Experimental Performance and Neural Network Modeling of a Large-scale Greenhouse Solar Dryer for Drying Natural Rubber Sheets

This paper presents experimental performance and artificial neural network modeling of a large-scale greenhouse solar dryer for drying of natural rubber sheets. The dryer consists of a parabolic roof structure covered with polycarbonate sheets on a concrete floor. The dryer is 9.0 m in width, 27.0 m in length and 3.5 m in height. Nine 15-W DC fans powered by three 50-W PV modules were used to ventilate the dryer. To investigate its performance, the dryer was used to dry six batches of natural rubber sheets. For each batch, 750 kg of rubber sheets were dried in the dryer. Results obtained from the experiments showed that drying temperatures varied from 32 ~C to 55 ~C and the use of the dryer led to a considerable reduction of drying time, as compared to the open air sun drying. In addition, the quality of the product from the dryer was high-quality dried products. A multilayer neural network model was developed to predict the performance of this dryer. The predictive power of the model was found to be high after it was adequately trained.

Hardware Type 2 Fuzzy Logic Position Controller Based on Karnik-Mendel Algorithms

This paper presents an analysis of the KM （Karnik-Mendel） algorithms performance under real time implementation using 3 types： the non-iterative, the iterative and the enhanced, and their feasibility for real-time interval type 2 fuzzy logic control system applications. The results are also compared against NT （Nie-Tan） method that is one of the fastest and simplest defuzzification methods. Because the DC （direct current） servo-motor is one of the most used motors in different industrial applications and the model of the motor is nonlinear, this motor was selected for validating the implementation in real time hardware. This DC motor is a perfect option for studying the real time performance of KM algorithms in order to show up its limits and possibilities for real-time control system applications. These methodologies are implemented in National Instruments LabVIEW FPGA （field programmable gate array） module hardware which is one of the most used platforms in the industry. The results show that the E-KM （enhanced KM） algorithm and the NT method present good results for implementing real-time control applications in real time hardware. Although fuzzy logic type 2 is a good option for working with nonlinear and noise from the sensors, the defuzzification method has to react in a short period of time in order to allow good control response. Hence, a complete study of defuzzification is needed for improving the real time implementations of fuzzy type 2.

Extinction and Persistent of a Stochastic Multi-group SIR Epidemic Model

We establish a stochastic differential equation epidemic model of multi-group SIR type based on the deterministic multi-group SIR mode. Then, we define the basic reproduction number R0^S and show that it is a sharp threshold for the dynamic of the stochastic multi-group SIR model. More specially, if R0^S 〈 1, then the disease-free equilibrium will be asymptotically stable which means the disease will die out, if R0^S 〉 1, the disease-free equilibrium will unstable, and our model will positively recurrence to a positive domain which implies the persistence of our model. Numerical simulation examples are carried out to substantiate the analytical results.

Dynamical Behaviors of Multicellular Chopper

In this paper, the behavior analysis of two cells chopper connected to a nonlinear load is reported. Thus, this is done in order to highlight the way to chaos. Furthermore, throughout the study of these dynamical behaviors of this complex switched system some basic dynamical properties, such as Poincare section, first return map, bifurcation diagram, power spectrum, and strange attractor are investigated. The system examined in Matlab-Simulink. Analyses of simulation results show that this system has complex dynamics with some interesting characteristics.

Regional Healthcare Platform Integration Study Based on Common Interface

In order to achieve the data exchanging and sharing in complex hospital information systems, the patients, the hospitals and the doctors were put into an integration platform, and improve the regional healthcare incorporating and collaborating, the operators, such as the patients, the regional healthcare departments and community operators were put an uniform platform, the study focused on the design of common interface based on the EMR （electronic medical records） system so as to get the uniform information from anywhere at anytime. In the hospital, we set up the common interface based on the HL7 （health level seven） criterion to connect the different models and among the regional healthcare departments, we set up the common interface based on the middleware technology to connect the different medical management information systems. The design of common interface based on the HL7 engine integrated the platform of all the hospital models, and middleware completed the collaboration applications among the regional healthcare departments. The common interfaces based on HL7 and middleware satisfied the requirements of data and formed in different medical information systems, and complemented the regional healthcare information sharing by the integration platform. It is a feasible solution that supports the mobile nursing and smarter healthcare by the theory analysis and practice application.

Modeling and Analysis of Electrostatically Actuated MEMS under Combined Nonlinearities, Lorentz Force, and Mechanical Shock

This paper shows an analysis ofMEM S （micro electro mechanical systems） due to Lorentz force and mechanical shock. The formulation is based on a modified couple stress theory, the von Karman geometric nonlinearity and Reynolds equation as well. The model contains a silicon microbeam, which is encircled by a stationary plate. The non-dimensional governing equations and associated boundary conditions are then solved iteratively through the Galerkin weighted method. The results show that pull-in voltage is dependent on the geometry nonlinearity. It is also demonstrated that by increasing voltage between the silicon microbeam and stationary plate, the pull-in instability happens.

Electromagnetic Coupling Modeling of Microstrip Lines Used in Switching Power Supplies

One of the major problems in electromagnetic compatibility is the interference due to erosstalk on the PCB （printed circuit board） in the SiP （system-in-package） technology. In this work, electromagnetic coupling modeling of coupled microstrip lines used in switching power supplies is presented. The different blocks which are connected through buses realized on PCBs will be considered as a coupled transmission line. The coupled microstrip transmission lines are modeled by a mathematical model based on the MoM （method of moments）. This model is done by Maflab routines. A SPICE （simulation program with integrated circuit emphasis） model is proposed for the prediction of the NEXT （near^crosstalk） and the FEXT （far-crosstalk） at the terminals of the command line. This command line is often victim of electromagnetic interference emitted by a transmission line source close. Some solutions against crosstalk depending on the physical parameters of the coupled transmission lines are proposed.

Efficiency Improvement of PEM Fuel Cells via Humidity Control

PEM （Proton Exchange Membrane） fuel cell is a promising renewable energy source to a wide range of applications for its clean products and high power density. However, controlling its humidity is a challenging problem due to the interdependence of several phenomena contributing in membrane＇s water content. This work deals with efficiency improvement of PEM fuel cells via humidity control. An innovative strategy of control based on the model of Ref. [1] is proposed. It consists on regulating gas humidification rates according to the power demand so that to minimize power losses. The proposed control takes into consideration constraints related to humidification in order to avoid dry out or flooding of the membrane. Simulations results show that time-phasing between hydrogen and oxygen humidification rates plays an important role in minimizing power losses. The proposed control shows significant improvement in the fuel cell＇s efficiency up to 20%.

Dynamic Analysis of aSelected Spatial One-DOF Linkage Mechanism with Friction in Joints

The dynamic analysis of a one-DOF RSRRR spatial linkage mechanism, including four rotational joints R and one spherical joint S, is presented in the paper. It is assumed that friction occurs in the rotational joints, whereas a spherical joint can be treated as an ideal one. The mechanism in the form of a closed-loop kinematic chain was divided by cut joint technique into two open-loop kinematic chains in place of the spherical joint. Joint coordinates and homogeneous transformation matrices were used to describe the geometry of the system. Equations of the chains＇ motion were derived using formalism of Lagrange equations. Cut joint constraints and reaction forces, acting in the cutting place---i.e, in the spherical joint, have been introduced to complete the equations of motion. As a consequence, a set of differential-algebraic equations has been obtained. In order to solve these equations, a procedure based on differentiation twice of the formulated constraint equations with respect to time has been applied. In order to determine values of friction torques in the rotational joints in each integrating step of the equations of motion, joint forces and torques were calculated using the recursive Newton-Euler algorithm taken from robotics. For the requirements of the method, a model of a rotational joint has been developed. Some examples of results of the numerical calculations made have been presented in the conclusions of the paper.

Evaluation of Traffic Improvement Options Using Traffic Simulation

This research aimed at evaluating traffic improvement options for urban street networks using traffic simulation. Traffic, geometric and control data were collected from a selected study area which consisted of eight major at-grade intersections in Irbid city, Jordan, and the traffic simulation software （CORSIM） was used to evaluate the proposed traffic improvement options. The results of the network level analysis showed that the scenario of two rings of one-way streets provided the highest average travel speed （40% increase） and the lowest average traffic delay （47% reduction） as compared to the existing condition. It was found that a network with moderate intersections traffic volumes performs better with roundabouts than with signals. Replacing the network roundabouts by coordinated and optimized traffic signals provided more improvement in the average travel speed than the average traffic delay.

Analytical Modeling and Experimental Validation of Electromagnetic Field Radiated by In-house PLC Lines

Broadband PLC （power line communication） technology is a main factor of the development of digital convergence in the indoor network. It uses the already existing power cable infrastructure for communication purposes. The EM （electromagnetic） field radiating from the cable could, however, disturb other communication systems, and thus should be evaluated. The MoM （method of moment） and the FEM （finite element method） have been studied to estimate the EVI field emitted from the power cable. However, the M oM is difficult to treat the dielectric material of the cable and the FEM is time consuming. This paperpresents a new approach to estimate the radiated EM fields caused by PLC sy stems from the CM current along the cable, based on the transmission line theory. The proposed model has the advantage of using the measured primary parameters of the cable. An experimental analysis of the EM radiation distribution is also presented. A comparison showed that the model results agree quite well with the measurements performed in this study.

Indoor Narrowband Power Lines Channel Characterization

Power line is an efficient media for home area networking communication scenarios. However, it is not designed to transmit data. This causes several perturbations phenomenon for communications technologies over the power cables. This work presents an investigation of the indoor narrowband power lines channel behavior. The load, the transmission line length and the network topology impact are studied using a simple network. A channel response measure campaign has been realized in 13 sites. The channel capacity has been used for channel classification. The measures were classified into 5 classes. It is shown that channel response is mainly impacted by the load impedance. The class distributions are more impacted by the nature of appliances connected into the indoor network.

Robotics and Mathematics in Citizenship Formation： Associating Negatives Numbers and Education in Traffic

This article reports the experience of the robotics class taught by a student＇s degree in mathematics from the Federal University of Uberlandia, as a requirement for co mp letion of the discip line sup ervised training. The M ineiro Baptist College was chosen in the city of Uberlandia-MG to carry out this work because it is a school that entered the discipline of robotics into their curriculum. The class was held with the students of the seventh grade of elementary school second, linking the areas of mathematics, robotics and traffic education, prioritizing the respect of the contents worked in math classes and civic education of individuals in a dynamic and creative way.

Role of Adaptation in Networked Control Systems： Overview and Research Trends

Control loops using communication channels for information exchange among system components are called NCSs （networked control systems）. Communication channels introduce imperfections such as time-varying delays, and data-loss that affect the NCSs performance adversely. Many controller design algorithms compensating network constraints for NCSs has been proposed in literature. Most control laws either design stabilizing controllers considering worst-case conditions, or using simpler assumptions, leading to conservative design. Therefore, there is an urgent need to design dynamic controllers that compensate for such network imperfections. Adaptive controllers have been traditionally used for systems with time-varying parameters. However, the role of adaptation in NCSs has been studied only recently by researchers, and there is a need for new results. This article reviews the recent results in adaptive control of NCSs, and proposes research directions for future.

Analytical/Numerical Modelling of Two Parallel Robots as Laser Calibration Instruments Controlled by Classical/Intelligent Schemes

Industrial metrology deals with measurements in production environment. It concerns calibration procedures as well as control of measurement processes. Measuring devices have been evolving from manual theodolites, electronic theodolites, robotic total stations, to a relatively new kind of laser-based systems known as laser trackers. Laser trackers are 3D coordinate measuring devices that accurately measure large （and relatively distant） objects by computing spatial coordinates of optical targets held against those objects. In addition, laser trackers are used to align truthfully large mechanical parts. However, such aligning can be done in moving parts, for instance during robot calibration in a welding line. In this case, serial robots are controlled in order to keep a prescribed trajectory to accomplish its task properly. Nevertheless, in spite of a good control algorithm design, as time goes by, deviations appear and a calibration process is necessary. It is well known that laser tracker systems are produced by very well established enterprises but their laser products may result expensive for some （small） industries. We offer two parallel robot-based laser tracker systems models whose implementation would result cheaper than sophisticated laser devices and takes advantage of the parallel robot bondages as accuracy and high payload. The types of parallel robots evaluated were 3-SPS-1-S and 6-PUS. Modelling of the parallel robots was done by analytical and numerical techniques. The latter includes classical and artificial intelligence-based algorithms. The control performance was evaluated between classical and intelligent controllers.

＂Intelligent＂ Knowledge Reuse for Complex Logistics Projects： An Application of Ontology-Driven and Case-Based Reasoning

The application potential of ontology-driven and CBR （case-based reasoning） is demonstrated for the business knowledge management particularly with respect to the reuse of knowledge of experience concerning logistics projects. The relevance of poorly structured, qualitative and especially in natural language represented knowledge is outlined for purposes of knowledge management, particularly with respect to the management of project-related knowledge. It is elucidated how this kind of knowledge can be preprocessed and reused with the support of a computer. At first, the technique of CBR is outlined in its basic fundamentals. Thereupon, it will be shown how the technique of ontologies can be used for the computer-supported processing of knowledge represented in natural language and integrated in computer-assisted CBR systems. A simple application example illustrates how ontology-driven and CBR can be used in practice within the reuse of project-related knowledge. Finally, it will be addressed which further need for research exists in principle.

Studies in Brain Functional Networks Based on Complex Networks

The purpose of the paper is to provide a way to model the brain functional network based on the complex networks with brain anatomical architecture. We introduce the brain structural and functional researches, and delineate the brain anatomical and functional networks based on complex networks, then we discuss the brain functional complex network models; at last we put forward the brain functional networks modeling process and the data processing with fMRI （functional magnetic resonance imaging） in detailed.

Linked Data-based Slide Repository： The Episodic Slide Retrieval Using the Episodic Keyword Networks

This paper focuses on developing a system that allows presentation authors to effectively retrieve presentation slides for reuse from a large volume of existing presentation materials. We assume episodic memories of the authors can be used as contextual keywords in query expressions to efficiently dig out the expected slides for reuse rather than using only the part-of-slide-descriptions-based keyword queries. As a system, a new slide repository is proposed, composed of slide material collections, slide content data and pieces of information from authors＇ episodic memories related to each slide and presentation together with a slide retrieval application enabling authors to use the episodic memories as part of queries. The result of our experiment shows that the episodic memory-used queries can give more discoverability than the keyword-based queries. Additionally, an improvement model is discussed on the slide retrieval for further slide-finding efficiency by expanding the episodic memories model in the repository taking in the links with the author-and-slide-related data and events having been post on the private and social media sites.

Dynamic Task Migration in Multi-processor Systems On-chip： Modelization and Performance Evaluation

MPSoC （multi-processor systems on-chip） are going to be the leading hardware platform featured in embedded systems, The complexity of multimedia applications implemented on MPSoC and the requirements of users complicate the designer＇s job to conceive and deliver efficient systems in the shortest time. MPSoC dedicated to specific embedded applications are facing constraints of performance and cost. In this context, in order to improve the performance of these systems, we propose a methodology for dynamic task migration in dedicated MPSoC. This methodology aims to improve the performance of execution and also reduction of energy consumption. We propose in this paper, an estimation of the real-time energy （line）. This approach is structured on four steps： （1） modeling software; （2） mapping and execution; （3） performance evaluation; （4） migration. We have using the Soclib tool to determine performance estimation of migrating software task to hardware component. Experiments on MJPEG decoder are made to illustrate the efficiency of our approach in performance estimation.

Stability and Control of Three-Phase Photovoltaic with LC Filter

The aim of this work is to study the stability and control of input of three-phase photovoltaic voltage source inverters connected to the LC （inductor and capacitor） filter. A PI （proportional-integral） classical controller approach is established in the control, including a MPPT （maximum power point tracking） based on incremental conductance algorithm, the MPPT improves the speed and the tracking accuracy, to rapidly track the MPPT from photovoltaic with various weather conditions, and effectively eliminate the oscillation phenomena near the MPPT. The control system can stabilize and improve the system performances, and the simulation results show the high stability, high efficiency and robustness of the proposed control with good performances.