Three degree-of-freedom force feedback control for robotic mating of umbilical lines

The use of robotic manipulators for the mating and demating of umbilical fuel lines to the Space Shuttle Vehicle prior to launch is investigated. Force feedback control is necessary to minimize the contact forces which develop during mating. The objective is to develop and demonstrate a working robotic force control system. Initial experimental force control tests with an ASEA IRB-90 industrial robot using the system's Adaptive Control capabilities indicated that control stability would by a primary problem. An investigation of the ASEA system showed a 0.280 second software delay between force input commands and the output of command voltages to the servo system. This computational delay was identified as the primary cause of the instability. Tests on a second path into the ASEA's control computer using the MicroVax II supervisory computer show that time delay would be comparable, offering no stability improvement. An alternative approach was developed where the digital control system of the robot was disconnected and an analog electronic force controller was used to control the robot's servosystem directly, allowing the robot to use force feedback control while in rigid contact with a moving three-degree-of-freedom target. An alternative approach was developed where the digital control system of the robot was disconnected and an analog electronic force controller was used to control the robot's servo system directly. This method allowed the robot to use force feedback control while in rigid contact with moving three degree-of-freedom target. Tests on this approach indicated adequate force feedback control even under worst case conditions. A strategy to digitally-controlled vision system was developed. This requires switching between the digital controller when using vision control and the analog controller when using force control, depending on whether or not the mating plates are in contact

Avalanche multiplication in AlxGa1-xAs (x=0to0.60)

Electron and hole multiplication characteristics, Me and Mh, have been measured in AlxGa1-xAs (x=0-0.60) homojunction p+-i-n+ diodes with i-region thicknesses, w, from 1 μm to 0.025 μm and analyzed using a Monte Carlo model (MC). The effect of the composition on both the macroscopic multiplication characteristics and microscopic behavior is therefore shown for the first time. Increasing the alloy fraction causes the multiplication curves to be shifted to higher voltages such that the multiplication curves at any given thickness are practically parallel for different x. The Me/Mh ratio also decreases as x increases, varying from ~2 to ~1 as x increases from 0 to 0.60 in a w=1 μm p+-i-n+. The Monte-Carlo model is also used to extract ionization coefficients and dead-space distances from the measured results which cover electric field ranges from ~250 kV/cm-1200 kV/cm in each composition. These parameters can be used to calculate the nonlocal multiplication process by solving recurrence equations. Limitations to the applicability of field-dependent ionization coefficients are shown to arise however when the electric-field profile becomes highly nonunifor

Analysis of pressure distortion testing

The development of a distortion methodology, method D, was documented, and its application to steady state and unsteady data was demonstrated. Three methodologies based upon DIDENT, a NASA-LeRC distortion methodology based upon the parallel compressor model, were investigated by applying them to a set of steady state data. The best formulation was then applied to an independent data set. The good correlation achieved with this data set showed that method E, one of the above methodologies, is a viable concept. Unsteady data were analyzed by using the method E methodology. This analysis pointed out that the method E sensitivities are functions of pressure defect level as well as corrected speed and pattern

Calculation of wind-driven surface currents in the North Atlantic Ocean

Calculations to simulate the wind driven near surface currents of the North Atlantic Ocean are described. The primitive equations were integrated on a finite difference grid with a horizontal resolution of 2.5 deg in longitude and latitude. The model ocean was homogeneous with a uniform depth of 100 m and with five levels in the vertical direction. A form of the rigid-lid approximation was applied. Generally, the computed surface current patterns agreed with observed currents. The development of a subsurface equatorial countercurrent was observed

Nitrogen transfer between clover and wheat in an intercropping experiment

A novel approach to the problem of improving nitrogen supply in organic farming is to use intercropping of cereals with a legume to provide nitrogen transfer within a season and/or to following crops. The affects of intercropping were studied in a column experiment using mixtures of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum cv. Claire), with white clover (w.c.) (Trifolium repens cv. Barblanca) and with red clover (r.c.) (Trifolium pratense cv. Britta). The effects of cutting and removal above ground clover material with and without additional soil disturbance were compared to leaving clover plants in situ and intercropped with wheat in a split root design. Wheat and clover plants, as monocultures, were used for the controls. 15N ammonium nitrate solution was applied. The wheat seeds were sown into the column without nitrogen. We found that the cutting treatment produced the highest yield of wheat. Available ammonium-N in the soil was greatest in the clover control treatment for the column with only red clover roots and in the cutting+soil disturbance treatment for the column with only white clover roots. Available nitrate-N was greatest in the soil disturbance treatment in the column with clover and wheat roots for both red and white clover. The cutting treatment produced the highest yield of wheat

Steep Slopes and Preferred Breaks in GRB Spectra: the Role of Photospheres and Comptonization

The role of a photospheric component and of pair breakdown is examined in the internal shock model of gamma-ray bursts. We discuss some of the mechanisms by which they would produce anomalously steep low energy slopes, X-ray excesses and preferred energy breaks. Sub-relativistic comptonization should dominate in high comoving luminosity bursts with high baryon load, while synchrotron radiation dominates the power law component in bursts which have lower comoving luminosity or have moderate to low baryon loads. A photosphere leading to steep low energy spectral slopes should be prominent in the lowest baryon loadComment: ApJ'00, in press; minor revs. 10/5/99; (uses aaspp4.sty), 15 pages, 3 figure

Improving supply and phosphorous use efficiency in organic farming systems

Phosphorus (P) is an essential plant nutrient that needs to be managed carefully in organic systems so that crop yield and quality remain sustainable without contributing to environmental damage, particularly that associated with eutrophication. Under organic regulations, minimally processed rock phosphate (PR) can be used to amend low P fertility soils, although the solubility is extremely low at optimum soil pH for most crop growth (pH 6.5). This paper describes a project (PLINK) which aims to develop methods of improving P efficiency on organic farms, although the same approaches may also be applicable on conventional and low-input farms. The methodologies that the project is developing include the fermentation and composting of crop waste material with PR in order to solubilise P and make it more available to the crop. Some initial results are described here. In addition, the project will investigate the alteration of the rotation to include crops or varieties with high P uptake efficiency, or roots that possess acidifying properties which improve P availability for following crops

Repeated exercise stress impairs volitional but not magnetically evoked electromechanical delay of the knee flexors

The effects of serial episodes of fatigue and recovery on volitional and magnetically evoked neuromuscular performance of the knee flexors were assessed in twenty female soccer players during: (i) an intervention comprising 4x35s maximal static exercise; (ii) a control condition. Volitional peak force (PFV) was impaired progressively (-16 % vs. baseline: 235.3±54.7 to 198.1±38.5 N) by the fatiguing exercise and recovered to within -97 % of baseline values following six-minutes of rest. Evoked peak twitch force (PTFE) was diminished subsequent to the fourth episode of exercise (23.3 %: 21.4±13.8 vs. 16.4±14.6 N) and remained impaired at this level throughout the recovery. Impairment of volitional electromechanical delay performance (EMDV) following the first episode of exercise (25.5 % :55.3±11.9 vs. 69.5±24.5 ms) contrasted with concurrent improvement (10.0 %: 24.5±4.7 vs. 22.1±5.0 ms) in evoked electromechanical delay (EMDE) (p <0.05) and this increased disparity between EMDE and EMDV remained during subsequent periods of intervention and recovery. The fatiguing exercise provoked substantial impairments to volitional strength and EMDV that showed differential patterns of recovery. However, improved EMDE performance might identify a dormant capability for optimal muscle responses during acute stressful exercise and an improved capacity to maintain dynamic joint stabilty during critical episodes of loading