 7 GHz. The stopband lower limit (220 MHz) of the proposed EBG has been greatly reduced from that (550 MHz) of L-bridged EBG. It is expected that the number of local decoupling capacitors for the power plane integrity is reduced using the proposed S-bridged EBG without the self resonance effect.     

Oxidative degradation of the carbothioate herbicide, molinate, using nanoscale zero-valent iron

Degradation of the carbothiolate herbicide, molinate, has been investigated in oxic solutions containing nanoscale zero-valent iron particles and found to be effectively degraded by an oxidative pathway. Both ferrous iron and superoxide (or, at pH < 4.8, hydroperoxy) radicals appearto be generated on corrosion of the zero-valent iron with resultant production of strongly oxidizing entities capable of degrading the trace contaminant.