State Diagnosis of Elevator Control Transformer over Vibration Signal Based on MEA-BP Neural Network

Vibration analysis is considered as an effective and reliable nondestructive technique for monitoring the operation conditions of elevator control transformer. In the paper, a novel model using the Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD), the empirical wavelet packet transform, the mind evolutionary algorithm (MEA), and the backpropagation (BP) neural network is proposed for elevator control transformer fault diagnosis. Firstly, the collected signal is smoothed by EMD, the intrinsic mode function (IMF) components with large noise are determined according to the correlation coefficient, the wavelet adaptive threshold denoising algorithm is used to process the noisy IMF components, and the IMF components before and after processing and its residual component are reconstructed to obtain the denoised signal. Then, the denoised signal is transformed by empirical wavelet packet transform to extract the energy ratio and energy entropy features in the wavelet packet coefficients. Finally, a fault diagnosis model composed of MEA and BP neural network is developed, which avoids the problems of premature convergence and poor diagnosis effect. The experimental results show that the proposed model has a remarkable performance with an average root mean square error of 0.00672 and the average diagnosis accuracy of 90.8%, which is better than classic BP neural network.

In-situ ellipsometry measurements on the phase segregation of mixed halide lead perovskites

Mixed halide lead perovskite such as methylammonium lead iodide bromides MAPb(BrxI1-x)3 have emerged as one of the most promising materials of future solar cells, offering high power conversion efficiencies and bandgap tunability. Among other factors, the reversible phase segregation under even low light intensities is still limiting their potential use. During this process, the material segregates locally into iodide-rich and bromide-rich phases, lowering the effective bandgap energy. While several studies have been done to illuminate the mechanism and suppression of phase segregation, fundamental aspects remain unclear. Phase compositions after segregation vary extensively between different studies and the exact amounts of phases often remain unmentioned. For iodide-rich phases, the end-point compositions at around x=0.2 are widely accepted but the proportion of the phase is difficult to measure. In this report, we observe the phase segregation using spectroscopic ellipsometry, a powerful, nondestructive technique that has been employed in the study of film degradation before. We obtained dynamic ellipsometric measurements from x=0.5 mixed halide lead perovskite thin films protected by a polystyrene layer under green laser light with a power density of ~11 W/cm2. Changes in the bandgap region can be correlated to the changes in composition caused by phase segregation, allowing for the kinetics to be observed. Time constants between 1.7(± 0.7)×10-3 s-1 for the segregation and 1.5(± 0.6)×10-4 s-1 for recovery were calculated. We expect ellipsometry to serve as a complementary technique to other spectroscopies in studying mixed-halide lead perovskites phase segregation in the future.

Electrochemical tomography as a nondestructive technique to study localized corrosion of metals

We present an approach, termed electrochemical tomography (ECT), for the in-situ study of corrosion phenomena in general, and for the quantification of the instantaneous rate of localized corrosion in particular. Traditional electrochemical techniques have limited accuracy in determining the corrosion rate when applied to localized corrosion, especially for metals embedded in opaque, porous media. One major limitation is the generally unknown anodic surface area. ECT overcomes these limitations by combining a numerical forward model, describing the electrical potential field in the porous medium, with electrochemical measurements taken at the surface, and using a stochastic inverse method to determine the corrosion rate, and the location and size of the anodic site. Additionally, ECT yields insight into parameters such as the exchange current densities, and it enables the quantification of the uncertainty of the obtained solution. We illustrate the application of ECT for the example of localized corrosion of steel in concrete.

Role of Pascalization in Milk Processing and Preservation: A Potential Alternative towards Sustainable Food Processing

Renewed technology has created a demand for foods which are natural in taste, minimally processed, and safe for consumption. Although thermal processing, such as pasteurization and sterilization, effectively limits pathogenic bacteria, it alters the aroma, flavor, and structural properties of milk and milk products. Nonthermal technologies have been used as an alternative to traditional thermal processing technology and have the ability to provide safe and healthy dairy products without affecting their nutritional composition and organoleptic properties. Other than nonthermal technologies, infrared spectroscopy is a nondestructive technique and may also be used for predicting the shelf life and microbial loads in milk. This review explains the role of pascalization or nonthermal techniques such as high-pressure processing (HPP), pulsed electric field (PEF), ultrasound (US), ultraviolet (UV), cold plasma treatment, membrane filtration, micro fluidization, and infrared spectroscopy in milk processing and preservation.

The influence of accessory rods and connectors on the dynamic response of spine fixation

Purpose This study presents a nondestructive technique to assess the influence of accessory rods and connectors on the dynamic response of spine fixation.Methods Eighteen spine specimens were divided into three construct groups such as group I (2 rods [2R]), II (2 primary rods + 2 accessory rods with 2 transverse connectors [4R+2TC]) and III (2 primary rods + 2 accessory rods with 4 transverse connectors [4R+4TC]). Anterior corpectomy was performed for all specimens. A custom test setup was built to assess the dynamic responses of constructs in flexion-extension (FE) and left-right lateral bending (LRLB) motions. This setup can slide in lateral direction, and it is excited with an electrodynamic shaker vibrated at band limited random frequencies. Accelerometer and reusable dynamic strain sensors were installed on constructs to monitor the dynamic responses. Quasi-static eccentric loading tests were performed to determine the range of motion (RoM).Results The results demonstrated that accessory rods significantly increase the resonance frequency (RF) and decrease the strain over standard 2R construction. Although 4R+4TC provided greatest reduction in rod strain over 4R+2TC and 2R, additional 2 connectors have no significant influence on dynamic response in FE motion.Conclusions An increase in the number of rods has a significant role on the improvement of the fixation's integrity in FE and LRLB motions. However, the additional transverse connectors have significant involvements only in LRLB motion. RF obtained from dynamic tests correlated with the RoM which indicates that the technique could be used as an addendum to the quasi-static test.

Optimizing Probe Active Aperture for Phased Array Weld Inspections

Phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) has become a popular nondestructive technique for weld inspections in piping, pressure vessels, and other components such as turbines. This technique can be used both in manual and automated modes. PAUT is more attractive than conventional angle-beam ultrasonic testing (UT), as it sweeps the beam through a range of angles and presents a cross-sectional image of the area of interest. Other displays are also available depending on the software. Unlike traditional A-scan instruments, which require the reconstruction of B- and C-scan images from raster scanning, a phased array image is much simpler to produce from line scans and easier to interpret. Engineering codes have incorporated phased array technology and provide steps for standardization, scanning, and alternate acceptance criteria based on fracture mechanics. The basis of fracture mechanics is accurate defect sizing. There is, however, no guidance in codes and standards on the selection and setup of phased array probes for accurate sizing. Just like conventional probes, phased array probes have a beam spread that depends on the probe’s active aperture and frequency. Smaller phased array probes, when used for thicker sections, result in poor focusing, large beam spread, and poor discontinuity definition. This means low resolution and oversizing. Accurate sizing for fracture mechanics acceptance criteria requires probes with high resolution. In this paper, guidance is provided for the selection of phased array probes and setup parameters to improve resolution, definition, and sizing of discontinuities.

Stress Monitoring in a Real-Size Reinforced Concrete Column Using Torsional Resonance

Nondestructive detection and monitoring of stress in concrete structural members is highly coveted. Yet, there are still no efficient techniques capable of achieving that goal. The leading approach towards this goal has been based on acoustoelasticity, the relationship between mechanical properties, such as mechanical wave speed, and the stress state of the solid medium. In concrete materials, acoustoelasticity has been increasingly studied, mainly using wave propagation phenomena, and usually in small samples of plain concrete — without steel reinforcement — axially loaded. A less studied approach involves the use of resonance phenomena, which offers other benefits. In this study, we tested a real-size reinforced concrete column of cross section 20 cm × 20 cm and 2 m long, by applying three cycles of controlled compressive axial load, varying from 0 to 4 MPa, and measuring axial strains and torsional frequencies of vibration. Repeatable results show that the frequencies of vibration and applied compression are positively correlated. indicating a dominant elastic behavior. This study is an important step forward on the path to understanding and implementing a nondestructive technique for stress monitoring of real concrete structures.

Novel Nondestructive Technique to Determine Optimum Harvesting Stage of ‘Ataúlfo’ Mango Fruit

A portable spectrometer was validated to determine optimum harvesting stage of ‘Ataúlfo’ using dry matter and skin color as fruit indicators. To build the model, samples were collected as follows: a. Unripe; b. Green Mature 1; c. Green Mature 2; d. Green Mature 3; and e. Fully mature. Fruit were scanned with a near infrared spectrometer at three temperatures (15, 25, and 35 °C). Skin color (‘a’ value) was measured with a Minolta 400 colorimeter. DM was attained in a conventional oven by drying samples for 72 h at 60 °C. Model was built and validated three times. The best model linearity was obtained on skin color ‘a’ (R2 = 0.98), whereas for DM the R2 was only 0.70. For the first validation, the best predicted value was skin color ‘a’ with an R2 = 0.9144, followed by DM with an R2 = 0.7056. On the second validation, the adjusted predicted value for skin color ‘a’ had an R2 = 0.8798, while DM had an R2 = 0.4445. When comparing NIR versus Heat Units Accumulation, in Nayarit, ‘Ataúlfo’ skin color average difference between the spectrometer vs the colorimeter was only -0.04. For ‘Ataúlfo’ from Sinaloa, skin color average difference was only -0.06, but the correlation was higher (R2 = 0.90). In conclusion, measuring skin color with the NIR spectrometer has potential as a nondestructive technique to determine the optimum harvesting stage of ‘Ataúlfo’ mango.

Vibrational Spectroscopy in Assessment of Early Osteoarthritis—A Narrative Review

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative disease, and there is currently no effective medicine to cure it. Early prevention and treatment can effectively reduce the pain of OA patients and save costs. Therefore, it is necessary to diagnose OA at an early stage. There are various diagnostic methods for OA, but the methods applied to early diagnosis are limited. Ordinary optical diagnosis is confined to the surface, while laboratory tests, such as rheumatoid factor inspection and physical arthritis checks, are too trivial or time-consuming. Evidently, there is an urgent need to develop a rapid nondestructive detection method for the early diagnosis of OA. Vibrational spectroscopy is a rapid and nondestructive technique that has attracted much attention. In this review, near-infrared (NIR), infrared, (IR) and Raman spectroscopy were introduced to show their potential in early OA diagnosis. The basic principles were discussed first, and then the research progress to date was discussed, as well as its limitations and the direction of development. Finally, all methods were compared, and vibrational spectroscopy was demonstrated that it could be used as a promising tool for early OA diagnosis. This review provides theoretical support for the application and development of vibrational spectroscopy technology in OA diagnosis, providing a new strategy for the nondestructive and rapid diagnosis of arthritis and promoting the development and clinical application of a component-based molecular spectrum detection technology.