A Wire-Driven Series Elastic Mechanism Based on Ultrasonic Motor for Walking Assistive System

In order to improve the elderly people's quality of life,supporting their walking behaviors is a promising technology.Therefore,based on one ultrasonic motor,a wire-driven series elastic mechanism for walking assistive system is proposed and investigated in this research.In contrast to tradition,it innovatively utilizes an ultrasonic motor and a wire-driven series elastic mechanism to achieve superior system performances in aspects of simple structure,high torque/weight ratio,quiet operation,quick response,favorable electromagnetic compatibility,strong shock resistance,better safety,and accurately stable force control.The proposed device is mainly composed of an ultrasonic motor,a linear spring,a steel wire,four pulleys and one rotating part.To overcome the ultrasonic motor's insufficient output torque,a steel wire and pulleys are smartly combined to directly magnify the torque instead of using a conventional gear reducer.Among the pulleys,there is one tailored pulley playing an important role to keep the reduction ratio as 4.5 constantly.Meanwhile,the prototype is manufactured and its actual performance is verified by experimental results.In a one-second operating cycle,it only takes 86 ms for this mechanism to output an assistive torque of 1.6 N·m.At this torque,the ultrasonic motor's speed is around 4.1 rad/s.Moreover,experiments with different operation periods have been conducted for different application scenarios.This study provides a useful idea for the application of ultrasonic motor in walking assistance system.

Seismic stability safety evaluation of gravity dam with shear strength reduction method

A new method of numerical seismic stability safety evaluation for a rock slope is proposed based on the analysis of a gravity dam foundation subjected to earthquake loading. The shear strengths of the weak discontinuities are divided by different shear strength reduction ratios （K） and numerical seismic analysis is carried out after the static analysis is completed. With different K values, the curves of the permanent horizontal displacement of key points of the dam foundation （K-displacement curves） are studied. According to the curve change, the distribution of plastic zones in the foundation, and the slow convergence of the finite element method （FEM）, the seismic stability safety factor is defined as Kwhen the gravity dam is in the limit equilibrium state subjected to earthquake loading. These concepts were applied to the evaluation of seismic stability safety of a gravity dam for a hydropower project. The analysis of the example shows that the proposed method is feasible and is an effective method of seismic stability safety evaluation.

In-Situ Austenite Steel Matrix Composite Reinforced by Granular γ+（Fe,Mn）3C Eutectic

The mechanical properties of the steel pipe rolled with continuously casting round billet after determining the chemical composition in steel were studied. The results show that the total reduction ratio should be higher than 5 2 when the line pipes of grade B, grade 20 and other general seamless pipe were rolled with continuously casting round billet. And the total reduction ratio should be higher than 10 2 and the grain size should be controlled more than grade 7 for casing of oil countryside tubular goods (OCTG).

Investigation on Mechanical Property of Seamless Pipe

The mechanical properties of the steel pipe rolled with continuously casting round billet after determining the chemical composition in steel were studied.The results show that the total reduction ratio should be higher than 5.2 when the line pipes of grade B,grade 20 and other general seamless pipe were rolled with continuously casting round billet.And the total reduction ratio should be higher than 10.2 and the grain size should be controlled more than grade 7 for casing of oil countryside tubular goods(OCTG).

Interface characterization of Al/Cu 2-ply composites under various loading conditions

The effects of reduction ratio during roll bonding on the microstructural evolution at interface and subsequent mechanical properties of roll-bonded Al/Cu 2-ply sheets were investigated. The interface microstructures for several Al/Cu 2-ply sheets fabricated under different reduction ratios between 30% and 65% were verified by transmission electron microscopy(TEM). Taking the difference of interface microstructure into consideration, 3-point bending and peel tests were performed for obtaining flexural and bonding strengths for Al/Cu 2-ply sheets. The effect of the quantified areas of metallurgical bonding at interfaces on the bonding strength was also discussed. The results show that both the bonding and flexural strengths for Al/Cu 2-ply sheets are reduced by decreasing the reduction ratio during the roll bonding process, which is strongly correlated with the interface microstructure. This was especially verified by observing the interface delamination from the 3-point bent samples.

Portable Hemodialysis Machine for Chronic Hemodialysis in Hospital—Advantages and Future Uses

Introduction: Nx stage one machine results can help to enhance the clinical efficiency and shortage concerning the use of home hemodialysis. Therefore, the study investigates effectiveness of Nx stage machine for intermittent conventional hemodialysis in hospital for inpatients and outpatients to replace conventional hemodialysis in stable chronic hemodialysis patients. Methods: Prospective observatory study was conducted in Nephrology Division, King Fahd General Hospital from April 1 to June 1 2018. Patients with ESRD, who were dependent on dialysis and maintained on regular hemodialysis were recruited. Fifty-two sessions of hemodialysis were performed. The patients were given intermittent dialysis using Nx stage one machine. Pre and Post dialysis investigations and body weight were taken, and patients were observed for any complications during or post-dialysis. Findings: The primary endpoint ultrafiltration with a goal to remove 1 - 4 kg was achieved without any technical difficulty. Secondary endpoint for potassium reduction levels was achieved with mean SD post-dialysis 3.53 ± 0.3, and the tertiary endpoint was achieved in a patient less than 50 kg weight with spKt/V above 1.2. It was difficult to achieve spKt/V in patients with weight more than 60 kg due to limitations in the duration of sessions or dialysate volume. Target spkT/V was achieved for patients with body weight less than 50 kg;however, it was not achieved among the patients with body weight more than 60 kg. Discussion: Nx stage one machine can replace conventional intermittent dialysis in terms of ultrafiltration and Potassium correction;however, further investigation is needed for urea clearance.

Thermodynamic behaviors of SiCl_2 in silicon deposition by gas phase zinc reduction of silicon tetrachloride

The modified Siemens process,which is the major process of producing polycrystalline silicon through current technologies,is a high temperature,slow,semi-batch process and the product is expensive primarily due to the large energy consumption.Therefore,the zinc reduction process,which can produce solar-grade silicon in a cost effective manner,should be redeveloped for these conditions.The SiCl2 generation ratio,which stands for the degree of the side reactions,can be decomposed to SiCl4 and ZnCl2 in gas phase zinc atmosphere in the exit where the temperature is very low.Therefore,the lower SiCl2 generation ratio is profitable with lower power consumption.Based on the thermodynamic data for the related pure substances,the relations of the SiCl2 generation ratio and pressure,temperature and the feed molar ratio（n（Zn）/n（SiCl4） are investigated and the graphs thereof are plotted.And the diagrams of Kpθ-T at standard atmosphere pressure have been plotted to account for the influence of temperature on the SiCl2 generation ratio.Furthermore,the diagram of Kpθ-T at different pressures have also been plotted to give an interpretation of the influence of pressure on the SiCl2 generation ratio.The results show that SiCl2 generation ratio increases with increasing temperature,and the higher pressure and excess gas phase zinc can restrict SiCl2 generation ratio.Finally,suitable operational conditions in the practical process of polycrystalline silicon manufacture by gas phase zinc reduction of SiCl4 have been established with 1200 K,0.2 MPa and the feed molar ratio（n（Zn） /n（SiCl4）） of 4 at the entrance.Under these conditions,SiCl2 generation ratio is very low,which indicates that the side reactions can be restricted and the energy consumption is reasonable.

Influence of pass reduction ratio on microstructure and properties of 2205/Q235B clad steel plate

2205/Q235B clad steel plates were fabricated using a thermal simulator.The metallographic microscope,scanning electron microscope,energy-dispersive spectrometer,shear test,electrochemical corrosion test and acid immersion test were used to study the influence of the pass reduction ratio on the microstructure and properties of 2205/Q235B clad steel plate.The results show that the clad steel plates had a good bonding surface when the pass reduction ratios were between 16.3%and 36.0%.There existed the mutual diffusion effect of elements near the bonding surface,which caused the long austenite strip on the side of 2205 stainless steel and the decarburization layer on the side of Q235B low-carbon steel.The transformation ofδferrite toγaustenite and the generation of the decarburization layer were promoted because of the lower pass reduction ratio.The corrosio n resista nee of 2205 duplex-phases stainless steel worse ned by the decrease in 8 ferrite con tent.The increase in the decarburization layer thickness made the shear strength of the clad steel plates reduce from 453 to 390 MPa.The potential of the decarburization layer was lower than that of 2205 stainless steel and Q235B low-carb on steel,which was easily corroded in the corrosive medium.

Noise reduction and signal to noise ratio improvement in magneto-optical polarization rotation measurement

The measurement of an extremely small magneto-optical polarization rotation angle with high sensitivity is integral to many scientific and technological applications. In this Letter, we have presented a technique based on Faraday modulation combined with the optical differential method to measure an extremely small polari- zation rotation angle with high sensitivity. The theoretical and experimental results show that common mode noise is reduced appreciably and signal to noise ratio is enhanced. The effectiveness of this technique has been demonstrated by measuring the Verdet constant of terbium gallium garnet glass and measuring the small polari- zation rotation angle. A sensitivity of enhancement of one order of magnitude has been achieved using differ- ential detection based on Faraday modulation.

Carbon emission reduction analysis of CHP system driven by biogas based on emission factors

The cogeneration system of heat,power,and biogas(CHPB)driven by renewable energy provides an effective solution for carbon emission reduction in rural China.Starting from fully meeting the energy demand of 17 new rural residential households in Lanzhou,considering the annual dynamic local climate change,energy consump-tion characteristics,and environment parameters,a model of environmental benefit index for the CHPB system is constructed.The concept of emission factor is used to quantitatively analyze the environmental benefits of the system.The equivalent CO_(2)emission factor is defined to connect emissions with energy output,evaluating the environment-friendly potential of energy supply system.Compared with the conventional systems of indepen-dent power and thermal generation,the year-round characteristics of CO_(2)emission and emission structure chart of the proposed system are analyzed.The results show that the total CO_(2)emission and the average equivalent CO_(2)emission factors of the conventional and CHPB system are 85.45t,1.53 kg/kWh,and 308.46t,0.22 kg/kWh,respectively.The maximum CO_(2)emission reduction ratio of the CHPB system is 113.47%.Anaerobic digestion technology is employed to consume biomass feedstock,which reduced CH_(4)emission(equivalent to 86.36t of CO_(2)emission reduction).Five typical cities were selected to study the regional adaptability of the system and analyze environmental benefits.The results indicate that the CHPB system has the best environmental performance in Guangzhou,where the average CO_(2)emission reduction rate is 103.52%.

FLOWS THROUGH ENERGY DISSIPATERS WITH SUDDEN REDUCTION AND SUDDEN ENLARGEMENT FORMS

The energy dissipation of flood discharges has been one of important problems that affect directly the safety of hydropower projects. The energy dissipater with sudden reduction and sudden enlargement forms, used widely in large-scale projects has been a kind of effective structure for energy dissipation. The concept of critical thickness was defined, which is related to both the geometric parameters and the hydraulic parameters of the energy dissipater, and the factors affecting the critical thickness, were analzsed by means of dimensional analysis. The empirical expression about the critical thickness was obtained and could be used as the criterion to distinguish the flows through the energy dissipater, i.e., the plug flow and the orifice plate flow. The error analysis showed that the critical thickness calculated by the expression has the errors of smaller than 10% in the estimation of the flows for the energy dissipater mentioned above.