A FEM procedure based on positions and unconstrained vectors applied to non-linear dynamic of 3D frames

This study presents an alternative three-dimensional geometric non-linear frame formulation based on generalized unconstrained vector and positions to solve structures and mechanisms subjected to dynamic loading. The formulation is classified as total Lagrangian with exact kinematics description. The resulting element presents warping and non-constant transverse strain modes, which guarantees locking-free behavior for the adopted three-dimensional constitutive relation, Saint-Venant-Kirchhoff, for instance. The application of generalized vectors is an alternative to the use of finite rotations and rigid triad`s formulae. Spherical and revolute joints are considered and selected dynamic and static examples are presented to demonstrate the accuracy and generality of the proposed technique. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in fluidized bed reactor by microbial consortia in different support materials

Four anaerobic fluidized bed reactors filled with activated carbon (R1), expanded clay (R2), glass beads (R3) and sand (R4) were tested for anaerobic degradation of LAS. All reactors were inoculated with sludge from a UASB reactor treating swine wastewater and were fed with a synthetic substrate supplemented with approximately 20 mg l(-1) of LAS, on average. To 560 mg l(-1) COD influent, the maximum COD and LAS removal efficiencies were mean values of 97 +/- 2% and 99 +/- 2%, respectively, to all reactors demonstrating the potential applicability of this reactor configuration for treating LAS. The reactors were kept at 30 degrees C and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 18 h. The use of glass beads and sand appear attractive because they favor the development of biofilms capable of supporting LAS degradation. Subsequent 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analysis of samples from reactors R3 and R4 revealed that these reactors gave rise to broad microbial diversity, with microorganisms belonging to the phyla Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria and Proteobacteria, indicating the role of microbial consortia in degrading the surfactant LAS. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced process of microbiological control of wastewater in combined system of disinfection with UV radiation

The purpose of this study was to present a methodology with superior efficiency for inactivating pathogenic indicators commonly found in domestic sewage. The adopted method was based on synergistic effect resulting from the introduction of a UV radiation pre-disinfection stage of sewage followed by secondary treatment. A pilot unit was installed in the sewage treatment plant of the University of Sao Paulo to simulate the combined system in full-scale operational conditions. Its performance was evaluated through microbiological examinations for determining Escherichia coli, total coliforms and coliphages. The application of UV radiation at 5.1mW/cm(2) for 10 s of exposure in the first disinfection stage was enough to reduce the surviving number of E. coli around 100 times, in comparison to the conventional method. Therefore, based on experimental data, it is possible to conclude that combining treatment and pre-disinfection stage is an effective potential technique to produce effluents with lower degree of contamination by pathogenic organisms.

Treatment of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in a horizontal anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor

Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) is an anionic surfactant widely used to manufacture detergents and found in domestic and industrial wastewater. LAS removal was evaluated in a horizontal anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor. The system was filled with polyurethane foam and inoculated with sludge that was withdrawn from an up flow anaerobic sludge blanket reactor that is used to treat swine wastewater. The reactor was fed with easily degradable substrates and a solution of commercial LAS for 313 days. The hydraulic retention time applied was 12 h. The system was initially operated without detergent and resulted to 94% reduction of demand. The mass balance in the system indicated that the LAS removal efficiency was 45% after 180 days. From the 109th day to the 254th day, a removal efficiency of 32% was observed. The removal of LAS was approximately 40% when 1500 mg of LAS were applied in the absence of co-substrates suggesting that the LAS molecules were used selectively. Microscopic analyses of the biofilm revealed diverse microbial morphologies and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiling showed variations in the total bacteria and sulfate-reducing bacteria populations. 16S rRNA sequencing and phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that members of the order Clostridiales were the major components of the bacterial community in the last step of the reactor operation. (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of support material on the immobilization of biomass for the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate in anaerobic reactors

Two horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactors (HAIB) were used to study the degradation of the LAS surfactant: one filled with charcoal (HAIB1) and the other with a mixed bed of expanded clay and polyurethane foam (HAIB2). The reactors were fed with synthetic substrate supplemented with 14 mg l(-1) of LAS, kept at 30 +/- 2 degrees C and operated with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 12 h. The surfactant was quantified by HPLC. Spatial variation analyses were done to quantify organic matter and LAS consumption along the reactor length. The presence of the surfactant in the load did not affect the removal of organic matter (COD), which was close to 90% in both reactors for an influent COD of 550 ring l(-1). The results of a mass balance indicated that 28% of all LAS added to HAIB1 was removed by degradation. HAIB2 presented 27% degradation. Molecular biology techniques revealed microorgan isms belonging the uncultured Holophaga sp., uncultured delta Proteobacterium, uncultured Verrucomicrobium sp., Bacteroides sp. and uncultured gamma Proteobacterium sp. The reactor with biomass immobilized on charcoal presented lower adsorption and a higher kinetic degradation coefficient. So, it was the most suitable support for LAS anaerobic treatment. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the microbial diversity in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass reactor treating linear alkylbenzene sulfonate

The purpose of this work was to assess the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) in a horizontal-flow anaerobic immobilized biomass (HAIB) reactor. The reactor was filled with polyurethane foam where the sludge from a sanitary sewage treatment was immobilized. The hydraulic detention time (HDT) used in the experiments was of 12 h. The reactor was fed with synthetic substrate (410 mg l(-1) of meat extract, 115 mg l(-1) of starch, 80 mg l(-1) of saccharose, 320 mg l(-1) of sodium bicarbonate and 5 ml l(-1)of salt solution) in the following stages of operation: SI-synthetic substrate, SII-synthetic substrate with 7 mg l(-1) of LAS, SIII-synthetic substrate with 14 mg l(-1) of LAS and SIV-synthetic substrate containing yeast extract (substituting meat extract) and 14 mg l(-1) of LAS, without starch. At the end of the experiment (313 days) a degradation of similar to 35% of LAS was achieved. The higher the concentration of LAS, the greater the amount of foam for its adsorption. This is necessary because the isotherm of LAS adsorption in the foam is linear for the studied concentrations (2 to 50 mg l(-1)). Microscopic analyses of the biofilm revealed diverse microbial morphologies, while Denaturing Gradient Gel Eletrophoresis (DGGE) profiling showed variations in the population of total bacteria and sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). The 16S rRNA gene sequencing and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the members of the order Clostridiales were the major components of the bacterial community in the last reactor operation step.

Robust Control of Flight Simulator Motion Base

The purpose of this study is to apply robust inverse dynamics control for a six-degree-of-freedom flight simulator motion system. From an implementation viewpoint, simplification of the inverse dynamics control law is introduced by assuming control law matrices as constants. The robust control strategy is applied in the outer loop of the inverse dynamic control to counteract the effects of imperfect compensation due this simplification. The control strategy is designed using the Lyapunov stability theory. Forward and inverse kinematics and a full dynamic model of a six-degree-of-freedom motion base driven by electromechanical actuators are briefly presented. A describing function, acceleration step response and some maneuvers computed from the washout filter were used to evaluate the performance of the controllers.

Macro-Fiber Composite Actuators for Flow Control of a Variable Camber Airfoil

This research employs solid-state actuators for delay of flow separation seen in airfoils at low Reynolds numbers. The flow control technique investigated here is aimed for a variable camber airfoil that employs two active surfaces and a single four-bar (box) mechanism as the internal structure. To reduce separation, periodic excitation to the flow around the leading edge of the airfoil is induced by a total of nine piezocomposite actuated clamped-free unimorph benders distributed in the spanwise direction. An electromechanical model is employed to design an actuator capable of high deformations at the desired frequency for lift improvement at post-stall angles. The optimum spanwise distribution of excitation for increasing lift coefficient is identified experimentally in the wind tunnel. A 3D (non-uniform) excitation distribution achieved higher lift enhancement in the post-stall region with lower power consumption when compared to the 2D (uniform) excitation distribution. A lift coefficient increase of 18.4% is achieved with the identified non-uniform excitation mode at the bender resonance frequency of 125 Hz, the flow velocity of 5 m/s and at the reduced frequency of 3.78. The maximum lift (Clmax) is increased 5.2% from the baseline. The total power consumption of the flow control technique is 639 mW(RMS).

Piezoceramic Composite Actuators for Flow Control in Low Reynolds Number Airflow

The research presented here employs solid-state actuators for flow separation delay or for forced attachment of separated flow seen in airfoils at low Reynolds numbers. To reduce separation, periodic excitation to the flow around the leading edge of the airfoil is induced by Macro-Fiber Composite actuated clamped-free unimorph benders. An electromechanical model of the unimorph is briefly presented and parametric study is conducted to aid the design of a unimorph to output high deformation at a desired frequency. The optimum frequency and amplitude for lift improvement at post-stall angles are identified experimentally. Along with aerodynamic force and structural displacement measurements, helium bubble flow visualization is used to verify existing separated flow, and the attached flow induced by flow control. The lift enhancement induced by several flow control techniques is compared. A symmetric and non-uniform (3D) flow excitation results in the maximum lift enhancement at post-stall region at the lowest power consumption level. A maximum lift coefficient increase of 27.5% (in the post-stall region) is achieved at 125 Hz periodic excitation, with the 3D symmetric actuation mode at 5 m/s and the reduced frequency of 3.78. C(l,max) is increased 7.6% from the baseline.

No relationship found between point heteroplasmy in mitochondrial DNA control region and age range, sex and haplogroup in human hairs

The analysis of heteroplasmy (presence of more than one type of mitochondrial DNA in an individual) is used as a tool in human identification studies, anthropology, and most currently in studies that relate heteroplasmy with longevity. The frequency of heteroplasmy and its correlation with age has been analyzed using different tissues such as blood, muscle, heart, bone and brain and in different regions of mitochondrial DNA, but this analysis had never been performed using hair samples. In this study, samples of hair were sequenced in order to ascertain whether the presence or not of heteroplasmy varied according to age, sex and origin of haplogroup individuals. The samples were grouped by age (3 groups), gender (male and female) and haplogroup of origin (European, African and Native American), and analyzed using the chi-square statistical test (chi(2)). Based in statistical results obtained, we conclude that there is no relationship between heteroplasmy and sex, age and haplogroup origin using hair samples.

Degradation of detergent (linear alkylbenzene sulfonate) in an anaerobic stirred sequencing-batch reactor containing granular biomass

This study aimed to determine the efficiency of an anaerobic stirred sequencing-batch reactor containing granular biomass for the degradation of linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS), a surfactant present in household detergent. The bioreactor was monitored for LAS concentrations in the influent, effluent and sludge, pH, chemical oxygen demand, bicarbonate alkalinity, total solids, and volatile solids. The degradation of LAS was found to be higher in the absence of co-substrates (53%) than in their presence (24-37%). Using the polymerase chain reaction and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR/DGGE), we identified populations of microorganisms from the Bacteria and Archaea domains. Among the bacteria, we identified uncultivated populations of Arcanobacterium spp. (94%) and Opitutus spp. (96%). Among the Archaea, we identified Methanospirillum spp. (90%), Methanosaeta spp. (98%), and Methanobacterium spp. (96%). The presence of methanogenic microorganisms shows that LAS did not inhibit anaerobic digestion. Sampling at the last stage of reactor operation recovered 61 clones belonging to the domain bacteria. These represented a variety of phyla: 34% shared significant homology with Bacteroidetes, 18% with Proteobacteria, 11% with Verrucomicrobia, 8% with Fibrobacteres, 2% with Acidobacteria, 3% with Chlorobi and Firmicutes, and 1% with Acidobacteres and Chloroflexi. A small fraction of the clones (13%) were not related to any phylum. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Multimodal passive vibration control of sandwich beams with shunted shear piezoelectric materials

This work presents a performance analysis of multimodal passive vibration control of a sandwich beam using shear piezoelectric materials, embedded in a sandwich beam core, connected to independent resistive shunt circuits. Shear piezoelectric actuators were recently shown to be more interesting for higher frequencies and stiffer structures. In particular, for shunted damping, it was shown that equivalent material loss factors of up to 31% can be achieved by optimizing the shunt circuit. In the present work, special attention is given to the design of multimodal vibration control through independent shunted shear piezoelectric sensors. In particular, a parametric analysis is performed to evaluate optimal configurations for a set of modes to be damped. Then, a methodology to evaluate the modal damping resulting from each shunted piezoelectric sensor is presented using the modal strain energy method. Results show that modal damping factors of 1%-2% can be obtained for three selected vibration modes.

Implementation of a Control Loop Experiment in a Network-Based Control System With LonWorks Technology and IP Networks

Considering the increasing popularity of network-based control systems and the huge adoption of IP networks (such as the Internet), this paper studies the influence of network quality of service (QoS) parameters over quality of control parameters. An example of a control loop is implemented using two LonWorks networks (CEA-709.1) interconnected by an emulated IP network, in which important QoS parameters such as delay and delay jitter can be completely controlled. Mathematical definitions are provided according to the literature, and the results of the network-based control loop experiment are presented and discussed.

Modeling of Distributed Control Systems in Intelligent Building based on Colored Petri Nets

Distributed control systems consist of sensors, actuators and controllers, interconnected by communication networks and are characterized by a high number of concurrent process. This work presents a proposal for a procedure to model and analyze communication networks for distributed control systems in intelligent building. The approach considered for this purpose is based on the characterization of the control system as a discrete event system and application of coloured Petri net as a formal method for specification, analysis and verification of control solutions. With this approach, we develop the models that compose the communication networks for the control systems of intelligent building, which are considered the relationships between the various buildings systems. This procedure provides a structured development of models, facilitating the process of specifying the control algorithm. An application example is presented in order to illustrate the main features of this approach.

Fuzzy computational control for real Chua circuit

We preserit a computational procedure to control art experimental chaotic system by applying the occasional proportional feedback (OPF) method. The method implementation uses the fuzzy theory to relate the variable correction to the necessary adjustment in the control parameter. As an application We control the chaotic attractors of the Chua circuit. We present file developed circuits and algorithms to implement this control in real time. To simplify the used procedure, we use it low resolution analog to digital converter compensated for a lowpass filter that facilitates similar applications to control other systems. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.