340 research outputs found

    A Unified Framework for the Study of Anti-Windup Designs

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    We present a unified framework for the study of linear time-invariant (LTI) systems subject to control input nonlinearities. The framework is based on the following two-step design paradigm: "Design the linear controller ignoring control input nonlinearities and then add anti-windup bumpless transfer (AWBT) compensation to minimize the adverse eflects of any control input nonlinearities on closed loop performance". The resulting AWBT compensation is applicable to multivariable controllers of arbitrary structure and order. All known LTI anti-windup and/or bumpless transfer compensation schemes are shown to be special cases of this framework. It is shown how this framework can handle standard issues such as the analysis of stability and performance with or without uncertainties in the plant model. The actual analysis of stability and performance, and robustness issues are problems in their own right and hence not detailed here. The main result is the unification of existing schemes for AWBT compensation under a general framework

    Achievable closed-loop properties of systems under decentralized control: conditions involving the steady-state gain

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    The question of the existence of decentralized controllers for open-loop stable multivariable systems which provide particular closed-loop properties is investigated. In particular, we study the existence of decentralized controllers which provide integral action (Type I closed-loop performance) and also demonstrate one or more of: unconditional stability, integrity with respect to actuator and sensor failure, and decentralized unconditional stability. Necessary, sufficient, and, in some cases, necessary and sufficient conditions on the open-loop steady-state gain are derived such that there exists a controller which provides these desired closed-loop characteristics. These results provide the basis for a systematic approach to control structure selection for decentralized controller design

    Coagulation–flocculation process with metal salts, synthetic polymers and biopolymers for the removal of trace metals (Cu, Pb, Ni, Zn) from municipal wastewater

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    To ensure compliance with regulatory standards, it is important to examine the potential of treatment technologies to enhance trace metal removal from wastewater. This study investigated the effectiveness of coagulation–flocculation at removing trace metals from humus effluent with ferric chloride (FeCl3), the synthetic polymer polyethyleneimine (PEI) and the biopolymers chitosan and floculan. Effluent samples were collected from a trickling filter treatment works operating in the UK and contained 21 ± 4 μg/L Cu, 0.8 ± 0.1 μg/L Pb, 4 ± 1 μg/L Ni and 43 ± 9 μg/L Zn. The influence of coagulant dosage and the velocity and time of the slow mixing stage were studied via a series of jar tests. Chitosan and PEI had a moderate effect on the removal of trace metals (≤ 35%). FeCl3 removed 48% Cu, 56% Pb and 41% Zn at the optimised dose of 0.10 mg/L. At the optimised dose of 0.25 mg/L, floculan removed 77% Cu, 68% Pb and 42% Zn. The dominant mechanism for particle removal by FeCl3 was enmeshment in the precipitates (i.e. sweep flocculation), whereas, for floculan, inter-particle bridging was the dominant removal mechanism. Overall, FeCl3 and floculan were found to be most effective at removing trace metals from wastewater

    A multi‐component method to determine pesticides in surface water by liquid‐chromatography tandem quadrupole mass spectrometry

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    Pesticide pollution of surface water is a major concern in many agricultural catchments The development of rapid and accurate methods for determining pesticide concentrations in water samples is, therefore, important. Here we describe a method for the simultaneous analysis of six pesticides (metaldehyde, quinmerac, carbetamide, metazachlor, propyzamide and pendimethalin) in natural waters by direct aqueous injection with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The method validation showed good linearity from 0.2 to 50.0 µg/L with correlation coefficients between 0.995 and 0.999. Method accuracy ranged from 84 to 100% and precision Relative standard deviation (RSD) from 4 to 15%. The limits of detection for the targeted pesticides ranged from 0.03 to 0.36 µg/L. No significant matrix effects on quantification were observed (t-test). The method was tested on water samples from a small arable catchment in eastern England. Peak concentrations for the determinands ranged from 1 to 10 µg/L

    Resonant Dielectronic and Direct Excitation in Crystal Channels

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    We have observed dielectronic and direct excitation of H-like S15+ and Ca19+ and He-like Ti20+ ions in silicon channels caused by collision with weakly bound target electrons which behave as a free-electron gas. As in vacuo, relaxation of the doubly excited states can occur radiatively leading to ions of decreased charge, but in a crystal channel collisional effects can cause double ionization. The effects are seen in both the x-ray yields and charge-state fractions, and, in the case of Ti20+, in charge-state x-ray coincidences

    High C/O Chemistry and Weak Thermal Inversion in the Extremely Irradiated Atmosphere of Exoplanet WASP-12b

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    The carbon-to-oxygen ratio (C/O) in a planet provides critical information about its primordial origins and subsequent evolution. A primordial C/O greater than 0.8 causes a carbide-dominated interior as opposed to the silicate-dominated composition as found on Earth; the solar C/O is 0.54. Theory, shows that high C/O leads to a diversity of carbon-rich planets that can have very different interiors and atmospheres from those in the solar system. Here we report the detection of C/O greater than or equal to 1 in a planetary atmosphere. The transiting hot Jupiter WASP-12b has a dayside atmosphere depleted in water vapour and enhanced in methane by over two orders of magnitude compared to a solar-abundance chemical equilibrium model at the expected temperatures. The observed concentrations of the prominent molecules CO, CH4, and H2O are consistent with theoretical expectations for an atmosphere with the observed C/O = 1. The C/O ratios are not known for giant planets in the solar system, although they are expected to equal the solar value. If high C/O ratios are common, then extrasolar planets are likely very different in interior composition, and formed very differently, from expectations based on solar composition, potentially explaining the large diversity in observed radii. We also find that the extremely irradiated atmosphere (greater than 2500 K) of WASP-12b lacks a prominent thermal inversion, or a stratosphere, and has very efficient day-night energy circulation. The absence of a strong thermal inversion is in stark contrast to theoretical predictions for the most highly irradiated hot-Jupiter atmospheres

    Dimorphos's Orbit Period Change and Attitude Perturbation due to Its Reshaping after the DART Impact

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    On 2022 September 26 (UTC), NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission achieved a successful impact on Dimorphos, the secondary component of the near-Earth binary asteroid system (65803) Didymos. Subsequent ground-based observations suggest a significant reshaping of Dimorphos, with its equatorial axis ratio changing from 1.06 to ∼1.3. Here we report the effects of this reshaping event on Dimorphos's orbit and attitude. Given the reported reshaping magnitude, our mutual dynamics simulations show that approximately 125 s of the observed 33 minute orbit period change after the DART impact may have resulted from reshaping. This value, however, is sensitive to the precise values of Dimorphos's post-impact axis ratios and may vary by up to 2 times that amount, reaching approximately 250 s within the current uncertainty range. While the rotational state of the body is stable at the currently estimated axis ratios, even minor changes in these ratios or the introduction of shape asymmetry can render its attitude unstable. The perturbation to Dimorphos's orbital and rotational state delivered by the impact directly, combined with any reshaping, leads to a strong possibility for a tumbling rotation state. To accurately determine the momentum enhancement factor (β) through measurements by the European Space Agency's Hera spacecraft and to evaluate the effectiveness of the kinetic deflection technique for future planetary defense initiatives, the effects of reshaping should not be overlooked.This work was supported in part by the DART mission, NASA contract 80MSFC20D0004 to JHU/APL. R.N. acknowledges support from NASA/FINESST (NNH20ZDA001N). S.D.R. and M.J. acknowledge support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (project number 200021_207359). P.M. acknowledges funding support from the French Space Agency CNES and The University of Tokyo. P.P. acknowledges support from the grant Agency of the Czech Republic, grant 23-04946S. S.R.S. acknowledges support from the DART Participating Scientist Program, grant No. 80NSSC22K0318. A.C.B. and P.Y.L. acknowledge funding by the NEO-MAPP project 717 GA 870377, EC H2020-SPACE-718 2018-2020/H2020-SPACE-2019, and by MICINN (Spain) PGC2021, PID2021-125883NB-C21. P.Y.L. acknowledges funding from the European Space Agency OSIP contract N.4000136043/21/NL/GLC/my. A portion of this work was carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (No. 80NM0018D0004)

    NCF1 gene and pseudogene pattern: association with parasitic infection and autoimmunity

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    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Neutrophil cytosolic factor 1, p47<sup>phox </sup>(NCF1) is a component of the leukocyte NADPH oxidase complex mediating formation of reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) which play an important role in host defense and autoimmunity. An individual genomic pattern of <it>ncf1 </it>and its two types of pseudogenes (reflected by the ΔGT/GTGT ratio) may influence the individual capacity to produce ROI.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>NCF1ΔGT/GTGT ratios were correlated with clinical parameters and ROI production during <it>Plasmodium falciparum </it>malaria and with susceptibility to the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis (MS).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Among Gabonese children with severe malaria, ROI production from peripheral blood tended to be higher in individuals with a ΔGT/GTGT ratio ≤ 1:1. ΔGT/GTGT ratios were not associated with susceptibility to MS, but to age-of-onset among MS patients.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The genomic pattern of <it>NCF1 </it>and its pseudogenes might influence ROI production but only marginally influence susceptibility to and outcome of malaria and MS.</p
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