Wheel System Research Articles

Preliminary Assessment of an FBG-Based Landing Gear Weight on Wheel System

Weight-on-Wheels (WoW) systems are aimed at indicating if the aircraft weight is loading onto the landing gear and its wheels, even partially. These systems are an integral part of the actuation system for safety-critical applications and shall provide reliable information on the actual operational status of the LG. That information reveals if the vehicle is in flight or on the ground. In this way, several kinds of accidents may be prevented, relating for instance, to the incorrect deployment of the landing gear, or even manoeuvres to a certain extent, therefore protecting the aircraft from dangerous damage. There are different architectures that have been proposed in the bibliography, some of them based on strain gauges deployed on the structure, or on proximity sensors installed on the wheels. Being this device and considered critical for safety, it is convenient to couple it with complementary measurements, recorded and processed by different sources. In general, it can be stated that such an intelligent sensor network may be seen as a fundamental support for proper landing gear deployment. The presented paper reports the results of a preliminary investigation performed by the authors to evaluate the possibility of deploying fibre optics on the landing gear structure as part of a WoW system to retrieve the required information. This choice would have a remarkable effect in terms of significant cabling reduction (a single array of sensing elements could be deployed over a single line), and cost abatement from both a manufacturing and operational point of view. There are many other benefits also when referring to an optical instead of a standard electrical sensor system. Due to its small size and ease of integration into different families of materials, it could be considered a system for monitoring the operating status of most actuators on board modern aircraft.

Research on an Efficient Deep-Hole Application Method for Liquid Fertilizer Based on Alternate Drilling

Liquid fertilizers are mainly applied by spraying liquid fertilizer on the surface of crop leaves and by deep openings between rows. The first causes considerable environmental pollution, and the second can easily cause to damage the root system of crops. In this study, corn crops were taken as the study object and an efficient deep-hole application method for liquid fertilizer based on alternate drilling was proposed. The needle body is driven by the spur gear wheel system in a caving mechanism to puncture holes alternately in a vertical posture and high-speed punctures are implemented with less disturbance to the soil. The cylindrical hollow cam of the mechanism is controlled so that the fertilizer needle sprays fertilizer when injected into soil and stops injecting when pulled out of the soil. Based on the bench test, fertilizer injecting performance and energy saving performance of the differential two-way fertilizer supply distribution device were analyzed and the head loss for energy saving value is 2.1, 3.1, and 5.5 m. Based on numerous field tests, the puncture track, hole width, and hole spacing are analyzed under different puncture speeds. Field tests were carried out according to a quadratic orthogonal rotating combination design and the results show that when the fertilization depth for agronomic requirements is 80 mm and the machine work speed and forward speed are 127 r min−1 and 1.40 m s−1, respectively, the hole width is 39.9 mm, the hole spacing is 320 mm. The efficient deep-hole application method for liquid fertilizer based on alternate drilling can provide support for data analysis and theoretical design of liquid fertilizer deep application technology for corn crops.

MATHEMATICAL MODELING OF THE VEHICLE STABILITY CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE

The paper reviews the scientific and technical literature on the development of electronic stability systems with brake force distribution, which led to the conclusion that for all-terrain wheeled vehicles such systems should be built using inertial navigation sensors - gyroscopes and accelerators. The proposed functional scheme of the stability system with brake force distribution is built using the principles of platformless inertial systems, in which the orientation of the car body relative to the axes of the inertial coordinate system is carried out by calculating in the onboard digital computer quaternion in contrast to Euler angles can be calculated with the required degree of accuracy using a fairly simple algorithm. Algorithms for estimating the current parameters of perturbed motion of the wheel body in the process of its urgent braking, namely, the angle of deviation of the elongated axis of the body from a given direction, angular velocity and lateral displacement of the center of gravity relative to a given trajectory. On the basis of the current estimation of the listed parameters the algorithm of stabilization of the case of the wheeled car in the mode of its urgent braking is formed.

Solar Desiccant Cooling System for a Commercial Building in Kuwait’s Climatic Condition

The use of air conditioning in buildings to provide a comfortable environment accounts for up to 75% of the electricity consumed in Kuwait for the hot season from April through to the end of October. The widespread adoption of air conditioning systems in buildings has resulted in an increased demand for electricity. This has led to an increased peak load demand that has resulted in a larger carbon footprint and placed the electricity grid under significant strain. Heat-driven air conditioning systems that use solar energy are now emerging as alternatives to electricity-driven conventional refrigerated air conditioners. These systems are more energy-efficient, with lower carbon emissions while also ensuring better indoor air quality and comfort when optimally designed. Among the heat-driven air conditioning systems, the desiccant cooling system is among the systems with the most potential. This paper presents a numerical investigation of the design optimization of solar desiccant cooling systems for Kuwait’s climate. The numerical model of the system is developed using validated components. The various design configurations analysed include a solar heating system and regeneration air for the desiccant wheel. It is found that an evacuated tube solar collector in conjunction with return air from the building to regenerate the desiccant wheel provides the best results.

Experimental investigation on the dehumidification performance of a parabolic trough solar air collector assisted rotary desiccant system

In areas of high humidity, moisture is a major problem for human comfort and air-conditioning systems. As a green solution to this prevalent problem, a solar assisted rotary desiccant dehumidification system has been proposed for air dehumidification. Through an experimental study conducted, performance evaluation of a parabolic trough solar collector assisted rotary desiccant dehumidification system has been performed based on the parameters including air flow rate, regeneration air temperature, inlet-outlet air temperature, and humidity ratios. Findings indicated that the highest regeneration air temperature supplied by the parabolic trough solar air collector to the dehumidifier was 45.8 °C at a flow rate of 60 m³/h. It was also found that the highest dehumidification efficiency was achieved at a regeneration air flow rate of 80 m³/h. The experimental study clearly proves that parabolic trough solar collectors can successfully provide low-medium temperature thermal energy required during the regeneration process in the desiccant wheel. The findings confirm the potential and explain specific conclusions for the practice of solar thermal driven rotary desiccant wheel system.

A novel on the retrofit from CNG buses to electric buses for rubber-tyred wheeled public transportation systems

The trend toward electric buses worldwide is increasing day by day. Along with it, sectoral infrastructure elements are developing rapidly. Electric buses offer advantages in terms of operating costs and environmental emission values. Despite this, the most important disadvantage is that the purchasing costs have not yet reached the expected level compared to other internal combustion engine buses. Many country and especially city-based targets have been determined for electric solutions in rubber-tyred public transportation systems in the world. Only in Shenzhen city of China, 100% transition to electric bus solution has been achieved in public transportation. In this study, a different perspective has been put forward for the acceleration of the transition to the use of electric buses and the increase in the prevalence of public transportation enterprises. The concept of retrofit. This is conversions of the conventional powered (diesel and CNG) buses into electric buses, which are currently used. For the concept in paper, the actual project costs for one of the world’s most important public transportation companies have been revealed. According to the analysis results obtained, for Payback Period (PB) method are based on a fleet of 100 vehicles in total, the return time of the investment required for the results based on this approach which retrofit from CNG to Electric, is calculated as 8.74 years. For the Payback Period (PB) approach, it has been concluded that for the 5 years, which is envisaged to be taken as a reference, retrofit concept (from CNG to Electric) should be based on 100000 € per vehicle based on the current operating conditions. This retrofit approach based on the concept of sustainable public transportation is expected to become widespread with the results obtained.

Ultra-low jitter clock distribution for the trigger electronics of the New Small Wheel for the ATLAS experiment

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN plans to have a series of upgrades to increase its instantaneous luminosity to 7.5 × 1034 cm−2 s−1. The increased luminosity drastically impacts the ATLAS trigger and readout data rates. The inner-most station of the ATLAS muon spectrometer, the so-called Small Wheels is being replaced with a New Small Wheel (NSW) system, consisting of Micromegas and small-strip Thin Gap Chambers (sTGC) detectors. The on-detector radiation levels required radiation tolerant electronics. The lower radiation levels on the rim of the NSW allowed utilizing commercial electronic chips, such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs), in the trigger chain of the sTGC detectors. Those FPGAs require an ultra-low jitter clock for the proper operation of their Gigabit transceivers (4.8 Gb/s serial links). The initial design was based on a clock provided by a radiation tolerant ASIC designed at CERN, but due to its intrinsic jitter and consequent marginal error rate on the transmission lines, a different approach had to be chosen. An additional clock source based on commercial jitter cleaners, fanout chips and optical transmitters driving dedicated fibers was built. The new scheme provides 64 low-jitter clocks (32 main and 32 redundant) from the radiation-protected area (USA15) to the trigger electronics over 60 m of OM3 fiber.

Desiccant-based air dehumidifier and cooling system

Air conditioning system plays a vital role in providing convenient environment for human. Many studies conducted on the efficiencies of the air conditioners operating under vapor compression cycle (VCC), however, only few recent studies conducted to analyse the indoor humidity efficiencies. In this research, silica gel, zeolite, and molecular sieve as solid desiccants were experimented to observe their adsorption ability to identify the suitable desiccant material for dehumidification for air conditioner. It was noted that silica gel adsorbs 48% of water during the experiment making it to be the best adsorbent. The highest water adsorption capability by silica gel motivated this research to conduct numerical method to analyse its performance in the desiccant wheel system. The density, thermal conductivity, and specific heat capacity of silica gel used at the desiccant channel region on the geometry. The numerical results showed that the suitable regeneration temperature to reactivate silica gel is 35 °C with thermal effectiveness of 0.375. Silica gel has dehumidification efficiency of 85% and moisture removal capacity of 2.571×10−4 g/s. This system can be a potential trademark for HVAC industries to innovate pollutant-free systems because SDCS does not release any harmful coolants such as chlorofluorocarbon and hydrochlorofluorocarbon to environment.

Craby Steering System

Abstract: In present the car steering system is 2 wheel steering system and in conventional steering system there are only two wheels are moving while taking the turn , either forward two or the rear two wheels . While in 4 wheel steering system the rear and front both wheels are act +ive and can guide in steering. Here we using MARUTI-800 car as a reference model. We have developed a optimized 4 wheel steering system for implementation of mechanism that can give the work in changing in-phase and counter-phase steering of rear wheels depending upon the condition of turning and lane changing with respect to front wheels, thus enhancing the manoeuvrability of as edan in accordance with its speed. Keywords: 4 Wheel steering system, octa steering, craby steering mechanism, steering system

Mathematical model and motion analysis of a wheeled vibro-impact locomotion system

The paper is aimed at investigating the motion conditions of the wheeled vibro-impact locomotion system equipped with the twin crank-slider excitation mechanism and the additional braking mechanisms allowing only one-way rotation of the wheels. The novelty of the present research consists in the improved mathematical model describing the motion conditions of the vibro-impact system and the proposed parameters optimization technique that allows for maximizing the average translational velocity of the wheeled platform. The main idea of this technique is to provide the maximal velocities of internal bodies when they get in contact with the corresponding impact plates. The numerical modeling results describing the dynamic behavior of the vibro-impact system are obtained in Mathematica software and substantiate the correctness of the developed mathematical model and of the proposed parameters optimization technique. The paper can be of significant practical and scientific interest for researchers and engineers studying and improving the vibratory locomotion systems, e.g., for inspecting and cleaning the pipelines.

Numerical simulation methods for motion-induced eddy current testing signals based on Ar formulation and edge finite elements

In this paper, numerical methods for simulation of the motion-induced eddy current testing (MIECT) signals were developed based on the reduced magnetic vector potential formulation (Ar method) and the edge finite element. According to the principle of the MIECT problem, numerical methods with reference frame referring to the transducer or the inspection object were developed respectively to solve the eddy current and pickup magnetic field signals. In addition, a quasi-static numerical scheme was also adopted to simulate the MIECT problem for inspecting crack along the moving direction. Based on the proposed numerical schemes and the conventional Ar code, numerical programs of the 3 methods were developed and validated for simulating MIECT signals. Through comparing the numerical results and efficiencies of the three simulation schemes each other, the validity of the proposed methods and the corresponding numerical codes were theoretically verified at first. Then, a MIECT experimental system and a prototype probe were developed and the validity of the proposed numerical methods were further proved experimentally. It is found that the moving probe-fixed object method is the most efficient scheme for MIECT signal simulation among the three proposed numerical methods. The numerical methods and codes developed in this paper provide numerical tools for design and optimization of the MIECT probes and testing system used in inspection of rails or wheels system etc, as well as the quantitative defect evaluation based on the MIECT signals through model based inverse analyses.

Application of a Digital Twin Virtual Engineering Tool for Ground Vehicle Maintenance Forecasting

<div class="section abstract"><div class="htmlview paragraph">The integration of sensors, actuators, and real-time control in transportation systems enables intelligent system operation to minimize energy consumption and maximize occupant safety and vehicle reliability. The operating cycle of military ground vehicles can be on- and off-road in harsh weather and adversarial environments, which demands continuous subsystem functionality to fulfill missions. Onboard diagnostic systems can alert the operator of a degraded operation once established fault thresholds are exceeded. An opportunity exists to estimate vehicle maintenance needs using model-based predicted trends and eventually compiled information from fleet operating databases. A digital twin, created to virtually describe the dynamic behavior of a physical system using computer-mathematical models, can estimate the system behavior based on current and future operating scenarios while accounting for past effects. In this manner, the collection of real-time data of the physical vehicle can be compared with the virtual counterpart to assess the likelihood of degraded operation and recommend maintenance. This paper creates a digital twin for an off-road tracked ground vehicle with an accompanying parameter database. A modular architecture enables different design reconfigurations to evaluate various chassis subsystems and vehicle-ground mobility interfaces. A preventive maintenance algorithm is applied to monitor the operating behavior of the vehicle. The prediction tool, operating in parallel with the digital twin, may use model-based and sensory signal condition indicators to monitor vehicle performance. A case study investigates two operating scenarios: a virtual wheeled suspension system is degraded; and a virtual tracked vehicle experiences missing trackpads, which subtly alter the performances. The numerical results will offer insight into the pathway to begin creating a digital twin-based maintenance forecasting strategy.</div></div>

Dynamic Rollover of Gyroplanes during Landing—Cause and Prevention

While new-generation gyroplanes are very stable during flight, the susceptibility to roll over briefly after touching down is still the issue due to incorrectly applied landing procedure. A tendency to dynamically roll over is also known from helicopters but rarely from airplanes. The main cause for rotary wing aircraft’s risk to rollover is the rotor force which is still relevant after touching down. The triangular wheel system of a gyroplane in combination with high centre of gravity is another factor for gyroplane’s rollover susceptibility during landing. Typical situations provoking a rollover are landings during severe crosswind or taxiing at too high ground speeds with a rotating rotor. Both situations are related to incorrect piloting techniques. In this paper, the forces acting on the gyroplane during landing were investigated to understand the physical principles. Analytical equations were evaluated using the data of a reference gyroplane in combination with a single-track model known from road vehicle dynamics. It appeared that a steering oversensitivity may occur if the pilot moves the stick forward too early after touching down. Non-linear simulations with a validated model of the reference gyroplane confirmed these analyses. Design parameter studies were conducted to analyse the impact on rollover susceptibility. Finally, this study confirmed that a rollover of a gyroplane during landing is most unlikely if the pilot applies the correct technique, which means pulling the control stick back properly after touching down.

Controller Design of Tracking WMR System Based on Deep Reinforcement Learning

Traditional PID controllers are widely used in industrial applications due to their simple computational architecture. However, the gain parameters of this simple computing architecture are fixed, and in response to environmental changes, the PID parameters must be continuously adjusted until the system is optimized. This research proposes to use the most important deep reinforcement learning (DRL) algorithm in deep learning as the basis and to modulate the gain parameters of the PID controller with fuzzy control. The research has the ability and advantages of reinforcement learning and fuzzy control and constructs a tracking unmanned wheel system. The mobile robotic platform uses a normalization system during computation to reduce the effects of reading errors caused by the wheeled mobile robot (WMR) of environment and sensor processes. The DRL-Fuzzy-PID controller architecture proposed in this paper utilizes degree operation to avoid the data error of negative input in the absolute value judgment, thereby reducing the amount of calculation. In addition to improving the accuracy of fuzzy control, it also uses reinforcement learning to quickly respond and minimize steady-state error to achieve accurate calculation performance. The experimental results of this study show that in complex trajectory sites, the tracking stability of the system using DRL-fuzzy PID is improved by 15.2% compared with conventional PID control, the maximum overshoot is reduced by 35.6%, and the tracking time ratio is shortened by 6.78%. If reinforcement learning is added, the convergence time of the WMR system will be about 0.5 s, and the accuracy rate will reach 95%. This study combines the computation of deep reinforcement learning to enhance the experimentally superior performance of the WMR system. In the future, intelligent unmanned vehicles with automatic tracking functions can be developed, and the combination of IoT and cloud computing can enhance the innovation of this research.

Stability characteristics and experiment of hydraulic drive four-wheel chassis

PurposeThis study aims to improve the maneuverability and stability of four-wheel chassis in a small paddy field; a front axle swing steering four-wheel chassis with optimal steering is designed.Design/methodology/approachWhen turning, the front inner wheel stops and the rear inner wheel is in the following state. The hydraulic drive system of the walking wheel adopts a driving mode in which two front-wheel motors are connected in series and two rear wheel motors in parallel. The chassis uses a combination of a gasoline engine with a water cooling system, a CVT continuously variable transmission and a hydraulic drive system to increase the control capability. The front axle rotary chassis adopts a step-less variable speed engine and a hydraulic control system to solve the hydraulic stability of the chassis in uphill and downhill conditions so as to effectively control the over-speed of the wheel-side drive motors. Through the quadratic orthogonal rotation combination design test, the mathematical models of uphill and downhill front-wheel pressures and test factors are established.FindingsThe results show that the chassis stability is optimal when the back pressure is 0.5 MPa, and the rotating slope is 4°. The uphill and downhill pressures of the front wheels are 2.38 MPa and 1.5 MPa, respectively.Originality/valueThe influence of external changes on the pressure of hydraulic motors is studied through experiments, which lays the foundation for further research.

A Tailored App for the Self-management of Musculoskeletal Conditions: Evidencing a Logic Model of Behavior Change.

BackgroundMusculoskeletal conditions such as joint pain are a growing problem, affecting 18.8 million people in the United Kingdom. Digital health interventions (DHIs) are a potentially effective way of delivering information and supporting self-management. It is vital that the development of such interventions is transparent and can illustrate how individual components work, how they link back to the theoretical constructs they are attempting to change, and how this might influence outcomes. getUBetter is a DHI developed to address the lack of personalized, supported self-management tools available to patients with musculoskeletal conditions by providing knowledge, skills, and confidence to navigate through a self-management journey.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to map a logic model of behavior change for getUBetter to illustrate how the content and functionality of the DHI are aligned with recognized behavioral theory, effective behavior change techniques, and clinical guidelines.MethodsA range of behavior change models and frameworks were used, including the behavior change wheel and persuasive systems design framework, to map the logic model of behavior change underpinning getUBetter. The three main stages included understanding the behavior the intervention is attempting to change, identifying which elements of the intervention might bring about the desired change in behavior, and describing intervention content and how this can be optimally implemented.ResultsThe content was mapped to 25 behavior change techniques, including information about health consequences, instruction on how to perform a behavior, reducing negative emotions, and verbal persuasion about capability. Mapping to the persuasive system design framework illustrated the use of a number of persuasive design principles, including tailoring, personalization, simulation, and reminders.ConclusionsThis process enabled the proposed mechanisms of action and theoretical foundations of getUBetter to be comprehensively described, highlighting the key techniques used to support patients to self-manage their condition. These findings provide guidance for the ongoing evaluation of the effectiveness (including quality of engagement) of the intervention and highlight areas that might be strengthened in future iterations.

Regeneration energy analysis on desiccant wheel system in curling arena for the Winter Olympics

Excess moisture is an important problem for the curling arena, since the moisture can condense onto the ice surface, destroying the smoothness and flatness of the ice surface. So far, air dehumidification and desiccant regeneration issues in ice rinks, such as curling arenas, are relative unknown and poorly reported in previous studies. Thus, on-site test and numerical simulation were carried out in this study to investigate the regeneration energy performance of a desiccant wheel system applied in the Winter Olympic curling arena. Results reveal that using the low-temperature and low-humidity outdoor air as the regeneration air (Strategy I) will perform better than using the high-temperature and high-humidity indoor air as the regeneration air (Strategy II) during the 2022 Winter Olympics. In the basic case, the coefficient of regeneration performance of the system can be improved by 41.2% and the carbon emission for the regeneration process can be reduced by 42.0% by Strategy I, compared to Strategy II. During the entire Winter Olympic month, the carbon emission for desiccant regeneration can be reduced by 19.4% by Strategy I. Moreover, a quick and approximate method without iterative processes is developed for regeneration air selection in similar ice arenas.

Design and Simulation Analysis of an Electromagnetic Damper for Reducing Shimmy in Electrically Actuated Nose Wheel Steering Systems

Based on the technical platform of electrically actuated nose wheel steering systems, a new type of damping shimmy reduction technology is developed to break through the limitations of traditional hydraulic damping shimmy reduction methods, and an electrically actuated nose wheel steering structure scheme is proposed. The mathematical model of the electromagnetic damper is established, the derivation of skin depth, damping torque and damping coefficient is completed, and the design of the shape and size of the electromagnetic damper is combined with the derivation results and the technical index of shimmy reduction. The electromagnetic field finite element simulation results show that the mathematical modeling method of the electromagnetic damper has good accuracy, and its application to the shimmy reduction module of the electrically actuated nose wheel steering system is also feasible and superior. Finally, the key factors influencing the performance of electromagnetic damper shimmy reduction are studied and analyzed, thus forming a complete electromagnetic damper shimmy reduction technology for the electrically actuated system, and laying the foundation for the design of novel all-electric aircraft and landing gear.

Heat pump combined with single-stage or two-stage desiccant wheel system? A comparative study on different humidity requirement buildings

Heat pump desiccant wheel hybrid systems can control indoor temperature and humidity for industrial and civil buildings. To clarify the boundary of heat pump combined single-stage desiccant wheel system and two-stage desiccant wheel system for judging the optimal system under different conditions, the performance of the two systems is analyzed with experiment and simulation method. Firstly, the fresh air process is compared for different humidity set points under typical operation conditions. Secondly, the energy moisture ratio (EMR) of desiccant wheels is analyzed. At last, based on system energy consumption and economy, the humidity boundary of the single-stage and the two-stage dehumidification system is proposed, under different conditions. It is found that the energy performance of desiccant wheel increases with the reducing of humidity set point for both systems, and higher EMR can be obtained by the desiccant wheel of the single-stage dehumidification system for all operation modes. The two-stage dehumidification system is more energy efficient when humidity for the controlled space is lower than 49%, 55% and 40% for high temperature mode, typical summer mode and typical dehumidification mode, separately. With the proposed operation boundary, the optimal system can be quickly judged according to the humidity control requirement and outdoor environment.

Implementation of Robots Integration in Scaled Laboratory Environment for Factory Automation

Robotic systems for research and development of factory automation are complex and unavailable for broad deployment in robotic laboratory settings. The usual robotic factory automation setup consists of series of sensors, robotic arms and mobile robots integrated and orchestrated by a central information system. Cloud-based integration has been gaining traction in recent years. In order to build such a system in a laboratory environment, there are several practical challenges that have to be resolved to come to a point when such a system can become operational. In this paper, we present the development of one such system composed of (i) a cloud-based system built on top of open platform for innovation in logistics, (ii) a prototyped mobile robot with a forklift to manipulate pallets in a “factory” floor, and (iii) industrial robot ABB IRB 140 with a customized gripper and various sensors. A mobile robot is designed as an autonomous four Mecanum wheels system with on-board LiDAR and RGB-D sensor for simultaneous localization and mapping. The paper shows a use case of the overall system and highlights the advantages of having a laboratory setting with real robots for the research of factory automation in a laboratory environment. Moreover, the proposed solution could be scaled and replicated in real factory automation applications.