Universal state-of-charge indication for portable applications

Many leading semiconductors companies (e.g. Philips, Texas Instruments, Microchip, Maxim, etc.) are paying even more attention to accurate State-of-Charge (SoC) indication. Following the technological revolution and the appearance of more power consuming devices on the automotive electronics and portable devices markets (e.g. Third Generation 3G cellular phones) the simple SoC indication system from the early 40's based on voltage and temperature measurements, have been replaced by more complicated and accurate SoC systems. The "dream" of the last 80 years of research in the SoC field is to design a universal SoC system that adapts on-line to any battery type without the user intervention. So far, no one succeeded in coming up with a SoC system that is accurate enough under all realistic user conditions. As is partially revealed by this thesis title, the final aim of the presented method is to design and test an SoC indication system capable of predicting the SoC and the remaining run-time of any Lithium (Li) battery with an accuracy of 1% or better under all realistic user conditions, including a wide variety of load currents and a wide temperature range. In order to achieve this goal a new system that incorporates on-line predictive and adaptation solutions is developed. The obtained results prove the capability of the developed SoC system to adapt to different battery chemistry types and to offer an accurate and universal SoC indication. A designer is also interested in the implementation requirements of the mathematical functions in a practical application. A possible implementation of the SoC algorithm on a mobile phone platform is presented. The applicability and usability of the SoC algorithm for a new developed ultra-fast recharging algorithm is also described

Navigation of Automatic Vehicle using AI Techniques

In the field of mobile robot navigation have been studied as important task for the new generation of mobile robot i.e. Corobot. For this mobile robot navigation has been viewed for unknown environment. We consider the 4-wheeled vehicle (Corobot) for Path Planning, an autonomous robot and an obstacle and collision avoidance to be used in sensor based robot. We propose that the predefined distance from the robot to target and make the robot follow the target at this distance and improve the trajectory tracking characteristics. The robot will then navigate among these obstacles without hitting them and reach the specified goal point. For these goal achieving we use different techniques radial basis function and back-propagation algorithm under the study of neural network. In this Corobot a robotic arm are assembled and the kinematic analyses of Corobot arm and help of Phidget Control Panel a wheeled to be moved in both forward and reverse direction by 2-motor controller have to be done. Under kinematic analysis propose the relationships between the positions and orientation of the links of a manipulator. In these studies an artificial techniques and their control strategy are shown with potential applications in the fields of industry, security, defense, investigation, and others. Here finally, the simulation result using the webot neural network has been done and this result is compared with experimental data for different training pattern

Traction control in electric vehicles

Tese de Mestrado Integrado. Engenharia Electrotécnica e de Computadores. Área de Especialização de Automação. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 201

Design and Development of FPGA based Controllers for Photovoltaic Power System

In the recent years owing to increased energy consumption and consequent rise in crude oil price and global climatic change have motivated researchers to focus towards harnessing power from renewable energy resources such as photovoltaic (PV), fuel cell, biomass and wind energy systems. Among the different renewable resources, PV technology is one of the fastest growing technologies, because of abundance availability of solar irradiance and it has no adverse environmental impacts. But, the cost of PV energy is higher than the other conventional sources owing to its low PV conversion efficiency. Therefore, research opportunities lie in applying power electronics and control techniques for harvesting PV power at higher efficiencies for appropriate utilization. For simulation, analysis and control design of a PV power system, an accurate model of the PV cell is essential because PV cell is the basic bulding block of a PV power system. To maximise the power generation of a PV system it is necessary that the PV array should be operated at the maximum power point. A maximum power point tracker (MPPT) is required in the PV system to enable it to operate at the MPP. The output current-voltage (I-V) and power-voltage (P-V) characteristics of a PV vell are non-linear and hence its power fluctuates in accordance with the variation in solar irradiance and temperature. During the last decade, a lot of research has been directed to develop efficient MPPT schemes. But, research opportunities are still promising for designing new MPPT algorithms and to address their digital implementation issues. Further, there lies challenge to design MPPTs that can handle partial shading conditions. The thesis first proposes development of new MPPT algorithms and different pulse width modulated-voltage source inverter control strategies for a PV system. Firstly an integral sliding mode MPPT controller (ISMC) has been proposed for achieving an effective MPPT scheme, and then a modified P&O MPPT controller is developed which is implemented using a real-time digital simulator called Opal-RT. The performance of the modified ISMC is compared with that of the conventional proportional integral (PI) MPPT controller using both MATLAB simulation and real-time experimentation. The performance of the modified P&O MPPT controller with fixed step size is compared with that of the conventional incremental conductance (Inc Cond) and P&O MPPT controllers, and these are validated by using Opal-RT and subsequently through FPGA implementation. A modified incremental conductance MPPT controller with variable step size is then proposed for handling partial shading conditions. The tracking performance of the proposed modified Inc Cond MPPT controller is also compared with that of the conventional Inc Cond MPPT controller, from the obtained results by using Opal-RT. Further, an experimental prototype PV set-up is developed in the laboratory to implement the proposed MPPT algorithms on the physical hardware. After having developed efficient parameter extraction algorithms for a PV panel, the thesis subsequently proposes five new MPPT algorithms such as Integral sliding mode MPPT, modified P&O MPPT, modified Inc Cond MPPT, Model predictive MPPT, and modified Inc Cond variable step size MPPT controllers. All these developed MPPT algorithms have been implemented on a Solar array simulator (SAS) PV system, in MATLAB/SIMULINK, OPAL-RT and on a prototype hardware PV set-up. From the obtained results, it is found that these MPPTs adjust the power of a PV system effectively to its maximum power value smoothly with fast response and accuracy whilst reducing the fluctuations in its power. Tracking performance of all these proposed MPPT algorithms are found to be superior to some of the existing MPPTs such as perturb and observe (P&O), incremental conductance (INC), HCC and adaptive HCC. Further more, a PV system is observed to be stable with all these proposed MPPTs. From the results obtained it is also confirmed that the proposed modified P&O MPPT exhibits better MPP tracking performance in terms of quick settling time and least steady state error. Further, less voltage fluctuation and less maximum overshoot are observed in the case of the proposed modified Inc Cond MPPT among all the proposed MPPT algorithms. The proposed controllers are also well suited to all weather conditions. A grid connected PV system involves a power conversion from DC power into AC power. Due to high switching frequencies of this conversion by inverter, there is a power loss. An efficient control scheme needs to be developed for integrating the PV system to the grid. The thesis then proposes a Model Predictive Control (MPC) for integrating a PV system to the grid. The performance of the MPC is compared with conventional hysteresis current controller (HCC) and also with that of an adaptive HCC (AHCC) through a real-time simulatin using the Opal-RT then through FPGA implementations. FPGA implementation of the controllers such as HCC, AHCC and MPC were also performed by using LABVIEW configured with NI-cRIO-9014 platform. For elimination of current harmonic and reactive power of the grid connected PV system, there is a need of designing a filter. The PV system based shunt active power filter (SAPF) with modified incremental conductance MPPT controller with variable step size is then designed. From the MATLAB simulation and real-time digital simulation studies it is envisaged that the proposed PV based SAPF exhibits good harmonics compensation

Embedded electronic systems driven by run-time reconfigurable hardware

Abstract This doctoral thesis addresses the design of embedded electronic systems based on run-time reconfigurable hardware technology –available through SRAM-based FPGA/SoC devices– aimed at contributing to enhance the life quality of the human beings. This work does research on the conception of the system architecture and the reconfiguration engine that provides to the FPGA the capability of dynamic partial reconfiguration in order to synthesize, by means of hardware/software co-design, a given application partitioned in processing tasks which are multiplexed in time and space, optimizing thus its physical implementation –silicon area, processing time, complexity, flexibility, functional density, cost and power consumption– in comparison with other alternatives based on static hardware (MCU, DSP, GPU, ASSP, ASIC, etc.). The design flow of such technology is evaluated through the prototyping of several engineering applications (control systems, mathematical coprocessors, complex image processors, etc.), showing a high enough level of maturity for its exploitation in the industry.Resumen Esta tesis doctoral abarca el diseño de sistemas electrónicos embebidos basados en tecnología hardware dinámicamente reconfigurable –disponible a través de dispositivos lógicos programables SRAM FPGA/SoC– que contribuyan a la mejora de la calidad de vida de la sociedad. Se investiga la arquitectura del sistema y del motor de reconfiguración que proporcione a la FPGA la capacidad de reconfiguración dinámica parcial de sus recursos programables, con objeto de sintetizar, mediante codiseño hardware/software, una determinada aplicación particionada en tareas multiplexadas en tiempo y en espacio, optimizando así su implementación física –área de silicio, tiempo de procesado, complejidad, flexibilidad, densidad funcional, coste y potencia disipada– comparada con otras alternativas basadas en hardware estático (MCU, DSP, GPU, ASSP, ASIC, etc.). Se evalúa el flujo de diseño de dicha tecnología a través del prototipado de varias aplicaciones de ingeniería (sistemas de control, coprocesadores aritméticos, procesadores de imagen, etc.), evidenciando un nivel de madurez viable ya para su explotación en la industria.Resum Aquesta tesi doctoral està orientada al disseny de sistemes electrònics empotrats basats en tecnologia hardware dinàmicament reconfigurable –disponible mitjançant dispositius lògics programables SRAM FPGA/SoC– que contribueixin a la millora de la qualitat de vida de la societat. S’investiga l’arquitectura del sistema i del motor de reconfiguració que proporcioni a la FPGA la capacitat de reconfiguració dinàmica parcial dels seus recursos programables, amb l’objectiu de sintetitzar, mitjançant codisseny hardware/software, una determinada aplicació particionada en tasques multiplexades en temps i en espai, optimizant així la seva implementació física –àrea de silici, temps de processat, complexitat, flexibilitat, densitat funcional, cost i potència dissipada– comparada amb altres alternatives basades en hardware estàtic (MCU, DSP, GPU, ASSP, ASIC, etc.). S’evalúa el fluxe de disseny d’aquesta tecnologia a través del prototipat de varies aplicacions d’enginyeria (sistemes de control, coprocessadors aritmètics, processadors d’imatge, etc.), demostrant un nivell de maduresa viable ja per a la seva explotació a la indústria

Large space structures and systems in the space station era: A bibliography with indexes (supplement 04)

Bibliographies and abstracts are listed for 1211 reports, articles, and other documents introduced into the NASA scientific and technical information system between 1 Jul. and 30 Dec. 1991. Its purpose is to provide helpful information to the researcher, manager, and designer in technology development and mission design according to system, interactive analysis and design, structural concepts and control systems, electronics, advanced materials, assembly concepts, propulsion, and solar power satellite systems

DATA DRIVEN INTELLIGENT AGENT NETWORKS FOR ADAPTIVE MONITORING AND CONTROL

To analyze the characteristics and predict the dynamic behaviors of complex systems over time, comprehensive research to enable the development of systems that can intelligently adapt to the evolving conditions and infer new knowledge with algorithms that are not predesigned is crucially needed. This dissertation research studies the integration of the techniques and methodologies resulted from the fields of pattern recognition, intelligent agents, artificial immune systems, and distributed computing platforms, to create technologies that can more accurately describe and control the dynamics of real-world complex systems. The need for such technologies is emerging in manufacturing, transportation, hazard mitigation, weather and climate prediction, homeland security, and emergency response. Motivated by the ability of mobile agents to dynamically incorporate additional computational and control algorithms into executing applications, mobile agent technology is employed in this research for the adaptive sensing and monitoring in a wireless sensor network. Mobile agents are software components that can travel from one computing platform to another in a network and carry programs and data states that are needed for performing the assigned tasks. To support the generation, migration, communication, and management of mobile monitoring agents, an embeddable mobile agent system (Mobile-C) is integrated with sensor nodes. Mobile monitoring agents visit distributed sensor nodes, read real-time sensor data, and perform anomaly detection using the equipped pattern recognition algorithms. The optimal control of agents is achieved by mimicking the adaptive immune response and the application of multi-objective optimization algorithms. The mobile agent approach provides potential to reduce the communication load and energy consumption in monitoring networks. The major research work of this dissertation project includes: (1) studying effective feature extraction methods for time series measurement data; (2) investigating the impact of the feature extraction methods and dissimilarity measures on the performance of pattern recognition; (3) researching the effects of environmental factors on the performance of pattern recognition; (4) integrating an embeddable mobile agent system with wireless sensor nodes; (5) optimizing agent generation and distribution using artificial immune system concept and multi-objective algorithms; (6) applying mobile agent technology and pattern recognition algorithms for adaptive structural health monitoring and driving cycle pattern recognition; (7) developing a web-based monitoring network to enable the visualization and analysis of real-time sensor data remotely. Techniques and algorithms developed in this dissertation project will contribute to research advances in networked distributed systems operating under changing environments

Shuttle Ground Operations Efficiencies/Technologies (SGOE/T) study. Volume 2: Ground Operations evaluation

The Ground Operations Evaluation describes the breath and depth of the various study elements selected as a result of an operational analysis conducted during the early part of the study. Analysis techniques used for the evaluation are described in detail. Elements selected for further evaluation are identified; the results of the analysis documented; and a follow-on course of action recommended. The background and rationale for developing recommendations for the current Shuttle or for future programs is presented

Space Station needs, attributes and architectural options study. Volume 7-4A: Data book, architecture, technology and programmatics, part A

Various parameters of the orbital space station are discussed. The space station environment, data management system, communication and tracking, environmental control, and life support system are considered. Specific topics reviewed include crew work stations, restraint systems, stowage, computer hardware, and expert systems

Wireless Sensing System for Load Testing and Rating of Highway Bridges

Structural capacity evaluation of bridges is an increasingly important topic in the effort to deal with the deteriorating infrastructure. Most bridges are evaluated through subjective visual inspection and conservative theoretical rating. Diagnostic load test has been recognized as an effective method to accurately assess the carrying capacity of bridges. Traditional wired sensors and data acquisition (DAQ) systems suffer drawbacks of being labor intensive, high cost, and time consumption in installation and maintenance. For those reasons, very few load tests have been conducted on bridges.;This study aims at developing a low-cost wireless bridge load testing & rating system that can be rapidly deployed on bridges for structural evaluation and load rating. Commercially available wireless hardware is integrated with traditional analogue sensors and the appropriate rating software is developed. The wireless DAQ system can work with traditional strain gages, accelerometers as well as other voltage producing sensors. A wireless truck position indicator (WVPI) is developed and used for measuring the truck position during load testing. The software is capable of calculating the theoretical rating factors based on AASHTO Load Resistance Factor Rating (LRFR) codes, and automatically produces the adjustment factor through load testing data. A simplified finite element model was used to calculate deflection & moment distribution factors in order to reduce the amount of instrumentation used in field tests. The system was used to evaluate the structural capacity of Evansville Bridge in Preston County, WV. The results show that the wireless bridge load testing & rating system can effectively be implemented to evaluate the real capacity of bridges with remarkable advantages: low-cost, fast deployment and smaller crew