Estimation of Extreme Loads of the Mi-24 Helicopter During Maneuvers Using Simulation Method

The aim of the study is to assess the loads that are transferred from the main rotor and the tail rotor to the helicopter fuselage. These loads change in the various phases of the transient flight as a result of the variable control of the maneuver and as a result of the variable flow around the blades. The knowledge of the loads allows for the proper selection of the level of excitations that should load the fuselage structure during fatigue and strength tests. The simulation model describing the helicopter flight is discussed. This model takes into account the motion of each blade relative to its hinges. Results are shown for two maneuvers - pullup/pushover and diving. The values of extreme loads transferred to the fuselage were obtained.

Imagen corporal, calidad de vida y control percibido en pacientes con cáncer colorrectal: una revisión

El presente artículo tiene como propósito llevar a cabo una revisión acerca de la relación entre el cáncer colorrectal y tres variables psicológicas: la imagen corporal, la calidad de vida y el control percibido. El diagnóstico de una enfermedad crónica es siempre una fuente de estrés que puede desembocar en una pérdida de control, ansiedad, sentimiento de incapacidad y que requiere adaptación por parte del paciente. La revisión teórica se realizó en diferentes bases de datos: EBSCO, PubMed, Medline, Google Académico y libros especializados en este tema. Como conclusión, podemos decir que las dos primeras variables se encuentran estrechamente relacionadas; es decir, personas que padecen este tipo de cáncer presentan peor imagen corporal y una inferior calidad de vida. Finalmente, proponemos que se lleve a cabo una revisión más profunda acerca de este tema, especialmente en la tercera variable: control percibido.

A Novel 3D Ring-Based Flapper Valve for Soft Robotic Applications

In this paper, the design and testing of a novel valve for the intuitive spatial control of soft or continuum manipulators are presented. The design of the valve is based on the style of a hydraulic flapper valve, but with simultaneous control of three pressure feed points, which can be used to drive three antagonistically arranged hydraulic actuators for positioning soft robots. The variable control orifices are arranged in a rotationally symmetric radial pattern to allow for an inline mounting configuration of the valve within the body of a manipulator. Positioning the valve ring at various 3D configurations results in different pressurizations of the actuators and corresponding spatial configurations of the manipulator. The design of the valve is suitable for miniaturization and use in applications with size constraints such as small soft manipulators and surgical robotics. Experimental validation showed that the performance of the valve can be reasonably modeled and can effectively drive an antagonistic arrangement of three actuators for soft manipulator control.

A Unified Controller for Multi-State Operation of the Bi-Directional Buck–Boost DC-DC Converter

DC grid interfaces for supercapacitors (SCs) are expected to operate with a wide range of input voltages with fast dynamics. The class-C DC-DC converter is commonly used in this application because of its simplicity. However, it does not work if the output voltage (V2) becomes smaller than the input voltage (V1). The non-isolated bi-directional Buck–Boost DC-DC converter does not have this limitation. Its two half-bridges provide a means for controlling the power flow operating in the conventional dual-state mode, as well as multi-state, tri, and quad modes. These can be used for mitigating issues such as the Right Half Plane (RHP) zero that has a negative impact on the dynamic response of the system. Multi-state operation typically requires multi-variable control, which is not easy to realize with conventional PI-type controllers. This paper proposes a unified controller for multi-state operation. It employs a carrier-based modulation scheme with three modulation signals that allows the converter to operate in all four possible states and eight different modes of operation. A mathematical model is developed for devising a multi-variable control scheme using feedback linearization. This allows the design of control loops with simple PI controllers that can be used for all multi-state modes under a wide range of operating conditions with the same performance. The proposed scheme is verified by means of simulations.

Modelling the coupling of the M-clock and C-clock in lymphatic muscle cells

Lymphoedema develops due to chronic dysfunction of the lymphatic vascular system which results in fluid accumulation between cells. The condition is commonly acquired secondary to diseases such as cancer or the therapies associated with it. The primary driving force for fluid return through the lymphatic vasculature is provided by contractions of the muscularized lymphatic collecting vessels, driven by electrical oscillations. However, there is an incomplete understanding of the molecular and bioelectric mechanisms involved in lymphatic muscle cell excitation, hampering the development and use of pharmacological therapies. Modelling in silico has contributed greatly to understanding the contributions of specific ion channels to the cardiac action potential, but modelling of these processes in lymphatic muscle remains limited. Here, we propose a model of oscillations in the membrane voltage (M-clock) and intracellular calcium concentrations (C-clock) of lymphatic muscle cells. We modify a model by Imtiaz and colleagues to enable the M-clock to drive the C-clock oscillations. This approach differs from typical models of calcium oscillators in lymphatic and related cell types, but is required to fit recent experimental data. We include an additional voltage dependence in the gating variable control for the L type calcium channel, enabling the M-clock to oscillate independently of the C-clock. We use phase-plane analysis to show that these M-clock oscillations are qualitatively similar to those of a generalised FitzHugh-Nagumo model. We also provide phase plane analysis to understand the interaction of the M-clock and C-clock oscillations. The model and methods have the potential to help determine mechanisms and find targets for pharmacological treatment of lymphoedema.

Takagi–Sugeno State Delayed Feedback and Integral Control for PV Systems: Modeling, Simulation, and Control

The integration of the large-scale photovoltaic systems has experienced significant growth, which is similarly expected to occur with small-scale photovoltaic systems. Since small-scale systems must be simple in cost-effective components, control strategies must be implemented in low complexity circuits. However, current maximum power point tracking (MPPT) algorithms are generally complex and require electronic components to support variable control gains for different irradiance conditions, preventing simple MPPT implementations suitable for small-scale photovoltaic systems. This paper proposes a new control strategy to tackle the power tracking problem of the power systems. First, a dynamic model of the photovoltaic system is described and converted into a Takagi–Sugeno (T-S) model. Then, an MPPT scheme is proposed in series with a fixed integral and a fuzzy gain state delay feedback controller, which avoids the need for a variable control gain, simplifying the electronic implementation of the control strategy. New delay-dependent stabilization conditions based on the Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional are proposed in terms of a convex optimization problem, where the delayed feedback and integral gains are designed simultaneously. Simulation results using Matlab and Simulink are used to validate the proposed method.