Control Operations Research Articles

Factorial inputs and outputs: A virtual plant for industrial control training and operations

The field of manufacturing and production is rapidly changing because of the fourth Industrial Revolution or Industry 4.0 and bridging theory and practice is a major requirement in industrial control and automation training, operations and virtual simulation is one such way to help bridge this kind of gap. One of such simulation program that has gained popularity among companies recently is Factory inputs and outputs (Factory I/O). This paper presents an example of a used case study of FACTORY I/O. The tank scene in the Factory I/O was used for level control and the control algorithm was implemented in the TIA portal using Siemens S7 1500 PLC integrated with the factory I/O to carry out the control of the liquid level in the tank by controlling the fill valve on the level control rig. The S7-PLCSIM TIA portal V15 communicated with the PLC in the Factory I/O drivers through an IP address. Therefore, with virtual simulation system, it is possible to test controller and control configuration before applying it to a physical system, with a methodology matching the fourth industrial revolution in a simulation environment in which theory and practice is bridged for real-time simulations.

Managing Residual Heat Effects in Femtosecond Laser Material Processing by Pulse-on-Demand Operation

Femtosecond laser processing combines highly accurate structuring with low residual heating of materials, low thermal damage, and nonlinear absorption processes, making it suitable for the machining of transparent brittle materials. However, with high average powers and laser pulse repetition rates, residual heating becomes relevant. Here, we present a study of the femtosecond laser pulse-on-demand operation regime, combined with regular scanners, aiming to improve throughput and quality of processing regardless of the scanner’s capabilities. We developed two methods to define the needed pulse-on-demand trigger sequences that compensate for the initial accelerating scanner movements. The effects of pulse-on-demand operation were studied in detail using direct process monitoring with a fast thermal camera and indirect process monitoring with optical and topographical surface imaging of final structures, both showing clear advantages of pulse-on-demand operation in precision, thermal effects, and structure shape control. The ability to compensate for irregular scanner movement is the basis for simplified, cheaper, and faster femtosecond laser processing of brittle and heat-susceptible materials.

What motivates the choice to custom hire pest management spraying services?

This article presents a model of how farmers choose to custom hire for pest control. The decision-making process is illustrated through a discrete choice experiment conducted via a pilot survey of soybean growers in Michigan, Illinois, and Indiana. Farmers responded to a hypothetical pest infestation by choosing between custom operators, spraying on their own, or leaving the field to its fate. Among farmers who choose to spray, the mean willingness to pay for marginal increases in timeliness (as defined as the chance of late spraying) ranges from 37 to 52 cents per acre. We also find that farmers more averse to risk are more sensitive to custom operator timeliness and that farmers with better-developed social networks are less sensitive to the risk of delay. The results of this study can motivate future research into the drivers of on-farm decision-making, especially as it relates to custom hire behavior in pest control and other field operations. © 2024 The Author(s). Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

A Magnetic Climbing Robot for Steel Bridge Inspection

Abstract. The maintenance of traditional steel bridges presents many significant challenges due to the fact that bridges of different ages and standards vary in design, structural complexity and technical difficulty. In light of these considerations, it is clear that maintenance personnel must possess a wealth of professional expertise and experience in order to effectively address the diverse and intricate maintenance challenges that arise. Moreover, the maintenance process entails high-risk operations such as high-altitude work and welding, which pose a threat to the safety of construction personnel. Therefore, this study introduces a magnetic adsorption robot designed to address the low efficiency and high costs of traditional maintenance methods. This robot features a dual robotic arm mechanism and modeled using the Denavit Hartenberg (D-H) parameter method. Electromagnetic adsorption is utilized to achieve wall adhesion, and direct power supply is provided through DC power to control weight. The robot can perform flexible remote control operations through the HC-05 Bluetooth module. The experimental results show that the robot exhibits robust adhesion and obstacle crossing ability on steel surfaces, thereby enabling unimpeded movement within the steel structure. In addition, the robot is now capable of performing overhaul procedures via remote control.

Carbon Dioxide as a Sustainable Reagent in Circular Hydrometallurgy.

This review highlights the use of CO2 as a reagent in hydrometallurgy, with emphasis on the new concept of circular hydrometallurgy. It is shown how waste CO2 can be utilised in hydrometallurgical operations for pH control or regeneration of acids for leaching. Metal-rich raffinate solutions generated after removal of the valuable metals can serve as feedstocks for mineral carbonation, providing alternative avenues for CO2 sequestration. Furthermore, CO2 can also be used as a renewable feedstock for the production of chemical reagents that can find applications in hydrometallurgy as lixiviant, as precipitation reagent or for pH control. Mineral carbonation can be combined with chemical reactions involving metal complexation reagents, as well as with solvent extraction processes for the concurrent precipitation of metal carbonates and acid regeneration. An outlook for future research in the area is also presented.

Research on Energy Management Technology of Photovoltaic-FESS-EV Load Microgrid System

This study focuses on the development and implementation of coordinated control and energy management strategies for a photovoltaic–flywheel energy storage system (PV-FESS)-electric vehicle (EV) load microgrid with direct current (DC). A comprehensive PV-FESS microgrid system is constructed, comprising PV power generation, a flywheel energy storage array, and electric vehicle loads. The research delves into the control strategies for each subsystem within the microgrid, investigating both steady-state operations and transitions between different states. A novel energy management strategy, centered on event-driven mode switching, is proposed to ensure the coordinated control and stable operation of the entire system. Based on the simulation results, the PV system cannot cope with the load demand power when it is increased to a maximum of 2800 W, the effectiveness of the individual control strategies, the coordinated control of the subsystems, and the overall energy management approach are confirmed. The main contribution of this research is the development of a coordinated control mechanism that integrates PV generation with FESS and EV loads, ensuring synchronized operation and enhanced stability of the microgrid. This work provides significant insights into optimizing energy distribution and minimizing losses within microgrid systems, thereby advancing the field of energy management in DC microgrids.

FUZZY-PROPORTIONAL INTEGRAL DERIVATIVE CONTROLLER WITH INTERACTIVE DECISION TREE

The STATCOM is extensively used in the power system to address the power quality issues by actively compensating the reactive power requirements of the load. However, the STATCOM performance depends on the underlying controller operation to handle sudden load changes and disturbances optimally with faster response. To solve this issue, this paper presents the intelligent algorithm-optimized fuzzy rule-based Proportional Integral Derivative (PID) controller to enhance the performance of the STATCOM. The proposed controller consists of a fuzzy-PID controller capable of handling non-linear dynamics and sudden changes in the load. The interactive decision tree (IDT) technique detects weaker metrics and improves their influence in control scenarios. The Biogeography-based optimization (BBO) algorithm minimizes the controller's integral absolute error to tune the fuzzy-PID controller parameters. The algorithm terminates once all the metrics are tuned to satisfaction with the operator’s consent. The proposed IDT-based fuzzy PID controller is tested on a power system containing a nonlinear load, and its performance is compared with the existing controller and simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink tool. The proposed controller provides fast control action, reduces the reactive power from the source by 42.5%, and improves the power factor by 1.5%.

Optimization of the integro-differential hyperbolic model

We consider a model of processes in viscoelastic media. The force arising inside the body may depend not only on the current values but also on the entire time history of the motion (for example, polymers, emulsions, and suspensions exhibit memory properties). Such processes often lead to the necessity of studying hyperbolic integro-differential equations with Volterra integral term. The main goal is to prove the existence and uniqueness of generalized solutions to the corresponding initial-boundary value problem, as well as to investigate the existence of optimal control for systems described by these models. The main results are obtained using the method of a priori inequalities in negative norms. In particular, we justify inequalities in negative norms for the integro-differential operator in certain functional spaces. The work begins with a short description of relevant results with similar formulations and referencing works with physical justification of the model. Afterwards, we describe the problem statement, constraints on equation parameters, and functional spaces used for the investigation. Below are the main results, in particular definitions of generalized solutions and properties on the well-posed of the initial-boundary value problem as well as the existence of optimal control. Control is carried out through the right-hand side of the equation using a certain special operator. It is possible to examine specific examples of such control operators (illustrating various control mechanisms) and the corresponding control spaces. By utilizing proven inequalities and relying on general results of S.I. Lyashko from the theory of a priori inequalities in negative norms, we establish sufficient conditions for the existence of optimal control. In particular, we impose the restrictions on the admissible set of controls and the quality criterion.

Composite Materials For Creation Of Anti-Icing Elements And Other Aircraft Systems

The relevance of the development is related to the safety of aircraft flights, which is significantly affected by aircraft icing. The reliability of the anti-icing system (AIC) is a prerequisite for all modern aircraft, as well as for high-altitude unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Icing of aircraft and UAVs is a very urgent problem, as evidenced by a large number of foreign publications and patents on proposals for methods of removing ice from metal and composite structures using nanomaterials. Icing can lead to a decrease in the lifting power of the aircraft and an increase in drag, and also affects the operation of the aircraft controls, reduces visibility from the cockpit, increases vibration and load on individual elements of the airframe, and negatively affects the operation of engines

Research Progress on Pole-Climbing Robots: A Review

Background: Pole-climbing robots are a type of application robot commonly used for quality inspection, cleaning, and maintenance of utility poles, high voltage lines, bridge cables, transmission pipelines, and other important facilities with a certain height. The working conditions are often harsh and dangerous, making manual participation unsafe. The pole-climbing robot can provide a platform for maintenance and cleaning work. Remote control operation of the pole-climbing robot is achieved through communication and control technology. It has been created to improve efficiency and reduce personnel accidents greatly. At the same time, the continuous development of science and technology has led to the expansion of robot design concepts. It has also brought about great changes and growth in the development of pole-climbing robots. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to report the latest progress in the research of pole-climbing robots from bionic and non-bionic perspectives and to provide a research reference for researchers in this field. Method: By analyzing academic theses and published patents, this paper presents a new classification of pole-climbing robots from the perspective of bionic and non-bionic. By summarizing the literature, the structural characteristics of various pole-climbing robots and their differences and applications are summarized. Results: The performance of the pole-climbing robots is analyzed from the viewpoint of structural characteristics and action execution methods. In turn, the characteristics of various types of pole-climbing robots are summarized. Finally, based on the above discussion, the future problems and development directions of pole-climbing robots are predicted. Conclusion: The pole-climbing robots can be divided into two categories, bionic and non-bionic, based on the analysis of design features. Both bionic and non-bionic pole-climbing robots have good development and applications in their respective directions. Also, bionic and non-bionic pole-climbing robots have different detailed classifications based on material, structure, and other perspectives. They have different advantages and disadvantages in terms of the performance of pole-climbing action execution. It provides a research reference for future researchers in this field.

Enfoque multitareas implementado en una minicomputadora para el control y monitoreo de un motor a pasos industrial

This paper presents the implementation of the multitasking approach on a Raspberry Pi single board minicomputer, with experimental results, of the control and monitoring of an industrial type Nema 34 stepper motor through a user interface that allows the configuration of the control operation and data visualization to interact with the physical devices. One of the tasks consists of generating a pulse width modulation that is sent to the DQ860HA driver to rotate the stepper motor considering 400 pulses per revolution, while the second task simultaneously counts the number of pulses produced by an encoder with a resolution of 100 pulses per revolution, which is coupled to the motor shaft. The use of low-cost computer equipment and open-source software makes the presented development can be considered as a frugal technology application for the control and monitoring of an industrial system, with experimental results that validate the correct operation of two tasks that must be executed simultaneously.

Sustainable hybrid renewable energy management system for a community in island: A model approach utilising Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources optimization and priority setting‐based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition operation

Sustainable hybrid renewable energy management system for a community in island: A model approach utilising Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources optimization and priority setting‐based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition operation

A chip thermal management method realizing integrated applications of cooling, power generation and heat flow measurement based on thermoelectric effect

Thermoelectric cooling, power generation and heat flow measurement are widely used in frontier domains while each of them is still in an isolated state. They are now widely used in fields such as electronic cooling, wearable device, sensors and so on. This paper proposes a method of thermoelectric effect combined with pulse width modulation (PWM) to achieve integrating thermoelectric applications. In a PWM cycle, the integration of thermoelectric applications makes it possible to realize three different operations of temperature control, energy recovery and heat flow measurement through a single thermoelectric module. The experimental results indicate that increasing the input voltage of the thermoelectric module extends the duration for power generation and heat flow measurement, while also enhancing the energy recovery rate. When the target temperature is higher than the ambient temperature, although the temperature control accuracy slightly decreases with the increase of the target temperature, the average temperature fluctuation range of the whole experimental group is −0.09∼+0.1℃ and energy recovery rate increases by 79.9 %. When the target temperature is lower than the ambient temperature, the system can still achieve efficient energy recovery. Applying the method to the computer central processing unit(CPU), the experimental results present that the heat dissipation of CPU can be monitored by measuring heat flow. Compared with the CPU + FPU working, the total power generation is increased by 0.285 W and energy recovery rate is increased by 78.3 % when the CPU is idle.

Study of the features of angular stabilization of spacecraft with flexible struc-tural elements with the use mobile control methods

The development of space power engineering is one of the well-known lines in rocket and space science and innovative technologies which attracts the attention of many scientists and researchers. Engineering solutions in space-based solar power plant design and wireless space-to-Earth and satellite-to-satellite power transmission and power spacecraft control methods have been substantiated theoretically to sufficient depth. However, despite this, there is a need to improve methods for and approaches to the development of an optimal design methodology for power spacecraft. A way to improve existing approaches to the development of space-based solar power plants and power satellites may be the use of mobile control methods in the development of an attitude and orbit control system. Such methods allow one to reduce power consumption for control operations. The goal of this paper is to study the features of mobile control and construct a methodology for the development of solar power satellites’ attitude and orbit control system (AOCS) using mobile control algorithms. The paper considers the features of mobile control algorithm synthesis for the attitude control and stabilization of solar power spacecraft (solar power plants and power satellites). Power spacecraft control tasks are classified, and the expediency of using mobile control methods is justified. An analysis is made for the stability problem that arises in controlling power spacecraft with flexible elements. The paper presents methodological recommendations on determining the AOCS design parameters for space-based solar power plants and power spacecraft for wireless satellite-to-satellite power transmission. This methodology may be used in power satellite development.

Innovative Application of Optoelectronic Control Engineering for Safety Assurance of Surgical Robots

As an emerging technology, optoelectronic control engineering has demonstrated a wide range of application potential in surgical robot safety and security. Through a literature review, this paper provides an in-depth discussion on the innovative applications of optoelectronics technology in enhancing the positioning accuracy, environment sensing, supple control and remote operation of surgical robots. At the same time, this paper summarizes the current research hotspots and future research directions, with a view to providing a reference for promoting the technological progress in this field. The current research focuses on improving the operating precision of surgical robots, enhancing the environment sensing ability and the application of force feedback system, while the future research will mainly focus on interdisciplinary cooperation and new technology development.

Speed control and maximum efficiency operation of three‐phase squirrel cage induction motors supplied by modified Γ−Z$\Gamma - Z$ impedance source inverter

AbstractA three‐phase squirrel cage induction motor (IM) drive system supplied by a new modified structure of impedance source inverter ( ISI) is proposed. The two main goals are speed (torque) control, and efficiency improvement. The modified ISI has the ability to boost the input voltage. This improves the operation range of the system particularly for limited DC‐link voltage conditions. A first order integral‐terminal sliding mode (ITSM) controller is designed incorporating the motor and inverter dynamic model equations. The maximum efficiency strategy based on Lagrange's theorem is achieved by optimizing the motor input power (input energy) as the objective function under the constant load torque. The maximum efficiency strategy using energy saving is suitable for electric drive system applications. Also, the control method is resilient to any change in motor parameters and unmodulated system dynamics. Furthermore, its output control error can be eliminated in a limited interval. Finally, a prototype of the system using a 1.5 kW three‐phase squirrel cage IM is provided and several tests are conducted. The experimental results show the efficacy of the proposed method.

Navigating urban congestion: A Comprehensive strategy based on an efficient smart IoT wireless communication for PV powered smart traffic management system.

Egypt faces extreme traffic congestion in its cities, which results in long travel times, large lines of parked cars, and increased safety hazards. Our study suggests a multi-modal approach that combines critical infrastructure improvements with cutting-edge technologies to address the ubiquitous problem of traffic congestion. Assuring vehicles owners of their timely arrival, cutting down on fuel usage, and improving communication using deep learning approach and optimization algorithm within the potential of IoT enabled 5G framework are the main goals. The traffic management system incorporates detection cameras, Raspberry Pi 3 microcontroller, an Android application, cloud connectivity, and traditional traffic lights that are powered using PV modules and batteries to secure the traffic controllers operation in case of grid outage and assure service continuity. The model examines the difficulties associated with Internet of Things (IoT) communication, highlighting possible interference from device-to-device (D2D) devices and cellular user equipment. This all-encompassing strategy aims to reduce fuel consumption, increase road safety and improve traffic efficiency. The model predicts a significant increase in Egypt's urban mobility by utilizing the possibilities of IoT and 5G technologies, which would improve Egypt's towns' livability and efficiency. The goal of this paper is to modernize Egypt's traffic management system and bring it into compliance with global guidelines for intelligent transportation networks.

Reservoir Control Operations and Water Resources Management

Water resources are among the most essential materials required for human survival and development [...]

Learning-based production, maintenance, and quality optimization in smart manufacturing systems: A literature review and trends

With the introduction of manufacturing paradigms, including Industry 4.0, production research has shifted its focus to enabling intelligent manufacturing systems within industrial environments. These systems can efficiently schedule and control processes and operations using artificial intelligence methods, including machine learning and deep learning. Since 1995, relevant literature has presented several examples of such implementations, addressing topics, for example equipment fault diagnosis and quality inspections. To this end, the present paper strives to present a state-of-the-art review of the learning-based scheduling and control frameworks, which are exploited in the production research. The review is limited to the relevant research between the years 1995 and 2024, surveying approaches in the domains of manufacturing, maintenance, and quality control. To this end, the paper follows a meta-analysis method for the selection and evaluation of relevant research articles. Moreover, research questions are formulated to analyze the obtained findings and seek out insights on aspects of the relevant research, including the inclusion of decision-making models and dissemination of literature. The provided answers, among others, reveal trends and limitations of the state-of-the art research in relation to learning-based scheduling and control.

A Case Study on the Integration of Powerline Communications and Visible Light Communications from a Power Electronics Perspective.

This paper presents a dual-purpose LED driver system that functions as both a lighting source and a Visible Light Communication (VLC) transmitter integrated with a Powerline Communication (PLC) network under the PRIME G3 standard. The system decodes PLC messages from the powerline grid and transmits the information via LED light to an optical receiver under a binary phase shift keying (BPSK) modulation. The load design targets a light flux of 800 lumens, suitable for LED light bulb applications up to 10 watts, ensuring practicality and energy efficiency. The Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART) module enables communication between the PLC and VLC systems, allowing for an LED driver with dynamic control and real-time operation. Key signal processing stages are commented and developed, including a hybrid buck converter with modulation capabilities and a nonlinear optical receiver to regenerate the BPSK reference signal for VLC. Results show a successful prototype working under a laboratory environment. Experimental validation shows successful transmission of bit streams from the PLC grid to the VLC setup. A design guideline is presented in order to dictate the design of the electronic devices involved in the experiment. Finally, this research highlights the feasibility of integrating PLC and VLC technologies, offering an efficient and cost-effective solution for data transmission over existing infrastructure.