An Electro-Mechanical Controller for Adjusting Piston Pump Stroke On-the-Go for Site-Specific Application of Crop Nutrients

Nutrient application systems are designed to apply a relatively uniform amount of a fertilizer to agricultural fields. However, considerable variation in soil texture and other characteristics often occurs within and across production fields, which could have a major impact on fertilizer management strategies. Therefore, uniform application of a fertilizer over the entire field can be both costly and environmentally unsound. Due to their rugged and fool-proof design, crankshaft type piston pumps are widely used in agriculture. The on-the-go outlet flow of these pumps can only be varied by changing the drive shaft speed for each pump stroke setting. But only a limited range of flow rates can be achieved by changing the drive shaft speed. There is a need for an electronic controller, which can adjust the pump stroke on-the-go, for real-time, variable-rate application of crop nutrients. The Clemson “Electro-me-chanical controller for adjusting pump stroke on-the-go” was designed to replace the current manual stroke adjustment system on positive displacement piston pumps. This affordable system can be retrofitted on most John Blue - piston pumps for real-time adjustment of the pump stroke and can be controlled using pre-described position sequences (map-based) or real-time sensor commands (such as optical, pressure, and flow sensors) combined with fertilizer calculation algorithms. In addition, it can adjust pump stroke manually, using an eclectic dial from the tractor’s cab.

Fuzzy Sliding Mode Control Based on Longitudinal Force Estimation for Electro-mechanical Braking Systems using BLDC Motor

This paper focuses on the controller design using fuzzy sliding mode control(FSMC)with application to electro-mechanical brake(EMB)systems using BLDC Motor.The EMB controller transmits the control signal to the motor driver to rotate the motor.The torque distribution of motors is studied in this paper actually.Firstly,the model of the EMB system is established.Then the state observer is developed to estimate the vehicle states including the vehicle velocity and longitudinal force.Due to the fact that the EMB system is nonlinear and uncertain,a FSMC strategy based on wheel slip ratio is proposed,where both the normal and emergency braking conditions are taken into account.The equivalent control law of sliding mode controller is designed on the basis of the variation of the front axle and rear axle load during the brake process,while the switching control law is adjusted by the fuzzy corrector.The simulation results illustrate that the FSMC strategy has the superior performance,better adaptability to various types of roads,and shorter braking distance,as compared to PID control and traditional sliding mode control technologies.Finally,the hardware-in-loop(HIL)experimental results have exemplified the validation of the developed methodology.

Electro-mechanical Braking Method in Hybrid Electric Vehicles Based on Feedback Control Theory

In this paper, the hybrid electric vehicle braking process is researched, by using variables consists of HEV speed, motor speed, and state of charge established, fimctions of mechanical braking force, regenerative braking force and efficiency of energy recovery are constructed, and the control goal is to maximization the energy recovery efficiency. Under the feedback control strategy, with the constrain condition of braking strength and braking stability, combining experiments in ADVISOR, in different experiments of different working conditions, we can see that in UDDS Cycle, the regenerative braking efficiency is the best. What＇s more, compared with strategies in ADVISOR, strategy proposed in this paper is obviously better.

Advanced Functional Electromagnetic Shielding Materials:A Review Based on Micro‑Nano Structure Interface Control of Biomass Cell Walls

Research efforts on electromagnetic interference(EMI)shielding materials have begun to converge on green and sustainable biomass materials.These materials offer numerous advantages such as being lightweight,porous,and hierarchical.Due to their porous nature,interfacial compatibility,and electrical conductivity,biomass materials hold significant potential as EMI shielding materials.Despite concerted efforts on the EMI shielding of biomass materials have been reported,this research area is still relatively new compared to traditional EMI shielding materials.In particular,a more comprehensive study and summary of the factors influencing biomass EMI shielding materials including the pore structure adjustment,preparation process,and micro-control would be valuable.The preparation methods and characteristics of wood,bamboo,cellulose and lignin in EMI shielding field are critically discussed in this paper,and similar biomass EMI materials are summarized and analyzed.The composite methods and fillers of various biomass materials were reviewed.this paper also highlights the mechanism of EMI shielding as well as existing prospects and challenges for development trends in this field.

Association of the glycemic background patterns and the diabetes management efficacy in poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND Inadequate glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes(T2DM)is a major public health problem and a significant risk factor for the progression of diabetic complications.AIM To evaluate the effects of intensive and supportive glycemic management strategies over a 12-month period in individuals with T2DM with glycated hemoglobin(HbA1c)≥10%and varying backgrounds of glycemic control.METHODS This prospective observational study investigated glycemic control in patients with poorly controlled T2DM over 12 months.Participants were categorized into four groups based on prior glycemic history:Newly diagnosed,previously well controlled with recent worsening,previously off-target but now worsening,and HbA1c consistently above 10%.HbA1c levels were monitored quarterly,and patients received medical,educational,and dietary support as needed.The analysis focused on the success rates of good glycemic control and the associated factors within each group.RESULTS The study showed significant improvements in HbA1c levels in all participants.The most significant improvement was observed in individuals newly diagnosed with diabetes:65%achieved an HbA1c target of≤7%.The results varied between participants with different glycemic control histories,followed by decreasing success rates:39%in participants with previously good glycemic control,21%in participants whose glycemic control had deteriorated compared to before,and only 10%in participants with persistently poor control,with mean HbA1c levels of 6.3%,7.7%,8.2%,and 9.7%,respectively.After one year,65.2%of the“newly diagnosed patients”,39.3%in the“previously controlled group”,21.9%in the“previously off-target but now worsened'”group and 10%in the“poorly controlled from the start”group had achieved HbA1c levels of 7 and below.CONCLUSION In poorly controlled diabetes,the rate at which treatment goals are achieved is associated with the glycemic background characteristics,emphasizing the need for tailored strategies.Therefore,different and comprehensive treatment approaches are needed for patients with persistent uncontrolled diabetes.

Passive activity enhances residual control ability in patients with complete spinal cord injury

Patients with complete spinal cord injury retain the potential for volitional muscle activity in muscles located below the spinal injury level.However,because of prolonged inactivity,initial attempts to activate these muscles may not effectively engage any of the remaining neurons in the descending pathway.A previous study unexpectedly found that a brief clinical round of passive activity significantly increased volitional muscle activation,as measured by surface electromyography.In this study,we further explored the effect of passive activity on surface electromyographic signals during volitional control tasks among individuals with complete spinal cord injury.Eleven patients with chronic complete thoracic spinal cord injury were recruited.Surface electromyography data from eight major leg muscles were acquired and compared before and after the passive activity protocol.The results indicated that the passive activity led to an increased number of activated volitional muscles and an increased frequency of activation.Although the cumulative root mean square of surface electromyography amplitude for volitional control of movement showed a slight increase after passive activity,the difference was not statistically significant.These findings suggest that brief passive activity may enhance the ability to initiate volitional muscle activity during surface electromyography tasks and underscore the potential of passive activity for improving residual motor control among patients with motor complete spinal cord injury.

A matrix metalloproteinase-responsive hydrogel system controls angiogenic peptide release for repair of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

Vascular endothelial growth factor and its mimic peptide KLTWQELYQLKYKGI(QK)are widely used as the most potent angiogenic factors for the treatment of multiple ischemic diseases.However,conventional topical drug delivery often results in a burst release of the drug,leading to transient retention(inefficacy)and undesirable diffusion(toxicity)in vivo.Therefore,a drug delivery system that responds to changes in the microenvironment of tissue regeneration and controls vascular endothelial growth factor release is crucial to improve the treatment of ischemic stroke.Matrix metalloproteinase-2(MMP-2)is gradually upregulated after cerebral ischemia.Herein,vascular endothelial growth factor mimic peptide QK was self-assembled with MMP-2-cleaved peptide PLGLAG(TIMP)and customizable peptide amphiphilic(PA)molecules to construct nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK.PA-TIMP-QK was found to control the delivery of QK by MMP-2 upregulation after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion and had a similar biological activity with vascular endothelial growth factor in vitro.The results indicated that PA-TIMP-QK promoted neuronal survival,restored local blood circulation,reduced blood-brain barrier permeability,and restored motor function.These findings suggest that the self-assembling nanofiber hydrogel PA-TIMP-QK may provide an intelligent drug delivery system that responds to the microenvironment and promotes regeneration and repair after cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury.

Shape Control and Vibration Analysis of Pi-ezolaminated Plates Subjected to Electro-Mechanical Loading

Shape control and free vibration analysis of piezolaminated plates subjected to electro mechanical loading are evaluated using finite element method. First order shear deformation theory is employed in the analysis. Both extensions as well as shear actuators are considered for piezolaminated plates. Rectangular four node isoparametric element is used in the finite element formulation. Variation of temperature is neglected for the orthotropic layers of the laminate and for piezolayer. Annular circular plates and rectangular plates with piezoelectric layers mounted and/or integrated are analysed for various parameters. Numerical results are presented for varying the actuator voltage for annular plates with different thicknesses of piezo patches. In case of rectangular plate shear actuator is considered for vibration analysis.

Design and Analysis of Electro-mechanical Hybrid Anti-lock Braking System for Hybrid Electric Vehicle Utilizing Motor Regenerative Braking

Braking on low adhesion-coefficient roads, hybrid electric vehicle＇s motor regenerative torque is switched off to safeguard the normal anti-lock braking system （ABS） fimction. When the ABS control is terminated, the motor regenerative braking is readmitted. Aiming at avoiding permanent cycles from hydraulic anti-lock braking to motor regenerative braking, a novel electro-mechanical hybrid anti-lock braking system using fuzzy logic is designed. Different from the traditional single control structure, this system has a two-layered hierarchical structure, The first layer is responsible for harmonious adjustment or interaction between regenerative system and anti-lock braking system. The second layer is responsible for braking torque distribution and adjustment. The closed-loop simulation model is built. Control strategy and method for coordination between regenerative and anti-lock braking are developed. Simulation braking on low adhesion-coefficient roads with fuzzy logic control and real vehicle braking field test are presented. The results from simulating analysis and experiment show braking performance of the vehicle is perfect, harmonious coordination between regenerative and anti-lock braking function, significant amount of braking energy can be recovered and the proposed control strategy and method are effective.

Analysis Method and Principle of Dual-mode Electro-mechanical Variable Transmission Program

Automotive industry,as an important pillar of the national economy,has been rapidly developing in recent years.But proplems such as energy comsumption and environmental pollution are posed at the same time.Electro-mechanical variable transmission system is considered one of avilable workarounds.It is brought forward a kind of design methods of dual-mode electro-mechanical variable transmission system rotational speed characteristics and dual-mode drive diagrams.With the motor operating behavior of running in four quadrants and the speed characteristics of the simple internal and external meshing single planetary gear train,four kinds of dual-mode electro-mechanical transmission system scheme are designed.And the velocity,torque and power characteristics of one of the programs are analyzed.The magnitude of the electric split-flow power is an important factor which influences the system performance,so in the parameters matching design,it needs to reduce the power needs under the first mode of the motor.The motor,output rotational speed range and the position of the mode switching point have relationships with the characteristics design of the planetary gear set.The analysis method is to provide a reference for hybrid vehicles＇ design.As the involved rotational speed and torque relationships are the natural contact of every part of transmission system,a theory basis of system program and performance analysis is provided.

Numerical Simulation of Dynamic Electro-Mechanical Response of Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites

Ionic Polymer-Metal Composites （IPMC） is an emerging class of Electro-Active Polymer （EAP） materials. IPMC has attractive features, such as high sensitivity and light weight, which are useful for developing novel designs in the fields of bionic actuators, artificial muscles and dynamic sensors. A Finite Element （FE） model was developed for simulating the dynamic electro-mechanical response of an IPMC structure under an external voltage input. A lumped Resisto^Capacitor （RC） model was used to describe the voltage-to-current relationship of a Nation IPMC film for the computation of electric field intensity. Moreover, the viscoelastic property of the IPMC film was considered in the model and the non-uniform bending behavior was also taken into account. Based on the proposed model and the assumption that the thicknesses of the two electrodes are the same and uniform, the optimal coating thickness of the IPMC electrode was determined. It was demonstrated that the dynamic electro-mechanical response of the IPMC structure can be predicted by the proposed FE model, and the simulation results were in good agreement with the experimental findings.

Chaos in a fractional-order micro-electro-mechanical resonator and its suppression

The present paper investigates the existence of chaos in a non-autonomous fractional-order micro-electromechanical resonator system（FOMEMRS）.Using the maximal Lyapunov exponent criterion,we show that the FOMEMRS exhibits chaos.Strange attractors of the system are plotted to validate its chaotic behavior.Afterward,a novel fractional finite-time controller is introduced to suppress the chaos of the FOMEMRS with model uncertainties and external disturbances in a given finite time.Using the latest version of the fractional Lyapunov theory,the finite time stability and robustness of the proposed scheme are proved.Finally,we present some computer simulations to illustrate the usefulness and applicability of the proposed method.

ELECTRO-MECHANICAL COUPLING ANALYSIS OF MEMS STRUCTURES BY BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD

In this paper,we present the applications of Boundary Element Method(BEM) to simulate the electro-mechanical coupling responses of Micro-Electro-Mechanical systems(MEMS). The algorithm is programmed in our research group based on BEM modeling for electrostatics and elastostatics.Good agreement is shown while the simulation results of the pull-in voltages are compared with the theoretical/experimental ones for some examples.

Analytical Modelling and Experiment of Novel Rotary Electro-Mechanical Converter with Negative Feedback Mechanism for 2D Valve

The manufacturing of spiral groove structure of two-dimensional valve(2D valve)feedback mechanism has shortcomings of both high cost and time-consuming.This paper presents a novel configuration of rotary electro-mechanical converter with negative feedback mechanism(REMC-NFM)in order to replace the feedback mechanism of spiral groove and thus reduce cost of valve manufacturing.In order to rapidly and quantitative evaluate the driving and feedback performance of the REMC-NFM,an analytical model taking leakage flux,edge effect and permeability nonlinearity into account is formulated based on the equivalent magnetic circuit approach.Then the model is properly simplified in order to obtain the optimal pitch angle.FEM simulation is used to study the influence of crucial parameters on the performance of REMC-NFM.A prototype of REMC-NFM is designed and machined,and an exclusive experimental platform is built.The torque-angle characteristics,torque-displacement characteristics,and magnetic flux density in the working air gap with different excitation currents are measured.The experimental results are in good agreement with the analytical and FEM simulated results,which verifies the correctness of the analytical model.For torque-angle characteristics,the overall torque increases with both current and rotation angle,which reaches about 0.48 N·m with 1.5 A and 1.5°.While for torque-displacement characteristics,the overall torque increases with current yet decrease with armature displacement due to the negative feedback mechanism,which is about 0.16 N·m with 1.5 A and 0.8 mm.Besides,experimental results of conventional torque motor are compared with counterparts of REMC-NFM in order to validate the simplified model.The research indicates that the REMC-NFM can be potentially used as the electro-mechanical converter for 2D valves in civil servo areas.

Analysis of piezoelectric ceramic multilayer actuators based on an electro-mechanical coupled meshless method

This paper presents an efficient meshless method for analyzing cracked piezoelectric structures subjected to mechanical and electrical loading. In this method, an element free Galerkin （EFG） formulation, an enriched basic function and some special shape functions that contain discontinuous derivatives are employed. Based on the moving least squares （MLS） interpolation approach, the EFG method is one of the promising methods for dealing with problems involving progressive crack growth. Since the method is meshless and no element connectivity data are needed, the burdensome remeshing procedure required in the conventional finite element method （FEM） is avoided. The numerical results show that the proposed method can yield an accurate near-tip stress field in an infinite piezoelectric plate containing an interior hole. In another example studying a ceramic multilayer actuator, the proposed model was found to be accurate in the simulation of stress and electric field concentrations arround the abrupt end of an internal electrode.

Recent Progress in Reinforcement Learning and Adaptive Dynamic Programming for Advanced Control Applications

Reinforcement learning(RL) has roots in dynamic programming and it is called adaptive/approximate dynamic programming(ADP) within the control community. This paper reviews recent developments in ADP along with RL and its applications to various advanced control fields. First, the background of the development of ADP is described, emphasizing the significance of regulation and tracking control problems. Some effective offline and online algorithms for ADP/adaptive critic control are displayed, where the main results towards discrete-time systems and continuous-time systems are surveyed, respectively.Then, the research progress on adaptive critic control based on the event-triggered framework and under uncertain environment is discussed, respectively, where event-based design, robust stabilization, and game design are reviewed. Moreover, the extensions of ADP for addressing control problems under complex environment attract enormous attention. The ADP architecture is revisited under the perspective of data-driven and RL frameworks,showing how they promote ADP formulation significantly.Finally, several typical control applications with respect to RL and ADP are summarized, particularly in the fields of wastewater treatment processes and power systems, followed by some general prospects for future research. Overall, the comprehensive survey on ADP and RL for advanced control applications has d emonstrated its remarkable potential within the artificial intelligence era. In addition, it also plays a vital role in promoting environmental protection and industrial intelligence.

Development of a Portable Electro-Mechanical Educational Model for Variable Rate Center Pivot Irrigation Technology

Center pivot irrigation systems usually apply a relatively uniform amount of water to fields that are often inherently variable, which could lead to significant waste of water and energy. To address this issue, our team is now developing an Intelligent Center Pivot (ICP) by integrating sensor-based irrigation scheduling with variable rate irrigation technology. However, before this technology can be applied in commercial production, it is necessary to educate growers about its practicality and potential benefits. The objective of this study was to develop a portable tabletop intelligent center pivot model (ICPDemo) to demonstrate and promote adoption of the ICP technology. This paper describes an ICPDemo constructed in 2014, including the design specifications, electro-mechanical design, control strategy, and performance. The ICPDemo has performed according to design specifications and is successfully being used to demonstrate the benefits and effectiveness of ICP technology for irrigation scheduling.

Study of Piezoresistive Micro Electro-Mechanical Accelerometer Design Platform

According to the inland micro electro-mechanical system （MEMS） process technique level, a design platform of piezoresistive micro electro-mechanical accelerometer is given. This platform is much more adaptable to the inland designer compared with the current MEMS CAD software. The design flow is presented in detail, and the key techique in the platform is analyzed amply. The structure design methodology is exemplified in the design of a piezoresistive accelerometer, and the accelerometer is the optimized structure for the given performance requirements. The accelerometer is now being manufactured.

Finite-time Prescribed Performance Time-Varying Formation Control for Second-Order Multi-Agent Systems With Non-Strict Feedback Based on a Neural Network Observer

This paper studies the problem of time-varying formation control with finite-time prescribed performance for nonstrict feedback second-order multi-agent systems with unmeasured states and unknown nonlinearities.To eliminate nonlinearities,neural networks are applied to approximate the inherent dynamics of the system.In addition,due to the limitations of the actual working conditions,each follower agent can only obtain the locally measurable partial state information of the leader agent.To address this problem,a neural network state observer based on the leader state information is designed.Then,a finite-time prescribed performance adaptive output feedback control strategy is proposed by restricting the sliding mode surface to a prescribed region,which ensures that the closed-loop system has practical finite-time stability and that formation errors of the multi-agent systems converge to the prescribed performance bound in finite time.Finally,a numerical simulation is provided to demonstrate the practicality and effectiveness of the developed algorithm.

Electro-mechanical coupling properties of band gaps in an with periodically attached “spring-mass” resonators

The model of a locally resonant (LR) epoxy/PZT-4 phononic crystal (PC)nanobeam with “spring-mass” resonators periodically attached to epoxy is proposed. The corresponding band structures are calculated by coupling Euler beam theory, nonlocal piezoelectricity theory and plane wave expansion (PWE) method. Three complete band gaps with the widest total width less than 10GHz can be formed in the proposed nanobeam by comprehensively comparing the band structures of three kinds of LR PC nanobeams with resonators attached or not. Furthermore, influencing rules of the coupling fields between electricity and mechanics,“spring-mass” resonator, nonlocal effect and different geometric parameters on the first three band gaps are discussed and summarized. All the investigations are expected to be applied to realize the active control of vibration in the region of ultrahigh frequency.