36,754 research outputs found
Distance dependence of force and dissipation in non-contact atomic force microscopy on Cu(100) and Al(111)
The dynamic characteristics of a tip oscillating in the nc-AFM mode in close
vicinity to a Cu(100)-surface are investigated by means of phase variation
experiments in the constant amplitude mode. The change of the quality factor
upon approaching the surface deduced from both frequency shift and excitation
versus phase curves yield to consistent values. The optimum phase is found to
be independent of distance. The dependence of the quality factor on distance is
related to 'true' damping, because artefacts related to phase misadjustment can
be excluded. The experimental results, as well as on-resonance measurements at
different bias voltages on an Al(111) surface, are compared to Joule
dissipation and to a model of dissipation in which long-range forces lead to
viscoelastic deformations
Numerical Simulation of Nano Scanning in Intermittent-Contact Mode AFM under Q control
We investigate nano scanning in tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM)
under quality (Q) control via numerical simulations performed in SIMULINK. We
focus on the simulation of whole scan process rather than the simulation of
cantilever dynamics and the force interactions between the probe tip and the
surface alone, as in most of the earlier numerical studies. This enables us to
quantify the scan performance under Q control for different scan settings.
Using the numerical simulations, we first investigate the effect of elastic
modulus of sample (relative to the substrate surface) and probe stiffness on
the scan results. Our numerical simulations show that scanning in attractive
regime using soft cantilevers with high Qeff results in a better image quality.
We, then demonstrate the trade-off in setting the effective Q factor (Qeff) of
the probe in Q control: low values of Qeff cause an increase in tapping forces
while higher ones limit the maximum achievable scan speed due to the slow
response of the cantilever to the rapid changes in surface profile. Finally, we
show that it is possible to achieve higher scan speeds without causing an
increase in the tapping forces using adaptive Q control (AQC), in which the Q
factor of the probe is changed instantaneously depending on the magnitude of
the error signal in oscillation amplitude. The scan performance of AQC is
quantitatively compared to that of standard Q control using iso-error curves
obtained from numerical simulations first and then the results are validated
through scan experiments performed using a physical set-up
Noncontact atomic force microscopy simulator with phase-locked-loop controlled frequency detection and excitation
A simulation of an atomic force microscope operating in the constant
amplitude dynamic mode is described. The implementation mimics the electronics
of a real setup including a digital phase-locked loop (PLL). The PLL is not
only used as a very sensitive frequency detector, but also to generate the
time-dependent phase shifted signal driving the cantilever. The optimum
adjustments of individual functional blocks and their joint performance in
typical experiments are determined in detail. Prior to testing the complete
setup, the performances of the numerical PLL and of the amplitude controller
were ascertained to be satisfactory compared to those of the real components.
Attention is also focused on the issue of apparent dissipation, that is, of
spurious variations in the driving amplitude caused by the nonlinear
interaction occurring between the tip and the surface and by the finite
response times of the various controllers. To do so, an estimate of the minimum
dissipated energy that is detectable by the instrument upon operating
conditions is given. This allows us to discuss the relevance of apparent
dissipation that can be conditionally generated with the simulator in
comparison to values reported experimentally. The analysis emphasizes that
apparent dissipation can contribute to the measured dissipation up to 15% of
the intrinsic dissipated energy of the cantilever interacting with the surface,
but can be made negligible when properly adjusting the controllers, the PLL
gains and the scan speed. It is inferred that the experimental values of
dissipation usually reported in the literature cannot only originate in
apparent dissipation, which favors the hypothesis of "physical" channels of
dissipation
Hybrid sliding mode control for motorised space tether spin-up when coupled with axial oscillation
A specialised hybrid controller is applied for the control of motorised space tether spin-up coupled with an axial oscillation phenomenon. A six degree of freedom dynamic
model of a motorised momentum exchange tether is used as the basis for interplanetary payload exchange in the context of control. The tether comprises a symmetrical
double payload configuration, with an outrigger counter inertia and massive central facility. It is shown that including axial elasticity permits an enhanced level of performance prediction accuracy and a useful departure from the usual rigid body representations, particularly for accurate payload positioning at strategic points. A
simulation with a given initial condition data has been devised in a connecting programme between control code written in MATLAB and dynamics simulation code constructed within MATHEMATICA. It is shown that there is an enhanced level of spin-up control for the six degree of freedom motorised momentum exchange tether system using the specialised hybrid controller
Robot control with biological cells
At present there exists a large gap in size, performance, adaptability and robustness between natural and artificial information processors for performing coherent perception-action tasks under real-time constraints. Even the simplest organisms have an enviable capability of coping with an unknown dynamic environment. Robots, in contrast, are still clumsy if confronted with such complexity. This paper presents a bio-hybrid architecture developed for exploring an alternate approach to the control of autonomous robots. Circuits prepared from amoeboid plasmodia of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum are interfaced with an omnidirectional hexapod robot. Sensory signals from the macro-physical environment of the robot are transduced to cellular scale and processed using the unique micro-physical features of intracellular information processing. Conversely, the response form the cellular computation is amplified to yield a macroscopic output action in the environment mediated through the robotâs actuators
An experimental and analytical evaluation of the tapered tension-torsion strap concept
A new free-tip rotor moment controller designed to increase torque output (a restoring moment) was proposed. The controller would be used as a retention device for the freely pitching tip of a helicopter rotor. The new design featured a tapered tension-torsion strap instead of the previously used parellel strap. A tapered strap has a larger separation between the tension wires at the retention end than at the oscillating end; separation is equal at both ends for a parallel strap. A simple dynamic analysis was developed and an experiment performed to evaluate this tapered strap concept. The test results indicated that the torsional spring stiffness of the strap, represented by a torsional pendulum, increased with the amount of taper. The predicted dynamic characteristics of the pendulum also confirmed this observation and correlated reasonably well with the experimental results. It could be concluded from the experimental and analytical results that the tapered strap accomplished increased torque output when compared to the parellel strap
Improving the energy efficiency of autonomous underwater vehicles by learning to model disturbances
Energy efficiency is one of the main challenges for long-term autonomy of AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles). We propose a novel approach for improving the energy efficiency of AUV controllers based on the ability to learn which external disturbances can safely be ignored. The proposed learning approach uses adaptive oscillators that are able to learn online the frequency, amplitude and phase of zero-mean periodic external disturbances. Such disturbances occur naturally in open water due to waves, currents, and gravity, but also can be caused by the dynamics and hydrodynamics of the AUV itself. We formulate the theoretical basis of the approach, and demonstrate its abilities on a number of input signals. Further experimental evaluation is conducted using a dynamic model of the Girona 500 AUV in simulation on two important underwater scenarios: hovering and trajectory tracking. The proposed approach shows significant energy-saving capabilities while at the same time maintaining high controller gains. The approach is generic and applicable not only for AUV control, but also for other type of control where periodic disturbances exist and could be accounted for by the controller. © 2013 IEEE
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