Frictional properties of VA‐mode alignment‐film surfaces studied by frictional force microscopy

Abstract— The surface‐friction characteristics of the post‐bake temperature were compared to that of the rubbing condition on VA‐mode alignment films (AFs) using frictional force microscopy (FFM). The surface roughness and the surface frictional force increased when the temperature was elevated. However, the frictional asymmetry could not be detected by the frictional loop due to the instability of the side‐chain molecular arrangement. For the inter‐influences of the total friction and surface roughness, the density of the side chain was changed and it was intentionally rubbed for evaluation. The results showed that the total friction was higher when the rubbing was stronger and side‐chain density lower, and the surface roughness also increased in the same manner. This can be explained by the potential interaction due to the curved structure of the side‐chain surface that establishes the probe that is scanned and the top surface layer. In order to confirm the influence of the pre‐tilt angle on the tilt of the side chain, a test cell was produced under the same conditions and evaluated. The results showed that the pre‐tilt‐angle decreased according to the difference in density of the side chain and strength of rubbing after injecting liquid‐crystal (LC).     

基于神经网络的变流量管路摩阻系数计算

应用改进的BP神经网络算法对过渡区内流量变化下的蒸汽管路摩阻系数进行了预测,解决了因蒸汽流量变化而使得摩阻系数值计算过程复杂繁琐、效率低下的问题。实例表明,该方法得到的仿真值与Colebrook方程计算值符合较好,所产生的误差平均水平能够满足工程计算的精度要求。     

Road Friction Coefficient Real-Time Identification Based on the Tire Dynamic Friction Model

Road friction coefficient real-time estimation methods is an important issue and problem in automotive active safety con- trol system development. First a fixed feedback gain sliding mode observer of road adhesion coefficient is designed through the es-tablishment of tire/road dynamic friction model in this article. The simulation results shows that the observer can well real-time iden-tify the current road adhesion characteristics. And more importantly, the observer only need wheel speed signal and the braking torque （brake pressure） signal, so the system is low cost, and its adaptability is good. There is no doubt this estimation method has a good application prospect.     

Effects of road surface appearance and low friction warning systems on driver behaviour and confidence in the warning system

Warning systems for slippery road conditions are a potential newcomer among driver support systems. A total of 75 participants drove in a high-fidelity driving simulator on roads with both visible and invisible ice, to investigate to which extent drivers rely on a low friction warning system. Three experimental groups with different versions of a low friction warning system and a control group without warning system were compared. All drivers ranked the systems according to trust. A system displaying recommended speed received the best ratings. Driving speed was analysed for three particular segments of the route. Generally, lowest speeds were achieved with the recommended speed system. The participants drove more slowly on a slippery segment that looked icy than on the segments that looked dry when they did not receive a low friction warning. When they received a warning for low friction they also lowered their speed for the segment looking like asphalt. The results provide guidelines for how to present low friction warnings to drivers. The design has substantial effects on the resulting behaviour and therefore it can have a high impact on traffic safety. So far, not much research on low friction warning systems has been reported.     

Stochastic distribution of the required coefficient of friction for level walking--an in-depth study

This study investigated the stochastic distribution of the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) which is a critical element for estimating slip probability. Fifty participants walked under four walking conditions. The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample test indicate that 76% of the RCOF data showed a difference in distribution between both feet for the same participant under each walking condition; the data from both feet were kept separate. The results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov goodness-of-fit test indicate that most of the distribution of the RCOF appears to have a good match with the normal (85.5%), log-normal (84.5%) and Weibull distributions (81.5%). However, approximately 7.75% of the cases did not have a match with any of these distributions. It is reasonable to use the normal distribution for representation of the RCOF distribution due to its simplicity and familiarity, but each foot had a different distribution from the other foot in 76% of cases. PRACTITIONER SUMMARY: The stochastic distribution of the required coefficient of friction (RCOF) was investigated for use in a statistical model to improve the estimate of slip probability in risk assessment. The results indicate that 85.5% of the distribution of the RCOF appears to have a good match with the normal distribution.     

Valve stiction estimation using global optimisation

Valve stiction is the most frequent cause of loop oscillations. Thus, detecting and quantifying this valve problem is essential to ensuring plant profitability. In this work, a novel one-stage procedure to estimate stiction parameters is proposed using a two-parameter stiction model. The optimisation problem is computed using a global optimisation algorithm. These two propositions make the stiction computation more efficient and computationally faster than the currently available method. The applicability of the proposed approach is illustrated using a large number of simulated and industrial valves. Moreover, to isolate the impact of each proposition, the novel method is compared with the currently available technique, which is based on a two-stage scheme. The results show that the global optimisation algorithm is more efficient than the direct search and genetic algorithms, as previously proposed by Jelali (2008). The two-stage procedure provides a better estimate of the apparent stiction, whereas the one-stage procedure provides a better slipjump value.     

Reduction of Noise from Disc Brake Systems Using Composite Friction Materials Containing Thermoplastic Elastomers (TPEs)

Attempts have been made for the first time to prepare a friction material with the characteristic of thermal sensitive modulus, by the inclusion of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) as viscoelastic polymeric materials into the formulation in order to the increase the damping behavior of the cured friction material. Styrene–butadiene–styrene (SBS), styrene–ethylene–butylene–styrene (SEBS) and nitrile rubber/polyvinyl chloride (NBR/PVC) blend system were used as TPE materials. In order to evaluate the viscoelastic parameters such as loss factor (tan δ) and storage modulus (E′) for the friction material, dynamic mechanical analyzer (DMA) were used. Natural frequencies and mode shapes of friction material and brake disc were determined by modal analysis. However, NBR/PVC and SEBS were found to be much more effective in damping behavior. The results from this comparative study suggest that the damping characteristics of commercial friction materials can be strongly affected by the TPE ingredients. This investigation also confirmed that the specimens with high TPE content had low noise propensity.     

纳米碳管的特性及其在摩擦磨损中的应用

纳米碳管具有超强的力学性能,极高的化学、热稳定性和独特的导电性,已得到广泛的应用.本文综述纳米碳管的结构、制备方法和应用,着重讨论纳米碳管在摩擦磨损中的研究进展及其应用.