Vacuum Cleaner Research Articles

A rapid ergonomic design intervention on a cordless stick vacuum cleaner handle to relieve discomfort

Cordless stick vacuum cleaners have been getting popular with the slimline and portable design, serving diverse user needs and wants. However, we found users began to feel discomfort or even pain in their hand as the current design caused pressure and friction on hand and fingers constantly and repeatedly, raising the need for ergonomic improvement of current handle. In this study, we tried to solve this problem by (1) identifying the mechanisms cause discomfort in certain areas of user's hand through laboratory experiment, (2) applying a block-type jig as a solution to evaluate a rapid ergonomic design intervention solution options. We improved its structural design in less than two months, minimizing any major structural changes as the product is currently on the market and still being manufactured. This paper demonstrates how such a traditional HCD (Human-Centered Design) based product design process can benefit from ergonomic approaches, which enables us to achieve a significant time and cost-effective redesign process.

Breathing Bricks

For 100 days in 2015, performance artist Nut Brother dragged a vacuum cleaner through Beijing and formed the collected smog particles into a solid brick. Dust Project brings into sharp relief the harm related to the necessary act of breathing and the effects of anthropogenic climate change. As air quality declines, breathing marks the everyday entanglement with particulate matter and its attendant violences as a performance of endurance.

Effects of mechanical washing and drying on the removal of pet allergens.

Background: In Korea, the number of households with indoor pets is rapidly increasing in parallel with changes in cultural lifestyles. The sensitization rate of pet allergens is also increasing in Korea. Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of washing machines to remove dog and cat hair and their allergens. In addition, this study aimed to investigate whether only a mechanical dryer without mechanical washing could be used for pet allergen removal. Method: We brushed cats and dogs, and thereafter collected their hair and used a residential vacuum cleaner to obtain dust and other particulate matter from a household. The contents of the vacuum bag were sifted through a 300-μm sieve filter. Some of the contents were placed in phosphate-buffered saline solution with 0.5% Tween 20 to make a liquid extract. Hair, dust, and liquid extract-contaminated fabric samples after mechanical washing or after drying without mechanical washing were analyzed for pet allergens (Fel d l [cat], Can f 1 [dog]) by using a two-site enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We assessed the remaining allergens in the contaminated fabrics after mechanical drying and washing. Results: The mean Fel d l and mean Can f 1 removal ratios after mechanical washing with detergent were > 99.99% for the dust, hair, and liquid extract. The removal ratios after mechanical washing without a detergent were lower for both Fel d 1 and Can f 1, for hair, dust, and their respective liquid extracts (p < 0.05). Mechanical drying was just as effective as mechanical washing with detergent for removing Can f 1 but was less effective for Fel d 1 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Mechanical washing with detergent is important to remove pet allergens from contaminated fabrics. If washing is difficult, then using just a dryer without washing can be an alternative method to remove allergens from contaminated bedding or clothing.

A Survey on Robotic Vacuum Cleaners: Evaluation of Expressive Robotic Motions based on the Framework of Laban Effort Features for Robot Personality Design

The adoption of robotic vacuum cleaners (RVCs) has drastically increased. During interaction with these embodied autonomous agents, humans tend to ascribe certain personality traits to them even when the robot has a mechanoid appearance and low degree of freedom. As the social capabilities and the persuasiveness of robots increase, the design of robot personality will become important. This paper investigates the impact of expressive motions on people’s perception of robot personality. The framework of Laban Effort Features was implemented for a simple cleaning task. Movement features were programmed in iRobot Create2, and participants were asked to rate the robot’s personality in an online survey. The results indicated that Flow factor was closely associated with neuroticism ratings, Weight factor impacted both agreeableness and conscientiousness ratings, while Time factor impacted only the agreeableness ratings. Movement characteristics should be considered when designing personality into domestic service robots like RVCs, which are expected to operate in highly social settings.

A Review Paper on Google Assistance Based Consumer Vacuum Suction Dusting Robot

Abstract: In modern days as automation is taking place thereby reducing the time required for doing household chores that results in increasing time utilization for other stuffs. One of such automated device is Vacuum Cleaner. While vacuum cleaners have made life easier in household chores, they are noisy as well as bulky. Hence it is required to improve the technology of vacuum cleaning to overcome these deficiencies. Here, is an attempt to achieve the same objective to develop a compact and efficient vacuum cleaner robot for office and home use. The proposed robot is disk-shaped, controlled by NodeMCU and work on Google voice command. The proposed system comprises of Node MCU, motor driving IC L239D, DC motors and IR sensor. Node MCU will be controlling the entire operation with the help of control signals, motors along with the help of motor driving IC will be helping in motion of the robot in any direction and IR sensors will be helping in detection of barriers for the navigation of the robot. To provide the commands to the robot we will make use of Google Assistant which can engage in two way communication. The PCB designing will be done with the help of Diptrace PCB design software and the programming part will be done with the Arduino IDE programming software. As the robot is working on voice commands it won’t be involving human efforts and time thereby making it a fully autonomous robot.

Too many cooks spoil the broth? Number of promotional gifts and impact on consumer choice

As an alternative to traditional free-gift promotions where consumers have little say over which gift item they receive, retailers are increasingly offering consumers an option to choose from a menu of free-gift items (e.g., buy a washing machine and pick a steam iron or a vacuum cleaner for free). However, little is known about what drives consumers' perceptions of value associated with a menu of free-gift items. Using data from a unique retail-promotion setting and controlled-lab studies, we show that the perceived attractiveness of free-gifts follows an inverted U-shape (or plateauing-shape) as the ‘menu-size’ increases. We also highlight the interplay of resource (time and money) constraints experienced by consumers and menu-size on the proposed effects. Our findings not only help retailers better design free-gift promotions but also contribute to the academic conversations in the domain of promotional-gifts by exploring the downstream consequences of offering choices in a promotional-gift context.

Curse or Cure? [mining - marine

Mining clumps of metal at the bottom of the ocean could address critical shortages, but the damage to the seabed may deter attempts to make this process mainstream. Last april, engineers on a ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean held their breath as a 25-tonne mining tractor lay stranded on the silty ocean floor, more than 4km below the surface. On the 13th and final trial dive of a world-first experiment, a robot had broken free of its tether and lay in some of the darkest waters on Earth. A remote underwater vehicle helped engineers regain control within days as independent scientists watched on. But the incident galvanised public resistance to mining the deep seas. Having lain undisturbed for millennia, the murky depths of the Pacific will be busy in the coming years, as prospectors put their deep-sea mining machines - which some have compared to giant vacuum cleaners - through their paces. GSR, a subsidiary of the DEME Group, plans to test a new, larger prototype in 2024, and Canadian firm The Metals Company plans a pilot test of its entire mining system later this year. In late autumn, another independent research ship will travel the four days from San Diego, California, to the north-east Pacific - the Clarion Clipperton Zone (CCZ) - to learn more about the biology and geology of the deep, where most species are new to science. Since 2015, some euro30m of research funding has gone towards discovering the potential impact of deep-sea mining, with two major studies in the bag. Can we mine the deep seas - where a treasure trove of rare earth elements has accumulated over millions of years - without further trashing the ocean? And critically, how can such remote operations be monitored successfully?

Automated Domestic Vacuum Cleaner Robot

Abstract: Modern homes are moving to automation to provide convenience and reduce the time spent on household chores Vacuum cleaners make cleaning easier, but they are big, noisy, and bulky in everyday use.Therefore, vacuum cleaner technology needs to be improved to reduce these shortcomings. As of 2021, the Covid-19 pandemic continues, so keeping our living space clean and disinfecting is a top priority. People's workload is shifting from offline work in the office to online work at home, and the workload of many people has increased significantly, so some people may neglect to clean the environment. there is. In today's scenario, the whole family is busy with work and is supposed to clean the house. The cleaning robot helps you clean and disinfect the floor with the push of a switch. This also reduces the extra effort of housekeeping for cleaning purposes. Furthermore, we are enthusiastic about designing and developing an automatic cleaning robot "household automatic vacuum cleaner robot" that performs all cleaning and disinfection work with the push of a button.

CLEAN SWEEP: The Floor Cleaning Robot

Abstract: Modern households are getting increasingly automated and intelligent. Home automation makes life more convenient and gives individuals more free time. Domestic robots are becoming more prevalent in homes and in people's daily lives, yet the market is still young and in its infancy. But a rise is anticipated, and the use of household robots is changing. There are many robotic vacuum cleaners on the market, but very few of them wet-clean floors. This project's goal is to create and use a vacuum robot with two cleaning modes. Through a phone application, autonomous and manual modes are available. Instead of using a manual vacuum, a robot vacuum cleaner is designed to make cleaning easier. This project's goal is to build and put into action a vacuum robot with two cleaning modes: autonomous and manual, the latter of which may be accessed via a phone application.

Assessment and management of the risk of unintended contamination of wheat by soy allergens in silos

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesIn the European Union, soybean production has increased by almost 130% over the last 10 years which also increases the risk of commingling of grains, especially during storage. Soy is a major allergen and stakeholders are then confronted with an increased risk of unintended presence of allergen in cereal products. The aim of our work is to provide elements of evaluation and management of the allergen risk to silo managers faced with the storage of wheat and soya on the same facility.FindingsWe reproduced the cross‐contamination between batches of wheat and soybeans using the same handling circuit and measured the effectiveness of elevator cleaning and grain cleaning to reduce the contamination. Soy content (%) and soy protein content (mg/kg) in wheat were monitored.ConclusionsThe observed cross‐contamination rate was between 0.15% and 0.18% but was largely dependent on the tonnage of wheat, with the cross‐contamination rate decreasing rapidly as the grain was conveyed. Vacuum cleaning of pit elevators and grain cleaning significantly reduced the cross‐contamination rate but not enough to eliminate the allergenic risk in food products with a high wheat content.Significance and NoveltyThe rapid decay of the commingling rate allows the consideration of flushing procedures to manage cross‐contamination between batches. The model established on our results allows us to calculate the tonnage required to obtain a sufficiently effective flush to manage the risk of cross‐contamination.

Household Devices to Provide Hygiene of Life: Efficiency, Power-Saving and Ecologic Design

Washing machines and dish washers, vacuum cleaners are goods that in line with their functional efficiency are characterized by high power-intensity, which increases in proportion to their growing number in households. The authors give statistic data dealing with provision of the population of the EC and the Russian Federation with these goods, their sales, total annual consumption of water and electric power in the EC. The ranges of operation indicators, possible service life of devices are stated, as well as the information of the Eurasian Economic Committee about their work in the EC (average work per year, service life, etc.). Measures taken by the Euro-committee in order to cut power and water consumption necessary for these household devices are characterized and the results expected by the Euro-committee from these measures are shown. Indicators of power-efficiency attained by EC manufacturers are mentioned. It is pointed out that in order to ensure power-saving and prevent the arrival of outdated goods on the EAEU territory the Eurasian Economic Committee are working out measures similar to those approved in the EC. The technical regulations (TREAEC) fixing the requirements of power efficiency was adopted. Comparative analysis of norms and requirements to power-efficiency and eco-design in EC and EAEU showed the necessity to revise TREAEU.

Sensitivity caused by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus and D. farinae (Astigmata: Pyroglyphidae) in subjects with allergic rhinitis

The house dust mites (HDMs), defined here as members of the family Pyroglyphidae, are present just about everywhere in human dwellings and act as an important risk factor for allergic rhinitis (AR). They are a major perennial allergen source that causes AR. In the present study, 160 subjects clinically diagnosed with AR from the Department of Ear Nose Throat (ENT), Government Rajindra Medical College and Hospital, Patiala, India, and 30 non-allergic healthy, control individuals were selected. Blood samples were taken from all these study subjects for serological testing and ImmunoCAP™ Phadia™ 100 was used for the detection of total and HDM specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels. To detect total IgE levels, a mixture of 14 different allergens was used and, for HDM specific IgE, a mixture of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus (Trouessart) and D. farinae Hughes allergens. Dust samples were taken from mattresses used by the study subjects with the help of a vacuum cleaner. A floatation method was used for the extraction of mites. Hoyer’s medium was used for the preparation of slides for microscopy. Total IgE levels were elevated in all AR subjects and HDM specific IgE levels were found to be positive in 54.38% of them. Analysis of dust samples showed that 72.50% of samples from the mattresses of AR subjects were found to be positive for the HDMs D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae and 33.33% of those from the control group. Total and HDM specific IgE levels of AR subjects showed statistically significant correlation with each other, but in the control group no such correlation was found. Moreover, a significant result was found between the positive HDM specific IgE levels and the number of D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae found in their respective dust samples. In conclusion, the total IgE and positive HDM specific IgE levels showed that there was a chance of allergic reaction in rhinitis subjects. Furthermore, the significant statistical analysis between positive HDM specific IgE levels against D. pteronyssinus and D. farinae, and the higher prevalence of these two species in the houses sampled provided support for these mites being the major allergen sources for the symptoms of AR in the study area.

Implementation Challenges: Universal R-Dump Converter for Switched Reluctance Motor

This study presents the challenges faced while implementing a new converter topology for switched reluctance motor (SRM) drives. A novel converter configuration that can excite the motor directly from the grid supply, i.e., alternating current supply, was proposed in earlier research. The proposed converter topology is designed to draw power directly from an AC grid. This converter is a modified version of the R-dump converter. There are many converter topologies available for excitation of SRM. The uniqueness of the converter topology developed in this research shows that it can use 4 switches per phase, which in turn increases the redundancy of the whole system. Moreover, this topology is well suitable for SRM excitation since the machine coil structure is constructed with 4 coils and 5 terminals. Since this novel converter is having the advantages of operating in AC input voltage, it improves the usefulness of SRM in household applications such as washing machines, hair dryers, and vacuum cleaners. An analysis of real-time implementation challenges faced while realizing the universal R-dump (URD) converter is presented with discussion to overcome the challenges. An experimental setup is made to verify the converter working.

Surgical Parameters Related to Excessive Intrarenal Pressure during Minimally Invasive Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy in the Supine Position: A Prospective Observational Clinical Study.

Objective Excessive intrarenal pressure (IRP) during surgery for renal stones is related to postoperative complications due to systemic absorption of bacteria and endotoxins. This study is aimed at evaluating factors that induce excessive IRP in minimally invasive percutaneous lithotripsy (mini-PCNL) in the supine position. Methods 27 patients underwent mini-PCNL for intrarenal stones under supine position and were analyzed in this study. The IRP changes were measured at the phases of “baseline,” “table tilting,” “upper-pole navigation,” “stone fragmentation,” and “vacuum cleaning effect.” The relationship between the mean IRP and cumulative time of IRP ≥ 30 cmH2O was analyzed by according to the surgical parameters. Multiple regression analysis showed the effect of the surgical parameters on postoperative fever-related IRP elevation. Results Mean age was 59.3 ± 14.6 years. The mean stone burden was 24.6 ± 8.1 mm3. IRP was higher than baseline (31.6 ± 12.1) during upper-pole navigation (60.0 ± 22.9, p = 0.003) and stone fragmentation (46.2 ± 9.9, p < 0.001). The subgroup's IRP baseline < 20 cmH2O significantly increased during the upper-pole navigation. Changes in IRP at each stage were affected by baseline IRP (p < 0.001), operation methods (p = 0.021), number of calyces with stones (p = 0.034), and laser energy of Joules (p = 0.041) and frequency (p = 0.038). Conclusion In supine mini-PCNL, the IRP was higher during laser fragmentation and upper-pole navigation. The table tilting procedure can be helpful in selected patients. The vacuum cleaner effect did not affect IRP.

PARTICULATE RESUSPENSION DURING THE USE OF VACUUM CLEANERS ON OFFICE CARPETS IN UNIVERSITI MALAYSIA TERENGGANU

The household activities such as vacuuming may elevate the concentration ofparticulate matter in indoor environments. Cleaning workers and occupants inside closed room may be exposed to the fine particulate matter and at risk of developing numerous respiratory symptoms. This study aims to determine the concentration of the particulate matter (PM10 and PM2.5) that might arise during vacuuming activities and estimated the surface compartmental residence time of particulate matter in indoor environment after each vacuuming activities. The PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations throughout vacuuming were measured in forty-seven offices in Universiti Malaysia Terengganu using the TSI Dust Track DRX. Based on the concentrations measured, the surface compartmental residence time was then estimated using standardized equations taken from literature. The result shows that highest particulate matter concentration was nearly eleven times higher than the World Health Organization guidelines of 25 μg/m3 for PM2.5 concentration (PM2.5 was 270μg/m3, PM10 was 421 μg/m3), while the particulate matter were estimated to remain lingers inside the air for around 1-4 days before being deposited on the surface. In conclusion, the usage of vacuum cleaners may contribute to more particulate matter being released inside the air due to the resuspension phenomenon. Therefore, it is important for the occupants to maintain proper ventilation after each vacuuming activities took place.

Empowerment of Shoes MSMEs Based on Technology and Financial Management

This Community Service activity aims to help UD.MM Collection in Sidoarjo who have problems with poor production management processes and financial management. This service method is in the form of providing shoe slip machines and financial management training through a simple cash book. The results obtained are UD. MM Collection can produce shoes faster because it already has a shoe slip machine with two slip sides, making it faster and more efficient. The results of the slip also have a smoother quality than the previous machine and save electricity. In addition, the machine is also equipped with a vacuum cleaner so that it is safer to use. The second result is UD. MM Collection can have neater financial records and know its financial position in terms of income, expenses, payables, and receivables.

Simultaneous assessment of organophosphate flame retardants, plasticizers, trace metals, and house dust mite allergens in settled house dust.

Settled house dust (SHD) is a reservoir for various contaminants, including endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), trace metals, and house dust mite allergens. This study aimed to characterize various chemical and biological contaminants in SHD and identify determinants governing the indoor contaminants. In total, 106 SHD samples were collected from 106 houses in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, Korea, in 2021. Bedding dust samples were collected from 30 of these 106 houses. All participants completed a questionnaire comprised of housing and lifestyle-related factors. The samples were analyzed for 18 organophosphate flame retardants (OPFRs), 16 phthalates, five alternative plasticizers (APs), seven trace metals, and two house dust mite allergens (Dermatophagoides farinae type 1 [Der f1] and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus type 1 [Der p1]). A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the determinants governing the concentrations and profiles of various contaminants. OPFRs, phthalates, APs, and trace metals were detected in all SHD samples, indicating ubiquitous contamination in indoor environments. Among the three EDC groups, APs were detected at the highest concentrations (geometric mean [GM] (geometric standard deviation, [GSD]): 1452 (1.6) μg/g in total), followed by phthalates (GM (GSD): 676 (1.4) μg/g in total) and OPFRs (GM (GSD): 10 (1.4) μg/g in total). Der f1 was detected in all bedding dust samples with significantly higher levels than Der p1 (GM (GSD): 0.1 (1.8) μg/g vs. 1.4 × 10-3 (2.3) μg/g). The concentrations of OPFRs, plasticizers, and trace metals in SHD were significantly associated with the type and number of electronic appliances and combustion activities. Der f1 was significantly associated with the number of occupants and water penetration. Ventilation, vacuum cleaning, and wet cleaning or dry mopping significantly reduced the levels of most contaminants in SHD. As residents are persistently exposed to a wide array of pollutants, comprehensive and adequate measures are required to prevent potential exposures.

Radiative flow of viscous nano-fluid over permeable stretched swirling disk with generalized slip

In present years, the study of nanofluids has emerged as a hot topic among the researchers, because the nanoparticle contained in the fluids significantly enhances the heat transfer properties of the fluids. Particularly, rotating ows are of vital importance due to their wide range of scientific, engineering applications, such as jet engines, pumps and vacuum cleaners, as well as geophysical ows. In this study water based nanofluid over radially stretchable rotating disk in the presence of radiation heat transfer is considered. The surface of the stretchable rotating disk surface allows the impact of continuous suction and admits the generalized slip. The Tiwari and Das model is used to describe the nanouid behavior (Tiwari and Das in Int J Heat Mass Transf 50(9–10):2002–2018, 2007). Three types of nanoparticles: Copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and titanium dioxide (TiO_2) are taken into account. By choosing an appropriate set of similarity transformations, the boundary layer momentum equations and energy equation are transformed to set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. The impact of emerging quantities like, nanoparticle concentration phi , suction parameter w_{circ }, slip parameters zeta , critical shear stress parameter beta , and radiation parameter N_{rd}, are illustrated through several graphs and tables. The Nusselt number and skin friction coefficient are also calculated to analyze the heat transfer process.

Analysis of Switched Reluctance Motor Performance with Different Slot Pole Combinations

Abstract: The Switched Reluctance Motors are getting popularity among different applications like electric vehicles and traction due to their simple construction, lower cost and better efficiency. It also have the advantages of low rotor inertia, small size, high pickup, effective and easy cooling etc. Due to its simple structure, switch reluctance motors are mainly used in electric vehicles, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, servo types and variable speed applications. The switch reluctance motor has a rugged structure and is suitable for vibration and high temperature zones. The torque generated by the switch reluctance motor does not depend on the polarity of the phase current. As a result, fewer semiconductor switches are used in power converters. In addition, the losses incurred by SRM motors come only from the stator. Therefore, it can be easily cooled. In this work, the performance of different slot pole combination of SRM is analysed and compared. The Slot poles combinations taken for Analysis are : 6/4, 8/6 and 12/10. The main parameters on which the performance of SRM is compared are Electromagnetic Torque, Torque Ripple and Inductance in Transient Analysis and Output Torque and Power in Steady State Analysis. It is found that with increasing slot pole combination of SRM, the torque ripple decreases and average torque increases.

A Survey on the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Lebanese Physicians Regarding Air Pollution.

Introduction: Air pollution imposes a significant burden on public health. It is emerging as a modifiable risk factor for cancer, diabetes, and respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. This study aims to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Lebanese physicians regarding air pollution. Methods: This observational study uses a descriptive cross-sectional correlational design. The data were collected using a self-administered online survey that was sent to 874 potential respondents who are members of the Lebanese Order of Physicians. Data analysis was done using descriptive statistics and a chi-square test. Results: The results show a deficiency in the knowledge of physicians regarding many sources of air pollution, including dust, the smell of perfume, candles, vacuum cleaners, air fresheners, electronic cigarettes, etc. The majority of physicians agree that air pollution increases the risk of several health problems. Only 38% of physicians routinely ask their patients about exposure to air pollution, and 75% of them believe that they have a role as physicians in reducing air pollution levels. Over half of the sample are confident in counseling their patients on sources of air pollution, and two thirds of them are in support of including assessment of air pollution exposure during regular medical visits. Conclusion: Air pollution levels are progressively increasing over time. Given the health impact of exposure to air pollution, healthcare professionals need to stay up to date on this topic. The results of this study suggest the need for continuing education about air pollution for physicians and developing guidelines for what exactly to ask patients in assessing their exposure.