Transportation Devices Research Articles

Design and Characterization of a Novel Blood Collection and Transportation Device for Proteomic Applications.

A major hurdle for blood-based proteomic diagnostics is efficient transport of specimens from the collection site to the testing laboratory. Dried blood spots have shown utility for diagnostic applications, specifically those where red blood cell hemolysis and contamination of specimens with hemoglobin is not confounding. Conversely, applications that are sensitive to the presence of the hemoglobin subunits require blood separation, which relies on centrifugation to collect plasma/serum, and then cold-chain custody during shipping. All these factors introduce complexities and potentially increased costs. Here we report on a novel whole blood-collection device (BCD) that efficiently separates the liquid from cellular components, minimizes hemolysis in the plasma fraction, and maintains protein integrity during ambient transport. The simplicity of the design makes the device ideal for field use. Whole blood is acquired through venipuncture and applied to the device with an exact volume pipette. The BCD design was based on lateral-flow principles in which whole blood was applied to a defined area, allowing two minutes for blood absorption into the separation membrane, then closed for shipment. The diagnostic utility of the device was further demonstrated with shipments from multiple sites (n = 33) across the U.S. sent to two different centralized laboratories for analyses using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS) and matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight (MALDI-ToF) commercial assays. Specimens showed high levels of result label concordance for the LC/MS/MS assay (Negative Predictive Value = 98%) and MALDI-ToF assay (100% result concordance). The overall goal of the device is to simplify specimen transport to the laboratory and produce clinical test results equivalent to established collection methods.

Improvement of Multilevel DC/DC Converter for E-Mobility Charging Station

Considerable efforts are being made to reduce CO2 emissions and thereby solve the problems of environmental pollution and global warming. Technologies for environmentally friendly transportation are being developed using batteries. In particular, with the increase in urbanization and one-person households, e-mobility products are drawing increasing attention as short-distance transportation devices. Among these vehicles, personal mobility devices (PMDs) are receiving attention as new transportation devices that are simple to operate. This paper proposes a new multilevel charging system that is advantageous in responding to the charging voltage specifications of various mobile devices with a single charging system while ensuring a low charging current ripple. The proposed diode-parallel multilevel converter consists of an independent Buck converter in series. The switch of the buck converter is configured at the negative terminal of the input power source so that the gate amplifier voltage is used as the power supply voltage; it can therefore be simply configured without a separate gate amplifier power supply. In addition, it is improved so as to have a wider charging voltage range in a low output voltage region and a better efficiency than the existing diode series multilevel converter. To verify the feasibility of the proposed system, simulations were performed using the software PowerSIM(PSIM), and, in order to verify the validity, a prototype charging system was fabricated to compare and analyze losses according to operating conditions.

Robotic target following with slow and delayed visual feedback

Following rapidly and precisely a moving target has become the core functionality in robotic systems for transportation, manufacturing, and medical devices. Among existing targeting following methods, vision-based tracking continues to thrive as one of the most popular, and is the closest method to human perception. However, the low sampling rate and the time delays of visual outputs fundamentally hinder real-time applications. In this paper, we show the potential of significant performance gain in vision-based target following when partial knowledge of the target dynamics is available. Specifically, we propose a new framework with Kalman filters and multi-rate model-based prediction (1) to reconstruct fast-sampled 3D target position and velocity data, and (2) to compensate the time delay. Along the path, we study the impact of slow sampling and the delay duration, and we experimentally verify different algorithms with a robot manipulator equipped with an eye-in-hand camera. The results show that our approach can achieve 95% error reduction rate compared with the commonly used visual servoing technique, when the target is moving with high speed and the visual measurements are slow and incapable of providing timely information.

Universal booster device for moving and lifting bulk materials in two- and three-phase flows

A universal version of a booster device for lifting a transporting medium with the presence of lumpy materials is considered. Calculation formulas are given for determining the dependence of the speed of movement of a three-phase medium in a slurry pipeline with a turbo-vortex slurry movement, as well as for determining an additional volume of air supplied through a booster device into a pulp-pipeline. The development relates to devices for transportation and lifting of bulk and liquid media in two- and three-phase flows and can be used in construction, metallurgy, mining and other industries.

Development of a Novel Wasp-Inspired Friction-Based Tissue Transportation Device.

Currently existing tubular transportation systems for the extraction of large tissue masses during Minimal Invasive Surgery (MIS) are subjected to a large amount of operating limitations. In this study, a novel transportation mechanism (patented) was developed inspired by the egg-laying structure of wasps. The developed mechanism consists of an outer tube within which six reciprocating semi-cylindrical blades are present and tissue is transported using a friction differential between the blades. Two motion sequences were developed: (1) 1–5 motion sequence, in which one blade moves forward, while the remaining five blades move backward and (2) 2–4 motion sequence, in which four blades move backward while two blades move forward. A proof-of-principle experiment was performed to investigate the effects of tissue elasticity, tissue heterogeneity, and the motion sequence on the transportation rate [mg/s], transportation efficiency [%], and transportation reliability [%]. The mean transportation rate and reliability was highest for the 9 wt% gelatine phantoms at 4.21 ± 0.74 mg/s and the 1–5 sequence at 100%, respectively. The prototype has shown that the friction-based transportation principle has the potential of becoming a viable and reliable alternative to aspiration as a transportation method within MIS.

Mechanical properties of double and triple fibre-reinforced epoxy hybrid composites

A composite material can be defined as a combination of two or more materials that provide better properties than the material used alone. Composite materials can be preferred because of their many advantages – for example, they are stronger and lighter compared with conventional materials. Usage of fibre-reinforced composite structures has increased in industries such as automotive, marine transportation, civil engineering, sporting goods, medical equipment and prosthetic devices.

A simple superhydrophobic/superhydrophilic Janus-paper with enhanced biocompatibility by PDMS and candle soot coating for actuator

Janus-materials were processed though different characteristics integrate to achieve important functions which have aroused great interest among the scientific research and industrial applications. However, the facile fabrication of Janus-materials with the attributes of chemical-free, low-cost, and simple process is still a great challenge. Herein, inspired by the mimosa and lotus leaf, a Janus-paper with superhydrophobicity /superhydrophilicity is successfully fabricated by a conjunction of PDMS and candle soot coating. The water and sliding contact angles of the superhydrophobic surface are 162° and 1°, respectively, and it also shows a good antifouling properties and mechanical durability. Additionally, the cell biocompatibility of superhydrophobic surface is significantly improved, holding the potential as a cell culture carrier. Due to the inhomogeneous swelling inside the internal structure, the Janus-paper exhibits a mimosa-like behavior when immersed in water, endowing the actuation of a boat model on the water surface. Moreover, due to the different adhesions, the superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic surfaces can be used for microdroplet transportation and water storage devices. This bio-inspired approach provides a new generic route for fabrication of Janus-paper for potential multifunctional applications.

Integrating facility layout design and aisle structure in manufacturing systems: Formulation and exact solution

In manufacturing systems, aisles are paths which are used for the movement of workers, transportation devices, and materials. The aisle structure contributes to layout efficiency by reducing material handling costs, mean flow time and the amount of space needed, and providing smooth transportation. Therefore, to achieve a good layout, it is essential to determine the position of facilities such as machines and workstations, but also the corresponding aisle structure. In this article, we analyze the requirements for the design of an efficient aisle structure and propose a formulation of the corresponding layout problem as a mixed-integer linear programming model. This formulation allows the layout of unequal-area facilities and the aisle structure to be simultaneously optimized. In optimizing the aisle structure, issues such as optimizing the number, position, and width of the aisles, the position of the entrance and exit doors, and how to connect them to the aisles are studied. By optimizing the number and width of the aisles, the proposed approach contributes towards optimizing transportation traffic. A branch-and-cut algorithm, improved by adding optimality cuts and efficient branching and node strategies, is used to solve the problem. Finally, a set of computational experiments is performed to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

The Innovative Design of the Fire-Fighting Adapter for Forest Machinery

The presented article presents an innovative solution of a fire-fighting adapter based on the basic hypothesis: to provide sufficient technical support in difficult terrain conditions for water transport logistics in order to quickly prevent the spread and destruction of forest fire. At present, when forest fires begin, it is often quite complicated to provide sufficient technical support for the quick prevention and elimination of fires. This fact is largely eliminated by the designed fire-fighting adapter. The mentioned fire-fighting adapter can be used as a fire-fighting mobile device with a base machine of a forest wheeled skidder (LKT), part of the long-distance transport of water in difficult terrain (lake system), a water tank in difficult terrain with the possibility of filling the Bambi bag with a helicopter, part of the long-distance transport of water in the case of a difficult water source without a forest access road network, and a mobile device for emergency transportation of materials in difficult terrain. In addition to the use for fighting forest fires, the fire adapter can also be used to provide for transport of water for forest nurseries (irrigation), freshly planted areas in the event of prolonged drought, the filling of watering-places for forest animals and filling puddles in the dry season. When designing the supporting frame, we used and imitated the evolutionary approach of nature in the form of generative design. The presented paper deals with the use of modern composite materials in the design of superstructures for base machines, which gradually acquire meaning. The main reason for the increasing use of fiberglass is to achieve higher strength and safer weight reduction. This adapter is designed for forest wheel tractors that reach 40% slope availability, are able to work on the stand area, overcome obstacles and are available in sufficient quantities in all Slovak forest areas.

EL FLETAMENTO MARITIMO COMO FACILITADOR DEL COMERCIO INTERNACIONAL

El entorno económico actual que con permanente inclusión de nuevas tecnologías produce un ambiente comercial internacional en donde la importación y exportación se ha convertido en un fenómeno de grandes proporciones que se caracteriza por nuevas formas comerciales de actuación en los grandes bloques globales, requiere del conocimiento de formas y procesos actualizados, en donde Contrato de Fletamento Marítimo cumple con una labor de facilitación en el intercambio de bienes comerciales, como herramienta eficaz en el desplazamiento de la carga a través del buque, como artefacto de transportación por excelencia de la actividad comercial marítima que cumple con eficacia la posibilitación del transporte marítimo a través del régimen de fletamentos. El Fletamento de buques, constituye una institución de carácter jurídico de las más antiguas, se remonta al derecho babilónico y “su finalidad primordial es la explotación del buque mediante la dedicación de transportes ajenos” (Mira Galiani Jaime, 2010, pág. 218), bien colocándolo a disposición de los interesados para que se realicen dichos transportes, o sin hacer entrega de la nave, limitándose a recoger las mercancías entregadas por los remitentes en el puerto de carga para ser transportados al puerto de destino y entrega a los respectivos consignatarios. Básicamente, se trata de la contratación del buque entre cargadores y navieras. Los cargadores podrán escoger el tipo de buque que más se adapta a las necesidades de la carga a transportar y las opciones son el transporte en régimen de fletamentos y transporte por línea regular.

Quantitative Estimation of Nitrogen Losses in the Atmosphere of a Hermetically Sealed Inhabited Object

The paper presents a methodology for determining nitrogen losses from the atmosphere of hermetically enclosed inhabited objects. Loss of the atmosphere consists of two parts. The first part of losses occurs when the object is locked with the transportation device. In this case, atmospheric gas leaks from the inhabited premises of the facility into the airlock. The second part of losses is associated with the operation of adsorption apparatus designed to remove carbon dioxide and water vapor from the atmosphere of a hermetically sealed inhabited object. In this case, atmospheric loss occurs due to the presence of a “dead” volume in these devices. Calculated estimates of nitrogen losses showed that the atmospheric losses for the two parts are comparable.

Nanoparticles phenomenon for the thermal management of wavy flow of a Carreau fluid through a three-dimensional channel

A hybrid nanofluid phenomenon is considered involving nanoparticles since such particles are potential medication transportation devices in biomedical applications. Moreover, the expansion in heat transfer can be accomplished by refining either flow mechanism with geometry annoyance or thermal conductivity of the liquid itself. This motivation encourages the authors to discuss the three-dimensional study to analyze the peristaltic transport of Carreau nanofluid in a cross section of rectangular channel. This investigation may be helpful in physiology, chemical industries and biomedical apparatus, especially for the dismissal of cancerous cells where the heat convection would be followed by nanoparticles through three-dimensional tube/duct. In the current analysis, the constitutive equations are managed under the assumptions of long wave length and low Reynolds number assumptions. After making use of some suitable dimensionless quantities, we gathered the partial differential equations in nonlinear coupled form which are then handled by the homotopy perturbation method. The variational occurrence of all emerging parameters affecting the flow is analyzed through graphical treatment. Velocity distribution is also plotted for three dimensions. Trapping scheme is also presented through streamlines which implies the flow phenomenon through circulating empty bolus traveling toward the flow. A comparative analysis is also made to differentiate between the behavior of Newtonian and Carreau fluid model. On the other hand, the pumping rate of 3D rectangular channel is also contrasted with a 3D square duct. It is analyzed that peristaltic pumping rate is enhanced with the growing values of aspect ratio, power law index and local nanoparticles Grashof number; however, the inverse results are faced with Brownian motion factor and Weissenberg number. It is also visualized that pumping rate in 3D rectangular enclosure is higher than a square duct geometry.

Quality of Life and the Health System: A 22-Country Comparison of the Situation of People With Spinal Cord Injury

ObjectiveTo analyze and compare how performance of the health system are linked to the self-reported quality of life (QOL) of people with spinal cord injury (SCI) in 22 countries participating in the International Spinal Cord (InSCI) community survey. DesignCross-sectional survey. SettingTwenty-two countries representing all 6 World Health Organization regions, community setting. ParticipantsPersons (N=12,591) with traumatic or nontraumatic SCI aged ≥18 years. InterventionsNot applicable. Main outcomesSelf-reported satisfaction on several indicators that include: health, ability to perform daily activities, oneself, personal relationships, and living conditions. A total score of QOL was calculated using these 5 definitions. ResultsThe most important indicators for self-reported QOL of persons with SCI were social attitudes and access to health care services, followed by nursing care, access to public spaces, the provision of vocational rehabilitation, transportation, medication, and assistive devices. In general, persons with SCI living in higher-income countries reported a higher QOL than people in lower-income countries, with some exceptions. The top performing country was The Netherlands with an estimated median QOL of 66% (on a 0%-100% scale). ConclusionsThe living situation of people with SCI is highly influenced by the performance of the health system. Measuring and comparing health systems give accountability to a country’s citizens, but it also helps to determine areas for improvement.

Improving the performance of vibration feeders with an electromagnetic vibration drive and a combined vibration system

Vibration loading devices are widely used in various branches of mechanical engineering to load piece blanks of automatic machines and automatic lines as well as robotic systems, automated systems and flexible automated production. Vibration devices for transportation and loading of miniature, small and medium-sized products are the most widely used. Modern designs of vibratory feeders, made according to the classical dynamic scheme and having a two-mass oscillating system, do not fully use the energy of the vibratory exciter to perform useful work. In addition, due to the presence of a heavy reactive mass, they have a fairly large weight. When the vibrating feeder is operating, the energy of the vibration exciter is spent on pumping both the hopper, which performs useful work, and the reactive plate, which performs idle vibrations. Thus, part of the energy of the vibration exciter is not used for performing useful work, but is spent idly. To increase the efficiency of the device, increase its performance and reduce its weight and metal consumption, it is necessary to change the design of the vibratory feeder and some of its elements, which affect the redistribution of the oscillation amplitudes of the working (hopper) and reactive mass of the vibratory feeder. Modern production involves the creation of new models of machines with high technical and economic indicators, therefore, improving the efficiency of existing equipment and the development of new schemes of machines is an important task for designers and manufacturers of technological equipment, as the minimum improvement of its technological and operational performance can lead to a tangible economic effect. To solve this problem we developed a new design vibrating hopper feeder, in which the increase of the horizontal component of the oscillation amplitude of the working element (hopper) is not at the expense of increased power of the vibratory exciter, but due to internal redistribution of energy between the elements of the oscillating system that makes better use of the energy of the vibratory exciter to perform useful work, i.e. to increase the coefficient of useful action. In addition, the weight and metal content of the vibrating feeder structure are simultaneously reduced.

Research on elevator hydraulic buffer detection system based on intelligent image recognition

As a kind of vertical transportation device, elevator is widely used in the production field and daily lives. In order to detect the reset time of the elevator hydraulic buffer, this article first analyzes the shortcomings of the existing detection methods, then provides a design of detection system for the elevator hydraulic buffer based on intelligent image recognition. This system can detect the reset time and reset distance, and grasp the dynamic compression and reposition process of the elevator hydraulic buffer. Besides, this system can also bring lots of advantages, such as wide universality, easy installation, high degree intelligence, less influence of human factors and no risk for the inspectors in measurement process.

Multi-AGV dispatching and routing problem based on a three-stage decomposition method.

Automatic guided vehicle (AGV) is a device for horizontal transportation between quay cranes and yard cranes in an automated container terminal. In which dispatching and routing problem (DRP) of the AGV system is a vital as well as basic issue. In the application of the actual AGV system, several practical factors including avoiding conflicts, path smoothness, difficulty in adjusting routes and anti-interference must be considered. The present study establishes the model with the goal of minimizing AGV travel distance, reducing operation time and response time. Furthermore, a three-stage decomposition solution to the problem was proposed by combining the advantages of pre-planning algorithm and real-time planning algorithm, which combines A* algorithm with the principle of time window to plan the path of each AGV in time order. Finally, the effectiveness of this method in path search and time optimization is illustrated and the system efficiency is improved by comparing and analyzing the calculation examples of different scales.

Analysis of sight distances at urban intersections from a vulnerable users’ approach: A case study

Road elements are predominantly designed to safely accommodate motorized users. Urban roads and streets, unlike highways, contain very dissimilar users and might have higher points of conflict. Nowadays, due to the increasing use of vehicle sharing systems, personal transportation devices and bicycle-friendly policies, some urban streets have had to adapt to distinct users with different levels of vulnerability. Given the interest in increasing the use of alternative transportation methods, it is of great importance to make sure these car-centered designed roads provide securely for all users. In order to create a safe environment for these unalike users, common measures such as reducing speed limits, traffic calming interventions and modifications to the road geometry have been taken in several urban areas. In this regard, taking into account the key role that proper available sight distance plays in road safety, the visibility of an urban roundabout located in Madrid, Spain was evaluated. This analysis was performed considering the observers to be pedestrians, cyclists and electric scooter riders. In addition to the estimation of their crossing and stopping sight distances, their reciprocal visibility with drivers was assessed. Nowadays there are different ways of obtaining up-to-date information of the road scene and cycle lanes with sufficient accuracy and detail, hence it is possible to easily perform offsite analyses of distinct road parameters. Here, the virtual verification of sufficient stopping and intersection sight distances was performed utilizing a LiDAR derived digital terrain model and 3-D geometries. These evaluations were performed with the objective of identifying potential risk locations for these vulnerable users and the proposal of measures that could improve their safety.

3D‐Printed Cactus‐Inspired Spine Structures for Highly Efficient Water Collection

AbstractThe inherent fog collection mechanism used by the cactus gives inspirations for constructing energy‐efficient and environmentally friendly water collection devices. However, the related studies meet the bottleneck on improving the collection efficiency because it is hard to replicate real natural clusters of branched spines by traditional manufacturing methods. The immersed surface accumulation based 3D printing provides a tool to reproduce branched cactus spines, enabling the study of water collection of artificial spines with various designs. Here, a cactus‐inspired surface decorated with multiple directional artificial spines for highly efficient water collection and transportation is presented. The nanoscale hydrophobic coating is sputtered on the surface of the 3D‐printed spines to accelerate the water growth rate. The results show that the hexagonally arranged clusters enhance the moisture airflow around 3D‐printed spines, and the printed spines with 10° tip angle and hydrophobic coating achieve the highest weight gain of 2 mg min−1 mm−3. This study opens intriguing perspectives for designing next‐generation structural materials with the special spatial distribution of biomimetic features to achieve energy free and highly efficient water collection. The results reported here are believed to be helpful for the development of environmental friendly water collection, water transportation, and water separation devices.

Motor Third-Party Liability of Personal Transportation Devices and Its Insurance

The aim of the article is to describe the principles of liability of autonomous and dependent possessors as well as of users of personal transportation devices for damage caused by their movement. The liability of holders of such devices is independent of their fault and is based on the principle of risk. However, in the event of a collision between two such transporters or a personal transportation device with a car or a motorcycle, the liability shall be based on the principle of guilt. The liability of the user of a personal transportation device is also fault-based. Owners of personal transportation devices are not subject to the motor third-party liability insurance. As long as these devices are not legally required to be registered, there is no effective mechanism to control the fulfilment of the third-party liability insurance obligation. It is therefore not possible to introduce compulsory liability insurance. However, it is necessary and important to popularize and strengthen the insurance coverage under liability insurance in private life, including liability for damage resulting from the usage of personal transportation devices.

Transportation of river sediments in cylindrical pipeline

This article deals with the hydraulic transport of river sediments in a cylindrical pipeline. To describe the nature of hydraulic phenomena, experiments were provided for single-phase and two-phase flows in field and laboratory condition. According to the results of the experiments, the main hydraulic parameters of the proposed jet device for hydro transportation of river sediments were determined. Based on the processing of the available data, as well as the data of specially commissioned experiments, the dependencies of flow rates, speed, jet constraining and resistance when the pulp flow from the jet apparatus has expired on the Reynolds number, are valid for certain limits of Reynolds number change. As a result of special experiments, the dependences of local resistance coefficients on the Reynolds number for some practically important cases (when the net flow and pulp from the jet apparatus pipeline have elapsed), valid within certain limits of change of Reynolds numbers, are established. The design parameters of the jet apparatus for the purification of water bodies from river sediments are substantiated, the design formulas for determining the hydraulic parameters of the proposed jet apparatus are proposed. A calculation formula for determining the flow rate of the slurry jet apparatus is proposed. As a result of special experiments, the dependences of the coefficient of hydraulic friction on the Reynolds number for various saturations of flow with a suspension are established. The article offers a new method for determination critical velocity two-phase current, and proposed method is valued with given laboratory condition.