COLLATE – A collaboratory supporting research on historic European films

In the COLLATE project, we aim to design and implement a Web-based collaboratory for archives, scientists, and end users working with digitized cultural material. Our example domain is the historic film documentation comprising digitized material about European films of the early 20th century. Designed as a content- and context-based knowledge working environment for distributed user groups, the COLLATE system supports both individual work and collaboration of domain experts who are analyzing, evaluating, indexing, and annotating material in the data repository. The system provides appropriate task-based interfaces for indexing and annotating. As a multifunctional means of in-depth analysis, annotations can be made individually but also collaboratively, for example in the form of annotation of annotations. Combining results from manual and automatic indexing procedures, elaborate content- and context-based information retrieval mechanisms can be applied.     

A design guide for calculating liquid-metal turbulent forced convection heat transfer with non-uniform heat fluxes and transients

Calculation of turbulent forced convection heat transfer in ducts during non-uniform wall heat fluxes and transients is of interest to the national liquid-metal fast breeder nuclear reactor program. This paper presents an improved method whereby such heat transfer can be determined during analysis and design. Since the method involves the use of fully developed, steady-state heat transfer coefficients, several dimensionless coefficients and selected physical properties, tables, graphs, or equations are included for the convenience of the designer. Application of the improved method is specialized to four geometries of interest: circular tube, parallel-plate channel, annular space, and approximation of pin or rod bundle.     

Quadratic weights for asymptotic regulator properties

This paper describes a new procedure for selecting weighting matrices in linear-quadratic optimal control designs. The procedure is based on asymptotic modal characteristics of multivariable LQ-regulators as control weights tend to zero. The asymptotic behavior of both eigenvalues and eigenvectors is used to provide complete, unique specification of the weighting matrices. The procedure is illustrated with a simplified lateral-directional flight control design example.     

Conic sectors for sampled-data feedback systems

A multivariable analog system can be controlled by a sampled-data compensator. A conic sector that can be used to analyze the closed-loop stability and robustness of this feedback system is presented in this letter.     

DYNAMIC SIMULATION OF METHANATION REACTORS, INTERSTAGE HEAT EXCHANGERS, AND CONTROLLERS

The RMProcess for methanation of coal syngas, which consists of six fixed-bed, adiabatic, catalytic reactors connected in series with interstage waste-heat boilers and feedwater preheaters to remove the heat of reaction, was successfully simulated dynamically using a mixed ordinary/partial differential equation model. Computer integration of the-model was accomplished using the numerical method of lines.

Controls were added to the model to regulate the temperature of the gas feed into the reactors by diverting some gas around the interstage heat-exchangers. It was found that the controller selection and tuning, although generally not a goal in large-scale simulations, was quite important. Conventional methods used to tune the controllers gave controller settings that caused a significant detrimental effect on numerical integration stability and efficiency.     

The PumaPaint Project

The PumaPaint Project is an online robot that allows World Wide Web users to create original artwork. This paper describes the PumaPaint Project at two locations: the original site at Wilkes University and the site at Roger Williams University. Each site allows control of a PUMA robot equipped with four paintbrushes, jars of red, green, blue and yellow paint and white paper attached to a vertical easel. A Java interface executing within a web browser allows interactive control of the robot. This interface contains two windows showing live camera views of the easel and various controls for connecting to the robot, viewing the task status and controlling the painting task. The original site operated from June 1998 to March 2000 with approximately 25,000 unique-addressed machines downloading the interface to produce about 500 canvases. The new site has been in operation since August 2002. This paper discusses the author's experiences in operating the original site, and the motivation for and the challenges of reviving the site in its current location.