A computational approach for cam size optimization of disc cam-follower mechanisms with translating roller followers

The main objective of this work is to present a computational approach for design optimization of disc cam mechanisms with eccentric translating roller followers. For this purpose, the objective function defined here takes into account the three major parameters that influence the final cam size, namely the base circle radius of the cam, the radius of the roller and the offset of the follower. Furthermore, geometric constraints related to the maximum pressure angle and minimum radius of curvature are included to ensure good working conditions of the system. Finally, an application example is presented and used to discuss the main assumptions and procedure adopted throughout this work.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Challenges of Feminism and Gender Equalization

The following article presents the views of feminist theorists and the issue of raising gender equality in society

Computer numerical control vertical machining centre feed drive modelling using the transmission line technique

This study presents a novel application of the Transmission Line Matrix Method (TLM) for the modelling of the dynamic behaviour of non-linear hybrid systems for CNC machine tool drives. The application of the TLM technique implies the dividing of the ball-screw shaft into a number of identical elements in order to achieve the synchronisation of events in the simulation, and to provide an acceptable resolution according to the maximum frequency of interest. This entails the use of a high performance computing system with due consideration to the small time steps being applied in the simulation. Generally, the analysis of torsion and axial dynamic effects on a shaft implies the development of independent simulated models. This study presents a new procedure for the modelling of a ball-screw shaft by the synchronisation of the axial and torsion dynamics into the same model. The model parameters were obtained with equipments such as laser interferometer, ball bar, electronic levels, signal acquisition systems etc. The MTLM models for single and two-axis configurations have been simulated and matches well with the measured responses of machines. The new modelling approach designated the Modified Transmission Line Method (MTLM) extends the TLM approach retaining all its inherent qualities but gives improved convergence and processing speeds. Further work since, not the subject of this paper, have identified its potential for real time application

Art as a significant factor of forming world outlook of students

In this article given one of the main factor of aesthetic world outlook is art role of thisto specialty desig

Numerical modeling of oscillating Taylor bubbles

In this study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is used to simulate Taylor bubbles rising in vertical pipes. Experiments indicate that in large diameter (0.29 m) pipes for an air–water system, the bubbles can rise in a oscillatory manner, depending on the method of air injection. The CFD models are able to capture this oscillatory behavior because the air phase is modeled as a compressible ideal gas. Insights into the flow field ahead and behind the bubble during contraction and expansion are shown. For a bubble with an initial pressure equal to the hydrostatic pressure at its nose, no oscillations are seen in the bubble as it rises. If the initial pressure in the bubble is set less than or greater than the hydrostatic pressure then the length of the bubble oscillates with an amplitude that depends on the magnitude of the initial bubble pressure relative to the hydrostatic pressure. The frequency of the oscillations is inversely proportional to the square root of the head of water above the bubble and so the frequency increases as the bubble approaches the water surface. The predicted frequency also depends inversely on the square root of the average bubble length, in agreement with experimental observations and an analytical model that is also presented. In this model, a viscous damping term due to the presence of a Stokes boundary layer for the oscillating cases is introduced for the first time and used to assess the effect on the oscillations of increasing the liquid viscosity by several orders of magnitude

Cross-Recurrence Quantification Analysis of Categorical and Continuous Time Series: an R package

This paper describes the R package crqa to perform cross-recurrence quantification analysis of two time series of either a categorical or continuous nature. Streams of behavioral information, from eye movements to linguistic elements, unfold over time. When two people interact, such as in conversation, they often adapt to each other, leading these behavioral levels to exhibit recurrent states. In dialogue, for example, interlocutors adapt to each other by exchanging interactive cues: smiles, nods, gestures, choice of words, and so on. In order for us to capture closely the goings-on of dynamic interaction, and uncover the extent of coupling between two individuals, we need to quantify how much recurrence is taking place at these levels. Methods available in crqa would allow researchers in cognitive science to pose such questions as how much are two people recurrent at some level of analysis, what is the characteristic lag time for one person to maximally match another, or whether one person is leading another. First, we set the theoretical ground to understand the difference between 'correlation' and 'co-visitation' when comparing two time series, using an aggregative or cross-recurrence approach. Then, we describe more formally the principles of cross-recurrence, and show with the current package how to carry out analyses applying them. We end the paper by comparing computational efficiency, and results' consistency, of crqa R package, with the benchmark MATLAB toolbox crptoolbox. We show perfect comparability between the two libraries on both levels

RAPID analysis of variable stiffness beams and plates: Legendre polynomial triple-product formulation

Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Numerical integration techniques are commonly employed to formulate the system matrices encountered in the analysis of variable stiffness beams and plates using a Ritz based approach. Computing these integrals accurately is often computationally costly. Herein, a novel alternative is presented, the Recursive Analytical Polynomial Integral Definition (RAPID) formulation. The RAPID formulation offers a significant improvement in the speed of analysis, achieved by reducing the number of numerical integrations that are performed by an order of magnitude. A common Legendre Polynomial basis is employed for both trial functions and stiffness/load variations leading to a common form for the integrals encountered. The Legendre Polynomial basis possesses algebraic recursion relations that allow these integrals to be reformulated as triple-products with known analytical solutions, defined compactly using the Wigner (3j) coefficient. The satisfaction of boundary conditions, calculation of derivatives and transformation to other bases is achieved through combinations of matrix multiplication, with each matrix representing a unique boundary condition or physical effect, therefore permitting application of the RAPID approach to a variety of problems. Indicative performance studies demonstrate the advantage of the RAPID formulation when compared to direct analysis using Matlab's ‘integral’ and ‘integral2’. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Sparse Exploratory Factor Analysis

Sparse principal component analysis is a very active research area in the last decade. It produces component loadings with many zero entries which facilitates their interpretation and helps avoid redundant variables. The classic factor analysis is another popular dimension reduction technique which shares similar interpretation problems and could greatly benefit from sparse solutions. Unfortunately, there are very few works considering sparse versions of the classic factor analysis. Our goal is to contribute further in this direction. We revisit the most popular procedures for exploratory factor analysis, maximum likelihood and least squares. Sparse factor loadings are obtained for them by, first, adopting a special reparameterization and, second, by introducing additional [Formula: see text]-norm penalties into the standard factor analysis problems. As a result, we propose sparse versions of the major factor analysis procedures. We illustrate the developed algorithms on well-known psychometric problems. Our sparse solutions are critically compared to ones obtained by other existing methods