Wheel System Research Articles

Design of Mecanum wheel for Forklift

In this paper, we review researches on multi-directional automobile design with Mecanum wheel as component in the forklift vehicle. Multi-directional automobile has vast advantages over conventional design likes differential drive-in term of mobility in congested environments. Multi-directional automobile could perform important tasks in environments congested with static and/or dynamic obstacle and narrow aisles, such as those commonly found in manufacturing floor, warehouses, offices and hospitals. A variety of designs of Mecanum wheel installed forklift have been developed in recent years in order to improve their multi-directional maneuver and practical applications. These features are expanded at the expense of improved mechanical complication and increased complexity in control mechanism. Mecanum wheel systems work by applying rotating force of each individual wheel in one direction similar to regular wheels with a different in the fact that Mecanum wheel systems are able to slide freely in a different direction, in other word, they can slide frequently perpendicular to the torque vector. The main advantage of using Mecanum wheel systems is that translational and rotational motions are decoupled for simple motion although in making an allowance for the fastest possible motion this is not essentially the case

Implementing the Color Wheel System in an Inclusive Middle School Setting

The Color Wheel System (CWS), a class-wide, rule-based behavioral management strategy, is a successful intervention to reduce off-task behaviors for elementary school students. However, this intervention has rarely been investigated in the middle school setting. The current study implemented the CWS within three sixth-grade general education inclusionary classrooms in a middle school in the United States. A multiple-baseline across classrooms design evaluated the effects of the CWS on class-wide inappropriate vocalizations. Partial-interval time-sampling recorded intervals when any student in the class displayed inappropriate vocalizations. Visual analysis of time-series graphs and effect size measures indicated that the CWS created large, immediate, and sustained decreases in inappropriate vocalizations across all classrooms. Implications for using the CWS as a class-wide behavioral management strategy within the middle school setting and directions for future research are discussed.

Can wheel polishers improve surface properties and color stability of monochromatic resin composites?

BackgroundTo overcome the color layering procedure, monochromatic resin composites have been introduced. However, little is known about their polishability, gloss and color stability. This study aimed to investigate the surface roughness, gloss, and color change of monochromatic resin composites polished with wheel systems after being immersed in coffee.Materials and methodsOmnichroma, Zenchroma, Essentia Universal, Charisma Diamond One and NeoSpectra ST were used to obtain 120-disc samples of 8 × 2 mm. Only one side of the sample was polished with Twist Dia (TWD) or Nova Twist (NOV). The samples were examined for surface roughness, gloss, and color (ΔE and ΔE00) before and after 7 days of immersion in coffee and subsequent repolishing. The discs were examined via SEM. Surface roughness and gloss values were analyzed using ANOVA, Tukey and Pearson correlation tests. ΔE and ΔE00 values were evaluated using T tests, multivariate ANOVA, and Dunnett’s post-hoc tests.ResultsFor TWD groups, the smoothest material was Omnichroma (p < 0.05), while for NOV groups, it was Omnichroma and Zenchroma. Omnichroma was the glossiest, while Charisma Diamond One was the least glossy. In TWD groups, Charisma Diamond One and Essentia Universal were the most discolored, while Zenchroma and Omnichroma were the least. For NOV groups, Essentia Universal and Charisma Diamond One were the most discolored, while NeoSpectra ST, Omnichroma and Zenchroma were the least. After repolishing, Charisma Diamond One did not reach the level of ΔE < 2, while the other groups showed values below. Color evaluation with the CIELab and CIEDE2000 systems revealed similar results for the TWD groups after post-staining.ConclusionsSmooth and glossy surfaces could be achieved with the wheel system regardless of the composite resin. Repolishing after discoloration ensures that the color recovery is below the acceptable limit. Color evaluations with CIELab and CIEDE2000 yielded similar results.

High-speed grinding: from mechanism to machine tool

AbstractHigh-speed grinding (HSG) is an advanced technology for precision machining of difficult-to-cut materials in aerospace and other fields, which could solve surface burns, defects and improve surface integrity by increasing the linear speed of the grinding wheel. The advantages of HSG have been preliminarily confirmed and the equipment has been built for experimental research, which can achieve a high grinding speed of more than 300 m/s. However, it is not yet widely used in manufacturing due to the insufficient understanding on material removal mechanism and characteristics of HSG machine tool. To fill this gap, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of HSG technologies. A new direction for adding auxiliary process in HSG is proposed. Firstly, the combined influence law of strain hardening, strain rate intensification, and thermal softening effects on material removal mechanism was revealed, and models of material removal strain rate, grinding force and grinding temperature were summarized. Secondly, the constitutive models under high strain rate boundaries were summarized by considering various properties of material and grinding parameters. Thirdly, the change law of material removal mechanism of HSG was revealed when the thermodynamic boundary conditions changed, by introducing lubrication conditions such as minimum quantity lubrication (MQL), nano-lubricant minimum quantity lubrication (NMQL) and cryogenic air (CA). Finally, the mechanical and dynamic characteristics of the key components of HSG machine tool were summarized, including main body, grinding wheel, spindle and dynamic balance system. Based on the content summarized in this paper, the prospect of HSG is put forward. This study establishes a solid foundation for future developments in the field and points to promising directions for further exploration.

Design of a 2R Open-Chain Plug Seedling-Picking Mechanism and Control System Constrained by a Differential Non-Circular Planetary Gear Train

With a focus on the problems of complex structure and accumulated lateral clearance in the single degree of freedom non-circular wheel system seedling-picking mechanism, which leads to poor motion accuracy, trajectory, and attitude, this study developed a 2R open-chain chili plug seedling-picking mechanism (SPM) constrained by a differential non-circular wheel system. The picking arm was driven by a single-stage non-uniform speed transmission mechanism to reproduce the seedling-picking trajectory and attitude. A protruding seedling-picking device, SPM control system, and test bench were designed. A kinematic model of a differential non-circular gear system was established, and an optimization design software for the SPM was developed based on kinematic analysis. The kinematic characteristics of the SPM were analyzed under optimal parameters. This study completed the seedling-picking performance test of the SPM on the control panel. The test showed that the designed chili SPM can sequentially complete the processes of seedling picking, conveying, retracting, pushing, and returning under the automatic control of the test bench without damaging the main root. The lateral root damage rate was 15.7%, effectively ensuring the integrity of the seedling bowl substrate.

Primary return air or all fresh air? A novel method for air source designing of heat pump desiccant wheel systems

Hybrid desiccant wheel systems are widely adopted for low humidity control in industrial field. The clarification of process and regeneration air management is required to achieve energy saving. The all-fresh air dehumidification and primary return air dehumidification are compared for a high-polymer desiccant wheel and heat pump system. The system simulation model was established and validated by field test results of a low humidity industrial workshop. Firstly, the fresh air flowrate and air stream pattern are analyzed and optimized, for achieving low annual energy consumption. Secondly, the system power of the optimized fresh air mode and primary return air mode were compared for different outdoor air temperature, outdoor air humidity and indoor humidity requirement. At last, energy saving rate of all fresh air dehumidification mode was analyzed for five typical climate zones in China. It was found that the optimized fresh air flowrate numerically equals to the summation of regeneration air flowrate and the positive pressure required air flowrate. With the optimized fresh air flowrate, 20.4% of the annual energy can be saved compared with primary return air system. Outdoor air conditions were divided into three zones on psychrometric chart, and the boundaries are related to indoor temperature and humidity ratio. Fresh air is energy efficient for high temperature high humidity and low temperature low humidity conditions. By using fresh air dehumidification mode, the energy saving rate can reach 69.6% for severe cold region. Primary return air dehumidification mode is suitable for HSCW and HSWW region for indoor relative humidity of 40%, and 41.8% of the energy can be saved.

Design and optimization of planetary wheel systems for formula racing cars

Design and optimization of planetary wheel systems for formula racing cars

Development of a new technological scheme of the carousel milking platform based on the principles of magnetic levitation

The Carousel, the most capital–intensive and loaded milking unit, is a rotating platform that carries a large mechanical load. Its own weight, combined with the weight of the animals being moved, can reach 1200 kg per milking place or more. To reduce friction in the wheeled systems of high-loaded vehicles, large-sized assemblies and mechanisms of machinery and equipment, including agricultural machinery and aggregates, the use of magnetic suspension technology is promising. The research was carried out in order to develop a new technological scheme of a levitating rotating milking platform Carousel based on the principles of magnetic levitation. The creation of a fundamentally new resource-saving design of the Carousel milking platform based on the principles of magnetic levitation in order to increase its reliability and reduce operating costs due to the exclusion of wear on the propellers of the rail-wheel system is possible. A new scheme of a rotating milking platform Carousel using permanent magnet magnetic suspension technology without the use of wheel thrusters is proposed. Its force calculation was performed in the main mode of steady motion with the platform fully filled with animals and partially filled at the beginning and end of the milking cycle of animals, obtaining basic equations for determining the necessary repulsive forces in horizontal and vertical magnetic assemblies providing magnetic levitation (suspension) and lateral stabilization (centering) of the rotating platform.

Real-Time SLAM and Faster Object Detection on a Wheeled Lifting Robot with Mobile-ROS Interaction

Wheeled lifting robots have found widespread applications in various industrial and logistical environments. However, traditional robots are far from adequate in terms of visual perception capabilities. Additionally, their remote control methods suffer from inefficiencies, which tend to bring safety concerns. To address these issues, this work proposes an autonomous multi-sensor-enabled wheeled lifting robot system, i.e., AMSeWL-R, to facilitate remote autonomous operations. Specifically, AMSeWL-R integrates real-time simultaneous localization and mapping with object detection on a wheeled lifting robot. Additionally, a novel mobile-ROS interaction method is proposed to achieve real-time communication and control between a mobile device and a ROS host. Furthermore, a lightweight object detection algorithm based on YOLOv8, i.e., YOLOv8-R, is proposed to achieve faster detection. Experimental results validate the effectiveness of the AMSeWL-R system for accurately detecting objects and mapping its surroundings. Furthermore, TensorRT acceleration is employed during practical testing on a Jetson Nano to achieve real-time detection using the proposed YOLOv8-R, demonstrating its efficacy in real-world scenarios.

Smart nodding duck: A hybrid Halbach electromagnetic piezoelectric self-powered sensor for smart fisheries

Wave energy harvesting plays a crucial part in promoting the sustainable development of marine fisheries. This paper presents a novel hybrid electromagnetic and piezoelectric Self-powered Sensor, known as the Smart Nodding Duck (SND). The SND consists primarily of two components: an electromagnetic generator (EMG) responsible for power generation and a piezoelectric generator (PEG) dedicated to monitoring purposes. The SND absorbs wave energy through the shell of the nodding duck, while the planetary wheel system forms a coaxial counter-rotating augmentation structure. Also, the Halbach magnetic array serves as the electromagnetic generator, simultaneously exciting the piezoelectric structure to generate voltage signals. These features enable the SND to contribute to the LSTM network modeling self-sensing system, facilitating the monitoring of sea states. To verify the power generation effect of the SND, we conducted bench tests. The results demonstrate that the electromagnetic generator achieves an average output power of 96.26mW under a wave excitation of 0.8 Hz with an amplitude of 80 mm, yielding a power density of 16 W/m3. Furthermore, the self-sensing sea state monitoring model exhibits an impressive accuracy of 99.3 %. Moreover, tank experiment verified the feasibility of the SND, further contributing to the construction of a smart marine fishery Internet of Things.

Coordinated torque control for enhanced steering and stability of independently driven mobile robots

PurposeMobile robots with independent wheel control face challenges in steering precision, motion stability and robustness across various wheel and steering system types. This paper aims to propose a coordinated torque distribution control approach that compensates for tracking deviations using the longitudinal moment generated by active steering.Design/methodology/approachBuilding upon a two-degree-of-freedom robot model, an adaptive robust controller is used to compute the total longitudinal moment, while the robot actuator is regulated based on the difference between autonomous steering and the longitudinal moment. An adaptive robust control scheme is developed to achieve accurate and stable generation of the desired total moment value. Furthermore, quadratic programming is used for torque allocation, optimizing maneuverability and tracking precision by considering the robot’s dynamic model, tire load rate and maximum motor torque output.FindingsComparative evaluations with autonomous steering Ackermann speed control and the average torque method validate the superior performance of the proposed control strategy, demonstrating improved tracking accuracy and robot stability under diverse driving conditions.Research limitations/implicationsWhen designing adaptive algorithms, using models with higher degrees of freedom can enhance accuracy. Furthermore, incorporating additional objective functions in moment distribution can be explored to enhance adaptability, particularly in extreme environments.Originality/valueBy combining this method with the path-tracking algorithm, the robot’s structural path-tracking capabilities and ability to navigate a variety of difficult terrains can be optimized and improved.

RFDrive: Tagged Human-Vehicle Interaction for All

Human–vehicle interaction is an important factor for safe driving. The driver needs to interact with the in-vehicle steering wheel and infotainment system properly during driving. Specifically, driving guidelines require the driver to hold the steering wheel at the 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock positions. Moreover, the in-vehicle infotainment system should be more adaptive for the driver and front-seat passenger during driving (i.e., the in-vehicle infotainment system should be part and even fully disabled for the driver, whereas the front-seat passenger should be able to enjoy the full in-vehicle infotainment system). However, affordable vehicles are usually designed to achieve basic driving functions without considering safe human–vehicle interactions, which require an add-on, affordable, and ready-to-use human–vehicle interaction monitoring system. In this article, we present RFDrive, a system that can simultaneously locate the driver’s hand positions on the steering wheel and automate in-vehicle infotainment system touch discrimination for safe driving using commodity passive RFID tags. Since these commodity passive RFID tags are low cost (i.e., around 5 cents per tag), battery free, and are small, like a sticker, our design will enable not only safe driving but is also low cost, which can lead to sustainable solutions. To do so, we attach RFID tags on the steering wheel for the driver’s hand position location and attach RFID tags on the roof of the vehicle’s interior for in-vehicle infotainment system touch discrimination (i.e., differentiating the driver’s infotainment system touch and front-seat passenger’s infotainment system touch). However, the wheel steering will distort the wireless channel-based driver’s hand position location on the steering wheel. Thus, we propose a novel tag ID-based algorithm to locate the driver’s hand position on the steering wheel by harnessing the human body as part of the RFID tag’s antenna. Since the in-vehicle infotainment system touch from the driver or front-seat passenger will affect different RFID tags attached to the roof of the vehicle’s interior, we propose to use the differential amplitude of backscattered signals from all the tags to discriminate in-vehicle infotainment system touch sources. Our experiments show that RFDrive can achieve the average accuracy of 0.98 and 0.98 for in-vehicle touch source discrimination and driver’s hand position location, respectively.

Controller Design Based on a Synchronous Error Compensator for Wheeled Cross-coupled Systems

Controller Design Based on a Synchronous Error Compensator for Wheeled Cross-coupled Systems

Advanced digital twin-enabled fault diagnosis framework for unmanned vehicle systems

The control system of unmanned vehicles must demonstrate strong capability to promptly diagnose and address system faults. Such a capability can improve transportation efficiency, ensure the smooth execution of production tasks, and to a certain extent, mitigate the risk of human casualties. To ensure the upkeep of unmanned vehicles and address the diagnostic requirements of control systems, this study integrates traditional wheeled vehicle control systems with digital twin (DT) technology to establish a framework for control system fault diagnosis and maintenance, with the primary objective of fulfilling the fault diagnosis task. By this framework, a method for detecting faults in unmanned vehicle control systems based on DT technology has been developed. This method involves the design of a data-driven model using multiple sensors and the application of a DT-improved particle filter fault diagnosis algorithm, utilizing a multi-domain model approach. A case study of the proposed method and simulation results are presented to illustrate its feasibility.

Simulation Study on Performance of Solar-Powered Desiccant Wheel and Ground Source Heat Pump Air Conditioning in Qingdao

In China, a large amount of the total energy consumption is made up of building energy, particularly in humid regions. The conventional vapor compression refrigeration systems cannot effectively control the indoor humid and thermal environment. Therefore, this article proposes a solar-powered desiccant wheel and ground-source heat pump (SDW-GSHP) air conditioning system. The energy consumption of the system is mainly from sustainable sources of solar and geothermal energy, showcasing excellent energy efficiency and environmental friendliness. The desiccant wheel (DW) processes latent heat loads, and the GSHP processes the sensible heat load. The regeneration air of the DW is heated by a solar collector. The operational performance of the system was simulated by using TRNSYS during the typical summer week (15 July to 22 July) in Qingdao. The simulation results indicated that indoor temperature was maintained within 25.8–26.2 °C and the relative humidity was maintained in the range of 57–61%. The COP of the SDW-GSHP air conditioning system was 42.1% higher than that of the DW air conditioning system with electric heating regeneration, and electricity saved 43.7%.

Innovative design and development of attitude determination and control systems for CubeSats with reaction wheels

Attitude determination and control systems (ADCS) represent a critical facet of CubeSat missions, orchestrating the precise orientation and stabilization of these small satellites in the space environment. This paper presents a comprehensive design and development of an ADCS tailored for CubeSats, harnessing a reaction wheel system to deliver a cost-effective and dependable solution for small satellite applications. The research begins by elucidating the requisites and specifications for the ADCS and then delves into the design phase, complemented by intricate modelling and simulation employing MATLAB Simulink and the Webots Simulator. The results of this study underscore the exceptional performance of the proposed ADCS configuration, leveraging the reaction wheel model. This system demonstrates an unparalleled capacity to achieve precise and controlled attitude adjustments, well within the defined parameters. Furthermore, this research underscores the pivotal role played by efficient system design, meticulous simulation, and rigorous testing in the triumphant implementation of ADCS, greatly enhancing CubeSat missions and their contributions to the realm of space exploration and technology innovation. This comprehensive approach to the design and testing of an ADCS for CubeSats ensures that these diminutive satellites continue to make significant strides in space missions, paving the way for an exciting future of space research and technology development.

Rotary Heat Recovery Wheel (RHRW) system with an embedded PCM: Proof of concept

This work presents the thermal performance of a novel Rotary Heat Recovery Wheel (RHRW) system incorporating a Phase Change Material (PCM) embedded in the solid structure of the matrix of a rotating recuperator. The main aim of this device is to increase the thermal efficiency of the RHRW in two ways: by storing large amounts of thermal energy in latent form, and by permitting approach temperatures (around PCM melting point) that are closer to the desired setpoint temperatures for heating/cooling purposesA numerical model of the RHRW system with an embedded PCM was developed, comparing its performance against an identical RHRW without the PCM. The numerical model was validated with experimental data from the literature. A sensitivity analysis was carried out, varying the content of PCM embedded and the rotating speed of the wheel. Under the conditions tested in this work, for intermediate rotating speeds (between 0.1 and 0.7rpm) the PCM increases the efficiency of the system. For n=0.3rpm the efficiency augments from 0.44 to 0.87 with an addition of 15% in mass of PCM. There is also a certain rotating speed, nmax, for which the efficiency is maximum as the phase change of the PCM limits the temperature change. A relationship is proposed between the rotating speed and the mass fraction of PCM to reach the maximum efficiency.

ATLAS New Small Wheel performance studies after first year of operation

After successfully completing Phase I upgrades during LHC Long Shutdown 2, the ATLAS detector is back in operation with several upgrades implemented. The most important and challenging upgrade is in the Muon Spectrometer, where the two inner forward muon stations have been replaced with the New Small Wheels (NSWs) system featuring two entirely new detector technologies: small strip Thin Gap Chambers (sTGC) and the resistive Micromegas (MM). After massive construction, testing and installation work in ATLAS, the two NSWs end-caps have now been in operation for about a year in the experiment, participating in the muon spectrometer tracking system and muon trigger system. A huge effort has gone into the operation of the new data acquisition system, as well as the implementation of a new processing chain within the muon software framework. Tracking is performed with full consideration of the absolute alignment of each individual detector module by the ATLAS Muon Spectrometer optical alignment system. All the deviations from the nominal geometry of all the constituent elements of each sTGC and MM module are accounted for through the modelling of the real chamber geometry reconstructed from the information of the construction databases. After an overview of the strategies adopted for the simulations and reconstruction, the studies on the performance of the NSW system in its first year of operation with LHC Run3 data will be reported.

Study on the mechanical model of footpad-terrain for walking robot moving in low gravity environment

Due to the low gravity environment and the influence of complex terrain condition in deep space exploration, wheeled mobile systems are prone to meet motion abnormalities. The excellent motion performance of walking robot is more suitable for the future deep space exploration, but the robots are prone to occur large sinkage in soft terrain. A mechanical model is built to describe a gait cycle of a walking robot under soft terrain and low gravity environment. The force on the footpad during actual movement in a gait cycle is obtained through a single-legged test bench under the simulated planet terrain. The effects of sizes of footpads, sinkage and other factors are explored. The results indicate that the larger the size of the footpad, the greater the horizontal force on the footpad, the better the motion performance is. But as the size of footpad increase, the vertical force decreases which indicates poor support performance. By comparing and analyzing the model values with the experimental values, for the horizontal force FT, the average errors for the average force and peak force are 10.05% and 7.76%. The average errors for average force and peak force are 5.19% and 5.86% for vertical force FN. The values are not significantly different from the model values and experimental values which indicates that the mechanical model has high accuracy. The obtained mechanical model can provide a reference for the motion of walking robots in complex low gravity environment.

Mathematical Model of Movement of a Mobile Robot with Omnidirectional Wheels

The article discusses the issue of controlling a four-wheeled mobile robot with omnidirectional wheelsof the mecanum type. An analysis of the rotational motion of the omnidirectional mecanum wheel was carriedout, based on its kinematics. For a specific robot with certain overall parameters, a graph of changes in the radiusof the mecanum wheel depending on the angle of its rotation was constructed. Kinematic and dynamic modelsof a mobile four-wheeled robot have been compiled, taking into account its geometric characteristics. The presented expressions are a mathematical description of the behavior of a mobile robot in statics and dynamics. Basedon the obtained models, the principles of operation of the motion control system for a four-wheeled mobile roboton omnidirectional wheels of the mecanum type are formed.