Combination of probability approach and support vector machine towards machine health prognostics

This study presents a combined method of the probability approach and support vector machine (SVM) to predict failure degradation based on simulated and experimental failure bearing data. The failure rate as a degradation parameter is calculated using the Cox-proportional hazard model and the reliability theory based on simulated and experimental data. Kurtosis is used to show the bearing condition under specified operating conditions up to final failure occurrence. For simulated data, a failure degradation is calculated using the Cox model, where the baseline hazard is assumed having Weibull probability. In the case of experimental data, a reliability formula is employed to estimate the failure degradation of the bearing based on run-to-failure datasets. Both failure degradations are regarded as target vectors which indicate the bearing health to failure condition. Moreover, an SVM is employed as an artificial intelligence prognostics method and trained by kurtosis and the target vector to build the prediction model. The trained SVM is then utilized to predict the final failure time of individual bearing data. The result shows that the proposed method has the potential to be a machine health prognostics framework.     

Comparison of crystallized coconut sugar produced by traditional method and amorphous coconut sugar formed by two drying methods: vacuum drying and spray drying

Coconut sugar is traditionally produced by evaporating sap until reaching its saturated liquid and formed a crystalline structure. This study investigated the comparison of coconut sugar made by traditional method (crystalline structure) and dried coconut sugar (predominantly amorphous structure) to its characteristics. Two different formulation of coconut sap : maltodextrin (7 : 3) and (6 : 4) (weight/weight) were dried using vacuum oven (70℃, 6 hours) and spray dried (Tinlet 120℃.) Coconut sugar was characterized for moisture content, crystallinity, water sorption isotherm, hygroscopic rate, color, dissolving time, and powder recovery. Initial moisture content was examined and in range of 1.33% - 3.44% (wb). The highest monolayer water content was obtained by using spray drying (6 : 4) and lowest was obtained by traditional method. X-ray diffraction showed that dried coconut sugar powder had dominant amorphous structure (70.9 – 71.4%) while traditional one was dominated with crystalline structure (90.5%). Traditional coconut sugar was the least hygroscopic (1.21 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes), followed by vacuum dried coconut sugar (1.48 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes) and spray dried ones (1.56 – 1.67 × 10-4 g water/g solid/minutes). Spray dried coconut sugar had the brightest and the whitest color, followed by vacuum dried and traditional coconut sugar. Vacuum dried powder was quicker to dissolve (13.33 – 16.67 s), while increasing maltodextrin in spray drying could not decrease the dissolving time. The highest powder recovery of dried sugar was obtained by using vacuum drying and higher maltodextrin concentration (88.70%) while traditional method produced 100% powder recovery.     

Optimization of SC–CO2 extraction of zerumbone from Zingiber zerumbet (L) Smith

Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the variables affecting the Supercritical carbon dioxide (SC–CO₂) extraction of non-polar compounds from Zingiber zerumbet using the Box-Behnken design (BBD). Dependent variables were the percentage of the chemical components in the ginger vis a vis α-caryophyllene (y₁), camphene (y₂), and zerumbone (2,6,10-cycloundecatrien-1-one, 2,6,9,9-tetramethyl-) (y₃). Pressure was the most significant parameter affecting the amount of each compound extracted. When temperature was kept constant and pressure was increased, all of the dependent variables increased concomitantly. Since pressure and temperature are two of the major influential factors in the extraction using SC–CO₂, any combination of these two parameters could be selected to ascertain the optimum combination for a particular compound in the extract. Extraction at 30 °C and 55 MPa with total amount of 30 g of CO₂ used was found to maximize all the responses.     

Selective microwave absorption in Nd3+ substituted barium ferrite composites

Microwave(MW) frequency based wireless communications and electronic devices became prospective due to several ramifications.To meet this need,a series of neodymium ions(Nd3+) substituted barium ferrite composites with composition(20)BaO:(80-x)Fe_2 O_3:(x)Nd_2 O_3(0≤x≤3 mol%) was prepared at1100℃using solid-state reaction method.We evaluated the effect of various Nd3+ions contents on the surface morphology,structure,and magnetic properties of the as-synthesized barium ferrite composites.Meanwhile,microwave reflection loss,complex permittivity and permeability were determined using the transmission/reflection line method in the X-band(8—12 GHz).SEM image of the composites shows that the surface morphology consists of rough and porous microstructures.XRD patterns of the un-doped composites reveal the existence of BaFe_(12)O_(19)(hexagonal) and Fe_(21.333)O_(32)(tetragonal) crystalline phases.Furthermore,a new hexagonal crystalline phase of Ba_6 Nd_2 Fe_4 O_(15) with the crystallite sizes between 15 and 67 nm is observed due to Nd3+ions substitution in the composite.The saturation magnetization of the composite containing 2 mol% of Nd3+does not exhibit any significant alteration compared to the one devoid of Nd3+.The complex relative permitivity and permeability of the achieved composites enriched in Ba_6 Nd_2 Fe_4 O_(15) and BaFe_2 O_4 phases disclose significant MW frequency dependence.The composites also display selective MW absorption in the X-band which could be useful for diverse applications.     

Dynamic Characteristics and Effective Stiffness Properties of Honeycomb Composite Sandwich Structures for Highway Bridge Applications

In this paper, a combined analytical and experimental study of dynamic characteristics of honeycomb composite sandwich structures in bridge systems is presented, and a relatively simple and reliable dynamic experimental procedure to estimate the beam bending and transverse shear stiffness is proposed. This procedure is especially practicable for estimating the beam transverse shear stiffness, which is primarily contributed by the core and is usually difficult to measure. The composite sandwich beams are made of E-glass fiber and polyester resins, and the core consists of the corrugated cells in a sinusoidal configuration. Based on the modeling of equivalent properties for the face laminates and core elements, analytical predictions of effective flexural and transverse shear stiffness properties of sandwich beams along the longitudinal and transverse to the sinusoidal core wave directions are first obtained. Using piezoelectric sensors, the dynamic response data are collected, and the dynamic characteristics of the sandwich structures are analyzed, from which the flexural and transverse shear stiffness properties are reduced. The experimental stiffness results are then compared to the analytical stiffness properties, and relatively good correlations are obtained. The proposed dynamic tests using piezoelectric sensors can be used effectively to evaluate the dynamic characteristics and stiffness properties of large sandwich structures suitable for highway bridge applications.     

Geranylgeraniol Inhibits Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Inflammation in Mouse-Derived MG6 Microglial Cells via NF-κB Signaling Modulation

Persistent inflammatory reactions in microglial cells are strongly associated with neurodegenerative pathogenesis. Additionally, geranylgeraniol (GGOH), a plant-derived isoprenoid, has been found to improve inflammatory conditions in several animal models. It has also been observed that its chemical structure is similar to that of the side chain of menaquinone-4, which is a vitamin K₂ sub-type that suppresses inflammation in mouse-derived microglial cells. In this study, we investigated whether GGOH has a similar anti-inflammatory effect in activated microglial cells. Particularly, mouse-derived MG6 cells pre-treated with GGOH were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Thereafter, the mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines were determined via qRT-PCR, while protein expression levels, especially the expression of NF-κB signaling cascade-related proteins, were determined via Western blot analysis. The distribution of NF-κB p65 protein was also analyzed via fluorescence microscopy. Thus, it was observed that GGOH dose-dependently suppressed the LPS-induced increase in the mRNA levels of Il-1β, Tnf-α, Il-6, and Cox-2. Furthermore, GGOH inhibited the phosphorylation of TAK1, IKKα/β, and NF-κB p65 proteins as well as NF-κB nuclear translocation induced by LPS while maintaining IκBα expression. We showed that GGOH, similar to menaquinone-4, could alleviate LPS-induced microglial inflammation by targeting the NF-kB signaling pathway.     

Genetic algorithm tuned PI controller on PMSM simplified vector control

A simple control structure in servo system is occasionally needed for simple industrial application which precise and high control performance is not exessively important so that the cost production can be reduced efficiently. Simplified vector control, which has simple control structure, is utilized as the permanent magnet synchronous motor control algorithm and genetic algorithm is used to tune three PI controllers used in simplified vector control. The control performance is obtained from simulation and investigated to verify the feasibility of the algorithm to be applied in the real application. Simulation results show that the speed and torque responses of the system in both continuous time and discrete time can achieve good performances. Furthermore, simplified vector control combined with genetic algorithm has a similar perfofmance with conventional field oriented control algorithm and possible to be realized into the real simple application in the future.     

Role of interfaces in damage process of irradiated lithium aluminate nanocrystals

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to understand the differences in the response of single crystal and nanocrystalline γ-LiAlO₂ to energy deposition by 10 keV Li recoils. The simulations are performed at 573 K and focus on the damage production in the absence of thermal annealing. The grain boundaries in the nanocrystals are found to be amorphous. Analyses of the fate of the beam ions show that the amorphous grain boundaries and differently oriented nanograins increase the number of backscattered ions and decrease the number of transmitted ions. Damaged regions protruding from the grain boundaries provide a direct evidence of the role of the grain boundaries as scattering centers in collision cascades. The simulations show that the defect density produced in the nanocrystals is about twice that in the single crystals. In both samples, Li defects account for 70% of the defects, demonstrating that LiO₄ tetrahedra are much more susceptible to damage than AlO₄ tetrahedra. Furthermore, Li defects occur preferentially near grain boundaries. Diffusion simulations confirm the limited thermal diffusion of defects at 573 K, effectively separating the damage production from thermal annealing in the irradiation simulations. Nevertheless, the mean square displacements of grain-boundary defects are found to be larger than lattice defects and surface defects.