Simulation and control problems in elastic robots

Computational issues associated with modeling and control of robots with revolute joints and elastic arms are considered. A manipulator with one arm and pinned at one end is considered to investigate various aspects of the modeling procedure and the model, and the effect of coupling between the rigid-body and the elastic motions. The rigid-body motion of a manipulator arm is described by means of a reference frame attached to the shadow beam, and the linear elastic operator denoting flexibility is defined with respect to this reference frame. The small elastic motion assumption coupled with the method of assumed modes is used to model the elasticity in the arm. It is shown that only terms up to quadratic in these model amplitudes need to be retained. An important aspect of the coupling between the rigid-body and the elastic motion is the centrifugal stiffening effect. This effect stiffens the elastic structure, as to be expected on physical grounds, gives rise to a time-varying inertia term for the rigid-body motion, and, in general, results in an effective inertia term smaller than the rigid-body inertia term. Simulation results are presented for an elastic beam pinned at one end and free at the other, and rotating in a horizontal plane, and control issues such as the order of the model, number of sensors, and modal extraction are examined within this context

Dynamics and Control of a Translating Flexible Beam with a Prismatic Joint,’’

Introduction Modeling issues associated with flexible links in translational motion and with a prismatic joint at one end have been receiving attention lately. It is usually assumed that translating flexible links can be modeled as beams in flexure with fixedfree end conditions The effect of flexible motion on the translational motion of the link was not studied in the above investigations. All these approaches are limited to the case where the translational velocity and acceleration are prescribed a priori. While rigid body motion was considered prescribed in the past, recent research Consider the mechanism shown i

Post-Launch Calibration and Testing of Space Weather Instruments on GOES-R Satellite

The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite - R (GOES-R) is the first of a series of satellites to be launched, with the first launch scheduled for October 2016. The three instruments - Solar Ultra Violet Imager (SUVI), Extreme ultraviolet and X-ray Irradiance Sensor (EXIS), and Space Environment In-Situ Suite (SEISS) provide the data needed as inputs for the product updates National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) provides to the public. SUVI is a full-disk extreme ultraviolet imager enabling Active Region characterization, filament eruption, and flare detection. EXIS provides inputs to solar backgrounds/events impacting climate models. SEISS provides particle measurements over a wide energy-and-flux range that varies by several orders of magnitude and these data enable updates to spacecraft charge models for electrostatic discharge. EXIS and SEISS have been tested and calibrated end-to-end in ground test facilities around the United States. Due to the complexity of the SUVI design, data from component tests were used in a model to predict on-orbit performance. The ground tests and model updates provided inputs for designing the on-orbit calibration tests. A series of such tests have been planned for the Post-Launch Testing (PLT) of each of these instruments, and specific parameters have been identified that will be updated in the Ground Processing Algorithms, on-orbit parameter tables, or both. Some of SUVI and EXIS calibrations require slewing them off the Sun, while no such maneuvers are needed for SEISS. After a six-month PLT period the GOES-R is expected to be operational. The calibration details are presented in this paper

The Multiview Observatory for Solar Terrestrial Science (MOST)

We report on a study of the Multiview Observatory for Solar Terrestrial Science (MOST) mission that will provide comprehensive imagery and time series data needed to understand the magnetic connection between the solar interior and the solar atmosphere/inner heliosphere. MOST will build upon the successes of SOHO and STEREO missions with new views of the Sun and enhanced instrument capabilities. This article is based on a study conducted at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center that determined the required instrument refinement, spacecraft accommodation, launch configuration, and flight dynamics for mission success. MOST is envisioned as the next generation great observatory positioned to obtain three-dimensional information of large-scale heliospheric structures such as coronal mass ejections, stream interaction regions, and the solar wind itself. The MOST mission consists of 2 pairs of spacecraft located in the vicinity of Sun-Earth Lagrange points L4 (MOST1, MOST3) and L5 (MOST2 and MOST4). The spacecraft stationed at L4 (MOST1) and L5 (MOST2) will each carry seven remote-sensing and three in-situ instrument suites. MOST will also carry a novel radio package known as the Faraday Effect Tracker of Coronal and Heliospheric structures (FETCH). FETCH will have polarized radio transmitters and receivers on all four spacecraft to measure the magnetic content of solar wind structures propagating from the Sun to Earth using the Faraday rotation technique. The MOST mission will be able to sample the magnetized plasma throughout the Sun-Earth connected space during the mission lifetime over a solar cycle.Comment: 42 pages, 19 figures, 8 tables, to appear in J. Atmospheric and Solar Terrestrial Physic

Priprava i vrednovanje šumećih plutajućih tableta tizanidin hidroklorida

Tizanidine hydrochloride is an orally administered prokinetic agent that facilitates or restores motility throughout the length of the gastrointestinal tract. The objective of the present investigation was to develop effervescent floating matrix tablets of tizanidine hydrochloride for prolongation of gastric residence time in order to overcome its low bioavailability (3440 %) and short biological half life (4.2 h). Tablets were prepared by the direct compression method, using different viscosity grades of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC K4M, K15M and K100M). Tablets were evaluated for various physical parameters and floating properties. Further, tablets were studied for in vitro drug release characteristics in 12 hours. Drug release from effervescent floating matrix tablets was sustained over 12 h with buoyant properties. DSC study revealed that there is no drug excipient interaction. Based on the release kinetics, all formulations best fitted the Higuchi, first-order model and non-Fickian as the mechanism of drug release. Optimized formulation (F9) was selected based on the similarity factor (f2) (74.2), dissolution efficiency at 2, 6 and 8 h, and t50 (5.4 h) and was used in radiographic studies by incorporating BaSO4. In vivo X-ray studies in human volunteers showed that the mean gastric residence time was 6.2 ± 0.2 h.Tizanidin hidroklorid je prokinetički agens za peroralnu primjenu koji olakšava ili obnavlja mobilnost kroz gastrointestinalni trakt. Cilj rada bio je razvoj šumećih plutajućih matriksnih tableta tizanidin hidroklorida za produljenje zadržavanja u želucu u svrhu poboljšanja niske bioraspoloživosti (3440 %) i produljenja vremena poluživota (4,2 h). Tablete su pripravljene metodom izravne kompresije, koristeći hidroksipropil metilcelulozu različite viskoznosti (HPMCK4M, K15M i K100M). Određeni su različiti fizikalni parametri. Oslobađanje ljekovite tvari in vitro bilo je polagano tijekom 12 sati, a tablete su imale svojstvo plutanja. Prema DSC ispitivanja nema interakcije s pomoćnim tvarima. Kinetička ispitivanja pokazuju da oslobađanje iz svih pripravaka slijedi Higuchijev model, kinetiku prvog reda i ne-Fickov zakon. Na temelju faktora sličnosti (f2) (74,2), oslobađanja ljekovite tvari nakon 2, 6 i 8 h, te vremena poluživota t50 (5,4 h) izabrana je optimirana formulacija (F9) i upotrebljena u radiografičkim ispitivanjima koja uključuju BaSO4. In vivo ispitivanja rendgenskim zrakama na dobrovoljcima pokazala su da je srednje vrijeme zadržavanja u želucu bilo 6,2 ± 0,2 h

Improving the energy performances of the refrigeration systems with subcooling using the eco-friendly refrigerant R600A: Initial experimental results

In this paper the attention is focused on introducing the initial experimental results of a comparative experimental investigation on the energy performances of R600a tested as drop-in of R134a in a test-bench refrigeration system developed at the School of Mechanical Engineering of VIT University located in Vellore (India). Moreover, a comparison of the energy performances was pursued also with the system working with and without sub-cooling. The initial experimental investigation is performed respecting the requirement that the two fluids occupy the same volume. The initial energy performances are carried out in terms of evaporator temperature, coefficient of performance and refrigeration effect. The effect of drop-in with R600 a system previously working with R134a, carries an enhancement of the energy performances in terms of COP and refrigeration effect. Moreover, subcooling carries to an additional benefit on the refrigeration effect. The introduced initial experimental results constitute just the first step of a bigger investigation to be conducted in India, focused on analyzing the impact of the drop-in of HFC with new eco-friendly refrigerants