Low-gravity penetrometry of asteroids and comets

Extract from introduction: There are a number of contexts in which space hardware may interact mechanically with the solid material present in a low-gravity environment at the surface of an asteroid or comet, possibly penetrating to some depth and yielding useful information. These contexts range from low-speed scenarios, such as passive free-fall to the surface, to hypervelocity impact. Such penetrating devices may be classed as penetrators, anchors, impactors, 'moles', etc

Interdisciplinary 3d Mobile Scanning Technology Case Studies: Canvasman, Faro, Artec & Structure Sensor For Ipad.

This research aimed to investigate mobile 3D scanning technologies to improve the 3D data capture methods and workflow efficiency for Canvasman Ltd a SME company based in Otley near Leeds, UK. At this phase in the Collaborative Venture Fund (CVF) project the researchers have provided results to the company and a detailed scoping case based technical report. The report includes a product market survey of handheld 3D scanners, product evaluation matrix, 3D software review, and user testing and analysis experiments into each selected 3D portable scanning hardware and software from a range of providers including: Faro, Artec, and the Structure Sensor for IPad. The presentation, focused on communicating the key phases of the CVF project with the company and other industry partners. And outlined some of the exciting interdisciplinary applications of 3D scanning technologies for colleagues and practitioners across disciplines, not only in art, design, architecture, and engineering, to improve efficiency of data capture, visualisation, archive, design and development of any object, or interior and exterior spaces within the human centred and built environment. The session in which the research was presented in is titled, ADA in materials and visual culture, and it addressed the role of materials in the production of new knowledge in art and design practice and theory. Historically art and design has always involved collaborative exchanges: between artists, historians, theorists, consultants, designers, technicians, engineers and policy makers. Today new technologies and innovations - capturing form with data is just one example – offer opportunities for artists and designers to engage in novel trans-disciplinary research relationships. This poses the question how to initiate, develop and sustain research collaborations beyond the conventions of our traditional disciplinary boundaries

Agricultural influences on carbon emissions and sequestration

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Agricultural systems contribute to carbon emissions through several mechanisms: the direct use of fossil fuels in farm operations, the indirect use of embodied energy in inputs that are energy intensive to manufacture (e.g. fertilizers), and the cultivation of soils resulting in the loss of soil organic matter. However agriculture can also sequester carbon when organic matter accumulates in the soil or above-ground woody biomass acts as a permanent sink or is used as an energy source that substitutes for fossil fuels. The latest empirical data on agricultural carbon emissions and carbon sequestration opportunities in agricultural systems are reviewed and the necessary land use and management practices that will need to be employed to optimise carbon sequestration are considered

"Selection of Input Parameters for Multivariate Classifiersin Proactive Machine Health Monitoring by Clustering Envelope Spectrum Harmonics"

In condition monitoring (CM) signal analysis the inherent problem of key characteristics being masked by noise can be addressed by analysis of the signal envelope. Envelope analysis of vibration signals is effective in extracting useful information for diagnosing different faults. However, the number of envelope features is generally too large to be effectively incorporated in system models. In this paper a novel method of extracting the pertinent information from such signals based on multivariate statistical techniques is developed which substantialy reduces the number of input parameters required for data classification models. This was achieved by clustering possible model variables into a number of homogeneous groups to assertain levels of interdependency. Representatives from each of the groups were selected for their power to discriminate between the categorical classes. The techniques established were applied to a reciprocating compressor rig wherein the target was identifying machine states with respect to operational health through comparison of signal outputs for healthy and faulty systems. The technique allowed near perfect fault classification. In addition methods for identifying seperable classes are investigated through profiling techniques, illustrated using Andrew’s Fourier curves

Combustion heat release models of biodiesels

Fossil fuels such as standard gasoline and diesel fuel are the most important source of energy for our society today, providing the bulk of global energy requirements for transportation, construction, heating, and agriculture. Many new developments in technology have made alternative sources of energy more economically feasible including advances in solar, wind, geothermal and nuclear energy. It is a domestic, clean-burning, renewable liquid fuel that can be used in compression-ignition engines instead of petroleum-based diesel with little or no modifications. Biodiesel blends are more commonly used than pure B100 fuels. The main reason for this is that running 100% biodiesel sometimes requires modifications to the engine, due to the higher content of alcohol present in biodiesel

A review of mechanical seals tribology and condition monitoring

Mechanical seals have become one of the most popular sealing systems for rotating machinery because of low leakage and absence of a requirement for routine maintenance. Generally, a mechanical face seal should operate with a fluid film as thin as possible, to reduce the leakage and to restrict friction and wear. Recent advances in a system of computer software based on finite element modelling and analytical approaches help in understanding of the working conditions of the mechanical face seals. This paper reviews tribological bahavior and condition monitoring of mechanical seals based on the literature of the recent years. It covers friction, wear and thermal characteristics of mechanical seals and the application of computational methods and other techniques to give good understanding of the tribological behavior and condition monitoring of seal faces

Comparative Analysis of Mobile 3D Scanning Technologies for Design, Manufacture of Interior and Exterior Tensile Material Structures and Canvasman Ltd. Case Study

This report aimed to investigate mobile 3D Scanning technologies to improve the 3D data capture and efficiency into Canvasman’s CAD design and manufacturing processes with focus on accurate resolution. The Santander funded Collaborative Venture Fund (CVF) project has provided research, survey data, evaluation and analysis for Canvasman Ltd. on 3D portable scanning hardware and software. The project solutions recommended in this report offers impartial product information on the current appropriate 3D scanning technology that potentially could improve efficiency of data capturing, design and manufacture of interior and exterior spaces, boats, vehicles and other similar constructions for creating and installing flexible coverings and indoor and outdoor structures

Coupling a branching process to an infinite dimensional epidemic process

Branching process approximation to the initial stages of an epidemic process has been used since the 1950's as a technique for providing stochastic counterparts to deterministic epidemic threshold theorems. One way of describing the approximation is to construct both branching and epidemic processes on the same probability space, in such a way that their paths coincide for as long as possible. In this paper, it is shown, in the context of a Markovian model of parasitic infection, that coincidence can be achieved with asymptotically high probability until o(N^{2/3}) infections have occurred, where N denotes the total number of hosts.Comment: 16 page

Non-parametric models in the monitoring of engine performance and condition: Part 2: non-intrusive estimation of diesel engine cylinder pressure and its use in fault detection

An application of the radial basis function model, described in Part 1, is demonstrated on a four-cylinder DI diesel engine with data from a wide range of speed and load settings. The prediction capabilities of the trained model are validated against measured data and an example is given of the application of this model to the detection of a slight fault in one of the cylinders

Selection of Input Parameters for Multivariate Classifiers in Proactive Machine Health Monitoring by Clustering Envelope Spectrum Harmonics

In condition monitoring (CM) signal analysis the inherent problem of key characteristics being masked by noise can be addressed by analysis of the signal envelope. Envelope analysis of vibration signals is effective in extracting useful information for diagnosing different faults. However, the number of envelope features is generally too large to be effectively incorporated in system models. In this paper a novel method of extracting the pertinent information from such signals based on multivariate statistical techniques is developed which substantialy reduces the number of input parameters required for data classification models. This was achieved by clustering possible model variables into a number of homogeneous groups to assertain levels of interdependency. Representatives from each of the groups were selected for their power to discriminate between the categorical classes. The techniques established were applied to a reciprocating compressor rig wherein the target was identifying machine states with respect to operational health through comparison of signal outputs for healthy and faulty systems. The technique allowed near perfect fault classification. In addition methods for identifying seperable classes are investigated through profiling techniques, illustrated using Andrew’s Fourier curves