Design of a state observer using decay rate LMI constraints for fault detection in mechanical systems

Nowadays, one of the most important concerns for many companies is to maintain the operation of their systems without sudden equipment break down. Because of this, new techniques for fault detection and location in mechanical systems subject to dynamic loads have been developed. This paper studies of the influence of the decay rate in the design of state observers using LMI for fault detection in mechanical systems. This influence is analyzed by the performance index proposed by Huh and Stein for the condition of a state observer. An example is presented to illustrate the methodology discussed.

A mechanical analogous model for the power system with Automatic Voltage Regulator

This paper deals with the subject-matter of teaching immaterial issues like power system dynamics where the phenomena and events are not sense-perceptible. The dynamics of the power system are recognized as analogous to the dynamics of a simple mechanical pendulum taken into account the well-known classical model for the synchronous machine. It is shown that even for more sophisticated models including flux decay and Automatic Voltage Regulator the mechanical device can be taken as an analogous, since provided some considerations about variation and control of the pendulum length using certain control laws. The resulting mathematical model represents a mechanical system that can be built for use in laboratory teaching of power system dynamics. © 2010 Praise Worthy Prize S.r.l. - All rights reserved.

Evolution of the mechanical properties of a tropical soil stabilized with lime and ash of rice rind

The ash of rice rind is a pozzolanic material that reacts with the calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH)2) forming bonding composites, when finely worn out and in water presence. Considering this behavior, the objective of the present work was to evaluate the potential use of this residue in the enrichment of the content of pozzolanic materials of a tropical soil stabilized with a commercial hydrated lime. The laboratory testing program incorporated unconfined compression strength tests performed on the soil and on its mixtures with contents of 8% of lime enriched with 5 and 10% of ash of rice rind in relation to the soil dry mass. The results of the testing program supported that the use of the residue was effective in increasing the degree of reactivity of the soil that was also directly related with the increase in the ash content and the period of cure of the mixtures.

Diffusion phenomena of the oxygen and nitrogen in niobium by mechanical spectroscopy

The short-range diffusion phenomenon (Snoek Effect) was investigated by mechanical spectroscopy measurements between 300 K and 650 K, in a polycrystalline niobium sample, containing oxygen and nitrogen, using a torsion pendulum. Experimental spectra of anelastic relaxation were obtained under three conditions: as-received sample; annealed sample and subsequently annealed in an oxygen atmosphere for three hours at 1170 K in partial pressure of 5°10 -5mbar. The experimental spectra obtained were decomposed in elementary Debye peaks and the anelastic relaxation processes were identified. With anelastic relaxation parameters and the lattice parameters, the interstitial diffusion coefficients of the oxygen and nitrogen in niobium were calculated for each kind of preferential occupation (octahedral and tetrahedral). The results were compared with the literature data, and confirmed that the best adjustment is for the preferential occupation octahedral model for low concentrations of interstitial solutes, but at higher concentration of oxygen were observed deviations of experimental data for the interstitial diffusion coefficients of oxygen in niobium when compared with the literature data, this could be related to the possible occurrence of a double occupation of interstitial sites in the niobium lattice by oxygen interstitials. © (2010) Trans Tech Publications.

Swarm control designs applied to a micro-electro-mechanical gyroscope system (MEMS)

This paper analyzes the non-linear dynamics of a MEMS Gyroscope system, modeled with a proof mass constrained to move in a plane with two resonant modes, which are nominally orthogonal. The two modes are ideally coupled only by the rotation of the gyro about the plane's normal vector. We demonstrated that this model has an unstable behavior. Control problems consist of attempts to stabilize a system to an equilibrium point, a periodic orbit, or more general, about a given reference trajectory. We also developed a particle swarm optimization technique for reducing the oscillatory movement of the nonlinear system to a periodic orbit. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

Mechanical tillage of degraded mining areas at Jamari national forest (Amazonian forest, Rondônia - BR)

According to the environmental legislation enforced in Brazil and the process of marketing globalization, the commitment of the nations to the preservation of the environment is intensified. By reason of nature's negative responses to its intensive use, awareness then appears from enterprises and agencies about how the anthropic action over the environment needs to be minimized, becoming a challenge: development and sustainability. In this context, the present work made use of the Mechanical tillage of the soil, as a technique to apply, in a large scale, the strategies and methods to recover mined areas that were researched and developed experimentally by researchers on a theme project about the recovering of degraded areas. This work was conducted in the Amazon ecosystem, inside the Jamari National Forest - Rondônia (FLONA do Jamari), in deactivated cassiterite mines. The objectives of this work were to: Develop a computational program capable of managing a database and assist in the selection of machines and preparation methods to execute the operations of topographical reconstitution and tillage of surfaces in areas degraded by the mineral exploitation of cassiterite. Use the program that was developed in the planning of costs and operational development, for the operations required in the strategies for recovering the areas. Analyze the vegetable productivity in the mobilized areas and the quality of the superficial mobilization, making use of indicators and tillage methods. Evaluate, through biological indicators, the efficiency of the recovery strategies and techniques that were mechanized and applied on the location. The results showed that the developed computational program (SGMAD) served the methodological purposes (the analysis of costs and operational capacity) established for the planning and the selection of the tillage machines and methods in the areas of mineral exploitation of cassiterite. The applied methods and quality of the superficial mobilization were significant to the development of leguminous plants in the areas. The use of biological indicators (microbial biomass and enzymatic activity) in the evaluation of the adopted techniques and strategies revealed that the planting of leguminous plants and their posterior incorporation have been promoting gradually positive alterations in some of the analyzed soil/substract parameters. © 2010 WIT Press.

Effect of unilateral misfit on preload of retention screws of implant-supported prostheses submitted to mechanical cycling

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different levels of unilateral angular misfit on preload maintenance of retention screws of single implant-supported prostheses submitted to mechanical cycling. Materials and methods: Premachined UCLA abutments were cast with cobalt-chromium alloy to obtain 48 crowns divided into four groups (n=12). The crowns presented no misfit in Group A (control group) and unilateral misfits of 50μm, 100μm and 200μm in the groups B, C and D, respectively. The crowns were attached to external hexagon implants with a titanium retention screw with torque of 30N/cm. Oblique loading of 130N at 2Hz was applied on each replica, totalizing 5×104 and 1×106cycles. Detorque values were measured initially and after each cycling period. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and Tukey's HSD test (p<0.05). Results: All groups presented reduced initial detorque values (p< 0.05) in comparison to the insertion torque (30. ± 0.5. N/cm) and Group A (25.18. N/cm) exhibited the lowest reduction. After mechanical cycling, all groups presented detorque values from 19.5. N/cm to 22.38. N/cm and the mechanical cycling did not statistically influence the detorque values regardless the misfit level of the replicas. Conclusion: The unilateral misfit influenced the preload maintenance only before mechanical cycling. The mechanical cycling did not influence the torque reduction. © 2010 Japan Prosthodontic Society.

Quantum mechanical study of YTiO3 to the investigation of piezoelectricity

In previous articles we reported through theoretical studies the piezoelectric effect in BaTiO3, SmTiO3, and YFeO3. In this paper, we used the Douglas-Kroll-Hess (DKH) second-order scalar relativistic method to investigate the piezoelectricity in YTiO3. In the calculations we used the [6s4p] and [10s5p4d] Gaussian basis sets for the O (3P) and Ti (5S) atoms, respectively, from the literature in combination with the (30s21p16d)/[15s9p6d] basis set for the Y ( 3D) atom, obtained by generator coordinate Hartree-Fock (GCHF) method, and they had their quality evaluated using calculations of total energy and orbital energies (HOMO and HOMO-1) of the 2TiO+1 and 1YO+1 fragments. The dipole moment, the total energy, and the total atomic charges in YTiO3 in C s space group were calculated. When we analyze those properties we verify that it is reasonable to believe that YTiO3 does not present piezoelectric properties. Copyright © 2011 Raimundo Dirceu de Paula Ferreira et al.

Effectiveness of mechanical brushing with different denture cleansing agents in reducing in vitro Candida albicans biofilm viability

The adhesion of Candida albicans to surfaces is the prerequisite for occurrence of denture stomatitis, a common disease diagnosed among denture wearers. A routine of denture cleansing is essential to prevent biofilm formation and the onset of this infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of combining brushing and cleansing agents in killing C. albicans biofilm. Disks of acrylic resin were made, sterilized, and inoculated with C. albicans (107 cfu/mL). After incubation (37°C/48 h), specimens were randomly assigned to 10 experimental groups (n=9): 5 subjected to brushing with distilled water or cleansing agents - dentifrice slurry, 2% chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX), 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl), and Polident fresh cleanse® (combined method) - and 4 exposed to the cleansing agents without brushing (immersion). Non-cleansed specimens were used as positive controls. The viability of cells was evaluated by XTT reduction method. Results were analyzed by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests (α=0.05). The combined method was significantly more effective (p<0.0001) in reducing biofilm viability than the immersion. Brushing with CHX and NaOCl resulted in 100% removal of the biofilm. Immersion in the agents reduced significantly (p<0.0001) the biofilm viability, with CHX being the most effective (p<0.0001). The use of the combined method of brushing with cleansing agents is an effective method to reduce C. albicans biofilm, being CHX and NaOCl the most effective solutions.

Development of an instrumentation system embedded on FPGA for real time measurement of mechanical vibrations in rotating machinery

The real-time monitoring of events in an industrial plant is vital, to monitor the actual conditions of operation of the machinery responsible for the manufacturing process. A predictive maintenance program includes condition monitoring of the rotating machinery, to anticipate possible conditions of failure. To increase the operational reliability it is thus necessary an efficient tool to analyze and monitor the equipments, in real-time, and enabling the detection of e.g. incipient faults in bearings. To fulfill these requirements some innovations have become frequent, namely the inclusion of vibration sensors or stator current sensors. These innovations enable the development of new design methodologies that take into account the ease of future modifications, upgrades, and replacement of the monitored machine, as well as expansion of the monitoring system. This paper presents the development, implementation and testing of an instrument for vibration monitoring, as a possible solution to embed in industrial environment. The digital control system is based on an FPGA, and its configuration with an open hardware design tool is described. Special focus is given to the area of fault detection in rolling bearings. © 2012 IEEE.

Quenching in a non-ideal mechanical system and the Averaging Method

In this paper, for the first time, a quenching result in a non-ideal system is rigorously obtained. In order to do this a new mechanical hypothesis is assumed, it means that the moment of inertia of the rotating parts of the energy source is big. From this is possible to use the Averaging Method. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

In vitro and in vivo investigation of the biological and mechanical behaviour of resin-modified glass-ionomer cement containing chlorhexidine

Objectives: To evaluate: (1) the in vitro antibacterial, cytotoxic and mechanical properties of a resin-modified glass ionomer cement (RMGIC) containing different concentrations of chlorhexidine (CHX) and (2) the in vivo microbiologic action of the best concentration of CHX associated with the RMGIC applied on remaining dentine after indirect pulp treatment (IPT). Methods: For the in vitro studies, RMGIC was associated with 0.2, 0.5, 1.25 and 2.5% CHX. Microbiologic evaluation consisted of an agar diffusion test on cariogenic bacteria for 24 h. Odontoblast-like cell metabolism and morphology analyses measured the cytotoxic effects of the RMGIC groups after 24 h. The same groups were submitted to compressive and diametral tensile strength. The in vivo treatment consisted of IPT using an RMGIC associated with the best CHX concentration. Clinical and microbiologic evaluations were performed before and after 3 months. Results: The use of 1.25% CHX significantly improved the antibacterial effects of the evaluated RMGIC, without causing any detrimental effects to the odontoblast-like cells and on the mechanical properties. This RMGIC and CHX combination completely eliminated mutans streptococci after 3 months of IPT. Conclusion: The RMGIC and 1.25% CHX mixture showed great biological and mechanical behaviour and could be a good treatment against caries progression. Clinical significance: The association of CHX with a liner RMGIC opens a new perspective for arresting residual caries after IPT. © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A simple procedure for the preparation of laponite and thermoplastic starch nanocomposites: Structural, mechanical, and thermal characterizations

The aim of this article is to propose advances for the preparation of hybrid nanocomposites prepared by the combination of intercalation from solution and melt-processing methods. This research investigates the effect of the laponite RDS content on the thermal, structural, and mechanical properties of thermoplastic starch (TPS). X-ray diffraction was performed to investigate the dispersion of the laponite RDS layers into the TPS matrix. The results show good nanodispersion, intercalation, and exfoliation of the clay platelets, indicating that these composites are true nanocomposites. The presence of laponite RDS also improves the thermal stability and mechanical properties of the TPSmatrix due to its reinforcement effect which was optimized by the high degree of exfoliation of the clay. Thus, these results indicate that the exfoliated TPS-laponite nanocomposites have great potential for industrial applications and, more specifically, in the packaging field. © The Author(s) 2011 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

Mechanical Property Assessment of Bone Healing around a Titanium-Zirconium Alloy Dental Implant

Background: It has been reported that titanium-zirconium alloy with 13-17% zirconium (TiZr1317) implants show higher biomechanical stability and bone area percentage relative to commercially pure titanium (cpTi) grade 4 fixtures. Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether the higher stability for TiZr1317 implants is associated with higher mechanical properties of remodeling bone in the areas around the implants. Materials and Methods: This study utilized 36 implants (n=18: TiZr1317, n=18: cpTi), which were placed in the healed ridges of the mandibular premolar and first molar of 12 mini pigs (n=3 implants/animal). After 4 weeks in vivo, the samples were retrieved, and resin-embedded histologic sections of approximately 100μm in thickness were prepared. In order to determine the nanomechanical properties, nanoindentation (n=30 tests/specimen) was performed on the bone tissue of the sections under wet conditions with maximum load of 300μN (loading rate: 60μN/s). Results: The mean (±standard deviation) elastic modulus (E) and hardness (H) for the TiZr1317 group were 2.73±0.50GPa and 0.116±0.017GPa, respectively. For the cpTi group, values were 2.68±0.51GPa and 0.110±0.017GPa for E and H, respectively. Although slightly higher mechanical properties values were observed for the TiZr1317 implants relative to the cpTi for both elastic modulus and hardness, these differences were not significant (E=p>0.75; H=p>0.59). Conclusions: The titanium-zirconium alloy used in this study presented similar degrees of nanomechanical properties to that of the cpTi implants. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alkali activated materials based on fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (FCC): Influence of SiO2/Na2O and H 2O/FCC ratio on mechanical strength and microstructure

Reuse of industrial and agricultural wastes as supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs) in concrete and mortar productions contribute to sustainable development. In this context, fluid catalytic cracking catalyst residue (spent FCC), a byproduct from the petroleum industry and petrol refineries, have been studied as SCM in blended Portland cement in the last years. Nevertheless, another environmental friendly alternative has been conducted in order to produce alternative binders with low CO2 emissions. The use of aluminosilicate materials in the production of alkali-activated materials (AAMs) is an ongoing research topic which can present low CO2 emissions associated. Hence, this paper studies some variables that can influence the production of AAM based on spent FCC. Specifically, the influence of SiO 2/Na2O molar ratio and the H2O/spent FCC mass ratio on the mechanical strength and microstructure are assessed. Some instrumental techniques, such as SEM, XRD, pH and electrical conductivity measurements, and MIP are performed in order to assess the microstructure of formed alkali-activated binder. Alkali activated mortars with compressive strength up to 80 MPa can be formed after curing for 3 days at 65°C. The research demonstrates the potential of spent FCC to produce alkali-activated cements and the importance of SiO2/Na2O molar ratio and the H2O/spent FCC mass ratio in optimising properties and microstructure. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.