The Interplay between Chemistry and Mechanics in the Transduction of a Mechanical Signal into a Biochemical Function

There are many processes in biology in which mechanical forces are generated. Force-bearing networks can transduce locally developed mechanical signals very extensively over different parts of the cell or tissues. In this article we conduct an overview of this kind of mechanical transduction, focusing in particular on the multiple layers of complexity displayed by the mechanisms that control and trigger the conversion of a mechanical signal into a biochemical function. Single molecule methodologies, through their capability to introduce the force in studies of biological processes in which mechanical stresses are developed, are unveiling subtle intertwining mechanisms between chemistry and mechanics and in particular are revealing how chemistry can control mechanics. The possibility that chemistry interplays with mechanics should be always considered in biochemical studies.Comment: 50 pages, 18 figure

Collision avoidance and dynamic modeling for wheeled mobile robots and industrial manipulators

Collision Avoidance and Dynamic Modeling are key topics for researchers dealing with mobile and industrial robotics. A wide variety of algorithms, approaches and methodologies have been exploited, designed or adapted to tackle the problems of finding safe trajectories for mobile robots and industrial manipulators, and of calculating reliable dynamics models able to capture expected and possible also unexpected behaviors of robots. The knowledge of these two aspects and their potential is important to ensure the efficient and correct functioning of Industry 4.0 plants such as automated warehouses, autonomous surveillance systems and assembly lines. Collision avoidance is a crucial aspect to improve automation and safety, and to solve the problem of planning collision-free trajectories in systems composed of multiple autonomous agents such as unmanned mobile robots and manipulators with several degrees of freedom. A rigorous and accurate model explaining the dynamics of robots, is necessary to tackle tasks such as simulation, torque estimation, reduction of mechanical vibrations and design of control law

Electric Vehicle Efficient Power and Propulsion Systems

Vehicle electrification has been identified as one of the main technology trends in this second decade of the 21st century. Nearly 10% of global car sales in 2021 were electric, and this figure would be 50% by 2030 to reduce the oil import dependency and transport emissions in line with countries’ climate goals. This book addresses the efficient power and propulsion systems which cover essential topics for research and development on EVs, HEVs and fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), including: Energy storage systems (battery, fuel cell, supercapacitors, and their hybrid systems); Power electronics devices and converters; Electric machine drive control, optimization, and design; Energy system advanced management methods Primarily intended for professionals and advanced students who are working on EV/HEV/FCEV power and propulsion systems, this edited book surveys state of the art novel control/optimization techniques for different components, as well as for vehicle as a whole system. New readers may also find valuable information on the structure and methodologies in such an interdisciplinary field. Contributed by experienced authors from different research laboratory around the world, these 11 chapters provide balanced materials from theorical background to methodologies and practical implementation to deal with various issues of this challenging technology. This reprint encourages researchers working in this field to stay actualized on the latest developments on electric vehicle efficient power and propulsion systems, for road and rail, both manned and unmanned vehicles

Modelling and simulation of a grid connected doubly fed induction generator for wind energy conversion system

The Doubly Fed Induction Generator (DFIG) based wind turbine with variable speed variable-pitch control scheme is the most popular wind power generator in the wind power industry. This machine can be operated either in grid connected or standalone mode. A thorough understanding of the modelling, control, and dynamic as well as the steady state analysis of this machine in both operation modes is necessary to optimally extract the power from the wind and accurately predict its performance. In this thesis, first a three phase PWM voltage source converter models expressed in the ABC and the DQO synchronous reference frame with its control schemes are developed and analysed. Then a DFIG-based wind turbine model connected to a constant voltage and frequency grid is developed in the Matlab/Simulink software in detail and its corresponding generator and turbine control structure is implemented. A thorough explanation of this control structure as well as the steady state behaviour of the overall wind energy conversion system which includes the aerodynamic models of the wind turbine, the DFIG models and the three-phase two-level PWM voltage source converter models are presented. A developed control schemes are also necessary to achieve useful output power from the WECS. These control schemes include the generator-side converter control, the grid-side converter control, the pitch angle control and the maximum power point tracking control. The grid-side converter controller is used to maintain the constant voltage across the capacitor and produce a unity power factor operation of the grid. The generator-side converter controller is used to regulating the torque, active power and reactive power