Train wheel-rail force collaborative calibration based on GNN-LSTM

Accurate wheel-rail force data serves as the cornerstone for analyzing the wheel-rail relationship.However,achieving continuous and precise measurement of this force remains a significant challenge in the field.This article introduces a calibration algorithm for the wheel-rail force that leverages graph neural networks and long short-term memory networks.Initially,a comprehensive wheel-rail force detection system for trains was constructed,encompassing two key components:an instrumented wheelset and a ground wheel-rail force measuring system.Subsequently,utilizing this system,two distinct datasets were acquired from the track inspection vehicle:instrumented wheelset data and ground wheel-rail force data,a feedforward neural network was employed to calibrate the instrumented wheelset data,referencing the ground wheel-rail force data.Furthermore,ground wheel-rail force data for the locomotive was obtained for the corresponding road section.This data was then integrated with the calibrated instrumented wheelset data from the track inspection vehicle.Leveraging the GNN-LSTM network,the article establishes a mapping relationship model between the wheel-rail force of the track inspection vehicle and the locomotive wheel-rail force.This model facilitates continuous measurement of locomotive wheel-rail forces across three typical scenarios:straight sections,long and steep downhill sections,and small curve radius sections.

Rotor performance enhancement by alternating current dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuation

An experimental system was established to explore the plasma flow control effect for helicopter rotors in hover mode.With the plasma actuator applied at the leading edge of the rotor blades,alternating current dielectric barrier discharge(AC-DBD) plasma actuation was generated by a sinusoidal AC high-voltage generator.By direct force measurement,the influence of actuation parameters on the aerodynamic performance of the rotor was investigated at a tip Reynolds number of 1.7 × 105.AC-DBD actuation can delay the blade stall to more than 3° with a 20%increase of about in the thrust coefficient at the post-stall pitch.At a constant motor power driving the rotor,AC-DBD actuation could reduce the rotor’s torque at the stalled pitch and increase the rotational speed of the rotor.Also,AC-DBD actuation could maintain a relatively high hover efficiency of the rotor at large collective pitches.In a wide range of actuation parameters,AC-DBD plasma actuation could improve the rotor’s aerodynamic performance at large blade pitches.High-speed photography of the tuft motion on the blade’s upper surface showed that AC-DBD plasma actuation could promote the reattachment of the blade’s separation flow.

Experimental investigation on de-icing by an array of impact rod-type plasma synthetic jets

Since flight accidents due to aircraft icing occur from time to time,this paper proposes an array of impact rod-type plasma synthetic jet de-icing methods for aircraft icing problems.The impact rod-type plasma synthetic jet actuator(PSJA)is based on the traditional PSJA with an additional impact rod structure for better de-icing in the flight environment.In this work,we first optimize the ice-breaking performance of a single-impact rod-type PSJA,and then conduct an array of impact rod-type plasma synthetic jet ice-breaking experiments to investigate the relationship between crack expansion and discharge energy,ice thickness and group spacing.The results show that the impact force and impulse of a single-impact rod-type PSJA are proportional to the discharge energy,and there exists a threshold energy Qmin for a single actuator to break the ice,which is proportional to the ice thickness.Only when the discharge energy reaches above Qmin can the ice layer produce cracks,and at the same time,the maximum radial crack length produced during the ice-breaking process is proportional to the discharge energy.When the ice is broken by an array of impact rod PSJAs,the discharge energy and group spacing together determine whether the crack can be extended to the middle region of the actuator.When the group spacing is certain,increasing the energy can increase the intersection of cracks in the middle region,and the ice-fragmentation degree is increased and the ice-breaking effect is better.At the same time,the energy estimation method of ice breaking by an array of impact rod-type PSJAs is proposed according to the law when a single actuator is breaking ice.

Wheel/rail-force–based maintenance interval extension of the C80 series wagon

Purpose–This study aims to introduce the achievements and benefits of applying wheel/rail-force–based maintenance interval extension of the C80 series wagon in China.Design/methodology/approach–Chinese wagons’existing maintenance strategy had left a certain safety margin for the characteristics of widely running range,unstable service environment and submission to transportation organization requirements.To reduce maintenance costs,China railway(CR)has attempted to extend the maintenance interval since 2020.The maintenance cycle of C80 series heavy haul wagons is extended by three months(no stable routing)or 50,000 km(regular routing).However,in the meantime,the alarming rate of the running state,a key index to reflect the severe degree of hunting stability,by the train performance detection system(TPDS)for the C80 series heavy haul wagons has increased significantly.Findings–The present paper addresses a big data statistical way to evaluate the risk of allowing the C80 series heavy haul wagons to remain in operation longer than stipulated by the maintenance interval initial set.Through the maintenance and wayside-detectordata,whichis divided intothreestages,the extension period(three months),the current maintenance period and the previous maintenance period,this method reveals the alarming rate of hunting was correlated with maintenance interval.The maintainability of wagons will be achieved by utilizing wagon performance degradation modeling with the state of the wheelset and the often-contact side bearing.This paper also proposes a statistical model to return to the average safety level of the previous maintenance period’s baseline through correct alarming thresholds for unplanned corrective maintenance.Originality/value–The paper proposes an approach to reduce safety risk due to maintenance interval extension by effective maintenance program.The results are expected to help the railway company make the optimal solution to balance safety and the economy.

Cutting force measurement based on tool embedded Ni-chrome thin-film micro-sensors

Cutting force measurement has become a crucial activity for enhancing machining process performance. This paper described the design and fabrication of embedded Ni-chrome thin-film micro-sensors in tool holders to measure the cutting force in machining operations. A Ni-chrome thin-film sensor device is embedded within a substrate structure through a dy- namic brazing process, which consists of a Ti6A14V substrate, a nickel-chromium thin-film sensor and an alumina insulating layer. The Wheatstone bridge which consists of four sensors would produce the output voltage when the thin film caused de- formation by the cutting forces. The relationship between input and output voltages was theoretically analyzed. According- ly, an in-process cutting force measurement system is established. The results show that the thin-film sensor had good lineari- ty and less mutual interference, and it is suitable for all kinds of turning forces under the measurement conditions.

A Study of Lift Force and Instantaneous Velocity Field Around an Oscillating Circular Cylinder

Force measurements of oscillatory flow acting on a single circular cylinder have been carried out. The experiments were done by oscillating a circular cylinder in still water. Instantaneous forces and velocity fields around the cylinder were measured by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The Keulegan-Carpenter number (KC) varied in the range from 5 to 20 and the viscous parameter beta = Re / KC was set at 500 (Re is Reynolds number). It was found that the strength and frequency of the lift force increased with KC number, the main frequency of the lift force being three times the frequency of the oscillatory flow at KC = 20. The movement and strength of the vortices around the cylinder are discussed for different KC numbers.

A Simplified Nonlinear Model of Vertical Vortex-Induced Force on Box Decks for Predicting Stable Amplitudes of Vortex-Induced Vibrations

Wind-tunnel tests of a large-scale sectional model with synchronous measurements of force and vibration responses were carried out to investigate the nonlinear behaviors of vertical vortex-induced forces （VIFs） on three typical box decks （i.e., fully closed box, centrally slotted box, and semi-closed box）. The mechanisms of the onset, development, and self-limiting phenomenon of the vertical vortex-induced vibration （VlV） were also explored by analyzing the energy evolution of different vertical VIF components and their contributions to the vertical VIV responses. The results show that the nonlinear components of the vertical VIF often differ from deck to deck; the most important components of the vertical VIF, governing the stable amplitudes of the vertical VIV responses, are the linear and cubic components of velocity contained in the self-excited aerodynamic damping forces. The former provides a constant negative damping ratio to the vibration system and is thus the essential power driving the development of the VIV amplitude, while the latter provides a positive damping ratio proportional to the square of the vibration velocity and is actually the inherent factor making the VIV amplitude self-limiting. On these bases, a universal simplified nonlinear mathematical model of the vertical VIF on box decks of bridges is presented and verified in this paper; it can be used to predict the stable amplitudes of the vertical VIV of long-span bridges with satisfactory accuracy.

Water blocking effect caused by the use of hydraulic methods for permeability enhancement in coal seams and methods for its removal

To research techniques for removing the water blocking effect caused by hydraulic applications in coal seams,the use of surfactants is proposed,based on the mechanics of the water blocking effect.Centrifugal experiments were used to validate the effects of using surfactants;the results show that after dealing with vacuum saturation with water,the volume of micropores decreases,which results in a larger average pore size,and the volume of transitional pores,mesopores,macropores and total pores increases.Based on the distribution of pore size,the operation mode of ‘‘water infusion after gas extraction,then continuing gas extraction" is recommended to improve the volume of coal mine gas drainage.When the reflectance of vitrinite in coal samples is less than 1,using the surfactants Fast T,1631,APG,BS can mitigate the damage caused by the water blocking effect.But when the reflectance of vitrinite is larger than 1.4,the damage caused by the water blocking effect can be increased.When the surfactant CMC is used in hydraulic applications,the capillary forces of coal samples are almost negative,which means the capillary force is in the same direction as the gas extraction.The direction of capillary forces benefits the gas flow.So,using CMC can play an active role in removing the water blocking effect.Centrifugal experiments confirm that using CMC can effectively remove the water blocking effect,which has a beneficial effect on improving the gas drainage volume.

Measurement of Forces and Torques during Non-Homogeneous Material Drilling Operation

The purpose of this study is to measure the forces and torques produced in the drilling process of a non-homogenous material （bone）. An automated 5 DoF CataLyst-5 robot is used during the drilling process and it is integrated to a 6 DoF force-torque sensor. A force-torque controller which is built in the Matlab Simulink environment is employed to control the drilling process of the bone. Different feed rate is used during the experimental process of the bone drilling operation. The sensor is calibrated to measure the tri-axial direction of the resultant forces and torques. The profiles of the forces and torques obtained are non-linear due to the diversity of the bone density. The profiles generated also indicated fluctuation in the interface layers of the bone.

An appraisal of techniques and equipment for cutting force measurement

Current research focussed on the assessment of metal machining process parameters and on the development of adaptive control, shows that machine performance, work-piece and tool material selections, tool life, quality of machined surfaces, the geometry of cutting tool edges, and cutting conditions are closely related to the cutting forces. This information is of great interest to cutting tool manufactures and users alike. Over the years there have been significant developments and improvements in the equipment used to monitor such forces. In 1930 mechanical gauges were replaced by resistance strain gauges, and some 30 years later compact air gauge dynamometers were invented. Since this time intensive research has continued being directed to- wards developing new approaches to cutting force measurement. The Kistler Company, well-known manufacturer of acceleration and piezoelectrical dynamometers, has worked in this field for more than three decades, and developed very sensitive devices. While leading manufacturing research laboratories are often equipped with this technology, classical electrical strain gauges and other dynamometers of individual designs are still commonly used in industry. The present paper presents data obtained using different techniques of force measurement in metal machining processes. In particular, areas of uncertainties, illustrated through results concerning the turning process, are analysed, leading to an appraisal of the current status of these measurements and their significance.

Precision measurements with cold atoms and trapped ions

Recent progresses on quantum control of cold atoms and trapped ions in both the scientific and technological aspects greatly advance the applications in precision measurement. Thanks to the exceptional controllability and versatility of these massive quantum systems, unprecedented sensitivity has been achieved in clocks, magnetometers, and interferometers based on cold atoms and ions. Besides, these systems also feature many characteristics that can be employed to facilitate the applications in different scenarios. In this review, we briefly introduce the principles of optical clocks, cold atom magnetometers, and atom interferometers used for precision measurement of time, magnetic field, and inertial forces. The main content is then devoted to summarize some recent experimental and theoretical progresses in these three applications, with special attention being paid to the new designs and possibilities towards better performance. The purpose of this review is by no means to give a complete overview of all important works in this fast developing field, but to draw a rough sketch about the frontiers and show the fascinating future lying ahead.

Experimental Investigations of Axial Force Monitoring and Control for Friction Stir Welding Process

Friction stir welding( FSW) is a solid-state welding process that utilizes a rotating tool to induce gross material plastic deformation and join two parts together. A large number of studies have indicated that axial force control can be used to achieve good welding quality. However,in the welding process,due to workpiece's geometry error,improper clamping and other process variations,the axial force can vary significantly and produce welding defects.The control of force in the process of FSW is investigated. At first,the development and evaluation of a closed-loop control system is described,which is equipped with a custom real-time wireless force dynamometer for FSW. Then,an axial force controller is designed based on nonlinear force controllers for FSW. Experimental validations are carried out on an FSW platform. The experimental results demonstrate that the controller maintains the constant axial force and shows desirable dynamic behavior, even when the disturbance is encountered during the welding process.

Force Sensing Resistor and Its Applicationto Robotic Control

Abstract: The force sensing resistor (FSR) and its con’struction and characteristic are described. By using the optimal electronic interface, the end result which is a direct proportionality between force and voltage is obtained. The circuits of application for force and position measurements in the robotic control are given. The experiment that FSRs are placed on the fingers of BH - 1 dexterous hand as tactile sensors to measure the contacting forces shows FSR’s force sensitivity is optimized for use in the control of robot contacting with environment.

Fabrication, Characterization and Machining of Al6061 Reinforced with Red Mud Composite

The Metal Matrix Composites application has increased in many areas of science and technology, because of its additional physical, wear and mechanical properties. In comparison with all MMC’s, aluminum-based MMC’s are finding wide applications due to their better strength to weight ratio, better stiffness, and high thermal conductivity as well as very good wear and corrosion properties. The properties of a composite mainly depend on better distribution of reinforcement in the matrix, which is very difficult to achieve. Basically Redmud is a byproduct of alumina, and it is waste product obtained during Bayer’s process. This waste product must be recycled else it may be dangerous to the environment. Redmud can be used as reinforcement for aluminium composites in order to achieve better properties. The proposed research work includes preparation of Aluminum 6061-Red mud metal matrix composites using liquid metallurgy route following stir casting technique. An alloy Al6061 containing 0.60 percent silicon and Magnesium of 0.82 percent was used as the matrix material. Two different compositions of the Aluminum 6061-Red mud composites are prepared in addition to the base matrix and evaluated for mechanical properties also the force acting on the cutting tool at different spindle speeds during machining of the composite materials were analyzed.

Nominal geometry and force measures for solids and fluids

Understanding solid‐and fluid‐inertia forces and their coupling with the gravity potential in complex motion scenarios is necessary for evaluating system stability and identifying root causes of system failure and accidents.Because solids and fluids have an infinite number of degrees of freedom and distributed inertia and elasticity,having meaningful qualitative and quantitative nominal measures of the kinematics and forces will contribute to a better understanding of the system dynamics.This paper proposes developing new continuum‐based nominal measures for the characterization of the oscillations and forces.By using a material‐point approach,these new nominal measures,which have their roots in the continuum‐mechanics partial‐differential equations of equilibrium and Frenet geometry,are independent of the formulation or generalized coordinates used to develop the dynamic equations of motion.The paper proposes a data‐driven‐science approach to define a nominal continuum space‐curve geometry with nominal curvature and torsion;a nominal instantaneous motion plane(IMP),which contains the resultant of all forces including the inertia forces;and a nominal instantaneous zero‐force axis(IZFA)along which the resultant of all forces vanishes.While using the material‐point approach eliminates the need for introducing moment equations associated with orientation coordinates,the IMP and IZFA concepts can be used to define the instantaneous axis of significant moment components,which can lead to accidents such as in the case of vehicle rollovers.

Transfer learning: A new aerodynamic force identification network based on adaptive EMD and soft thresholding in hypersonic wind tunnel

The aerodynamic test in the pulse combustion wind tunnel is very important for the design, evaluation and optimization of aerodynamic characteristics of the hypersonic aircraft.The test accuracy even affects the success or failure of hypersonic aircraft development. In the aerodynamic test of pulse combustion wind tunnel, the aerodynamic signal is disturbed by the inertial force signal, which seriously affects the test accuracy of aerodynamic force. Aiming at the above problems, this paper innovatively proposes an aerodynamic intelligent identification method, that is the transfer learning network based on adaptive Empirical Modal Decomposition(EMD) and Soft Thresholding(TLN-AE&ST). Compared with the existing aerodynamic intelligent identification model based on deep learning technology, this study introduces the transfer learning idea into the aerodynamic intelligent identification model for the first time. The TLN-AE&ST effectively alleviates the problem of scarcity of training samples for intelligent models due to the high cost of wind tunnel tests, and provides a new idea for further implementation of deep learning technology in the field of wind tunnel aerodynamic testing. And this study designed residual attention block with soft threshold and dense block with adaptive EMD in TLN-AE&ST model. Residual attention block with soft threshold module can more effectively suppress the influence of instrument noise signal on model training effect. Dense block with adaptive EMD makes the deep learning model no longer a black box to a certain extent, and has certain physical significance. Finally, a series of wind tunnel tests were carried out in the Φ = 2.4 m pulse combustion wind tunnel of China Aerodynamic Research and Development Center to verify the effectiveness of TLN-AE&ST.

Design and performance analysis of indoor calibration device for the forcemeasuring system of the tractor three-point hitch

The real-time monitoring of the load in farming by the sensor installed on the tractor's three-point hitch can effectively improve the farming efficiency and force-position combined control,reduce the compaction risk of the wheel on the soil and reduce the fuel consumption in farming process.However,the measurement and quantification of the loads on the three-point hitch have some problems remaining unresolved:testing the accuracy and reliability of a load measuring system is hard when the tractor works in a field,the mathematical model of spatial forces usually lacks a practical and effective validation,and the calibration process of the measurement system is inconvenient and incomplete while easily causing a low accuracy.Specifically,this paper builds a new spatial-force mathematical model based on the geometry of a three-point hitch.To eliminate the discrepancy of the geometric model with the actual structure and to refine the mathematical model,a calibration process is conducted by developing a calibration bench,which is equipped with a data acquisition system and a multi-parameter monitoring interface.The three-point hitch installed on this calibration bench is subject to steady-state loading.The loading force,angle of the lower drawbar,and three-component forces(three shaft pin sensors’forces)of the three-point hitch are well measured.With applying for the measured data to calibrate the theoretical mathematic model eventually derives the resultant force from all the three-component forces,a dynamical loading bench was developed to test the calculated resultant force for the three-point hitch during the sinusoidal and randomly variant dynamical loadings tests.A hitch force measurement system is also developed to collect real-time data and calculate the resultant force of measured three-component forces through the calibrated mathematical model.The results of the dynamical loading tests show that the average relative error MRE=1.09%with an average force measurement time delay beingΔt=0.5 s,the root mean square error RMSE=59.3 N,and the coefficient of determination R2=0.9903.As observed,the shape and the trend of the generated resultant force curve are basically the dynamical loading force.The dynamical loading test proves the high efficacy and reliability of the proposed indoor calibration method for calculating the load based on the three-component forces as measured on the three-point hitch.Besides,the preliminary study of the proposed method on the hitch load provides great potential to improve the indoor six-component measurement and quantification of both the force and momentum acting on the three-point hitch.

A bionic approach for the mechanical and electrical decoupling of an MEMS capacitive sensor in ultralow force measurement

Capacitive sensors are efficient tools for biophysical force measurement,which is essential for the exploration of cellular behavior.However,attention has been rarely given on the influences of external mechanical and internal electrical interferences on capacitive sensors.In this work,a bionic swallow structure design norm was developed for mechanical decoupling,and the influences of structural parameters on mechanical behavior were fully analyzed and optimized.A bionic feather comb distribution strategy and a portable readout circuit were proposed for eliminating electrostatic interferences.Electrostatic instability was evaluated,and electrostatic decoupling performance was verified on the basis of a novel measurement method utilizing four complementary comb arrays and applicationspecific integrated circuit readouts.An electrostatic pulling experiment showed that the bionic swallow structure hardly moved by 0.770 nm,and the measurement error was less than 0.009% for the area-variant sensor and 1.118% for the gap-variant sensor,which can be easily compensated in readouts.The proposed sensor also exhibited high resistance against electrostatic rotation,and the resulting measurement error dropped below 0.751%.The rotation interferences were less than 0.330 nm and(1.829×10^(-7))°,which were 35 times smaller than those of the traditional differential one.Based on the proposed bionic decoupling method,the fabricated sensor exhibited overwhelming capacitive sensitivity values of 7.078 and 1.473 pF/μm for gap-variant and area-variant devices,respectively,which were the highest among the current devices.High immunity to mechanical disturbances was maintained simultaneously,i.e.,less than 0.369% and 0.058% of the sensor outputs for the gap-variant and area-variant devices,respectively,indicating its great performance improvements over existing devices and feasibility in ultralow biomedical force measurement.

Understanding the interplay between cell force and cell adhesion processes

Cells,wrapped among their neighbors and surrounding extracellular matrix(ECM),form cell-cell adhesions and cell-ECM adhesions.Extracellular biophysical cues exert a far-reaching influence on a sweeping of cell behaviors,including signal transduction,gene expression,and fate determination.Cell-cell adhesions mediated by inter-cellular adhesion molecules bridge the membranes of adjacent cells through either heterophilic or homophilic adhesive interactions,playing a critical part in multicellular structural maintenance and,therefore,a foundation for multicellular organisms.Cell-ECM adhesions are derived from the interaction between cell adhesion receptors and multi-adhesive matrix proteins to ensure cell and tissue cohesion.Whereas cells not only unilaterally respond to certain cues from extracellular environment but can also alter the physicochemical profiles of the externalities and hence hold important implications for clinical applications.The essential function of cell adhesions has cre-ated tremendous interests in developing methods for measuring and studying cell adhesion properties,namely,cellular force.Here,we describe the collection of cell adhesive inputs on cellular signaling cascades and the“crosstalk”between cell-cell adhesions and cell-ECM adhesions.Furthermore,we provide the summary of the current methods to measure such cell adhesive forces.

Optical tweezers technique and its applications

Since their advent in the 1980s,optical tweezers have attracted more and more attention due to their unique non-contact and non-invasion characteristics and their wide applications in physics,biology,chemistry,medical science and nanoscience.In this paper,we introduce the basic principle,the history and typical applications of optical tweezers and review our recent experimental works on the development and application of optical tweezers technique.We will discuss in detail several technological issues,including high precision displacement and force measurement in single-trap and dual-trap optical tweezers,multi-trap optical tweezers with each trap independently and freely controlled by means of space light modulator,and incorporation of cylindrical vector optical beams to build diversified optical tweezers beyond the conventional Gaussian-beam optical tweezers.We will address the application of these optical tweezers techniques to study biophysical problems such as mechanical deformation of cell membrane and binding energy between plant microtubule and microtubule associated proteins.Finally we present application of the optical tweezers technique for trapping,transporting,and patterning of metallic nanoparticles,which can be harnessed to manipulate surface plasmon resonance properties of these nanoparticles.