Discovery of sound sources by an autonomous mobile robot

In this work, we describe an autonomous mobile robotic system for finding, investigating, and modeling ambient noise sources in the environment. The system has been fully implemented in two different environments, using two different robotic platforms and a variety of sound source types. Making use of a two-step approach to autonomous exploration of the auditory scene, the robot first quickly moves through the environment to find and roughly localize unknown sound sources using the auditory evidence grid algorithm. Then, using the knowledge gained from the initial exploration, the robot investigates each source in more depth, improving upon the initial localization accuracy, identifying volume and directivity, and, finally, building a classification vector useful for detecting the sound source in the future.     

FeOT-CaO-SiO2-Al2O3渣系中铅及其氯化物蒸汽压测定

利用Knudsen喷射法测试FeOT?CaO?SiO2?Al2O3渣系中铅及其氯化物的蒸汽压。结果显示该复杂体系中铅及其氯化物的蒸汽压随温度升高而升高。对于不含氯元素的渣系,铅的挥发气体种类为PbO 和金属Pb。二者蒸汽压的对数(lnp)与温度的倒数(1/T)之间呈良好的线性关系。金属 Pb 蒸汽形成比例越高,总的蒸汽压越高。铅的蒸汽压随FeOT?CaO?SiO2?Al2O3渣系碱度的升高、随FeO含量及w(Fe2+)/w(Fe3+)比例的升高而升高。对于含有Cl元素的渣系,铅的挥发气体种类为PbCl2和PbCl,二者总的蒸汽压随渣碱度及FeO含量的降低而升高。     

STUDIES ON THE MYCOFLORA OF MALT

The mycoflora of malt which caused gushing beer has been investigated and compared with the mycoflora of malt from nine malting plants in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and England. Malt which caused gushing beer was found to contain a high proportion of grains contaminated by Aspergillus, Penicillium and Rhizopus. The commonest species isolated were found to be Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus amstelodami. These fungi occurred on all malt samples investigated independent of their origin. The mycoflora on malt differs greatly from that found on barley. Evidence is presented showing that barley becomes contaminated during the malting process.     

Electric spark discharge as an ultrasonic generator in flow measurement situations

In this paper, a gap discharge approach to create acoustic signals for ultrasonic low pressure gas flow measurements is investigated. The objective is to develop an ultrasonic gas flow meter system that is capable of operation in extreme industrial environments. These environments might have extremely high temperatures (1200 °C), moisture, steam, dust, low gas pressure and large transmission distances.Most other types of ultrasonic transducers found show sensitivity to such conditions: their operation suffers, or they may even stop functioning if exposed to such environments. The development of new transducer technology is therefore crucial to allow ultrasonic flow measurements in extreme industrial environments. In this paper, the gap discharge emitter is evaluated as a candidate to be used in these applications. Its capabilities as a sound source are investigated, and its impact on flow meter performance is estimated. It can be concluded that, despite the uncertainties it introduces to a flow meter system, it stands out as a strong candidate to be used as an acoustic emitter in a gas flow meter system for extreme environments.     

Scaling of cylindrical shells under axial impact

A technique of correcting scaled strain rate sensitive structures subject to dynamic loads is described and applied to a shell under axial impact. The prototype and models responses were simulated using finite element method. Final deformed shape, collapse mode, displacement at the top of the shell and maximum force of scaled models are compared to the respective prototype. It is shown that the models response are quite different from the prototype if no correction is performed. By correcting the initial impact velocity, the models scale quite well and it is even possible to obtain the transition phenomenon between global and progressive buckling of shells subject to the axial impact of a mass.     

A Microcomputer System for Spatiotemporal Visual Receptive Field Analysis

A microcomputer system was developed to measure visual spatiotemporal receptive fields. The system performs three functions: 1) generation of a binary spatiotemporal white-noise stimulus, 2) acquisition of spike discharges from retinal ganglion cells, and 3) extraction of the linear part of the spatiotemporal receptive flelds by cross correlating the input against the output. We have applied this system to the measurement of the spatiotemporal receptive fields of cat and catfish retinal ganglion cells.     

Anode Interfacial Tuning via Electron‐Blocking/Hole‐Transport Layers and Indium Tin Oxide Surface Treatment in Bulk‐Heterojunction Organic Photovoltaic Cells

The effects of anode/active layer interface modification in bulk‐heterojunction organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells is investigated using poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) and/or a hole‐transporting/electron‐blocking blend of 4,4′‐bis[(p‐trichlorosilylpropylphenyl)‐phenylamino]biphenyl (TPDSi₂) and poly[9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐co‐N‐[4‐(3‐methylpropyl)]‐diphenylamine] (TFB) as interfacial layers (IFLs). Current–voltage data in the dark and AM1.5G light show that the TPDSi₂:TFB IFL yields MDMO‐PPV:PCBM OPVs with substantially increased open‐circuit voltage (V_oc), power conversion efficiency, and thermal stability versus devices having no IFL or PEDOT:PSS. Using PEDOT:PSS and TPDSi₂:TFB together in the same cell greatly reduces dark current and produces the highest V_oc (0.91 V) by combining the electron‐blocking effects of both layers. ITO anode pre‐treatment was investigated by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy to understand why oxygen plasma, UV ozone, and solvent cleaning markedly affect cell response in combination with each IFL. O₂ plasma and UV ozone treatment most effectively clean the ITO surface and are found most effective in preparing the surface for PEDOT:PSS deposition; UV ozone produces optimum solar cells with the TPDSi₂:TFB IFL. Solvent cleaning leaves significant residual carbon contamination on the ITO and is best followed by O₂ plasma or UV ozone treatment.     

Nanostructured coatings produced by a novel ultrasonic-assisted method: Coating characterisation and formation mechanism

In this study, we introduce a novel method of mechanical plating to produce nanopowder coatings on a number of metal substrates by using TiN nanopowder as a representative example. This method, proposed earlier by the authors, allows a coating to be applied at room temperatures and atmospheric pressure in a relatively short time. These coatings were characterised for microhardness, roughness, and scratch adhesion. Their micro- and nanostructures were investigated by SEM and TEM. On the basis of the results of these analyses, possible mechanisms of coating formation were tentatively proposed and discussed. To further elucidate the coating formation mechanisms and to estimate the process capability, a mathematical model was developed and verified against the experimental results.