Multivariable controller design in an adaptive control scheme

A multivariable control system design approach in the frequency domain is presented. The issue of control system redesign in an adaptive control scheme is discussed. Expert system techniques have been used for the automated design of controllers for multivariable systems. Design knowledge has been represented using rules, facts and objects. The design process consists of a sequence of operations obtained by heuristics and experience in the the design techniques. An automated design session of a multivariable plant using the expert system demonstrates that the expert system appears to work well in its prototype implementation.     

Pole shifting for matrices over real algebras

Pole shifting of multivariable control system over finite dimensional real algebras is studied. The main results are expressed in terms of the minimal polynomial of A + BF, where F is a feedback.     

Application of the blind source separation method to feature extraction of machine sound signals

As the result of vibration emission in air, a machine sound signal carries important information about the working condition of machinery. But in practice, the sound signal is typically received with a very low signal-to-noise ratio. To obtain features of the original sound signal, uncorrelated sound signals must be removed and the wavelet coefficients related to fault condition must be retrieved. In this paper, the blind source separation technique is used to recover the wavelet coefficients of a monitored source from complex observed signals. Since in the proposed blind source separation (BSS) algorithms it is generally assumed that the number of sources is known, the Gerschgorin disk estimator method is introduced to determine the number of sound sources before applying the BSS method. This method can estimate the number of sound sources under non-Gaussian and non-white noise conditions. Then, the partial singular value analysis method is used to select these significant observations for BSS analysis. This method ensures that signals are separated with the smallest distortion. Afterwards, the time-frequency separation algorithm, converted to a suitable BSS algorithm for the separation of a non-stationary signal, is introduced. The transfer channel between observations and sources and the wavelet coefficients of the source signals can be blindly identified via this algorithm. The reconstructed wavelet coefficients can be used for diagnosis. Finally, the separation results obtained from the observed signals recorded in a semi-anechoic chamber demonstrate the effectiveness of the presented methods .     

Effect of Plate Oscillation on Bubble Residence Time in an Aerated Stagnant Liquid

Gas transfer efficiency during absorption is an important factor in various technological processes involving the interaction between liquid and gaseous systems. It is known that gas bubble motion characteristics strongly affect the efficiency of mass transfer during gas absorption. A device for mechanical vibration of an aerated liquid was designed, based on a cylindrical column filled up with tab water and a plate oscillating in the vertical direction. The goal of the present study is to investigate the effect of vibration parameters such as amplitude, frequency and form of the applied signal on the efficiency of the oxygenation process. Bubble residence time in the liquid and bubble depth of submergence related to the oscillating plate surface were chosen as main parameters for measurements. Furthermore, experiments were conducted to study the effect of the design parameters of the vibrating plate on bubble motion characteristics. The resultant data show that bubble residence time and depth of submergence can be controlled by changing the amplitude, the frequency and the form of the vibration field applied.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone) grafted sodium alginate hydrogel beads for the controlled release of indomethacin

Graft copolymers of sodium alginate (NaAlg) with N‐vinyl‐2‐pyrrolidone were prepared using azobisisobutyronitrile as initiator. The graft copolymers (NaAlg‐g‐PVP) were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and differential scanning calorimetry. Polymeric hydrogel beads of NaAlg and NaAlg‐g‐PVP were prepared by crosslinking method using glutaraldehyde (GA) as a crosslinker in the hydrochloric acid catalyst (HCl) and these beads were used to deliver anti‐inflammatory drug, indomethacin (IM). Chemical stability of the IM after encapsulation into beads was confirmed by FTIR. Preparation conditions of the NaAlg‐g‐PVP beads were optimized by considering the percentage entrapment efficiency, particle size, swelling capacity and their release data. In vitro release studies were performed in simulated gastric fluid (pH 1.2) for the initial 2 h, followed by simulated intestinal fluid (pH 7.4) for 4 h. Effects of GA concentration, exposure time to GA, drug/polymer (d/p) ratio, and concentration of HCl on the release of IM were discussed. It was observed that IM release from the beads decreased with increasing GA concentration and exposure time. IM release also decreases with increasing d/p ratio and HCl concentration. The highest IM release was obtained to be 77% for beads crosslinked with 0.027M GA. Swelling experiments were also performed to compute molecular mass between crosslinks of the beads. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008     

Exergy losses in refrigerating systems. A study for performance comparisons in compressor and condenser

A study is carried out to describe irreversibilities in one stage refrigerating process for vapour compression cycle with refrigerant mixtures R-404A, R-410A, R-410B and R-507 as working fluids. They are calculated as exergy losses by an algorithm developed on the basis of thermodynamics. The proposed relationships have been derived from exergy balances on the system components. Emphasis is placed on parameters influencing the losses and the related results are presented through Grassmann diagrams (diagrams of exergy fluxes). Furthermore, detailed information on the variation of cycle's exergy efficiency with evaporating and condensing temperatures is given. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combustion of bulk density powder mixtures in a coflow of nitrogen gas: 3. The Ti-(Ti + 0.5C) layered system

Explored is the filtration combustion in Ti-(Ti + 0.5C) layered powder systems in a coflow of nitrogen gas. The presence/absence of nitrogen coflow through the layered system was found to drastically affect the character of wave propagation and structure/properties of product. The obtained data can be regarded as a basis for fabrication of new layered and composite materials in the mode of dynamic filtration combustion.      

An expert decision support system for network routing: a case study

The paper presents a case study of the development of an expert decision support system which uses simple heuristic methods for fast determination of routes for simultaneous signals in a transmission network of limited capacity. It illustrates how heuristic solutions can be embodied in a model-based DSS and how the standard decision support literature, although intuitively appealing, provides little practical assistance in system construction or classification     

CAL delivery selection criteria and authoring systems

Abstract  In the past, authoring systems have been used to generate computer-assisted learning materials that have often followed the rather restrictive programmed learning format. A number of innovative ways of using recently developed systems to develop CAL packages that include a wider range of learning activities (access to data bases, simulations, interactive video, etc.) are described. Analogous to the concept of a media selection model, a computer delivery mode selection model is presented as an aid to decision making for designers. This increase in flexibility should broaden the applicability of computerassisted learning (CAL) to a wider range of educational objectives and raise the level of the cognitive emphasis in learning packages, as well as facilitate the implementation of visually appealing materials. The paper also implies a standard of acceptability for authoring systems.