Computerized Data Acquisition Research Articles

Low-pressure gasoline direct injection system development and emissions analysis for a reciprocating two-stroke engine

This study presents the design and construction of an electronic low-pressure gasoline direct injection system for two-stroke engines, with the objective to study engine performance and the emission of exhaust polluting gases, maintaining the expectations of this type of engine. The investigation includes a test bench with an incorporated engine and the required control devices for this, as well as a gas analyzer Class 0, a computerized data acquisition and several tools for displaying and process all the electronic signals from the engine in real time. In order to manage this system, a custom electronic injection control unit has been designed and built, which allows to control the fuel injection timing and duration. This unit uses the signal from an inductive sensor installed in the crankshaft as a reference and synchronization point. Additionally, modifications have been made to the fuel feeder circuit and the electronic of the test engine, as well as to some parts of the mechanism in order to adapt them to this technology. The implementation of the engine tests is described, and the performance and operational points of the original system and those of the new injection system are evaluated.

SIMPLE PHYSICAL PRINCIPLES AND MEDICAL USES OF COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY (CT) SCAN A NEW ASSESSMENT

The development of X-ray computed tomography (CT) has been founded on the discovery of X-rays, the inception of the Radon transform, and the growth of X-ray digital data acquisition systems and computer knowledge. Dissimilar conventional X-ray imaging (general radiography), CT reconstructs cross-sectional anatomical images of the internal structures according to X-ray attenuation co-efficients (approximate tissue density) for almost every region in the body. This articleappraisals the essential physical principles and practical aspects of the CT scanner, including numerous notable evolutions in CT technology that resulted in the appearance of helical, multidetector, cone beam, portable, dual-energy, and phase-contrast CT, in integrated imaging modalities, such as positronemission- tomography一CT and single-photon-emission-computed-tomography-CT, and in clinical applications, including image acquisition parameters, CT angiography, image adjustment, versatile image visualizations, volumetric/surface rendering on a computer workstation, radiation treatment planning, and target localization in radiotherapy. The understanding of CT characteristics will provide more effective and accurate patient care in the fields of diagnostics and radiotherapy, and can lead to the improvement of image quality and the optimization of exposure doses.

An Apparatus for Determining Micromechanical Interface Shear Properties of Geomaterial Contacts

Abstract This paper presents a custom-built micromechanical testing apparatus to analyze the interface shear behavior of geomaterial contacts. This apparatus allows for the investigation of rolling and sliding friction of a wide range of geomaterial contacts under various testing parameters, including normal load, displacement rate, and dry and wet conditions. The device is instrumented with sensors (load, displacement, and camera) and a computerized data acquisition system to measure and record the force, displacement, and images of the contacts during the test for in-depth study. The images are captured from the bottom of the sliding platform while shearing for only the contacts made of particle and transparent continuum materials. The shear response accuracy for the geomaterial contacts tested in the custom-built micromechanical apparatus is demonstrated by comparing the results of the same contacts obtained from a high-end tribometer apparatus. It was found that test findings from a custom-built apparatus are as accurate as those from a high-end tribometer and reliable for the micromechanical analysis of geomaterial interactions. Further, experiments were performed on different types of interface contacts and under different conditions to demonstrate the apparatus’s sensitivity. These findings indicate that the apparatus stiffness is sufficient and facilitates the understanding of micromechanical behavior and estimates basic yet essential inputs required to comprehend the complex behavior of geomaterials.

Development of a low-cost monitoring system for the measurement of DC and AC electrical parameters in grid-connected photovoltaic systems based on IEC standards

The rapid development of renewable energy sources, such as photovoltaic solar energy, makes it possible to sustainably cover part of the energy demand in different parts of the world. Thus, higher efficiency of photovoltaic systems is sought to provide higher yields, security, and stability in their operation and energy production. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor the variables of interest and verify the correct operation of photovoltaic systems. This article presents the development of a monitoring system that allows the acquisition and recording of the main electrical parameters, both in direct and alternating current, enabling the evaluation of the array and final yield of grid-connected photovoltaic systems. The developed monitoring system follows the concept of the Internet of Things for remote data analysis. In addition, it allows local data logging in a computer for data acquisition over a long period. The measurements of the developed monitoring system comply with the International Electrotechnical Commission standards specified in IEC 61724-1. This validation is performed after contrasting the measurements obtained by the developed system with those obtained by the high-precision WT5000 power analyzer, where the relative differences of each electrical parameter analysed are less than 2%. Finally, the system developed is characterised by its low cost, which is less than US$ 140.

Modeling and Experiments of Droplet Evaporation with Micro or Nano Particles in Coffee Ring or Coffee Splat.

Experimental and numerical experiments were carried out to study the coffee rings or coffee splats formed by droplet evaporation with micro or nano polystyrene sphere particles (Dp = 10 μm or 100 nm). Particle image velocimetry (PIV) and a high-resolution camera were used in this experiment, along with a temperature-controlled heater and a data-acquisition computer. The results showed that a nano particle could form a homogeneous coffee splat, instead of the common coffee ring formed when using micro particles. In order to account for this phenomenon, this paper developed a complex multiphase model, one which included the smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid model coupled with the van der Waals equation of state for droplet evaporation, the rigid particle model of finite-size micro particles, and the point-particle model of the nanometer particles. The numerical simulation was operated on a GPU-based algorithm and tested by four validation cases. A GPU could calculate 533 times the speed of a single-core CPU for about 300,000 particles. The results showed that, for rigid solid particles, the forms emerged spontaneously on the wall, and their structure was mainly affected by the boundary wettability, and less affected by the fluid flow and thermal condition. When the wall temperature was low, it was easier for the particles to be deposited on the contact line. At high wall temperature, the coffee ring effect would be weakened, and the particles were more likely to be deposited in the droplet center. The hydrophilic surface produced a larger coffee ring compared to the hydrophobic surface. The experimental and numerical results proved that particle size could play a significant role during the particle deposition, which may be a possible route for producing uniform-distributed and nano-structure coatings.

Gamma Scientific Sets High Standards for Light Measurement

Gamma Scientific Sets High Standards for Light Measurement

Movement Optimization for a Cyborg Cockroach in a Bounded Space Incorporating Machine Learning

Cockroaches can traverse unknown obstacle-terrain, self-right on the ground and climb above the obstacle. However, they have limited motion, such as less activity in light/bright areas and lower temperatures. Therefore, the movement of the cyborg cockroaches needs to be optimized for the utilization of the cockroach as a cyborg insect. This study aims to increase the search rate and distance traveled by cockroaches and reduce the stop time by utilizing automatic stimulation from machine learning. Multiple machine learning classifiers were applied to classify the offline binary classification of the cockroach movement based on the inertial measuring unit input signals. Ten time-domain features were chosen and applied as the classifier inputs. The highest performance of the classifiers was implemented for the online motion recognition and automatic stimulation provided to the cerci to trigger the free walking motion of the cockroach. A user interface was developed to run multiple computational processes simultaneously in real time such as computer vision, data acquisition, feature extraction, automatic stimulation, and machine learning using a multithreading algorithm. On the basis of the experiment results, we successfully demonstrated that the movement performance of cockroaches was importantly improved by applying machine learning classification and automatic stimulation. This system increased the search rate and traveled distance by 68% and 70%, respectively, while the stop time was reduced by 78%.

Energy efficient indoor wireless communication techniques based on BLE technology

The paper presents the design of a wireless communication system for short-range, high-speed, and multi-node information acquisition based on BLE5.0 technology, targeting indoor wearable applications. The system employs the Nordic nRF52832 microcontroller, which integrates BLE5.0 transceivers, as the core, and includes designs for master-slave node communication, data acquisition, hardware circuitry, embedded and upper computer programs. The system is validated through upper computer software for device networking, multi-node data acquisition, and communication speed. The power consumption and communication distance of the devices are tested using a measurement device. The designed multi-node BLE5.0 communication system in this paper provides a technical foundation for the design of relevant short-range IoT applications and has broad application prospects.

A low-cost shutter driver and arbitrary waveform generator for optical switching using a programmable system-on-chip (PSoC) device.

We have developed a low-cost mechanical shutter driver with integrated arbitrary waveform generation for optical switching and control using a programmable system-on-chip device. This microcontroller-based device with configurable digital and analog blocks is readily programmed using free software, allowing for easy customization for a variety of applications. Additional digital and analog outputs with arbitrary timings can be used to control a variety of devices, such as additional shutters, acousto-optical modulators, or camera trigger pulses, for complete control and imaging of laser light. Utilizing logic-level control signals, this device can be readily integrated into existing computer control and data acquisition systems for expanded hardware capabilities.

Leveraging Deep Convolutional Neural Networks Pre-Trained on Autonomous Driving Data for Vehicle Detection From Roadside LiDAR Data

Recent technological advancements in computer vision algorithms and data acquisition devices have greatly facilitated the research and applications of deep learning-based traffic object recognition from Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data. The majority of existing methodologies applied deep learning (DL)-based techniques, especially Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), for vehicle detection and tracking on autonomous driving datasets. Nevertheless, fewer studies were focused on DL-based vehicle detection using roadside LiDAR data, partially due to the lack of publicly available roadside LiDAR datasets for network training and testing. This paper develops a novel framework based on CNNs and LiDAR data for automated vehicle detection. It leverages the domain knowledge of CNNs trained on large-scale autonomous driving datasets for vehicle detection from roadside LiDAR data. In the experimental study, roadside LiDAR data were collected at a road intersection in Reno, Nevada, U.S. Meanwhile, a CNN architecture was proposed to detect vehicles from LiDAR data through 3D bounding boxes. The proposed CNN was modified from the established PointPillars network by adding dense connections to the convolutional layers to achieve more comprehensive feature extraction. Three CNNs, including the proposed CNN, PointPillars, and YOLOv4, were trained and tested on PandaSet, a publicly available large-scale autonomous driving LiDAR dataset. Subsequently, the trained CNNs were reused for vehicle detection from the captured roadside LiDAR data. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed CNN outperformed the others in the testing metrics. All three networks showed good performance on vehicle detection from the captured roadside LiDAR data.

FRIDGE – The next generation freezer/refrigerator/incubator for food and experiment conditioning onboard the ISS

The Freezer / Refrigerator / Incubator Device for Galley and Experimentation (FRIDGE) is a middeck locker-sized unit developed by BioServe Space Technologies for use within the Galley rack of the International Space Station (ISS) for food storage as well as in the EXPRESS rack for science experiment support. FRIDGE was optimized to provide a large Temperature Controlled Compartment (TCC) volume with the interior dimensions of 43.8 × 28.2 × 19.7 cm (17.25 × 11.10 × 7.75 in, DxWxH), which can be temperature-controlled from -20 to +48 °C. Temperature control of the TCC is accomplished using a total of four thermoelectric coolers (TECs) mounted to the top and bottom surfaces of the TCC. FRIDGE utilizes the ISS-provided Moderate Temperature Loop (MTL) as a thermal sink for the TECs and avionics. FRIDGE is based and improved on the Space Automated Bioproduct Lab (SABL) that has been in continuous operation onboard the ISS for over 5 years. Thermal improvements include the addition of vacuum panels into the insulation, optimized heat exchanger heat distribution and removal, improved door design, as well as the use of novel multistage bidirectional heat pumps (TECs). FRIDGE was designed without a single rotating part to minimize any maintenance work. This paper focuses on the thermal, mechanical, electrical, and software design of the payload compared to the initial test results from the verification testing. Thermal feedback control and safety monitoring is implemented using a suite of sensors that interface to an NI sbRIO-9636 data acquisition and control computer. Performance of the engineering unit was characterized to verify thermal models of operation, cooling/heating times, and robustness against uneven internal heat loads and off-nominal operation. After starting development at the end of 2018, the first two out of eight FRIDGE units were launched onboard NG-14 and commissioned onboard the ISS in the fall of 2020.This work was made possible by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under grant REMIS-C2A-TO-003-GRF.

Design, synthesis, molecular docking and antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities of novel hybrid of coumarin-cinnamic acids

• New fourteen coumarin-cinnamic hybrids synthesized. • Compounds tested against various bacterial, fungal, and mycobacterial strains. • Molecular docking was performed against DNA gyrase B of E. coli Protein. • 6g, 6i, and 6j showed significant antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activity. A series of novel hybrids containing coumarin-cinnamic acid derivatives (6a-6n) were designed and synthesized to screen their antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities. The results indicated compounds 6i (MIC=50 µg/ml, E. coli and MIC=100 µg/ml, C. albicans ) and 6j (MIC=12.5 µg/ml, E. coli ) exhibited the most potent activity against bacterial and fungal strains amongst synthesized compounds. Compound 6g (MIC=50 µg/ml), 6i (MIC=25 µg/ml), and 6j (MIC=62.5 µg/ml) showed magnificent activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H 37 Rv. Designing of reported derivatives is impacted by molecular docking study and interaction with DNA GyrB of E. coli also proclaimed that compounds 6g (-9.0 kcal/mol), 6i (-8.5 kcal/mol), and 6j (-8.4 kcal/mol) is showing binding affinity and interaction from the synthesized fourteen compounds, comparing with experimental results. Compounds 6g, 6i, and 6j showed promising candidates for drug discovery with significant in vitro antimicrobial and antimycobacterial activities. Subject area Organic chemistry and Computational Chemistry Compounds 2-oxo-2 H -chromen-7-yl-3-(4-(4-substituted)phenyl)acrylate Data category Spectral, Biological and Computational data Data acquisition format IR, NMR, Mass spectra, Elemental analysis. Data type Analyzed. Procedure The co-crystal structure of DNA GyrB, PDB ID: 1KZN was downloaded from Protein Data Bank (PDB). The protein was prepared by deleting water molecules, adding missing hydrogens and Kollman charge. Data accessibility Data included in the article

Testing and development of plastic optical fiber as humidity and temperature sensor

This experiment has developed and tested a plastic fiber optic-based temperature and humidity sensor (FOTHS). In the FOTHS test, the leading equipment is needed, such as a single model plastic optical fiber, a test chamber, a time-domain reflectometer (OTDR), a computer for data acquisition, and silicone oil used as a substitute for the 3 cm long optical fiber cladding layer. Silicone oil is used as a sensor material because it has a high sensitivity to changes in temperature and humidity. Optical fiber testing is carried out in a light-tight test chamber by changing the temperature and humidity. Changes in light intensity with changes in temperature and humidity are measured by OTDR, with information in voltage changes. At a constant temperature and variable humidity, information was obtained that the light intensity increased linearly at 45 °C with an increase in voltage of 0.0057 volt/1% RH. At constant humidity and variable temperature, information was obtained that the light intensity will decrease linearly at 20% RH with a voltage drop of 0.0171 volt/1 °C. Changes in voltage to variations in temperature and moisture make plastic optical fiber a temperature and humidity sensor.

Investigation on engine performance test on compression ignition engine with hybrid metal matrix composite piston

The increase in demand and introduction of stringent emission regulations resulted in the need to develop and implement innovative technologies towards improving the emission and performance characteristics of compression ignition engines. A hybrid metal matrix composite piston (HMMC) of Al7075 reinforced with 6% of 100 ?m silicon carbide (SiC) and 4% of 100 ?m Al2O3 was fabricated. The HMMC piston was mounted on a compression ignition four stroke single-cylinder constant speed engine and the test was carried out with eddy current dynamometer attached with computerized data acquisition system. This paper is focused on the study of performance of Al7075-SiC-Alumina composite piston for compression ignition engine application. Experimental investigations were performed at injection pressure of 200 and 220 bar on both standard piston and HMMC piston and analysed the performance, combustion and emission behaviour of compression ignition engine. From the results it was found that the HMMC piston exhibits an improved efficiency and thereby improving the lifetime of the engine. Though a little compromise in performance and emissions has been accepted, the implementation of HMMC pistons will reduce the carbon foot print of running an internal combustion engine.

Modeling the subcritical spread of cracks grown by fatigue / Modelando a propagação subcrítica de rachaduras crescidas por fadiga

The objective of this article is to mathematically model the subcritical propagation of fatigue-grown cracks. Three fatigue specimens were used, made of ASTM A 36 structural steel, which were notched in the center of the specimen to simulate a stress concentrator, and for the crack to propagate in the same plane. A three-point bending fatigue machine was used which is equipped with computer data acquisition equipment.The subcritical propagation of fatigue cracks was monitored, using the strain gage technique, and it was verified with the beach marking technique; which guaranteed the reliability of the method. With the data obtained, a vs N graph was made, and the empirical equation that governs this phenomenon was found; Likewise, derivatives were applied and the crack advance speed versus crack size was calculated; and to calculate the stress intensity factor, the Newman Raju method was applied, which is being verified by many researchers in recent years.In this way, it is possible to find a mathematical expression that modulates the fracto-mechanical behavior of the subcritical propagation of a crack, which relates the advance speed of the crack as a function of the fracture toughness evaluated as a function of the intensity factor of tensions K. With which a model similar to the one proposed for the Paris model is achieved, with the values for the parameters C = m / Cycle and m = 2.0252 that are close to the values obtained by researchers in similar materials.

Mutual Diffusion Coefficients and Refractive Index Increments of K2SO4(aq) at 298.15 K from Rayleigh Interferometry

Isothermal mutual diffusion coefficients (interdiffusion coefficients) were measured for K2SO4(aq) at 298.15 ± 0.005 K, at numerous concentrations ranging from dilute solutions to near saturation (0.59648 mol·dm–3; 0.61349 mol·kg–1) under free diffusion boundary conditions, using high precision Rayleigh interferometry. Under the experimental conditions these diffusion coefficients are on the volume-fixed reference frame Dv. Two series of experiments were performed, the first using the traditional experimental approach with a mercury lamp source and with the interference patterns being recorded on glass photographic plates, and the second with a He–Ne laser light source and computerized data acquisition using a photodiode array. The results from both series of experiments are in excellent agreement, and generally yield diffusion coefficients precise to at least 0.002 × 10–9 m2·s–1 (0.15% to 0.19%) and in most cases to 0.001 × 10–9 m2·s–1 (0.07% to 0.1%). These experiments also yield accurate values of the refractive index differences for the solution pairs used in the diffusion experiments. The new diffusion coefficients are compared to two sets of published values of diffusion coefficients for K2SO4(aq) which are somewhat discrepant from each other. This study extends and complements our earlier work on the diffusion coefficients of the most common brine salts: NaCl(aq), KCl(aq), MgCl2(aq), CaCl2(aq), Na2SO4(aq),]MgSO4(aq), NaHCO3(aq), and KHCO3(aq) at 298.15 K.

Rat skeletal muscle-nerve preparation to teach skeletal muscle physiology.

This sourcebook update describes a variation of a previous sourcebook experiment that used isolated extensor digitorum longus muscle from mouse to teach skeletal muscle properties (Head SI, Arber MS. Adv Physiol Educ 37: 405-414, 2013). Gastrocnemius-sciatic nerve preparation in an anaesthetized rat was developed and muscle contractions were recorded in a computerized data acquisition system using an isometric force transducer. Teachers and students in physiology or biology can use this preparation to demonstrate skeletal muscle properties like simple muscle twitch, quantal summation, wave summation, superposition, incomplete tetanus, complete tetanus, treppe, fatigue, and length-tension relationship.

Testing, Analysis and Classification of No-Dig Manhole Rehabilitation Materials

Gravity flow wastewater collection systems are comprised of sewer pipes and manholes. Failure of a manhole may have catastrophic consequences such as developing a sinkhole in the street and roadway, and at a minimum, wastewater flow will be blocked, and stream of the manhole will backup causing a sanitary sewer overflow (SSO). Improving structural conditions of a manhole is critical to minimize these types of failures. This paper considers the impact of several lining materials including cement mortar, epoxy, polyurethane, cured-in-place composites, and a multi-layer structure material on increasing the structural capabilities of deteriorated manholes. The tasks included in this research consist literature search and, preliminary laboratory and main testing of select manhole rehabilitation materials. A finite element analysis is included to complement the experiments. Several preliminary tests according to ASTM C-39 on coated concrete cylinders, and ASTM C-293 on lined concrete beams, were performed at UT Arlington's Center for Underground Infrastructure Research and Education (CUIRE) Laboratory. The test results showed significant increase in the performance of concrete samples under compression and flexure. A second round of testing was performed on 4-ft long, 24-in. diameter concrete pipe sections with 3-in. wall thickness manufactured according to ASTM C-76. These pipe sections were lined internally with the same materials as the preliminary tests, and tested according to ASTM C-497 under Three-Edge-Bearing testing. Using computer data acquisition system, strain gages and displacement extensometers, stress/strain data were measured. The results showed that tested No-Dig manhole rehabilitation materials can significantly improve structural performance of deteriorated manholes.

A new wearable multichannel magnetocardiogram system with a SERF atomic magnetometer array

In this study, a wearable multichannel human magnetocardiogram (MCG) system based on a spin exchange relaxation-free regime (SERF) magnetometer array is developed. The MCG system consists of a magnetically shielded device, a wearable SERF magnetometer array, and a computer for data acquisition and processing. Multichannel MCG signals from a healthy human are successfully recorded simultaneously. Independent component analysis (ICA) and empirical mode decomposition (EMD) are used to denoise MCG data. MCG imaging is realized to visualize the magnetic and current distribution around the heart. The validity of the MCG signals detected by the system is verified by electrocardiogram (ECG) signals obtained at the same position, and similar features and intervals of cardiac signal waveform appear on both MCG and ECG. Experiments show that our wearable MCG system is reliable for detecting MCG signals and can provide cardiac electromagnetic activity imaging.

On the Research of Three-dimensional Model Supported by Computer Data Collection in the Teaching of Highway Route Selection

With the continuous development of our society and technology, computer is becoming more and more common, which has been widely used in our life and it has brought great convience to our life. computer has a lot of advantages, it has large storge capacity and fast data processing speed. With the characteristics of high speed and high precision, many highway departments have also actively quoted the relevant advanced technology in the computer now and adopt the data acquisition system in the aspect of releasing high data, which provides great convience for the realization of highway digital management. At present, the computer data acquisition system is also widely used in highway detectors. Through data collection, it can allow the highway department to quickly, accurately grasp the status of each section of the highway and take effective measures in time to see if damage occurs. It can be said that computer data collection system effectively promotes the efficiency of highway work, it improves the quality of work[1].