Real-time sensor data development for smart truck drivetrains

Heavy articulated transport vehicles have a poor reputation associated with dramatic road accidents with frequent fatalities for those in automobiles. The result of this work is a formal data flow structure to enhance real-time decision-making in complex mechanical systems to increase performance capability and responsiveness to human commands. This structure recognizes the multiple layers of highly non-linear mechanical components (actuators, wheel tire & ground surfaces, controllers, power supplies, human/machine interfaces, etc.) that must operate in unison (i.e., reduce conflicts) in real-time (in milli-seconds) to enhance operator (driver) control to maximize human choice. This work contains a discussion on dependable sensor data is vital in complex systems that rely on a suite of sensors for both control as well as condition monitoring purposes as well as discussion on real-time energy distribution analysis in high momentum mechanical systems. The focus will be on tractor trucks of class 7 & 8 that are outfitted with an array of low-cost redundant sensors leveraging advances in intelligent robotic systems. This work details many topics including: Most relevant sensor types and their technologies, Designing, implementing, and maintaining a multi-sensor system using feasible industry standards, Sensor signal integrity and data flow processing for decision making, Asynchronous data flow methods for operating decision making schemes in real-time, Multiple applications to enhance tractor trucks systems with multi-sensor systems for real-time decision making.Mechanical Engineerin

Automotive Inductive Position Sensor

Inductive angular position sensors (IAPS) are widely used for high accuracy and low cost angular position sensing in harsh automotive environments, such as suspension height sensor and throttle body position sensor. These sensors ensure high resolution and long lifetime due to their contactless sensing mode and their simple structure. Furthermore, they are suitable for wider application areas. For instance, they can be miniaturized to fit into a compact packaging space, or be adopted to measure the relative angle of multiple rotating targets for the purposes of torque sensing. In this work, a detailed SIMULINK model of an IAPS is first proposed in order to study and characterize the sensor performance. The model is validated by finite element analysis and circuit simulation, which provides a powerful design tool for sensor performance analysis. The sensor error introduced by geometry imperfection is thoroughly investigated for two-phase and three-phase configurations, and a corresponding correction method to improve the accuracy is proposed. A design optimization method based on the response surface methodology is also developed and used in the sensor development. Three types of sensors are developed to demonstrate the inductive sensor technology. The first type is the miniaturized inductive sensor. To compensate for the weak signal strength and the reduced quality (Q) factor due to the scaling down effect, a resonant rotor is developed for this type of sensor. This sensor is fabricated by using the electrodeposition technique. The prototype shows an 8mm diameter sensor can function well at 1.5mm air gap. The second type is a steering torque sensor, which is designed to detect the relative torsional angle of a rotating torsional shaft. It demonstrates the mutual coupling of multiple inductive sensors. By selecting a proper layout and compensation algorithm, the torque sensor can achieve 0.1 degree accuracy. The third type is a passive inductive sensor, which is designed to reduce power consumption and electromagnetic emissions. The realization and excellent performance of these three types of sensors have shown the robustness of the inductive sensor technology and its potential applications. The research conducted in this dissertation is expected to improve understanding of the performance analysis of IAPS and provide useful guidelines for the design and performance optimization of inductive sensors

Electronics for Sensors

The aim of this Special Issue is to explore new advanced solutions in electronic systems and interfaces to be employed in sensors, describing best practices, implementations, and applications. The selected papers in particular concern photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) interfaces and applications, techniques for monitoring radiation levels, electronics for biomedical applications, design and applications of time-to-digital converters, interfaces for image sensors, and general-purpose theory and topologies for electronic interfaces

Mapping of the electromagnetic environment on the railway: Condition monitoring of signalling assets

Conventional track circuit condition monitoring systems are fixed at the wayside, with each installation reporting on a single track circuit. In this work, we present a custom-built, sensitive, magnetic field detection system, which can be fitted to the underside of a rail vehicle. With this system installed, some characteristics of an operating track circuit can be monitored from the vehicle whilst it is in motion. By using appropriate analysis techniques, it is possible to identify the signatures of equipment relating to audio frequency track circuits, the topic of this work. Analysing the signatures of track circuit equipment demonstrated that there were clear differences between track circuit assets. By building on other research into the behaviours of failing track circuits, and continuing to conduct this research, the authors believe that it is possible, and beneficial, to perform condition monitoring of track circuits from low-cost equipment mounted on the train. Coupling this with advanced analysis techniques will allow predictive maintenance of track circuits with very little capital outlay

FULLY AUTONOMOUS SELF-POWERED INTELLIGENT WIRELESS SENSOR FOR REAL-TIME TRAFFIC SURVEILLANCE IN SMART CITIES

Reliable, real-time traffic surveillance is an integral and crucial function of the 21st century intelligent transportation systems (ITS) network. This technology facilitates instantaneous decision-making, improves roadway efficiency, and maximizes existing transportation infrastructure capacity, making transportation systems safe, efficient, and more reliable. Given the rapidly approaching era of smart cities, the work detailed in this dissertation is timely in that it reports on the design, development, and implementation of a novel, fully-autonomous, self-powered intelligent wireless sensor for real-time traffic surveillance. Multi-disciplinary, innovative integration of state-of-the-art, ultra-low-power embedded systems, smart physical sensors, and the wireless sensor network—powered by intelligent algorithms—are the basis of the developed Intelligent Vehicle Counting and Classification Sensor (iVCCS) platform. The sensor combines an energy-harvesting subsystem to extract energy from multiple sources and enable sensor node self-powering aimed at potentially indefinite life. A wireless power receiver was also integrated to remotely charge the sensor’s primary battery. Reliable and computationally efficient intelligent algorithms for vehicle detection, speed and length estimation, vehicle classification, vehicle re-identification, travel-time estimation, time-synchronization, and drift compensation were fully developed, integrated, and evaluated. Several length-based vehicle classification schemes particular to the state of Oklahoma were developed, implemented, and evaluated using machine learning algorithms and probabilistic modeling of vehicle magnetic length. A feature extraction employing different techniques was developed to determine suitable and efficient features for magnetic signature-based vehicle re-identification. Additionally, two vehicle re-identification models based on matching vehicle magnetic signature from a single magnetometer were developed. Comprehensive system evaluation and extensive data analyses were performed to fine-tune and validate the sensor, ensuring reliable and robust operation. Several field studies were conducted under various scenarios and traffic conditions on a number of highways and urban roads and resulted in 99.98% detection accuracy, 97.4782% speed estimation accuracy, and 97.6951% classification rate when binning vehicles into four groups based on their magnetic length. Threshold-based, re-identification results revealed 65.25%~100% identification rate for a window of 25~500 vehicles. Voting-based, re-identification evaluation resulted in 90~100% identification rate for a window of 25~500 vehicles. The developed platform is portable and cost-effective. A single sensor node costs only $30 and can be installed for short-term use (e.g., work zone safety, traffic flow studies, roadway and bridge design, traffic management in atypical situations), as well as long-term use (e.g., collision avoidance at intersections, traffic monitoring) on highways, roadways, or roadside surfaces. The power consumption assessment showed that the sensor is operational for several years. The iVCCS platform is expected to significantly supplement other data collection methods used for traffic monitoring throughout the United States. The technology is poised to play a vital role in tomorrow’s smart cities

NASA patent abstracts bibliography: A continuing bibliography. Section 1: Abstracts (supplement 11)

This continuing bibliography lists index for 3256 patents and patent applications introduced into the NASA scientific and technical informations system from January 1977 through June 1977. The index section contains fix indexes: subject, inventor, source, number, and accession number

Volume 1 – Symposium

We are pleased to present the conference proceedings for the 12th edition of the International Fluid Power Conference (IFK). The IFK is one of the world’s most significant scientific conferences on fluid power control technology and systems. It offers a common platform for the presentation and discussion of trends and innovations to manufacturers, users and scientists. The Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems at the TU Dresden is organizing and hosting the IFK for the sixth time. Supporting hosts are the Fluid Power Association of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), Dresdner Verein zur Förderung der Fluidtechnik e. V. (DVF) and GWT-TUD GmbH. The organization and the conference location alternates every two years between the Chair of Fluid-Mechatronic Systems in Dresden and the Institute for Fluid Power Drives and Systems in Aachen. The symposium on the first day is dedicated to presentations focused on methodology and fundamental research. The two following conference days offer a wide variety of application and technology orientated papers about the latest state of the art in fluid power. It is this combination that makes the IFK a unique and excellent forum for the exchange of academic research and industrial application experience. A simultaneously ongoing exhibition offers the possibility to get product information and to have individual talks with manufacturers. The theme of the 12th IFK is “Fluid Power – Future Technology”, covering topics that enable the development of 5G-ready, cost-efficient and demand-driven structures, as well as individual decentralized drives. Another topic is the real-time data exchange that allows the application of numerous predictive maintenance strategies, which will significantly increase the availability of fluid power systems and their elements and ensure their improved lifetime performance. We create an atmosphere for casual exchange by offering a vast frame and cultural program. This includes a get-together, a conference banquet, laboratory festivities and some physical activities such as jogging in Dresden’s old town.:Group A: Materials Group B: System design & integration Group C: Novel system solutions Group D: Additive manufacturing Group E: Components Group F: Intelligent control Group G: Fluids Group H | K: Pumps Group I | L: Mobile applications Group J: Fundamental

Investigation of wireless power transfer-based eddy current non-destructive testing and evaluation

PhD ThesisEddy current testing (ECT) is a non-contact inspection widely used as non-destructive testing and evaluation (NDT&E) of pipeline and rail lines due to its high sensitivity to surface and subsurface defects, cheap operating cost, tolerance to harsh environments, and capability of a customisable probe for complex geometric surfaces. However, the remote field of transmitter-receiver (Tx-Rx) ECT depends on the Tx-Rx coils gap, orientation, and lift-off distance, despite each coil responding to the effect of sample parameters according to its liftoff distance. They bring challenges to accurate defect detection and characterisation by weakening the ECT probe’s transfer response, affecting sensitivity to the defect, distorting the amplitude of the extracted features, and responding with fewer feature points at non-efficient energy transfer. Therefore, this study proposed a magnetically-coupled resonant wireless power transfer (WPT)-based ECT (WPTECT) concept to build the relationship between Tx-Rx coil at maximum energy transfer response, including shifting and splitting (resonance) frequency behaviour. The proposed WPTECT system was investigated in three different studies viz., (1) investigated the multiple resonance point features for detection and characterisation of slots on two different aluminium samples using a series-series (SS) topology of WPTECT; (2) mapped and scanned pipeline with a natural dent defect using a flexible printed coil (FPC) array probe based on the parallel-parallel (PP) topology of WPTECT; and (3) evaluated five different WPTECT topologies for optimal response and extracted features and characterised entire parameters of inclined angular Rolling Contact Fatigue (RCF) cracks in a rail-line material via an optimised topology. Multiple feature extraction, selection, and fusion were evaluated for the defect profile and compared in the study, unattainable by other ECT methods. The first study's contribution investigated multiple resonances and principal component analysis (PCA) features of the transfer response from scanning (eight) slots on two aluminium samples. The results have shown the potential of the multiple features for slot depth and width characterisation and demonstrated that the eddy-current density is highest at two points proportionate to the slot width. The second study's contribution provided a larger area scanning capability in a single probe amenable to complex geometrical structures like curvature surfaces. Among the extracted individual and fused features for defect reconstruction, the multi-layer feed-forward Deep learning-based multiple feature fusion has better 3D defect reconstruction, whilst the second resonances feature provided better local information than the first one for investigating pipeline dent area. The third study's contribution optimised WPTECT topology for multiple feature points capability and its optimal features extraction at the desired lift-off conditions. The PP and combined PP and SS (PS-PS) WPTECT topologies responded with multiple resonances compared to the other three topologies, with single resonance, under the same experimental situation. However, the extracted features from PS-PS topology provided the lowest sensitivity to lift-off distances and reconstructed depth, width, and inclined angle of RCF cracks with a maximum correlation, R2 -value of 96.4%, 93.1%, and 79.1%, respectively, and root-mean-square-error of 0.05mm, 0.08mm, and 6.60 , respectively. The demonstrated magnetically-coupled resonant WPTECT Tx-Rx probe characterised defects in oil and gas pipelines and rail lines through multiple features for multiple parameters information. Further work can investigate the phase of the transfer response as expected to offer robust features for material characterisation. The WPTECT system can be miniaturised using WPT IC chips as portable systems to characterise multiple layers parameters. It can further evaluate the thickness and gap between two concentric conductive tubes; pressure tube encircled by calandria tube in nuclear reactor fuel channels.PTDF Nigeri

Advanced Sensors for Real-Time Monitoring Applications

It is impossible to imagine the modern world without sensors, or without real-time information about almost everything—from local temperature to material composition and health parameters. We sense, measure, and process data and act accordingly all the time. In fact, real-time monitoring and information is key to a successful business, an assistant in life-saving decisions that healthcare professionals make, and a tool in research that could revolutionize the future. To ensure that sensors address the rapidly developing needs of various areas of our lives and activities, scientists, researchers, manufacturers, and end-users have established an efficient dialogue so that the newest technological achievements in all aspects of real-time sensing can be implemented for the benefit of the wider community. This book documents some of the results of such a dialogue and reports on advances in sensors and sensor systems for existing and emerging real-time monitoring applications