Wind Shear of Low-Level Jets and Their Influence on Manned and Unmanned Fixed-Wing Aircraft during Landing Approach

Wind shear at low altitudes represents a potential hazard to landing aircraft. Based on two wind lidar data sets of one year, the occurrence of low-level jets (LLJs), the vertical wind shear and the rotation of the wind direction were analysed. The lidar system was located at the sites of Braunschweig in the North German Plain, Germany, and Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the low mountain range Harz, Germany. The observed wind shear gradients between the altitude of 40 m and the altitude of the maximum wind speed was in the range of −0.23 s−1 to +0.20 s−1. The rotation of the wind direction with altitude occurred both in clockwise and anticlockwise direction. The ratio of clockwise versus anticlockwise occurrence of directional shear was 4:1 for Braunschweig and 3:1 for Clausthal-Zellerfeld. The observed wind shear gradients were compared to values for hazard potential of different levels for a typical aircraft. Although the LLJ was not hazardous for manned aircraft in any observed case, the awareness of LLJ helps to reduce the pilot’s workload and possible pilot-introduced oscillations caused as a result of the wind shear and aircraft characteristics. In contrast to manned aviation, the value of changes in wind speed and direction during LLJ conditions can cause significant risks for unmanned aerial system operations with less than 25 kg of take-off weight. This is a result of the lower airspeed-wind-speed ratio and the flight control and flight planning.

Photogrammetric evaluation of shear modulus of glulam timber using torsion test method and dual stereo vision system

The shear modulus of timber and timber-based composite materials is a fundamental mechanical property, which is used in the design of timber and engineered wood products. The problem of experimentally determining appropriate values of shear modulus for timber-based composite is not as simple and straightforward as in isotropic materials. Although the torsion test is a recommended standard approach to determine the shear modulus of structural-size timber and glulam beams, it is difficult to measure the rotational deformations of the timber beams. Therefore, in this paper, a stereo camera system combined with a photogrammetric approach is proposed to evaluate the values and variations of the shear modulus of glulam beams under the torsion test. The photogrammetric approach is a non-contact method, which provides an efficient and alternative approach for measuring the deformations of the torsion specimens in three dimensions. A series of experiments was conducted on glulam timber beams under the torsion test to investigate the applicability of the optical approach to evaluate the values and variations of shear modulus as well as to investigate the effect of applying torques in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction on the shear modulus of the beams. This optical system not only allows the performance and reliability of the traditional sensors to be assessed, but also allows the rotational deformation of the torsion samples to be monitored at various locations. This enables the values of shear modulus at different cross-sections of the torsion specimens to be evaluated without the need to use more devices. The test results showed that applying torques to the glulam timber specimens during loading and unloading in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction does not influence or cause a significant change in the shear modulus of the beams. By comparing shear modulus values of glulam beams measured based on different shear spans, it was found that the larger the shear span the smaller the shear modulus value. This might indicate that the variations of shear modulus values at these different gauge lengths need to be considered.

Photogrammetric Evaluation of Shear Modulus of Glulam Timber Using Torsion Test Method and Dual Stereo Vision System

The shear modulus of timber and timber-based composite materials is a fundamental mechanical property which is used in the design of timber and engineered wood products. The problem of experimentally determining appropriate values of shear modulus for timber-based composite is not as simple and straightforward as in isotropic materials. Although the torsion test is a recommended standard approach to determine the shear modulus of structural-size timber and glulam beams, it is a difficult to measure the rotational deformations of the timber beams. Therefore, in this paper, a stereo camera system combined with a photogrammetric approach is proposed to evaluate the values and variations of the shear modulus of glulam beams under the torsion test. The photogrammetric approach is a non-contact method which provides an efficient and alternative approach for measuring the deformations of the torsion specimens in three dimensions. A series of experiments were conducted on glulam timber beams under the torsion test to investigate the applicability of the optical approach to evaluate the values and variations of shear modulus as well as to investigate the effect of applying torques in a clockwise or anticlockwise direction on the shear modulus of the beams. This optical system not only allows the performance and reliability of the traditional sensors to be assessed, but also allows the rotational deformation of the torsion samples to be monitored at various locations. This enables the values of shear modulus at different cross-sections of the torsion specimens to be evaluated without the need to use more devices. The test results showed that applying torques to the glulam timber specimens during loading and unloading in either a clockwise or anticlockwise direction does not influence or cause a significant change in the shear modulus of the beams. By comparing shear modulus values of glulam beams measured based on different shear spans, it was found that the larger the shear span the smaller the shear modulus value. This might indicate that the variations of shear modulus values at these different gauge lengths needs to be considered.

Fiber Bragg Grating with Enhanced Cladding Modes Inscribed by Femtosecond Laser and a Phase Mask

In this paper, we demonstrate a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) with a wide range and a comb with continuous cladding mode resonances inscribed in non-photosensitive single mode fibers using a femtosecond laser and a phase mask. The FBG is inscribed in the core and cladding, exciting a series of cladding modes in transmission. The birefringence induced by this FBG structure offers significant polarization-dependence for cladding modes, thus allowing the vector fiber twist to be perceived. By measuring the peak-to-peak differential intensity of orthogonally polarized cladding mode resonances, the proposed sensor presents totally opposite intensity response in the anticlockwise direction for the torsion angle ranging from −45° to 45°. The cladding mode comb approximately covers wavelengths over the O-, E-, S-, and C-bands in transmission. The cutoff cladding mode of air can be observed in the spectrum. Thus, the sensible refractive index range is estimated to be from 1.00 to 1.44. Temperature responsivity of the grating is also characterized. The proposed device potentially provides new solutions to the various challenges of physical vector and bio-chemical parameters sensing.

Fabrication of Multirotor Windmill

Finding techniques to meet the growing power demand is the greatest challenge for industrialists, engineers and entrepreneurs of the country. Wind energy is emerging as one of the various renewable energy sources, which contributes to the appreciable energy demand in the world. This paper focuses on the fabrication of multirotor windmill, which has two sets of turbine blades, out of which, one set of blades rotates in the clockwise direction and the other set in the anticlockwise direction. Conventional method is used for the design of blades. The floor space required for both the windmills are same. The two sets of blades are coupled by a Bevel gear mechanism which in turn, produces a uniform torque. When compared to the normal windmill, the proposed windmill has higher efficiency due to the presence of second set of blades.

Model Dispersion Analysis of Circular Waveguide in Normal and Reverse Boundary Condition

The dispersion characteristics of the circular step index fiber with helical windings between the core-cladding region is investigated. Sheath helix is wounded between the core and cladding using two directions, namely in the clock wise and anticlockwise direction. Substituting the field components into the modified boundary conditions due to the addition of the helical windings the modal characteristics are derived for both fibers. Representations of the helical windings are done by using normal boundary conditions and reverse boundary conditions. The Eigen equation is obtained in the form of Bessel functions and modified Bessel functions for both the waveguides. The dispersion curves are plotted for two specific pitch angles ψ=0° and ψ=90 for each fiber and the results are compared. The direction of wrapping the helical material results in a change in the dispersion properties with regards to the way the modes propagate in both fibers. These changes are seen by the presents and absence of (1) band gap,(2) splitting of modes and (3) adjacent modes depending on the direction and pitch angle of the helical windings. Results obtained in this work suggest that direction and pitch angle of the helical winding are parameters that are able to control the behavior of the modes.

Development of a Threshing Device for Pearl Millet

Millets are high energy and nutritious foods recommended for the health and well- being of infants, lactating mothers and elderly people. Threshing of this crop still poses a lot of problems to local farmers. To make millet farming integral in Ghana, engineers are making concerted efforts to produce simple farm implements. This will complement other measures adopted by other stake holders to ensure that there is food security. This paper therefore presents a community based millet thresher to reduce the burden farmers go through in threshing pearl millet. The millet thresher has a thresher welded to a steel shaft and then supported on a frame. Connected to the thresher are; an input mounted on the thresher and an output fitted to the exit of the thresher. The output comprises a sieve and a tray. A centrifugal fan supported on the frame supplies air that winnows the threshed grain coming out of the tray and the cleaned millet grains fall into a collector. The millet thresher mainly employs the effects of friction (taking advantage of the fact that millets can be effectively threshed by rubbing the panicles on a rough surface) for threshing. Results show that the thresher rotates in the anticlockwise direction at a speed of 950 revolutions per minute with shaft diameter of 30.88 mm calculated from the equivalent torque. The millet thresher would reduce the long laborious hours spent in threshing and improve the quality of the grains since the possibility of the wind introducing foreign materials into the millet is reduced.

Silver Fragmentation

This chapter explores the phenomenon of silver fragmentation from the evidence of silver hoards deposited in the Baltic area. Focusing on the evidence of dirhams, it charts an increase in silver fragmentation in an anticlockwise direction around the Baltic Sea. This culminates in hoards from the west Slavic lands (Poland and eastern Germany), in which dirham fragments often weigh just fractions of a gram. Chronological and geographical patterns are presented to suggest that the degree of dirham fragmentation reflects not local monetary circulation, but the number of times dirhams changed hands in commercial transactions. In this sense, the degree of fragmentation reflects the distance dirhams travelled from their source. The implication is that silver was above all a means of payment in transactions related to the long-distance trade—especially in slaves and furs.

Social conformity and propagation of information in collective U-turns of fish schools

Moving animal groups such as schools of fishes or flocks of birds often undergo sudden collective changes of their travelling direction as a consequence of stochastic fluctuations in heading of the individuals. However, the mechanisms by which these behavioural fluctuations arise at the individual level and propagate within a group are still unclear. In this study, we combine an experimental and theoretical approach to investigate spontaneous collective U-turns in groups of rummy-nose tetra ( Hemigrammus rhodostomus ) swimming in a ring-shaped tank. U-turns imply that fish switch their heading between the clockwise and anticlockwise direction. We reconstruct trajectories of individuals moving alone and in groups of different sizes. We show that the group decreases its swimming speed before a collective U-turn. This is in agreement with previous theoretical predictions showing that speed decrease facilitates an amplification of fluctuations in heading in the group, which can trigger U-turns. These collective U-turns are mostly initiated by individuals at the front of the group. Once an individual has initiated a U-turn, the new direction propagates through the group from front to back without amplification or dampening, resembling the dynamics of falling dominoes. The mean time between collective U-turns sharply increases as the size of the group increases. We develop an Ising spin model integrating anisotropic and asymmetrical interactions between fish and their tendency to follow the majority of their neighbours nonlinearly (social conformity). The model quantitatively reproduces key features of the dynamics and the frequency of collective U-turns observed in experiments.

Relationship of the discontinuities and the rock blasting results

The Geological discontinuities such as joint are the most common discontinuities present in the rock mass. A model scale study was carried out to evaluate the effect of the joints on rock blasting. Single hole tests at three selected burdens (optimum, less than optimum and more than optimum) were done on six different joint orientations. The joint orientation angles were 0°, 30°, 60°, 90°, 120° and 150° rotating in anticlockwise direction from the floor of the bench in a plane perpendicular to the free face. Bench models of dimensions 515x335x215 mm with a bench height of 50 mm were prepared by binding sandstone slabs of 25 mm thickness with an adhesive. The models were blasted by n°6 electric detonators. The dynamic and static properties of sandstone are given. The bench crater formed and the fragmentation produced were predominantly influenced by the position of charge with respect to the joint orientation. Severe toes were noticed in models with vertical joints and with joints dipping away from the face. Over breaks were observed in horizontally bedded models and in models with joints dipping towards the free face. Over breaks were observed in horizontally bedded models and in models with joints dipping towards the free face. The size of the broken fragments at 20 mm burden was found to be finer than the fragments obtained at 30 mm and 40 mm burdens for all joint orientations except vertical.