Microcontroller based implementation of a fuzzy knowledge based controller

In recent times, fuzzy logic has been used and applied in wide areas, starting from consumer electronics like washing machines to robotics to many industrial control systems like temperature controllers for process plants. Our work describes an implementation of fuzzy logic control algorithm using inexpensive hardware to control the temperature of a system, without any special software tools. A cooling system generally involves complex and time-variant plant, with delays and non- linearity, and often with poorly defined dynamics. Fuzzy logic control algorithm solves problems that are difficult to address with traditional control techniques, and at the same time provides us with a response better than conventional PID controllers. In the present work, this has been proved with the help of MATLAB simulations. Thereafter the program for the fuzzy control algorithm is written in C++ language and implemented through ARDUINO UNO tool kit. Further system functional is tested and the performance is evaluated taking several set-points and disturbances into account. The performance of the hardware is compared with that of MATLAB simulations of the same case and the results are verified

Preconditioned Visual Language Inference with Weak Supervision

Humans can infer the affordance of objects by extracting related contextual preconditions for each scenario. For example, upon seeing an image of a broken cup, we can infer that this precondition prevents the cup from being used for drinking. Reasoning with preconditions of commonsense is studied in NLP where the model explicitly gets the contextual precondition. However, it is unclear if SOTA visual language models (VLMs) can extract such preconditions and infer the affordance of objects with them. In this work, we introduce the task of preconditioned visual language inference and rationalization (PVLIR). We propose a learning resource based on three strategies to retrieve weak supervision signals for the task and develop a human-verified test set for evaluation. Our results reveal the shortcomings of SOTA VLM models in the task and draw a road map to address the challenges ahead in improving them

Expeditious isomerization of glucose to fructose in aqueous media over sodium titanate nanotubes

Isomerization reaction of glucose to fructose over sodium titanate nanotubes (Na-TNTs) as a Lewis base catalyst was studied. Analytical instruments recorded the specific structural, textural and basic properties of the as-synthesized Na-TNTs. Furthermore, studying the catalytic isomerization performance of the Na-TNTs confirmed their high catalytic efficiency and suitability in aqueous media. The catalyst prompted rapid glucose isomerization within 2 min by achieving nearly half of the maximum yield, whereas with a prolonged reaction up to 15 min the maximum glucose conversion could be reached with 31.26% fructose yield and 65.26% selectivity under relatively lower operating conditions (100 °C and 10% wt catalyst dose). However, the recyclability performance of the catalyst was not impressive due to the accelerated leaching of cations and surface retention of carbonaceous content, resulting in ∼16% reduced yield after 4 runs. A simple regeneration technique using NaOH led to the initial catalytic activity being totally regained. Overall, a titania-based catalyst (preferably nanotube structured sodium titanate) was shown as a potential catalyst for large-scale demonstration of glucose isomerization to achieve high fructose productivity

Thermal Analysis of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) –Coke Composites Prepared by Mechanical Alloying Technique

The thermal degradation behaviour of 10:90 and 90:10 blends of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) and petroleum coke has been investigated using mechanical alloying (milling) at 300 rpm and for periods up to 1-10 hours. Milled specimens were characterised using SEM and x-ray diffraction; their thermal degradation behaviour was investigated using thermo-gravimetric analyser (TGA) for temperatures up to 1200&amp;deg;C. Whereas PET specimens showed a tendency towards flattening out and increased surface area during collisions in ball mills, petroleum coke particles tended to break down into smaller particles. 10:90 and 90:10 blends of PET and coke showed significant microstructural evolution with increasing speeds and time including fracture, strain hardening and re-welding. X-ray diffraction results showed clear evidence for increasing amorphous component in petroleum coke without much influence on PET crystallinity. Thermo-gravimetric results showed a significant increase in the overall degradation and much higher weight losses associated with mechanical alloying. This study has shown that mechanical alloying could be used to modify the degradation behaviour of coke/plastic blends and corresponding yield during pyrolysis with implications for plastic waste management.</jats:p

Drive pressure controller for a total artificial heart

This thesis presents the design and development of a micro processor based pressure controller for the Akutsu artificial heart. The problem of controlling the drive pressures of the pneumatic heart is seen as an optimal control problem requiring an on-line solution to find the optimum operating condition for the system, which is non-linear with time-varying parameters. The performance measure used reflects the clinical objectives of control of the total artificial heart. The hardware and software required to implement this control algorithm on the microcomputer is also described. The pressure controller, which is part of an overall artificial heart control system, uses the estimated values of blood pressures and blood flow to achieve a sub-optimal operating point for the system so that physiological requirements of the pressures and flow are met.Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department o

Analyzing the effect of COVID-19 in the financial behavior of consumers and investors

COVID-19's impact on GDP and consumption has already been recognized by top economic analysts. Some experts even anticipate the globe will be hit by the worst downturn since the Great Depression. Unprecedented effects on the economies of all countries are being caused by a newly discovered coronavirus. Considering that the COVID-19 pandemic isn't your typical catastrophe, several efforts have been made to try to rein in the disease's spread. Economic instability in the country has emerged as a foreshadowing of shifting market dynamics as a consequence of the deep relationship between public health initiatives and the lockout. Retail investors' financial attitudes have a direct impact on their investment decisions. The competitiveness, expansion, and economic integration of any market is driven by consumers. However, how much of the economic instability-induced change in consumer behaviour will last is a question that has to be answered. Research has recognized and explored this link, but the measures of financial attitude and behaviour still vary greatly and are often provided in the form of questions rather than declarative statements, which is problematic. As a result, nothing is known about how retail investors react to health crises, such as the present epidemic of COVID-19

Effect of alkali and alkaline earth metal ions on benzyl alcohol oxidation activity of titanate nanotube-supported Au catalysts

Au supported on barium titanate nanotubes showed higher catalytic activity for selective oxidation of benzyl alcohol with molecular oxygen.</p